//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: "Don't Drink The Wine." // Story: Shai Sideways In: Murder She Mocked // by XombieSlayr //------------------------------// Back in the world of the living, Shai took a minute to catch her breath as her soul adjusted itself back into her body. When she was able to stand up again, she gently took the photos from West's wallet pocket, and left the room to tell Mazra everything she had learned. But first, she was going to have a chat with this Clarence. Shai checked her watch as she sat in the vacant steam room. 4pm on the dot. She waited. Then she heard the door open. She turned to see a young griffin in a bellhop uniform, poke his head in and look over at her. "Who are you?" he asked eyeing her suspiciously. "You first." said Shai leaning back. "You mean you don't know?" he asked eagerly. "Oh, good. That's good; so they didn't send you after me." he sighed, looking relieved. He came in and took a seat across from Shai. He took a look around the room. "Um...where's detective West?" "He couldn't make it." said Shai. "He sent me in his stead." "What do you mean he couldn't make it? Where is he?" Shai was hoping she wouldn't have to tell the poor guy this. "He's dead. I'm sorry." Clarence choked up a bit. "D...Dead? No, no that can't be....who-" "Morgan sent his goons after him." explained Shai. "Just like he sent them after me. Too bad for them." Clarence rubbed his claws together, looking more nervous by the second. "So you know then. Damn it! They'll be watching everyone closer now, I knew this was a mistake!" "Calm down." said Shai. "Just breathe, and tell me what you know. We can stop this, but you have to work with me." "And why would I trust you?" "Because I'm a detective too." Shai showed him her badge. "I was hired by the Maxentier family to find their daughter. I had heard about Steven from Margaret, but when I went to his room, he was already dead." His eyebrows shot up. "How do you know his first name? He never told anyone that but me, said it was too dangerous to let anyone know." "I'll explain later. For now, just tell me what you know." He looked at her for a moment, going over the thought in his head. Then finally let out a sigh. "The bride, the one who went missing last week. I know what happened to her." "And how do you know this?" "I was changing the sheets in one of the rooms, when I stumbled onto a secret door into the next room behind the sofa." he explained. "I walked through just in time to see them knock her out, put her in a laundry bag, and put her in a laundry cart they wheeled away. I hid behind the other sofa, so they never saw me. But I knew if I ever told anyone, they'd have me killed." "What are they really doing with these ponies?" He looked sick as he told her. "A few months back, some of the Talon Lodge elites started meeting privately. Began talking about how we had lost our identity. I snuck in through a backdoor me and a friend of mine use to steal cider from the kitchens, and overheard them when they started talking about returning to the old ways. I expected them to just talk about changing our politics not....uhg." He had stop a minute to calm himself. Then continued. "The Talon Lodge has been around for over two hundred years, and in that time we've strictly outlawed eating ponies. But...we weren't always the Talon Lodge." Shai tapped her hoof nervously. "Let me guess; Morgan has regressed to the old ways." "Him and a few of the others." Clarence explained. "They've taken many ponies over the last few weeks. They always target those with no clout, no name that the papers would recognize. Then they lock them in cages, till their...ugh, 'ready to prepare'. But it wasn't enough, lately they've been going for people on the streets of Manehatten, even in the damned hotel!" Shai took a moment to compose her thoughts. So it was all true, just as she had guessed. Before they were the Talon Lodge, they were a very old griffin tribe out in world, that ritually practiced the consumption of ponies. And in today's age, they had to become civilized, adapt to the modern day lifestyle. But it seemed Morgan was trying to bring back the old ways. "Why kidnap the Maxentier girl? Taking risks is one thing, but her father is already planning on razing the place if he finds out you guys were behind this." "I know. She's alive, don't worry." he assured her. "After I found out what they were doing, I kept going down, making sure they couldn't actually cook and eat anypony. Little things, like stealing ingredients, ruining the broth, stuff that would take too much time to fix. They just kept them in the cages till next time." That was why the kitchen had been locked up! Because Clarence had been stealing ingredients from the kitchens to prevent these lunatics from making a meal out of the ponies they kidnapped. "That was very brave of you." said Shai. "But also foolish, you could've gotten spotted." "I know." he nodded. "But I didn't have a choice, I wasn't going to let them do anything to our guests." Shai smiled at that. "Steven was right. You are a good kid." "Thanks. I just wish I could do more." "How about telling me about where they're keeping her." "I...I wish I could. I know she's not in the cells with the rest of the ponies. And I couldn't just ask either, I'm not supposed to know any of this stuff. But, I have an