Deadlands, Part XV

When last we left our heroes, they were accosted by gangs in Denver, bought some supplies, acquired counsel in New York, and arrived in Boston.

Having just arrived in Boston (and having just caught up on news of the Hood family drama, among other things), David Hood, Father Seward, Jake, Jeb, Ruby O'Flahertie, and Rufina wonder if David Hood might be recognized.

Rufina is the first to note the answer as a resounding "YES!" — David Hood's face is on missing person posters plastered on the walls.

As there's a lag of about a day until his lawyers from Belton & Dare arrive, we decide to hole up in a hotel.  With a murderer on the loose, people aren't really clamoring to leave, but Father Seward and Jake both have business — Seward wants to buy some things (like rope), and Jake wants to look for a poker game.

As they leave, they see a ragged beggar watching them.  Father Seward smiles at him, but Jake glowers, scaring the man away.  Seward blesses him as he walks past, but otherwise leaves him alone.

Jake could find a poker game, but as it would take him deep into the dregs of Boston, he decides to let it alone for now.

Meanwhile, Seward completes his errands.  As he returns to the hotel, he sees a well-appointed carriage outside.  A well-dressed man steps out, checks his pistol, and steps into the hotel.  Father Seward thinks for a moment and follows him.

As he enters, the innkeeper points out Seward, saying something to the effect, "That's one of 'em right now!"  Father Seward then proceeds to play the part of a senile, half-deaf old man, generally making a nuisance of himself — and making enough noise to alert the others that something is afoot.  They hide David in a closet, and when the man finally knocks on their door, Ruby and Seward manage to be annoying enough that he leaves (apparently satisfied that they know nothing regarding David Hood) and offers ten dollars for their trouble.

Once Jake returns, they inform him of the proceedings.

The next day, the group goes to meet David Hood's new lawyers at a restaurant.  They previously met Mr. Dare in New York, the other is a new fellow with a cane and colored spectacles.  His name is Mr. Sharp.  Although he is apparently blind, Rufina notes that he is pretending to be blind (and informs us at the earliest opportunity), although she does not know why.

In any event, the lawyers discuss that Hood must maintain a certain image and media presence while in Boston.  They discuss a little about his case, but mostly prep him for the coming legal battle.

There's a weird moment amidst all this — Ruby and Seward swear that the lawyers indicate that David Hood will be shot (like, by a hired gunman) to help his image, but the rest of the group says they understood the "shoot" to be photographic.

Whatever the case, once preparations are made, David is ready to enter negotiations.  The group goes to the Seward & Taft law offices and encounters the rest of the Hood family (including the gunman from the other night, who looks very annoyed to see the people who claimed ignorance of David).  There is much arguing, and it appears the lawyers are just barely maintaining order.  Mr. Sharp slams his cane on the ground to silence everyone.

After some dithering, David, Father Seward, and Mr. Dare go to meet with Geoffrey Seward (who happens to be Father Seward's nephew).  During discussions, David learns that he is inheriting most of his mother's wealth, while he was entirely cut out of his father's will.  Strangely, these provisions were alterations to the original wills, made within days of their deaths.  Regardless, David is now a wealthy man (although he still does not lay claim to the Peerless's cargo, as it is in legal limbo).

Interestingly, further complicating the case of the Peerless, there are multiple ships of the name.  Two ships by that name crashed a while back, and more recently, another Peerless was in Boston harbor when the abandoned Peerless crashed into the harbor.  As the manifests of the two are identical, the captain of the Peerless claims he owns the property on the abandoned vessel — as it is evidently what he was about to go to Italy to acquire.

Weird.

At any rate, with this new revelation, David, Seward, and the attorneys rejoin the main group.  David Hood's party then decides to leave.

As the group descends the steps of the building, a shot rings out, hitting Hood in the arm.  Jeb returns fire, and when Jake goes to check, he finds the would-be assassin dead from Jeb's shot, which apparently hit the man square in the head.  The man has assorted bills and a likeness of David Hood on his person.

The group regroups and bandages David as best they can.  Then, they relocate to the penthouse of the hotel where his lawyers are staying.

Everyone takes up rooms in the vicinity while David takes the penthouse.  Jeb also takes the couch in the living room so as to act as his bodyguard, while the maids also make arrangements for Ruby O'Flahertie to stay there.

There is a bit more discussion, as well as lunch with David Hood's attorneys, and the group decides to investigate David's mother's house the following day.

Quietly, they hope to determine something about that cargo under guard in the harbor, but first things first.

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Forgive the scattered notes on this session; I neglected to write this until two weeks later.

Incidentally, the whole thing about David's lawyers planning to have him shot is an out-of-character thing.  Nicole and I recall the conversation one way, while the rest of the group recalls the lawyers saying something about taking his picture.  It's a little Rashomon up in here.

At any rate, this was one of those sessions where a lot of things happened, but not a lot happened.  Just a couple of meetings and a single exchange of gunfire.

Somehow, though, all the weird little mysteries from this session are more troublesome than Rattlers and cannibals and such.