Owner	Pose
Mercy Thompson	Mercy nods, "I mean. General history degree. And that was a fun ride" she points out then pauses as one of the Spartan exhibits catches her eye. Hurrying to catch up with Professor Jones, Mercy's pleased. "See, history is fascinating. Even if I only ever get to use my degree twice a year" she admits.
Indiana Jones	Jones smiles, looking honestly pleased. "History is filled with necessary lessons for those willing to hear. Here we go." He points to the archway, where the name of the exhibition is displayed. TITANIC: Man's Hubris." "I remember when I saw the newspapers of the time," he says soberly. "A tragedy or errors."
Cindy Moon	A young Asian woman in jeans and a black leather jacket with wide silver buckles is standing at the exhibit, perusing some of the artifacts. She touches the glass that protects them lightly, then moves to the next item. She doesn't have to commit them to memory...she will remember each and every one, long after she is gone.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy meantime, is studying the exhibits with the eye of somebody who has read up on things Titanic related. Like it or not, it was a big big part of history. Mercy studied it. And she's looking to each exhibit in turn. Not that she's saying a word, rather she's reading silently, her face a mix of emotions. Finally she does speak. "I'm not saying it wasn't awful. But good did come out of it" she points out.
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones hmms. "Things did change in many ways because of it. But it cannot be forgotten that being able to climb out of a hole does not negate the fact that you had to fall very far down to start coming up again." He shakes his head. "Sorry...I'm very impolite at times about certain subjects." A gross understatement.
Cindy Moon	The young woman pauses, hearing conversation over her shoulder. One of the voices sounds distinctly familiar. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes widen, and she smiles, but stammers. "D-Dr. Jones! I--I knew you were giving a lecture here today! I wanted to come, but...well, something happened, and I couldn't make it in time. Rotten luck! How did it....did it go? Amazing, I expect. As always?" She is fussing nervously with her long black hair, which chose now to escape its updo. Twisting it back up again, and threading in the pair of red chopsticks that hold it in place.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy nods to Jones, "You got a point, but look why the ship was in that hole to start with and look at the big picture" Mercy says. Maybe it's being a demigod in her own right. Maybe, just maybe, it's being raised by werewolves, but....Mercy's digging. May not be the best idea but she's digging. Then she nods "There was a lecture? First she heard of it. Then again, her college days are long long over.
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones foregoes answering Mercy's statement, choosing to answer her question. But before that... "Miss Thompson, may I present Cindy Moon, one of my students. Miss Moon, meet Mercedes Thompson. We met after I left the lecture. I was illustrating the new discoveries on various Spartan settlements in the Aegean Sea, and showed them the artifacts discovered at the excavation sites." He smiled sympathetically to Cindy. "Someone did record it. I will be sent the video recording today, and I will have that thin fellow from the IT department help me get it to you. However, I have also made progress on that other project I mentioned, but have not yet shared." He smiled roguishly. "I may have a lead on 'The Prince.'"
Cindy Moon	"A lead? Really? That's fantastic!" Cindy gushes. "I can't wait to hear about it!" She steps back and composes herself, assessing Dr. Jones' guest. "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Thompson. Isn't Dr. Jones amazing?"
Mercy Thompson	Mercy nods keenly, "Oh yah, I wish I'd had him in my classes honestly.He's actually talkative and knows things" Mercy nods and offers a hand. "m Mercy, pleased to meet you. How's things going....and no need to be nervous" Mercy offers with a reassuring, well, hopefully reassuring, smile.
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones looks a little self-conscious at the praise. "We'll find out soon enough, Miss Moon." He looks to Mercy. "I'm in the process of tracking down the original manuscript for 'The Prince' by Niccolo Machiavelli. The hand-written primary book, in Niccolo's hand."
Cindy Moon	"Cindy smiles faintly to Mercy, then to Dr. Jones, and frets at her bottom lip thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, if there is anybody who can find it, you're the one," she finally concludes. "I have faith in you!" Cindy turns her gaze back on the artifacts in the case. Items which outlived their usefulness, the moment the water breached the hull of the ship. "There's a sadness that lingers on these things. Sometimes it's hard to look at them. They seem innocuous enough. Just everyday things. But that night changed them. Their clock stopped. They're without use now..." Her eyes are tinged with a certain solemn glint that even she can't really explain.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy nods watching the artifacts for a moment, thet smiles to herself. "And to think" she says quietly. She shakes her head and looks to Miss Moon again. "So you're a student of Professor Jones then?" she asks with a smile. "Like I said, if I had him in my classes, it'd be a lot better."