idea, that she's being kept near The Gourmet. Our head chef, Jacques has an obsession with fresh ingredients. I would check the freezer down in the cellar; that's where he prepares all the food." "How can I get down there?" "That's, actually the tricky part. You can't." "Why?" "Because the only way down to the cellar is through the door in the back of the member's only section; the big barricaded door in the lobby. Only members of the Talon Lodge are allowed back there; if your caught, you'll get thrown out of the hotel, badge or no." "Fine. So what do I have to do for them to let me in?" He thought hard for a moment. "Well...you could ask Margaret to sponsor you as an honorary member. We only just opened up membership to ponies, so I think it would work. And she'll understand when you explain everything to her, just be gentle with-" "It's fine." said Shai. "She, well, sort of already knows." "Oh. I see." said Clarence shuffling his feet. "So, um, ms. Sideways?" "Shai is fine." "Okay. So Shai...any ideas on how to stop them? I've tried all I could but...I think we might be too late." "What do you mean?" "The lodge is holding a special dinner in their private section tonight at eight. Morgan has promised to make a speech and everything." And at last the penny dropped. "That diabolical bastard." Shai growled through clenched teeth. "What?" She looked at him, anger fuming in her eyes. "Don't you get it? He's going to serve that poor girl up for dinner and have them all eat it. Then after everyone's eaten it, he'll tell them." "What?!" Clarence stood up. "W-Why would he do that?" "In his mind, there's no real way of punishing everyone, if everyone breaks the rule." said Shai. "He thinks that they'll have no choice but to bring the old ways back, just so they can live with themselves with that they had done." Clarence looked sick again. "Oh Celestia...that...that's pure evil." "Not surprising honestly. I already knew what kind of person Morgan was before I met him." "We...we need to tell the police!" "Not a chance. They catch wind that Mazra and the PPD are coming after them, they'll either kill her or take her someplace else to cover their tracks. We have to do this alone, it's the only way Rosalina can get out safely." "Then, that means you have a plan, right?" He looked at Shai expectantly. Shai smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do." "Miss Shai! So good to see you again, what can I do for you?" Margaret put away her clipboard so she could talk with Shai. "Hello again, Margaret. I actually have a favor I would like to ask you." "By all means, what is it?" "I want to join the Talon Lodge. I was told I needed a sponsor." Margaret looked taken aback by this. "I..I wasn't expecting you to show interest, after I told--well, that doesn't matter now. I'm happy you've decided to join our ranks! And yes, you do need a sponsor; its how we maintain exclusivity, you see." "Sure. So, will you sponsor me?" "M-Me? Well..." she had to think hard on it for a moment. "I suppose it would be fine. I can tell Connor, and I'm sure he'd be happy to see more ponies wanting to join. You have my full support, ms. Shai. Welcome to the Talon Lodge." She handed Shai what looked like an official membership packet. Inside was a pressed black gown, a golden mask fitted for a pony's muzzle, a golden pin emblazoned with a talon, and a pass into the member's only section of the Gilded Griffin hotel. "I'll let everyone know of your new membership, right away." "Great. Just don't tell them my name. I'm just another pony who wanted to join up." "Oh! I see, keeping an air of mystery then. That's fine. Please let me know if you need anything at all, ms. Shai, oh! I mean initiate." With that, Shai had been inducted into the halls of the enemy; she was now a member of the Talon Lodge. But before she could put on her fancy new gown and mask, she needed to report to Mazra. It was time to finally bring the PPD up to speed on what was happening. And she knew Mazra wouldn't like it. Mazra's eyes had swollen to the size of dinner plates when Shai was finished filling her in. "I...I have no words." she sputtered. "This kind of thing could start a war!" "I knew you wouldn't like it." Shai confirmed. "Wouldn't like it!?" Mazra yelled. "I have half a mind to arrest this entire Celestia-damned hotel right now!" she stopped and took a moment to calm herself. "Griffins and ponies have been at peace for centuries, and these monsters are risking to throw it all out the window for, what, their sick traditions?" "Not all of them" Shai added. "Just Morgan and a few others. We get Morgan, I bet they'll confess right away." Mazra was beside herself. "You said you had a plan, right? That was why you aren't letting me break down those doors and arrest that freak right now?" "Yes." Mazra stuck a hoof to Shai's chest. "Then it better be a damned good one, Sideways. I am leaving this hotel with either those missing ponies in our care, or the asses of everyone responsible in a vice. Got it?" "I can literally see the future, Chief." Shai reminded her. "I have it all up here; don't worry. Just get everyone ready for when I bring Rosalina out. Have a team out back behind the hotel and a few in front of the member's only section. When we walk through, take in everyone that comes through either door after us. The innocents will stay behind, confused. The guilty ones will try to save their asses and escape out the back or front." "You're sure this will work, Sideways?" "Again. Can see the literal future, Chief." Shai then took out her membership packet and headed for the ladies room. