"You know, I had suggested such the last time a committee, of sorts, was called together about Khan. It was ignored, then, but perhaps the voice of another Priscus would help sway the opinions of the others," Josephine mused.
"Although, a part of me is wondering what would happen if we were to approach Khan as a delegation of the locals and attempt to create some sort of alliance. Even if it were merely a cover for our other efforts, I am wondering what would happen. Perhaps it would be too dangerous to lift the veil of ignorance from her eyes and we would be safer using her as a way to dull the Society of Penelope's blade. And the reverse of course."
Josephine's revelation that she has been thinking along the same vein and has been, for the most part, summarily ignored is simultaneously relieving and foreboding. “Perhaps,” is all David says at the reasoning that another Priscus might sway the opinion of others. Still, David knows that while he is a Priscus, he is not a charismatic leader. That isn't who he is and it might never be who David is.
“While your second approach has merit,” David offers, “I hold reservations about it. The Masquerade still applies to others of the Night Society. I assume His Grace's Law applies to everyone who is not us. Further, I fear that exposing ourselves,” the Shadow warns, “gives up our single best card: anonymity.”
"We've already been exposed," Josephine replied, exasperation rife within her speeches emphasis. "The Reeve, in is infinitesimally minute wisdom, arranged an ambush for Khan at the Crone's place of worship. Several of us masqueraded as pagan worshipers welcoming Khan into our circle, but for some unknown reason the true muscle of the ambush did not show and so the Reeve simply pantomimed out some balderdash ritual and afterwords Khan welcomed us into her court. She knows what we are. The Reeve has, through that demonstration, suggested that we have a society. All that Khan does not yet know is that that was an illusion. Which, yes, I suppose does give us an amount of anonymity, but not much. I do not trust the illusion to hold."
A single, slow, disbelieving blink is David's immediate response to Josephine's commentry.
“He,” the sentence nearly trails off and David fumbles to recover, “He did?” Sharing in the Ventrue's exasperation is easy. The fact that the Reeve, the man that both of the Kindred in this room trust to at least keep the peace and keep the Domain safe, wasn't prepared and got cold feet is disheartening. “They ignored the best way forward, for an ambush they obviously didn't go through with?”
Slowly, David's delicate hand touches his face.
“It most certainly won't hold,” David says, adding, “and I'm not a very good liar.” His eyes drop down for a moment before stating, “I'll tell the group set to infiltrate the Society to make the suggestions that Khan is also interested in the false amulet; to do what they must to start pitting the two groups against one another. Those of us who are compromised can run diversion against Khan, and perhaps sow the seeds against the Society in turn. Do you have any other potential solutions?”
"No, I think you have the right of it. Our best move is to turn the Society against Khan's organization and then revise our approach once a victor has emerged, weakened and gore covered, from the wreckage," Josephine agreed, nodding companionably.
"That said, are you sure that it is prudent to have you as the only go between with the group concerned with the Society and those of us who have investigated Khan?"
“It probably isn't,” the Shadow states rather plaintively. “Attrition being as it is resulted in this situation. At the outset, there were far more people involved. It dwindled and now the only people involved directly with the Society, is myself and Whip Yui.” It is a fact that more need to be involved with the Society of Penelope side of things.
“The transient nature of Sacramento at work, I suppose. Do you have any suggestions on who else to involve with Odysseus' Wife?”
Briefly, David looks both contemplative and mentally spent as he puts his chin into the heel of his palm. Josephine is a bit more of a known quantity than Vivian York who he has only spoken to once. “What do you need to know about the Society of Penelope?” The question manifests at the tail end of the decision to bring Josephine into this half of the intrigue.
He isn't quite sure about the Daeva, not yet, but David reasons that the Ventrue Priscus can vouch for the woman's trustworthiness.
"Well, I've heard that there is a woman who favors hooded sweatshirts among there ranks, and in the documents I read, it was intimated that she might be something other than kine. Do you know of this woman, or if there are manifestations of evil amidst the ranks of the Society? Do you know why they happen to name themselves after Odysseus' wife? What more can you tell me about the Society's leader, and do you know of any locations which they happen to claim for their operations, so to speak?" the Sanctified rattled off.
“The woman,” David begins, “calls herself Servant, One, or Ramses. She is indeed supernatural and is in the employ of a man named Ehtar, a supernatural of some unknown providence himself. He is the true power of the Society of Penelope, a nationwide organization that masquerades as an archeological think-tank, co-funding digs in far-away places.”
“In truth,” The Shadow reveals in his pastoral tenor, “they are hoarders of occult knowledge at any cost, putting our Society and theirs at loggerheads. They have attacked the Order's interests in the past – which we have rebuffed. They have attempted to murder and have murdered other persons of interest. They nearly destroy antiquities to fit their narratives. Publicly, they are led by a Hierophant Vanderboek of which I suspect is Mortal.”
David's gaze droops, considering, “They began as a Spiritualist movement in the late 19th century in San Francisco and have, recently, moved to Folsom. As far as why they are called the Society of Penelope, I don't know. They are well-funded, rather well-organized, and from hearing your information probably as advanced as Khan's people.”
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