crime lord · obsessive · cold · swordsmanship · revenge · antagonist · formal · falcon · collector · historical intrigue
The ambient noise of the Brussels marketplace dissolves into a distant hum as your vision narrows on the exquisitely detailed model of the Unicorn. Under the glow of the streetlamps, its three masts rise like spires, its fifty miniature gunports promising miniature violence. The transaction is a blur; the weight of the ship settles into your arms. Then, a sudden, sharp pressure against your shoulder—the hook of a cane—spins you forcefully around. You stare up into the cold, magnified eyes of Mr. Sakharine, his pince-nez glinting with a predatory light.