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get changed for dinner." Ten minutes later, Shai emerged looking like she had been a guest of honor to a masquerade ball. Her coal black dress slid over her hips like water over a windscreen, just-so. Heads turned. Conversations stopped. Drinks were spilled. Monocles cracked against the marble floors. She had to admit, she looked quite good in the dress. The mask, on the other hand, was the bane of her existence. But she kept it on as best she could for appearances. As she made her way back over to the lobby, the spell had been broken. Conversations were restarted with polite coughs. Drinks were hastily downed. Monocles were picked up, quietly sworn at, and tossed into the golden trashcans. If she was going to pull this off, she would need an alias; she couldn't risk Morgan finding out she was on to him. She thought one up: Cherry Merlot. It was short, it was fancy, and it was all she could come up with before she was stopped at the doors to the member's only section. "Pass, madam?" asked the tall griffin guarding the door. Shai handed him the pass from her packet. He looked it over, nodded politely, then handed it back. "Welcome to the Talon Lodge, miss-" "Cherry Merlot, my dear." said Shai in a voice that was not her own. But rather one would expect to come from a high class mare who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and didn't wear anything that didn't cost at least as much as a house. "Charmed." she added in the same regal tone. "A pleasure to meet you, miss Merlot." he turned the key and opened the doors. "Dinner will be served at 8. You are free to do as you like till then." Oh, she intended to. "Thank you dear. Have a lovely evening." "You as well, madam Merlot." The interior of the member's only section was almost as nice as the exterior, containing glazed marble walls with carefully painted gold decorations that ran around their edges and elegantly carved decorative frames on the doorways. Even here, though, the vain tendrils of the Talon Lodge could be seen. For every tasteful landscape that adorned the walls, there was another emblem of a golden talon. Seated at the massive dinner table were at least 30 members of the Talon Lodge including Margaret, and a few other ponies amongst the crowd of griffins. They were all keeping themselves busy with conversation or reading books by the massive roaring fireplace. Not a single one of them noticed 'Cherry Merlot', slip past them, and through the open doors to the kitchens. Once she was through she carefully closed the door behind her, and tilted her mask up to read the sign on the wall. All workers must wash their claws/hooves before exiting the area. Thank you. "Well, they may be trying to eat ponies, but at least they have good hygiene." hissed Shai bitterly. Moving away from the sign, she made her way further down the hall, until she reached some stairs down, leading into the cellar. Climbing down the stairs, and entering the hall, Shai was stopped when a patrolling guard griffin called to her. "Hey!" he approached not at all calmly. "What are you doing down here?" Shai said the first thing that came to her mind. "Pardon the intrusion, good sir. I am simply here to give chef Jacques the recipe he asked for." His face twisted in confusion. "Recipe?" he repeated. "What recipe? Jacques makes all his own recipes, everybody knows that." "Not this one, dear. I was asked by him personally to make something that will put the Talon Lodge on the throne of cuisine. It is simply beyond world class, I assure you!" He was buying it completely. "Truly?" he asked astonished. "I...well I had heard Jacques was preparing something special tonight, but...my word, I had no idea!" he bowed and stepped out of the way. "Please excuse me, madam, I'm terribly sorry for my rudeness." "Not at all, dear. But I would ask that you not tell anyone about this; Jacques made it quite clear he wants this to be a surprise. You understand of course." "Yes, of course!" he cried. "I shan't tell a soul. Please, go on ahead ma'am." "Thank you." With that, Shai was able to make it into the next hallway and could now explore the place without trouble. The long tile-lined hallways stretched for quite a bit, with adjoining halls splitting off in several directions. This was probably how those assailants got into West's room. They used these tunnels all over the hotel underground, to sneak into rooms. The thought sent shivers down her spine. Moving through the door to her right, Shai saw a large wine tasting room, complete with hundreds of oaken casks, and even some samples out for tasting. Moving past them, she entered through another door, into what appeared to be the main kitchen. And it was here she found the rotund, curly-french-mustache-wearing head chef himself, chef Jacques. He turned around as she entered. "Wha? Who are you? What are doing in my sacred kitchen? Explain yourself!" He had a french accent that simply was too bad to be real. But to Shai it didn't matter. "A thousand apologies, chef Jacques." Shai said rolling out her Cherry Merlot routine again. "I am simply here to deliver the recipe you wanted." Jacques looked outraged. He slammed a cleaver down hard on the countertop. "How dare you!" he spat. "I am an artiste of cuisine, I do not ask for recipes from anyone! Bah!" But Shai could read his mind easily. "I must not let anyone know I asked for a second chef to help me prepare tonight's meal. This pony girl they brought, I cannot possibly handle her on my own." "Are you saying that you did not ask for a second chef to help you prepare tonight's dinner?" asked Shai innocently. "Forgive me, sir. I did not mean to bother you then. Adieu." "No, wait!" she turned back around. Jacques mood had lightened. 