Chapter 2: Works of Love

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

"Yes sir, of course I understand." I reply to him. I find it interesting that he used the word capitalism. No one calls this anything but manalism. The Moderator once said that to call it Capitalism would mean that there is an alternative. He told people not to label it because labels create the potential for alternative labels. This is...what it is. A god like thing. A nameless god like thing.

I of course, think differently.

"You called it capitalism. It is Manalism, sir." I correct him. "Manalism."

[Li Violette]

To Cephrien

The Moderator told me at our meeting that he would like if I checked up on some of the members of the Invisible Hand, so, the next day I attend a short meeting with some members of the Economic Council, then I go to my office to make a phone call. I decide to call Cephrien, one of the many people working for the Invisible Hand. I am told that he is a very loyal assassin and one of The Moderator's favorites.

I dial his cell phone number and hope that he picks up.

[Eun/Aoi Kiriyama]

"Hey Eun!!" Ian yell at Eun, which it made her mess up on her designs.

"What is it Idiot?" Eun ask almost loudly.

"Keitoleinen."

"Great..." Eun mutter to herself before she left her wokring area. It isn't really hard to spot Keitoleinen because his hair color, BUT wonders why he wants to talk to her again.

"What is it Mr. Keitoleinen?"

[Dinari Dollar]

Dinari spends a few hours enjoying the sun and reading through the catalogue. Hours later when he finally checks his messages, he notices that Anthony called him. He listens to the message and thinks for a moment on if the plants should reproduce on their own or not. It would be more cost effective if they just reproduced on their own since then he wouldn't have to worry about buying more plants. They could just spread themselves. However, it could cause a problem if they spread across the country and grow in an unhampered way. It would change the environment and maybe kill other potential plants. Dinari never cared much for the environment, so the decision is simple.

He calls Anthony and leaves a message. "they can reproduce on their own." Is the simple message.

[Kaschei Bessmertny]

Kaschei becomes irate when he does not hear back from Machiavelli. He is an incredibly impatient man and intolerant of even the slightest sign of slacking. This will not bode well for Machiavelli later.

"What is going on in Helsinki?" He wonders aloud. The drugs had been delivered so what was with the delay?

He leaves a message for Alexei saying that Machiavelli was supposed to pass along a message concerning his interest in Cuba. He would like Machiavelli, Alexei, and any other capable allies to travel to Cuba to see first hand what is going on there. The message includes a teleportation code for Havana.

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

Keitoleinen notes that Eun seems less than pleased to see him. This angers him since it seems that he is not being given the respect that he demands. "I only stopped by because I was thinking of your poor sick mother and how hard that must be for you." He tells her. "Really, it must be very difficult for you."

"Maybe you need a break from all of that."

[Peter "Levitas" Barak]

Peter checked his phone as it beeped. Seemed Tuvi knew what she was doing. He closed the phone and headed off, smiling to himself. This was proceeding well; they were ready and soon he'd have the island in the perfect position for them to acquire. At this point the 'sinners' were stirred, they where angry and confused, and all they needed was a proper chance to vent that frustration on the island.

It had been tricky, but he'd managed. Putting volital substances into the hands of mad men was foolish... unless you wanted stuff blown up and people dead.

[Eun/Aoi Kiriyama]

"What do you mean that I need a 'break' from everything?" Eun ask quietly.

"And since when you care about me and my sick mother?"

[Jumala Keitoleinen]

"Oh, I am an employer who cares." Keitoleinen remarks with a broad smile. He steps closer to the small scientist and absent mindedly plays with a jar left out on the table.

"What if I could ...buy medicine for your mother...just for a small favor." He says as he looks into the jar. He sees his own smile of sharp teeth in the reflection.

"I could help you."

[Eun/Aoi Kiriyama]

"What type of small favor sir?" Eun ask. "Do I pay you any money?"

Eun is somewhat tight when it comes to money, but she manage to pay off the loans for school to the Creditors.

[Cillian Machiavelli]

Mac saw Alexei and Beth leave. Not to important. He just wanted something to pass the time until he heard from Kaschei. Speaking of which why hadn't he heard anything from him yet?

It was not like him to not get in touch with...he began to frantically search his pockets. In his coked up haze he had forgotten to grab his cell phone!!! Damn Kaschei would be mad!!!

Mac could fix this. He took off as fast as he could in his buick and found himself at his place. This was just a temporary place he used for solace and peace and quiet and sure enough on the floor was his phone going off like the fourth of july.