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones nods. "They are trying to raise awareness about the site. The wreck is breaking down due to underwater bacteria. They sre predicting the wreck will be entirely gone by 2030."
Cindy Moon	"Dust to dust," Cindy replies quietly, letting her gaze linger on the artifacts for a moment longer, before turning back to the others. "There is enough of it that has been salvaged already. It should be allowed to fade with dignity, I think. Learn what we can, in the time we have left. Then let it rest."
Mercy Thompson	Mercy nods, "I hear you, though there'll always be people who won't let it happen for their own reasons" she says, closing her eyes. "Just like history repeating itself." she murmurs. No prizes for guessing what she's referring to, given her heritage really. Mercy opns her eyes and fixes them on the artifacts. "You never hear about the wreck of the Carpathia though, do you?" she asks suddenly.
Indiana Jones	Jones looks to Mercy. "Yes, but those were less hubris and more different circumstances. Carpathia was sunk by a German sub during the Great War in 1918. A lot of ships were sunk during wartime..." He looks to a pair of slippers, marked WOMEN'S SLIPPERS, NEW, UNKNOWN OWNER. USED BY PERMISSION, then looked back to Mercy and Cindy.
Cindy Moon	Cindy follows Dr. Jones' gaze, and her brow furrows. "Hey, how do you get permission to use items with an unknown owner, anyway? Do they have to do that thing where they publish all over the place that they have 'em, then if nobody comes forward, it's implied permission? Or do they just ask the slippers if they have any objection to being displayed?"
Mercy Thompson	Mercy shakes her head. "Go on. Ask the slippers" she snarks from her spot. "I'd be more worried iff they did talk to you mind. Just saying" Mercy says with a grin. Mercy's got her own sharp and smart tongue that's showing now.
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones shrugged. "It's a legal issue by that point. No one is saying their family is the rightful owner, and the curator feels they have educational value. I concern myself more with collecting such rarities for public display and study." He chuckles. "Besides, I've never gone to the Titanic. There's just...something about the place. I've even heard about the stolen gold myth. Supposed to be gold smuggled out of Europe. All hogwash, of course."
Cindy Moon	Cindy shrugs, her chides quieted. "I s'pose you'd know, if anyone does," she offers brightly. "It's just...It guess what we have recovered is memorial enough. It's okay if the rest fades, because the earth is gonna reclaim what belongs to it. It'll reclaim all of this when we're gone. We just can never forget as long as we're here. Maybe that's enough."
Mercy Thompson	Mercy nods again."My people share the same beliefs, really. Spirits and cycles and things it'd take a lifetime to understand" she says gently. Okay, Professor Jones didn't get what she was referring to. It wasn't the Carpathia about histotyry repeating itself, but Mercy's not going to spell it out. It's all there in the history books if anyone cares to read. Mercy though nods. "Just like everything will be reclaimed" says the demigoddess, Mercy being in a unique position to watch it all.
Indiana Jones	Jones nods, then checks his watch, a small Timex digital job. "I have to pick up something from the archives regarding the project I mentioned before. Miss Moon, if you have the time, I would like you to accompany me." He turns to face Mercy. "I do not know how interested you are in Middle-Age-era Florentine manipulators. If you do not wish to join us, is there anything else I can help you with?"
Mercy Thompson	Mercy grins, "Are we talking classical Latin, with flourished pages and hand drawn illustrations?" she asks. "Or what is modern day Middle Ages Italian?" she queries with a gleam in her eyes. Any chance she gets o show off her history degree....
Cindy Moon	"A'course, Dr. Jones. Anything I can do to help! For you I'm free." She smiles and stands a little straighter, but she's suddenly fidgeting nervously with the zipper of her jacket along the single track on the right side.
Indiana Jones	Indy nods, then begins walking quickly towards the south side of the museum. As he walks, he talks, making the assumption that Mercy and Cindy are keeping up. "Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a number of texts after he lost his office as Second Chancellor of the Florentine Republic. For ten points, which family brought about this reduction in status?"