'I am sorry mademoiselle, I didn't know who you were. Yes, I could in fact use some help with the erm...main course, you see." "I see," Shai felt rage boil up in her stomach. "Shall I take a look to see if she is ready then?" "Are you sure? I...I realize that seeing another of um, your kind like that must be-" "Nonsense. I am a chef first, a pony second." Jacques nodded. "Very well. Then yes, go and check on her. I shall begin to prepare the broth." With that he handed her the key to the large freezer at the other end of the room. Shai went over, unlocked it and pushed the doors open, letting a rush of cold air into the room. "Be careful over there, mademoiselle. The cold cannot be let out for too long; the ingredients will spoil!" "Piss off." said Shai. "I'm sorry?" "Nothing, mon ami!" Inside the freezer, amongst the bags of frozen vegetables and chilled wines, was the shivering form of young Rosalina Maxentier. At long last, Shai had found the missing heiress. She was about five years younger than Shai, and the pink diamond covered dress she was wearing had ice forming over it. Her done up blonde mane was equally frozen. But besides that, she looked to be perfectly unharmed. "Why are you all keeping me here?" she asked. "Where are my parents?" Shai tilted her mask up so she could talk to the frightened young mare. "I don't have a lot of time to explain. Just hide behind these bags here." she gestured to the large bags of potatoes near the doors. "When I say now, run out into the kitchen. Kay?" The girl looked scared and confused, but nevertheless agreed to Shai's request. Returning to Jacques, Shai feigned worry. "Oh dear, she's gone, Jacques! She's escaped!" "What!? That..that is impossible!" he flew over to the open freezer, and began looking around frantically within for the 'missing girl. "NOW!" Rosalina bolted from her hiding place, and ducked into the kitchen, just as Jacques turned back around. Shai ran over, reached in broke the handle off the door, and slammed the freezer door shut, trapping Jacques inside. "Mon dieu! What in the world do you think you are doing!? LET ME OUT OF HERE AT ONCE!" the mad chef roared. But Shai only laughed as she took off that damned mask and threw it into the open fire of the stove. "Sorry, mon ami. But the only thing you freaks will be eating tonight is your just desserts." As Jacques swore up a storm behind the frosted glass of the freezer, Shai took Rosalina over to the fire to warm up. "You alright?" "I-I am now." she shivered. "T-Thank you." "Don't thank me yet. We still need to get out of here." "D-Do you know how we can do that?" Shai looked around the kitchen. These griffins were expecting a meal. But, as Clarence proved, not all of them were expecting pony to be on the menu tonight. If Shai could whip up a meal that only appeared to be made of pony flesh, then Morgan would still give his speech, thinking that everyone had eaten pony along with him. But in reality, it would only have been him. And he would have nowhere to run. Shai went over to the stove and began looking through the cookbooks for something she could use. Then a slip of paper fell from the sleeve of one. Picking it up, she saw it was an incredibly simple recipe for something called veau doux: an imitation pony meat recipe that Jacques had been perfecting in his spare time. Glancing over at the stove again, she saw everything needed to cook a meal, was here at her disposal. And with recipe in hoof, she decided there was no more time to waste. She had to give it a shot. Thirty minutes later, and Shai now had herself a main entree prepared exactly in the manner of a professional chef, using only the descriptions and hints used in Jacques recipe. She would nominate herself for a Michelin star, soon after, but for now, it was time for dinner. She hit the buzzer on the intercom. "How may I assist?" said the voice on the other end. "Dinner is ready to serve." "Very well. I will be there shortly." When the waiter arrived he looked around the room. With Rosalina hiding in the next door cellar, it was only Shai in the kitchen. "Where is head chef, Jacques?" "He decided he hated everyone everywhere and went to go live in the middle of the desert with the rest of the snakes." "Ah, I see. Very good then, ma'am." Shai had meant that to be a joke, but the waiter took her quip far too seriously. It seemed even Jacques own staff had despised him. The waiter took the dishes and some cutlery then headed out to serve the dinner. When he had gone, Rosalina came out of hiding. "It worked!" she cheered. "Now what?" Shai smiled wickedly. "We free the rest of the ponies down here." she then snatched a bottle of wine from the counter. "Then we go watch the show."