"That can be arranged," Nagani suggests. "A simple scrap of blue fabric, carelessly torn off when it stuck to a protruding nail, is all the proof Adler will require."

Toshiba's enthusiasm for the plan wanes with the discussion. When Nagani speaks up, he shakes his head.

"I do not doubt that we could inspire Adler's children into telling him it was the Blue Oni," he explains, "but I do not like the idea of letting Adler dictate the tempo in this matter, a matter which I feel the need to reiterate depends on us finding Van Synt a killer before - " Toshiba counts off on his fingers - "he finds Sadatsugu" - a second finger - "he sends an innocent man to the gallows or" - another finger - "he sends US to the gallows. After all, we're convenient patsies, or so everyone in this accursed city seems to think."

Toshiba looks at everyone assembled. "If I were Adler and I just learned that the Blue Oni was after me, well, first I'd make sure Van Synt knew that the Oni was likely responsible for Tingarson's death, wouldn't I? It's no secret the Blue Oni's in Kargbeck, not if you can glean some minor information from loose-lipped gate guards who let me pass inside wearing my knives. Furthermore, we found out Champagne hired the Killer Bees to find Tingarson's assassin. When they're wiped out by the Blue Oni, it'll look like he's covering his trail." He points at Nagani. "I might even make a deal with you to sell us out, thus saving your brother and your clan's intelligence source in this city. Doesn't matter who kills who or who implicates who after that, because none of those people are going to be me-as-Adler."

"Gods! If I were in his place, my initial reaction wouldn't be fear - it'd be relief! Nay, I think that we should dispense with the message-leaving and just go ask Adler who his masters are. I place more surety on our ability to discern truth from his lies in a face-to-face confrontation than on our ability to dodge a city-wide manhunt for us while simultaneously trying to find a thief-master who's gone to ground until the storm blows back out to sea."

Toshiba's eyes plead with the group. "Let us strike now, before his urchins warn him and he disappears or somehow blows our subterfuge against Van Synt. I know that I do not place my own shriveled sense of honor in such high esteem as some of you, but I do know that you cannot possibly desire these charades to continue longer than necessary." He looks at Aiko and Takao in particular. "And simple plans often have an advantage against schemers like Adler," he adds, looking to Kasumi.

"Let's just go get him."

Takao shrugs. "Direct action works for me. But we won't face any resistance going in, and what will we do with him when we have him? Torture him? I'm only used to dealing with small town bandits, and even they often respond to a bit of trickery better than force. Always let them think they are smarter than you."

"These big city guys, I can't even fathom how their plans work. I leave it to you courtly types to outwit Adler. I'd try the simple approach. I prefer blaming it on the Killer Bees rather than the Blue Oni, though. I don't like what I've heard about this suit of armor so far."

"Well, we can do both," Kasumi says. "The Blue Oni storms into his bar, declares that Adler is marked for death for killing his friend and business partner Tingarson, and walks back out. We have people who he does not know listening, and see what he does. If Toshiba is sufficiently convincing, Adler should feel that this is too much trouble for him to deal with himself, and he petitions to his masters for aid. Once we know who they are, we should have what we need to not only hand Van Synt all the blame he needs, but to figure out what Tingarson, Olafsen, and this place have to do with the attempts on Yukio's life. And if it doesn't work, if he's not afraid or otherwise doesn't lead us to what we need to know, then we grab him and ask him face-to-face."

Takao wrote:

I don't like what I've heard about this suit of armor so far."

Toshiba eyes Kasumi with a semi-serious look at what you started glare, but leaves it alone until she finishes editing the plan. "We have a bit of coin from the Bees; I'll sweeten the pot with a bit of a bounty on Adler to boot, let the denizens of his alcohol-soaked hovel know I mean business," Toshiba elaborates. "Otherwise, I stand ready to proclaim Adler's wrongdoing in a manner most terrifying."

"Or we return to the original plan to place the death of Lord Tingarson at Herr Adler's feet," Aiko speaks up. "And once he is demonstrated as the culprit to the authorities, the Blue Oni sweeps in to rescue him from the executioner's blade, removing all doubt as to Herr Adler's guilt and in turn leaving Adler no other option but to co-operate with us."