Cindy Moon	"That woulda been the Medici family, when they took over Florence, right Dr. Jones? They gave him the boot. Lots of stuff like that happened around that time. Heck...that sorta stuff still happens..." Cindy says, trailing off.
Mercy Thompson	Mercy on the other hand is aware of this, history degree, though she glances to her phone. Which isn't the smarrtest one ever. "Though I'm enjoying this discussion, Professor I need to head back to my garage and work on my cars. You ever need anything car related drop by" Mercy says and steps back to get going. Never turn your back on a predator. Humans are predators too.
Indiana Jones	Indy nods. "Ten points, Miss Moon." He looks to Mercy, then waves. "Should you need to seek me out again, I am in the NYU directory." He realizes she is out of range for a handshake, so simply waves a hand in farewell. "It was interesting chatting with you."
Cindy Moon	"Nice meeting you, Mercy!" Cindy grins and waves in a friendly manner, then turns back to Indy. "She seems nice," she observes. "You gather folks wherever ya go, don't you?"
Indiana Jones	Jones sighs, "Yeah...and not always for their own good. Anyway...Niccolo's fall from power inspired him to write a number of texts, but the one titled, 'On Principalities,' or simply 'The Prince,' was the definite how-to manual for how a ruler attains and maintains power...through any means necessary. By the time he died in 1527, his name was synonymous with evil and sneaky - i.e. Machiavellian. Now, many of his texts were found and destroyed, but 'The Prince' was copied and distributed. It is all he had learned while observing the Medicis and other power players in Florence. But the original was considered lost, or destroyed by agents of the Church." He pushes through a door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY, holding it open for Cindy. "This is all known in the history books..." He waits for the door to close completely before continuing, "...until five weeks ago. A text by a Catholic nun reports that, while cataloguing books and choosing which ones were valid and which ones were heresy, alludes to a small leatherbound book, with Machiavelli's full signature. She made a reference to the 'evil tome,' but confessed that there was 'malign wisdom' and that she may have even used it to gain favor in the convent."
Cindy Moon	"Oh my God, so his little subversion playbook still works, even centuries later!" Cindy laughs - a mischievous and slightly evil-sounding cascade of sound - as she trails after Dr. Jones. "He was brilliant. Like Dante-level brilliant. 'Course he probably took cues from Dante, in the first place."
Indiana Jones	Jones nods. "Well, the Vatican was telling anyone who would listen that Machiavelli was the Devil himself by the time he died in 1527. The story is the Vatican went through his papers to take anything of value, celestial...or infernal. What makes this more than the usual old wive's tale is that the nun reference tactice she learned in Chapter 29 - there are only 26 chapters in known copies."
Cindy Moon	Cindy stops cold for a moment and blinks, wide-eyed. "You mean...Holy cow. This could REALLY be the one! And if it's not...well it sounds like a direct line to the real thing, if it's still hangin' out in some dusty corner somewhere."
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones nods. "The nun refers to the St. Sebastian Convent, which is situated on the banks of the Tiber River. It seems like a good place to start. Now, all I need is the museum's approval...and patronage...to fly out to Italy."
Cindy Moon	"That is FANTASTIC! They'll approve it, of course!" Cindy moves in to give Dr. Jones a side-hug and a squeeze, without thinking. Then she freezes and comes to her senses. A few seconds too late. You can practically hear that doe-eyed blink as she looks up at him. "Uh...sorry!" And she immediately makes a move to disentangle.
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones is startled by the sudden display of emotion, but is willing to let it pass. She's young, with all the energy of the young. "No harm done, Miss Moon," he says, smiling wryly. "The problem is the Vatican. I think there will be some trouble because one member of the board is a die-hard Catholic, and this will not sit well with him. I'll figure out a way to try and make the proposal while he's not in attendance...and then I have to arrange transport, accomodations...all discreetly."
Cindy Moon	Cindy cringes. "Egh...that could be a problem, yeah..." She scrunches up her nose for a second, thinking. "It's a shame that has to factor into the historical significance of a piece like that. I mean...that would be the find of the decade!" She would have said "a lifetime," but with Indy's track record, that would be a lie.
Indiana Jones	Indy nods. "It would have incalculable historical value. And the lost chapters would forever put to rest the claims that the book was meant to be satire." He looks around. "We should probably keep this to ourselves for now. I've heard rumors of some cult in Italy that thinks Niccolo WAS the devil and that the book could be used for summoning demons. Hogwash, but try telling THEM that."
