//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: Slow Cloud Ship to Gregorgrad 
// Story: Agent Con Mane in Mission to the Griffon Kingdom (to be rewritten) 
// by Fairytail 
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	“I promise you it wasn't one of my ponies that killed him.” Cloak Daggers said as he laid out the architect’s plans of the Griffon Archives that he managed to procure through dubious favors. The wall in Daggers’ study had been re-plastered but it was not yet painted. One of Daggers’ sons-- the Unicorn-- brought them some coffee and a paper bag of donuts. Other than that the two were alone.
“Well he didn't die of old age.” Joe said somewhat irritably, “All I know is that it saved me a job. He saw Rose plant the blueprints near the column so she was obviously compromised.”
Daggers took a sip of coffee. “And he wasn't killed because of those plans. Otherwise the killer would have taken them.”
“Let’s just say,” Joe said through a bite of glazed donut, “that the Griffon Nest is a rough place.” Joe levitated the folded up blueprints from his coat pocket and flattened them out across the table next to the architect's plans. “Now let’s just see how well these two match up. This is the conference room. That checks. And this here’s the sacred vault. That’s the same. Now she says she works in the same room as the Grimoire everyday from two to three.”
Aside from minute differences in scale and room size, the floor plan of the Griffon Archives matched between the two documents. Joe finished his donut and Daggers, with slight annoyance, swept the crumbs off of the blueprints with his cape. “How is she going to get the book to us?” he asked.
“Oh, she’ll take care of that.” Joe remarked with a healthy chuckle, “She’ll do anything I say.”
Daggers laughed hard enough to cough slightly. “Anything?” He passed Con Mane an incredulous look. “My dear Con, you are not using your head. It all sounds too easy to me. We don’t know if she’s telling the truth.”
“Well I intend to find out.” Joe reached for a fresh donut but unfortunately the bag was empty.
Daggers continued to laugh-cough mockingly. “Where? In the hotel?”
Joe didn't react to the implication. Instead he brushed the idea off completely. “No way is that happening. She won’t go back there again. She says it’s too dangerous.”
Cloak Daggers’ smile was sickeningly wide. His wisp of a mustache was practically curling itself. “The old game. Give the Baby Dragon a small present and the next thing you know he is the master of a horde. My friend, she’s got you dangling.”
Joe laughed at the absurdity of the thought. “That don't matter. All I want is the Grimoire.”
“All?” Daggers mused, “Are you sure that’s all you want?”
“Well…” Both ponies fell into a fit of laughter.

Joe and Rose bought tickets and boarded the airboat. The single deck craft, large enough to ferry about two dozen tourists, flew up into the morbid, opaque billows of the Great Storm Cloud. The airboat scuttled through the middle of the cloud but not high enough to break the barrier. Joe was disappointed. He had hoped to show Roseluck the blue sky for the first time. Instead they were stuck on a cruise through a vortex of darkness. On the ground, the Great Storm Cloud looked like a simple blanket of somber grey over the heads of the Griffon Nests. Now that Joe was able to witness the Great Storm Cloud up close, he could see how the thunderhead got its name. The cloud was a turbulent maelstrom of constant chaos. The clouds clashed and ware and raged at each other every second. Spears of lightning hurdle through the deadly tempest.
The Griffons, or rather more likely the unfortunate Pegasi of the Nests, carved a tunnel of safety through the cloud and manufactured a jet-stream that turned it into a cloud tunnel through which the cruise ship traveled. The destructive clouds and lightning did not penetrate the eye of the cylinder turning the walls of the vortex into a morbid side show of light and darkness. The cruise would travel past the outskirts of the Griffon Capital City of Gregorgrad-- as close as the inferior class was allowed to get anyway-- and Joe had hoped that a luxury trip would work to loosen Rose’s lips. Unfortunately, the swirling walls of various shades of grey with the occasional spiderweb shaped flash weren't much to look at and Rose was bored so they spent the majority of their time in their cabin. Still she clung to her new toy. She never moved more than a few feet away from Joe and whenever Joe glanced at her he saw her sparkling eyes only on him.
The airboat captain announced that they were now in view of Gregorgrad. Joe tried to coax Roseluck outside to take a look but she fought back. She explained that entering the cloud like this made her feel apprehensive and, above all, guilty. She felt as though she had broken a most sacred taboo. With enough coaxing and a very charming smile, Joe was able to convince Rose to walk out onto the deck to see the city.
Outside, the wind from the jet-stream was razor sharp and freezing. In the very, very far distance, through the thin screen of cumulus, one could almost make out what could have been the towering spires of what was probably the Griffon Castle. Joe was once again faced with disappointment. He would have gotten a better look at the city on a postcard. While most of the tourist stayed and gawked at what they must have considered an impressive sight, Joe and Rose sneaked to the other side of the deck. Rose was growing more fidgety by the second and she kept tugging on Joe’s sleeve.
“Joe, we must leave here now!” she kept insisting, “If the Griffons catch wind of me meeting you here…”
“Don’t worry, they won’t!” he assured her.
“But you don’t understand the danger!”
“Then stop acting suspicious.” He barked. Rose was wearing the same disguise she wore at the Sky Spirit’s Temple. Her sunglasses and scarf covered her eyes and hair respectively and, just to be extra cautious, Joe had her wear a simple dress to cover her Cutie Mark. Her scarf flapped violently in the sharp wind. “Just act naturally and we won’t be bothered. Plus, I highly doubt there are any members of SkyClaw on this airboat.” Joe lifted his front hooves over the railing and looked out into the horizon as if he were enjoying the sights-- or lack thereof-- and told Rose to do the same. “Now I need you to prove to me that you ain't lying and that this book of your’s is the real deal.”
“And how do I do that?” she asked.
Joe tugged back the sleeve on his left hoof slightly to reveal the watch he was wearing. It was an expensive watch with a shiny black leather strap and a brilliant face. Joe turned the dial that surrounded the face and a small red light lit up in the center where the hands met. “Speak into the watch. Quietly, but clearly.”
“Alright.” she said hesitantly, “Fine.”
“Now about the book.”
Roseluck huffed. She gave Joe a poisonous glance from beneath her shades. “That’s all you’re interested in isn’t it? Not me!”
“Business first.” He scolded.
“I know…” Her voice was apologetic yet sorrowful. “Once you get what you want…”
“Well I ain't got it yet.” Joe made his voice softer and more understanding, “But if you tell me about the book, then afterwards we won’t always be on the Princess’s time.”
He smiled his assuring smile and Rose couldn't help but smile too. Joe snuggled against her body to not only make her feel better but also to fight against the bitter cold and also to make sure the watch captured her clearly.
“Alright.” Rose said slightly more cheerfully, “What do you want to know?”
“How large is the book?” Joe asked
“About ten kilos. Bound in green leather. Green like your eyes.” She nuzzled her head against Joe’s. He could feel the sweat behind his ears crystallizing in the cold.
“Keep it technical, eh!” He pushed her back slightly. “Is the book written in Griffyth?”
“No. It is written in ancient Clawscript.” She answered quickly without interest. She then wrapped her slender hooves around his body and hugged him tight. “Joe, could we--”
“Not now.” Joe scolded her again, “Talk to the watch. How many pages?”
“Content or addendum?” she asked with irritable indifference.
“Both.”

