Avec Spencer
Le barman est heureux d'avoir une compagnie plus respectable, polie, et des discussions entre les tâches sur les affaires dans la Neath. Selon lui, les Neddy Men ont eu plus de quelques rancards avec le Constabulary, une majorité sur les fugitifs de justice recherchés par les deux factions. Une bagarre entre les deux groupes d'exécution a commencé il y a un jour juste en bas de la route, sur un petit anarchiste qui, pendant la confusion, a réussi non seulement à s'échapper mais à blesser sérieusement plusieurs personnes avec des bombes maison. Il continue à vous régaler avec des histoires et des nouvelles, en vous mettant en surface presque immédiatement. Il parle d'une histoire d'amour dans le palais Shuttered, vous informe de la folie et joviale Jack-of-Smiles, dont le meurtre-spree n'a pas été vérifié depuis des mois. Il évoque de façon offensive une nouvelle sensation à Veilgarden, pianiste qui a tout le lot bohème en chantant de grands éloges. Apparemment, dans leur excitation à leur nouvelle célébrité, le lot non lavé d'entre eux s'est répandu, et il a eu plus de poètes et de sculpteurs dans son établissement qu'il ne le voudrait.
À part les ministrations du Raconteur, le Temps passe peu. Les gens viennent et vont, les changements d'humeur et d'argent changent les mains, comme si ces gens ne vivaient pas des dizaines de kilomètres sous la surface. Ce qui était évidemment la ruée vers le déjeuner part, et vous êtes finalement laissé presque seul au restaurant, le personnel se repliant dans la cuisine pour se préparer à la prochaine vague de gens. Quelques stalwarts restent, rejoints par ceux dont les horaires empêchent les heures normales de manger, mais autrement calme dérive à travers la mode, si drab, chambre.
Avec Miles
Le Taverner Amiable est rapide à répondre, nettoyer un verre avec un chiffon sale comme il le fait. Sa voix est douce, mais elle traverse l'agitation avec une facilité pratique, une habileté qu'il faut prendre quand on est entouré d'une telle cacophonie tous les « jours ».
"Oui, c'est elle. Rare beauté, elle l'est. Ça passe beaucoup de temps ici, et je ne sais pas pourquoi. Ces gentlemen de cardage n'auraient probablement pas l'air de s'en moquer. Les enjeux sont bas ici, pas comme Ahogany Hall ou Doubt Street. Je pense que tu es un surfeur, oui? Quelque chose à retenir: en plus de ces deux là-bas" il indique aux hommes appropriés "et notre pianiste, la clientèle d'ailleurs n'a pas deux centimes à frotter ensemble. Ils peuvent paraître assez bien, mais personne ne vient à la Mandrake qui a déjà un statut ou des patrons. Si vous cherchez à vous joindre à ces messieurs, vous aurez besoin d'argent. Tiens, prends ça." il arrive dans un pot de gratifications et enlève une feuille de papier froissé, 'One Echo' écrit finement sur elle en caligraphie fluide, entouré de notes et de questions juridiques en tirage beaucoup plus petit. "Rends-moi quand tu peux. Je pense que puisque Londres donne un mauvais accueil, je pourrais aussi bien en donner un bon".
Il s'en va, prend un ordre, son regard se retourne vers le Pianiste à chaque minute ou ainsi comme une horloge amarrée. La musique continue à jouer, et bien que le récital diminue légèrement en volume abrasif, il continue toujours présent, coulant comme du goudron laqué de marbre.
Name: Spencer Cole
Age: 55
Physical Description: Exquisitely dressed in grey pin striped 3 piece suit, a perfectly tailored Egyptian cotton shirt and a Jaxon English bowler perched on his head, he is the epitome of style. Turning to fat in older age is a dominant gene in Spencer's family and combat this, he keeps a strict regime of running to giving him a taut sleek form which he moves with smooth purpose. Boots made of soft, velvet like leather clad his feet, a long chain leading to an elegant pocket watch mark and the mole skin briefcase mark him as a man of distinction.
