|
Post by Ladorak on Jul 1, 2009 17:09:07 GMT -5
"Yes.....I was a close associate of his before he went underground, and yes, you could say that I still am. He and Milton Dragonis collaborate a bit more closely than I do with him however, but still, he's probably the most passionate out of all us about supporting the Revolution." The two began to cross the Cathedral Bridge now, heading towards the island. It's stone arches bore mute witness to the drifting Trist River below them. Some flotsam floated by below, but otherwise everything was quiet about them.
Otto's pawsteps resounded heavily in the still night air. There were no other beasts on this bridge at this hour....but it was probably for the best. "He's been the publisher of a newspaper....the "Friend of the Citizens" it's called. He writes quite fiery passages attacking many different groups that he sees as a harm to the new nation, including the King. He had rather....strong pawed views, but there's none more ardent about the Revolution than he. I'm hoping he'll be able to convince you that the fight must be prosecuted vigorously, and is worth fighting for."
They came to the end of the bridge, but oddly enough, Otto stopped, not stepping paw on the island. Instead, he turned and started down a staircase that was on the side of the bridge. The carved stone steps led down to the riverfront, and were normally for boaters dropping their passengers off. Underneath the bridge was a small landing, and the otter looked around, making sure no one was watching them.
He moved over to a sewer grate, grabbing hold of it with both forepaws and pulling back, groaning out as he slowly inched the grate out of it's hole and off to one side. "Hope you don't mind the sewers. It's the only place that Cutter can hide without being caught. Alright.....you go first." he said, stepping back. "It's not terribly far and there isn't much sludge right now.....maybe there will be when it rains but not right now. I'll be right behind you. You'll be traveling up some steps after walking along for a bit, and then you'll come to a wooden door on your left. Once you reach the door stop, and do nothing. I'll take it from there Don't worry.....it's not terribly far inside." the otter said reassuringly, though from here there wasn't much lighting in circular opening to the sewers.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jul 1, 2009 19:33:26 GMT -5
"I really would not like to be in a place such as this under different circumstances," Sciurus said truthfully, pausing a moment to speak to his otter companion, "but needs must. If Mr. Cutter is as good at convincing others of his views as you say he is, I am quite confident that he will do his utmost to convince me to finally commit. At the risk of repeating myself, a few things need clearing up before I make my decision. I hope that your ferret friend can help with that. I've had a lot on my mind recently, as you know, but the worst of that is now behind me, and I hope that, with my head clearer, I can get as good a pawdle on things as possible. Rather looking forward to meeting him, but I'm ever so slightly nervous about it too. Don't worry about me though. I'm nowhere near as much a bag of nerves as I was when we marched on the palace. I can look after myself, and am willing and able to listen to what this mysterious creature has to say."
With these words, the hypnotist lowered himself down into the sewers, his natural sure-pawedness helping him no end.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jul 1, 2009 20:04:27 GMT -5
"You should be able to." Otto responded, lowering himself down after the squirrel. "It's not terribly difficult. He's quite a good beast, always speaks with a passion about everything. I'm not sure you can really go wrong with him....well unless of course you betray the country." he said, chuckling sightly as they entered into the scum ridden sewers. This sort of atmosphere couldn't possibly be good for a beast's health for too long. The drainage ran by them in a low canal, and they stood on a walkway that wound it's way up into the sewer system itself. It was a place that even rats might not venture into, but it was what Paul Cutter called home for now.
"Forget what I said earlier...I'll go first." the otter stated, stepping past Sciurus and moving further along into the tunnel. His friend might have made all the claims to being brave he wanted, but ultimately Otto knew what it took down here, and didn't want to saddle Sciurus with any unpleasant situation that might arise.
Taking his footing carefully, the otter made sure not to slip on the rather damp stones down here as they threaded their way up the uneven stairs and towards the door he had been talking about. "Lot of criminals tend to hang out down here, but not in the island section. They'd be in the city proper. Cutter has made this home....away from the cutthroats and robbers. No need to fear....he lives quite isolate from those who abide by the law and those who break it."
Feeling along the wall with his paws, Otto finally felt the reassuring splintered wood beneath his pawpads. "Ah....here it is." Pushing against the door, it groaned open on very aging hinges. Pushing it against the wall as far as it would go, Otto led the way in. There were torches in here now, and it was an old monitoring station for waste expulsion before being abandoned. The light was on several wooden stakes stuck in old rusted braziers.
They were in a quiet corridor now, the stones looking orange and brown from the glow of the flames. It was a bit noxious in here, but most of the smoke was drafted up into vents in the street. Ahead of them was a rather strange sight. There was a small, white bathtub, large enough for a beast but not king sized like some of the rich owned. The feet were not carved in any particular shape, and rested at the top of a two or three steps. Across the top of the tub ran a board, perpendicular to the tops of the sides, and many books as well as articles lay atop this board. Indeed, it seemed to serve as a makeshift desk.