After the interrogation on the cloud river, Joe transmitted the recording straight to Canterlot. MARE sat in his office along with Miss Raven, taking diction, The Doctor and several members of Celestia’s cabinet. In front of them, a device wired to a tape player relayed the questioning.
Roseluck’s voice answered the question through the speakers. “There are 2400 pages and 160 addendums. The addendums are bound to the inside of the back cover of the book and the book cannot be opened without the proper magic. Oh, Joe, Joe!”she became distracted again. With each of these outbursts, MARE absentmindedly chewed on his pipe and became very attuned to the silent judging of the officials in the room. The Doctor, on the other hoof, quietly chuckled at Rose’s remarks. “Joe, will you make love to me all the time in Equestria?”
“Day and night.” Joe responded coldly. “Now go on about the contents.”
“Ah, yes. The contents. Once when it was being examined I saw some of the pages. It went on about the creation of the Storm Cloud. About how the ancient Griffon King stole the secrets of the storms from Pegasopolis and how to keep the storm churning for all eternity.Tell me, Joe. Am I as interesting as all those Equestrian fillies?”
“Well once when I was with MARE in Appleloosa we had an interesting experience with a--”
MARE shut off the recording. His steel grey face was beet red and his pipe nearly fell from his mouth. “Thank you, Miss Raven, that’s all! That’s all!” he flustered. Miss Raven smiled curiously and obediently left MARE’s office back to her desk. After she sat down, she cheekily flipped on the intercom on her desk.
“Later! Later!” Said Joe over the speaker most likely in response to another one of Roseluck’s attempts at flirting. “Now about that weather spell!”
“Spells. Spells. Spells.” Rose complained, “Joe, come closer. I want to whisper something in your ear.”
“Just go on with what you were saying. No, not that! The Grimoire!”
Miss Raven, who was chewing on the tip of her feather quill with amusement, released a playful laugh. Her enjoyment was interrupted by the sound of MARE’s voice over the intercom.
“Miss Raven, since no doubt you are listening, perhaps you can take this message by Dragonfire?” After a quick flash of guilt and embarrassment, Miss Raven prepared a paper and dipped her quill. Thanks to her special talent, she was able to write down the words just as quickly as MARE spoke them.

Merchandise appears genuine. Go ahead with deal. signed, MARE

Joe read the letter and threw it into the fireplace in Daggers’ office. “Now all I have to do is tell the filly the date.”
Cloak was examining the blueprints of the Griffon Archives. He trotted over to the calendar that hung on the wall. “Hmmm. We will need a day that the Griffons’ won’t expect. Shall we say… the thirteenth?”
“No.” Joe responded. “The fourteenth.”