Cindy Moon	"Wow...Are they nuts?" Of course they are. It's a cult. Cindy shakes her head. "Well, I'm certainly not gonna tell anybody. I want you to get that book. Then we can summon the devil ourselves some night when there's nothing on TV." She gives a definitive nod. "That'll show 'em."
Indiana Jones	Teenagers have an odd sense of humor. But then again, when you've seen what he's seen... "Would you like to make some extra credit for this course, Miss Moon? I could use some assistance going through some of the old texts I need for reference. I can tell you what to look for, and if you have a way to read Latin, that would be a bonus."
Cindy Moon	"Hey, I'd be happy to help you however I can! I already know Latin, so that'll be a piece of cake." Or at least she will once she reads a couple of Latin textbooks in an all-nighter. "I'd love to help you look for whatever you need!"
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones nods, looking pleased. "Thanks, Miss Moon. I think this will go a long way towards narrowing things down for me when I go to Italy."
Cindy Moon	"It sounds really exciting. Italy is SO beautiful. I mean...I don't suppose they would pay for you to have an assistant along?" she asks. "For translation purposes!" she adds quickly. "It just sounds...so amazing..."
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones blinks. "Assistant?" He looks concerned. "Well...I'm not sure...you'd need a passport, first of all..."
Cindy Moon	"O-Only if you could use the help!" Cindy is backpedaling now. "I have a passport. But I just...Only...if you want me along. If not that is TOTALLY fine. I can help you from here, too!"
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones looks at her for a long moment. "Okay...here's the real reason. It could be dangerous for you. I don't want to risk your health...maybe even your life. This cult, these Brethren..." So apparently he knew the name of the cult. "...I've seen too many companions lose their lives, or wind up hating me. I am sure you can provide sufficient support from America..."
Cindy Moon	Cindy hesitates. She is reluctant to give her secrets away to anyone. Ever. But if there is anyone in the world she should be able to trust to keep a secret, it is Dr. Jones. She looks around the quiet room and frets again at her lip. "I- can do more than transcribe," she says quietly. "Give me your knife?" If she knows nothing else, she knows he has a knife.
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones raises an eyebrow, nonplussed. After a moment, he reaches into a pocket and pulls out a fold-out knife, one of those used in hunting or other outdoors activities. There is a wood-paneled handle. It used to be grooved, but it has been worn smooth. He carefully unfolds the knife until it locks open, before handing it to her, handle first.
Cindy Moon	Cindy doesn't even hesitate. She takes off her jacket as he pulls out the knife, and she lays the jacket aside. Beneath the jacket was hiding a white eyelet tanktop. She matter- of-factly holds the knife to her arm and makes a swift, shallow cut, wincing only slightly. She moves the knife to the hand of her injured arm, and reaches into her back jeans pocket with her free hand, pulling out a strip of alcohol pads. She tears one open, as blood runs down her arm from the cut, and she carefully cleans the knife blade with the pad and hands it back to him, handle toward him and blade open, exactly as he had handed it to her. Superstitions are strong with this one. Then she runs the swab down the length of the cut, cleansing the blood from her arm to reveal flawless skin. The cut is gone without a trace. She looks up to Indy. "I can take care of myself in more ways than you can imagine, Dr. Jones. And I can guarantee that I would be more your falcon than your albatross."
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones goes through a number of reactions. When the girl holds the knife to her arm, visions of lawsuits and men in white coats flash through his head. When the slash comes, she is bleeding, but only slightly. He is only momentarily perplexed, but watches her handle it almost...clinically. It was still worrisome. She cleans the blade of DNA, so this isn't some sort of weird con game. And then she cleans the cut...except there IS no cut. Trick blade? No, it was his own knife. The blood was real - the smell of copper was still in the air, a smell only fresh blood can generate. But she's...fully-healed. He looks down at the knife, then at Cindy. "Are you...one of those superhumans, Miss Moon?"
Cindy Moon	"Super is such an overused word, these days," Cindy laments. "I prefer to think of it as 'enhanced.' This is perhaps the least, but not the least important, of my abilities. I can tell you more, if you wish to know."
Indiana Jones	Dr. Jones looks at her for a moment more, and then sits down slowly. "I...think I'd better know what you can do...so I know what to expect..."