Sitting in the tub, soaking his furless skin, there was what was clearly a ferret but of course without his black and white fur. His skin was a fleshy orange in color, with a few sores visible here and there on his arms, chest and where the rest of the sores were was not visible from the position the two stood at below the ferret. They could only really see his arms and the top of his chest up, as they stood at the bottom of the steps.
The furless ferret's face lit up upon seeing them however. "Ah....welcome....welcome back Otto. I hear you've brought a friend for me to meet." he said, his tones even and controlled.
"Indeed Mr. Cutter...I have." Otto stood aside so that Sciurus could speak.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jul 2, 2009 4:41:53 GMT -5
"Good evening, Mister Cutter, sir. My name's Sciurus Whirlpaw. Pleased to meet you," the squirrel said, going over to the ferret and offering the curious-looking creature his paw in greeting. He could be a tad squeamish at times, it had to be said. However, the vet was hardly repulsed by Cutter's appearance. In fact, he was fascinated by it.
"From a medical standpoint, this is quite interesting indeed. Oh, but forgive for observing you like this, sir, 's just that I'm a vet, of sorts, and have never seen a creature the likes of you before. Sorry if I'm being rude, of course," he said softly, swishing his tail back and forth, slightly embarrassed by his actions.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jul 2, 2009 11:26:51 GMT -5
Cutter was taken aback that this squirrel was not repulsed by his appearance. Most beasts considered such a deformed mustelid to be hideous, but it seemed this squirrel, being a vet (which also automatically made him a studier of the sciences in Cutter's mind), was not the least put off by the strange medical condition afflicting the ferret.
"Aha! Well met then Mr. Whirlpaw. A vet you say? I used to be one myself, a vet to the bodyguard of King Augustine's brother in fact." the ferret said, flashing him a grin. "And yet I gave that rather well paying lifestyle up in order to become a publicist and get my words out to the populace. Mr. Kurtz here has told me has told me about your predicament. He said you haven't yet fully committed to the cause of the Revolution. Well...perhaps I can help you with that." His face was creased with knowledge, and it was clear that in his short lifespan he had seen many things.
"What in particular holds you back would you say?" was the ferret's first question to him as he lowered the rodent's paw after shaking it.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jul 2, 2009 11:34:24 GMT -5
"Otto's told me quite a lot about you, sir," Sciurus told the ferret, "but we'll get to that later. First things first. One of the things that 'holds me back', as you put it, is that I am simply not seeing the bigger picture. Certain things were made clear to me when I arrived in Cosnair, and again when I attended my first Cordelier's Club meeting, but I am trouble wrapping my tail around anything beyond what's already been explained to me. I've gotten the basics of things, but otherwise, I am completely clueless. It's not that I am reluctant to commit, as I've said countless times now, oh dear me, no. It's rather that I don't exactly know what I would be, erm, committing TO."
As Sciurus said this last part, a slight blush came to his cheeks.
"Forgive me for my general ignorance, both of you. I'm in for the long haul now, whether I like it or not... It seems oddly thrilling to be caught up in something of this magnitude, especially for a creature such as myself."
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jul 2, 2009 12:34:22 GMT -5
"You have no idea what you're committing to?" the ferret emphasized the word "to." "Well that's one of the simplest things I CAN explain. I take it though, from what you've said, that you've failed to educate yourself on recent events since you've come here." Cutter remarked, and he picked up a copy of his newspaper. "No time like the present to start." he said, as he tossed the copy at Sciurus. "You'll learn far more if you read my paper than if any other singuler thing about our Revolution." he said, pointing a finger at it.
"But one can hardly fault you, and I do apologize if you are illiterate, which could be a real possibility." Cutter said hesitantly. "But it's hard to find a beast living in Cosnair who DOESN'T know about the world he lives in." Cutter cracked a smile now, but it wasn't a mean one. "As said it's simple. Survival for your way of life. Is your way of life going to continue? Are you going to have a voice in the future, or are you going to be stamped out? Is your voice going to be stifled....is your right to vote going to be taken from you? Are you going to be at the mercy of a single beast who has the power to determine whether you live or whether you die? Those who stifle that sort of freedom are the enemies of all." the ferret said, a bit more darkly now as he came forward slightly in his tub to fix Sciurus with an intense stare.
"They would seek to deprive you of freedom itself.....and why should they? Because they're better than you are? If you truly believe that the nobility and the clergy are above you and superior in their stations in life, then my friend....you would be content to submitting to them and their will." He said, smiling again and shaking head. "But....but if you....YOU believe that you are equal to everybeast around you....if you feel that no one beast has the power to tell you what you may and may not do, then you are right for this Revolution. If you haven't read Sieyes's "What is the Third Estate....I suggest you do so. It's very informative." he said, washing himself down a bit by spreading the water over his sore skin.