Its often said that people dress to hide their flaws or accentuate their more desirable attributes and Spencer was no exception to this rule. He was by no means a hansom man, dour in expression, weak chin and a nose that was almost, but not entirely the wrong size for his face. Still, he was not without some positive physical attributes, he had been involved with several high profile women in his life, one of whom was a well know actress, none of them had ever lasted more then a year or more. They could never offer him what he really wanted.
Personality: Petty, ruthless and uncompromising, are some of the nicer adjectives used to describe Spencer. Most who have worked with him describe him as narcissistic, manipulative and abhorrent. Spencer's better personality traits were never encouraged to come out. A ruthless attitude were cultivated as a child and a cool intellect was nurtured. This upbringing has left Spencer some what distant and disinterested in others, that is unless he considers you of value. Accustomed to being deferred to he makes a difficult travelling companion and a formidably enemy.
Given his affluent family circumstances Spencer has never been require to do manual labour and Tabour, his equerry has always dealt with the more physical side of Spencer's business, not that there is a vast amount of that kind of work with the lifestyle he leads.
Ethics/Beliefs: Morality was never much of an issue for Spencer, in as much as he had never really had it instilled in him. Ruthlessness was an attribute that was nurtured, developed and grown , this ruthlessness which, today, Spencer wields like a weapon. At a very early age all of the Spencer children were encouraged to cheat, to be manipulative, to win at all costs. Winning, of course to most people, is a subjective matter, to Spencer it was his life force. Anything could be 'Won', people, property, favours, money, import rights, conversations. Wining is what drives him and the only unfair game that you ever play in life, is the game you lose....
Occupation/Talents: 30 years with the British Diplomatic Service has left Spencer jaded, frustrated and angry. He had been, what many would call lucky in his postings. Lucky in the first instance that his father purchased his commission with the Diplomatic Service and in the second instance that all his postings had given him unrestricted access to business leaders, politicians and affluent people who could ensure the ships from British Tobacco Ltd were not subjected to any formal inspections. Of course the fact that the Spencer family were the majority share holders in British Tobacco Ltd and subsidiaries were purely coincidental. Spencer always wanted to be more hands on with his family’s businesses but destroyed all chance of that after the accident.
His real talents lay with people, he could manipulate them and bend them to his will, subtly of course, none of this crass violence that people seem to revile in these days. Far from disliking people who resisted him, he respected them for it, he even liked some of them. Not that it would stop him trying to use them to his advantage in one way or another.
Heart's Desire: A child. A male heir to carry on his work and his genes to the next generation. There really isn't much more to it, he does not need anything material, he has no need of a wife or friends, nothing more than a son.
History: Spencer is the eldest of 3 brothers, and there fore, as is right, the next in line to take up a position on the board of directors for the family’s business, except that to be a board member you first must have provided a male heir to the family, which for Spencer was an impossibility.
Growing up on the family estate as the eldest brother should have been relatively easy for Spencer, he had a full 16 months on his twin brothers and he exploited this age gap for many years. The twins grew fast and being twins, did everything together. It was a cause for concern with the family heads when Spencer's mother produced twins, the family had experienced problems in the past with twins, they had found it difficult to sever that unseen bond twins have. The Family heads decided on a different course of action with Twain and Evans, their tutors encouraged this bond and strengthened it over the years.
On the Twins 12th birthday the day was to be celebrated with a shoot. The preparations had taken weeks and the twins had each been presented with a brace of identical smooth bore shot guns. Shooting was a part of life at the family’s estate and by this age each of the children were proficient in handling guns.
Nobody knew how Twain managed to get separated from the group, and neither Spencer or Twain could remember exact details of the incident. Even today, when he thinks back on the weeks that followed a dull pain builds between his legs. When the doctor had made it clear that nothing could be done to rebuild the parts that were destroyed, Spencer was moved from the family estate into the town house. He was kept separate from the rest of the children and purchased a Commission in the Diplomatic Service.