He played the message and cursed himself. He had to get in touch with Alexei and Beth. Knowing Kaschei he had already contacted Alexei. He called the org looking for information on Alexei so he might get in touch with him later. He would have to call him to accomplish Kascheis goal and no one would dare go against his masters wishes.

But first he had to give his master a sign of his devotion and let him know how sorry he was for his ignorance. He contacted his master telepathically.

~Kaschei...Master...My phone fell from my pocket when I left. It was my own ignorance. I beg forgiveness. I will contact Alexei and we shall leave for Cuba at once. I am sorry...~

After delivering that message he began dialing the number he had for Alexei. It paid being the assistant of a great and powerful man...

***I am calling Alexei***

[††Venice "Cephrien" Ashgrove††]

He lived by himself in a fairly small apartment.. Though it wasn't much, he did put a little personality in the place over the years. He had a collection of items that he would take back home with him after travelling to any foreign place.. Usually, he would just put them somewhere and leave them there, forgetting about them.

He was pretty much always available for business, since he never had anything personal to do.. His only place in this world was the work he was doing now.

No beliefs. No dreams.

As if he were waiting for the call, Cephrien was patiently sitting in the living room in his apartment, staring emotionlessly into the glowing TV in the back of the room. A nice flat-screen that he had bought with his money.

-and then, his ringer had gone off. Raising a hand into the air, the phone on the table was jerked up and flew into his palm. He flipped it open and brought it up to his ear.


"Venice." He spoke his fake name into the receiver. Only those within the organization knew his real name.

[Calithin Crest]

I shake my finger and smile sardonically.

"We shouldn't make it a habit to correct me. I am like pharaoh... What I say more or less goes. However, that was right. Good job... I was testing you; seeing if you would catch that whole Manalism thing... Very nice... However, knowing that doesn't really make you a better janitor, now does it?"

Yawning again, I pace around a little bit contemplating the situation.

"Test number 2: what is the best brand of window cleaner? This is an important test because it pertains to your job and knowing this would really show a dedication to your work here that I would be very impressed with."

[Peter "Levitas" Barak]

Peter left the body in a perfect set up. Unlike the others this one couldn't look intentional, this had to be accidental or it could be trouble. One of the various rebel "leaders" had been talking about unifiction in the face of open war. Peter couldn't have that happening, not when things where so close to working out.

And so he'd seen to it that the poor fool had gone and gotten himself killed. Apparently, people would discover, he'd been trying to cut the phone lines for part of the city, ending communication and increasing conflict. Unfortunitally he'd cut the wrong wire set and shocked himself badly (the burns on his hands testified to that as did the roasted scent of his corpse). Too bad really, that his talk of unity had been a front.

So very close now. The tools where in the right hands and within hours this play would end. When the Anti-Manalist Party discovered members of the Equal Labor Union in their basement rigging improved explosive to the supports of the building they used things would come to a head. The explosives, dangerous stuff that home mixed brew, would go off without warning while the groups fought. Luckly for the building and a few of the group members the materials were improperly prepared. At least half of them would escape with burns and broken bones.

With real danger involved to their homes the non-rebel citizens of the city would flee as fast as they could. The rebel groups would retreat, regroup, and defend themselves against attacks.

The timing would be perfect, he'd informed Tuvi of everything, and within hours of the blast dozens of private funds would being buying buildings and land in Havanna (and Cuba as a whole). Within days these individual purchases would be rebought by Allmart and Dollar would release a statement concerning his desire to offer these Cursed a chance at redemption. Construction work, resort jobs, they could work hard and learn their real place in the world.

Peter checked his watch. This was the part of the plan he was nervous about. Here, things might go wrong. The movments had to be swift enough to sweep under the Manalist's attention but slow enough that it didn't appear to have been preordained. Naturally he had a back up if they did think it was preordained but he'd rather avoid that because it involved getting in deeper with the Manalists themselves, something he hoped to avoid at present.

He checked his watch again and chewed his lip. Not long...

[Hilja Kukkanen/Sasha Pisarev]

I would like to scream now that no, I am not a good janitor. I suck at being a janitor. IO have zero passion for cleaning. I hate everything! But no, I remain calm and polite. This is afterall Calithin and I have to think about my job.

"Oh, I don't buy the chemicals. I am assigned chemicals which are in a storage closet. But the ones purchased for my use are Allmart Allpurpose cleaner." I state and even show him a bottle of it which has been hanging from my arm.

I notice a banner that says that today is random drug test day. It is drooping and I wonder if I should excuse myself to stick it back up before Calithin notices it is slipping off the wall.