"You....you my friend...are the Third Estate. You are not the Second or First unless you belong to the Nobility or the Clergy.....and I'm pretty sure you don't belong to either of those. The Third Estate is everybeast else and Sieyes asked them three simple questions. What is the Third Estate? Everything. What has the Third Estate been up until now? Nothing. What does it want to be? Something. With these simple questions.....a Revolution was sparked. Honestly.....what do the Nobility and the Clergy contribute to this nation? The nobility sit in their manors and castles and dictate to everybeast else, but they produce NOTHING and yet TAKE the fruits of your labor for themselves. The clergy, how about them? Well they preach and spread whatever faith it is they believe in, but once again they don't actually PRODUCE anything and do very well taking for themselves through tithes and what have you."
He cleared his throat now, pausing to take a drink from a mug that was lying next to him. "Ah...there we go. Now then...as I was saying. How do you see yourself Sciurus? Do you see yourself as inferior to the King and the Nobles of Rosferia? Do you think that because they have a title they can walk on your, tell you what to do, and take your products? YOU produce things...the Third Estate produces things.....the Second and First Estate take and produce nothing. Does this seem like an accurate picture to you? Are you not entitled to the fruits of your labor?" the ferret stopped now after getting a bit worked up at the end there. He was passionate about these things. But now it was Sciurus's turn to talk.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jul 2, 2009 12:58:06 GMT -5
Sciurus trembled slightly under Cutter's intense stare, before composing himself and speaking his piece.
"Of course I don't see myself as inferior to the King and Nobles! From what I've seen, they hide behind their titles and order what they would call the 'commoners' - that's the Third Estate, US - around," the squirrel emphasised.
"I really don't see any reason why they should have all these privileges, which they seem to award to themselves, as they have somehow convinced themselves that they are actually doing the country some good. As I've seen, this does not seem to be the case. AT ALL. You've no doubt heard of the coming storm, by which I mean the war, and also the King's general reluctance to help the populace. Augustine's actions, or, should I say, lack thereof, seem highly suspicious to me. It is truly unjust that a creature such as him should wield all this power. I saw him after it had all settled down in his palace, after we had marched upon it and given him our commands. He looked scared, friends, oh yes he did! He knows that we will, given good reason, rise against him as we have done in the past. His time is running out. The First and Second Estates' too. We will achieve true democracy someday, friends, I can feel it in my tail. My indecision, and some would say, reluctance, to commit to the cause since I arrived here was because I had not been given a clear enough picture of things - apologies, Otto, you tried your best under the circumstances, and it was my fault. I am certainly literate, Mr. Cutter, sir. I could see what was going on around me, yet at the same time, I couldn't, if you catch my drift. Well, not any longer. I hereby commit to the Revolution, for no other reason than what we see unfolding before us, day after day, is wrong and unjust. One day, friends, one day..."
Something seemed to click in Sciurus Whirlpaw's brain. The squirrel's eyes now shone with a clarity that had not been seen before. Finally, this was all starting to become clear to him! He began to tremble once more, although this time, it was not out of fear. It was because he now felt like an entirely different creature.
|
|
|
Post by Ladorak on Jul 2, 2009 15:14:29 GMT -5
Cutter listened with intensity as the squirrel spoke. He nodded form time to time, agreeing completely with his statements about the King. "Yes....more than suspicious." the ferret interjected when Sciurus made that comment, but then he clammed up to continue to let the rodent speak. It seemed as if Cutter had managed to strike a nerve with Sciurus, and for that the ferret was most grateful.
He heard him out, once more nodding at certain points. He drizzled some water over his body with his cupped paws as well, relishing in the easing of pain in his boils and sores that it gave him. But despite his closing of his eyes from time to time, he never once left the conversation. This squirrel it seemed was a good speaker, and Cutter intended to compliment him as such.
"You speak very well when you get your blood up Mr. Whirlpaw." Cutter said with a smile. "But yes.....it seems you are indeed serious about helping this Revolution become more. To take it all the way so to speak. I do however, have a couple of questions for you." The ferret's gaze was once again that serious, almost stern look. "Feel free to answer however you want."
"First off....do you feel that the King is a criminal and should stand trial for his crimes, or, if not a criminal than at least do you feel that he should be deposed in favor of a true republic?" The ferret studied Sciurus, fascinated by the way he spoke and wanting to see how he would answer these two questions.
|
|
|
Post by Carrow on Jul 2, 2009 15:35:18 GMT -5
"As I have said, our King's recent actions have been very suspicious indeed. Now, this is only one creature's opinion, but I would be inclined to support the second of your suggestions, that is, that Augustine should be deposed at the first available opportunity. I have my suspicions, and if events transpire that lead to said suspicions being confirmed, then our so-called ruler, the unelected leopard monarch who ignores the calls of the people and instead acts with only himself in mind, should indeed be put on trial for what I believe constitutes high treason, and should face death if convicted. Rightly so, too. For the moment, though, we should do our utmost to bring about the deposition of the King, so that Rosferia can become a true republic, certainly not before time, either."
Sciurus spoke clearly and without hesitation, all traces of nervousness and uncertainty gone for the moment.
"Your next question please, Mr. Cutter, sir."
|
|