HEART, AND EAR, AND EYE
Interlude: Thaddeus's Tail and Slideshow 2
Sly Voice-Over
(Thaddeus strolls out of the theater, an umbrella in one hand, Carmelita on his other arm, with Sly moping as he walks a few steps behind them) Thaddeus insisted on accompanying us back to the safe-house. Carmelita didn't mind. As for me, I was a little put out by the guy.
But that's nothing compared to how Bentley reacted. (Cue Bentley covering all the windows, shoving Thaddeus into a seat, and spinning in his wheelchair with huge, bloodshot eyes). He was freaking out about how we'd destroyed all of history and things would never be the same. Thaddeus... wasn't worried. (Shows Thaddeus pulling out a small flask of liquid and pouring some for Bentley and the rest—sarsaparilla, possibly.)
Thaddeus had a tale to tell, but first he decided he needed to calm Bentley. (Shows Thaddeus pulling a small book from one pocket; the design is similar to the Thievious Raccoonus, but features a stylized drawing of what can only be the van. He flips it open, revealing the first page of Egyptian Heiroglyphics... and drawings of the four of them). It seems there had been a second book my ancestors had been passing down, all about the descendant from the future who'd been stealing from the sorts of criminals who'd destroy history to make their present better. It even included notes about us (shows Henriette's drawing of Bentley with the notes 'Ply the turtle with drink so he doesn't panic over this information'). He added that it was handed down unlike the Thievious Raccoonus, to adults instead of children, and that I should ask for it if I ever find myself in the same century I was born in.
Bentley actually seemed to calm down upon learning this. With that settled, we finally got to hear what was going on here.
According to Thaddeus, the theater had appeared overnight almost a month ago, and no one seemed to realize it was new; they were too busy being distracted by the fissures that had appeared around the same time. He'd taken it upon himself to investigate, only to find himself blocked at every turn. (Pictures of Thaddeus discovering laser fences, computerized security systems, and spotlights flash by). However, as he was known as one of London's upper crust, he'd resigned himself to a long-term infiltration, and had already made a few discoveries. (Shows Thaddeus offering them a handful of old-fashioned pictures.)
Interlude: Slideshow 2
Bentley:
All right everyone, we have a situation here. The Contessa has come to England, and that's not good for anyone. (Picture of The Contessa, game 2, holding keys and looking menacing). Not only is she a former member of interpol and an accomplished criminal mastermind (picture of The Contessa as prison warden), but she's also an accomplished hypnotist. And she's used her skills on us before. (Picture of Carmelita in game 2, tied down before the mindshuffler.)
Carmelita:
I still have to get her for that. (Shows Carmelita chasing her with the shock pistol).
Murray:
And I owe her a PUNCH! (shows Murray in game 2, on the prison wall, charging).
Bentley:
Yes, well, all that aside, we need to have a few different goals here. Before we can hope to take her out, we need to loosen her control on London. While she doesn't seem to have made a concentrated effort to take over any individuals here, her influence can't be overstated, and I'm worried about the upcoming play. (Picture of the various advertisements). Whatever plan she has, I'll bet my shell it's going down on opening night. It will also be when she's off her guard, giving us the best chance to deal with her. We need to pull off a few jobs to get set up. Here's the plan.
The Contessa uses two things to aid her hypnosis. One of those is illegal spice. (picture of the spice being manufactured). I analyzed the food you brought back from the party, and there's trace amounts of spice in it. Everyone who eats it is being dosed.
Carmelita, you're going to have to take this down. I know you're a law-abiding member of the gang, given your profession (picture of Carmelita's badge), but we can't afford to look for enough evidence that you feel a warrant would be, well, warranted.
Sly:
That pun was terrible.
Bentley:
Do I criticize your jokes? No.
Sly:
Actually—
Bentley:
Quiet, Sly. In addition to the theater, there are four locations around town the Contessa has put her mark on. Right now, we need to deal with three of them: two bakeries and a tea parlor. (Pictures of each scroll by). Judging by the prominent lightning rods on their roofs, the equipment within must be sensitive to electrical impulses. You're the only one who can deal with that, Carmelita.
Carmelita:
I... are you sure there's no way to do this legally?
Bentley:
Not unless we want hundreds more people to unknowingly eat spice. (Picture of Dimitri's nightclub). What's the worst that could happen from that?
Carmelita:
Fine. I'll do it. But don't make this a common event, Bentley, got it?
Bentley:
Believe me, if there were any other way I could think of to get this done, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Now. Sly, Thaddeus, the two of you will need to work together to take out the lightshows in locations across town. (Pictures of the spotlit advertisements and other spotlit locations show up on screen). They're no doubt broadcasting hypnotic patterns, so I want you two together in order to keep an eye on each other. There's a good chance the spotlights will addle your thinking a bit (picture of Sly's swirly-eyed walking in Sly 2's boss fight) and your odds of snapping out of it are better if there's someone else there to get you out of it.
Sly:
Sure. You okay with that, Thaddeus?
Thaddeus:
We will have fewer difficulties if we dress the part. I will stroll to my apartment and retrieve some outfits that may serve to our advantage.
Bentley:
Excellent. Make sure you pack those throwable wall hooks; you're going to need them.
Once they've done that, it'll be Murray's turn. You need to take care of the advertising across town. (Pictures of various ads scroll by). The fewer people who show up to this play, the better. And whatever the play is, that'll be the best time for us to strike.
We also need more information about that theater. Based on Sly's photos, I'll need to be the one to do that investigation. (Pictures of the various computers flash by). I'll also bug the theater; with luck, we'll get some important information.
We're going to have to time this carefully, so our jobs overlap. The Contessa will no doubt leave to investigate anything that goes wrong, and I'll need to take advantage of her absence. (Picture of The Contessa on the stage). Having two or three jobs going at once will make everything significantly safer.
We've all got our assignments. Let's get to work.
Thiefnet Computer:
Bentley: Mega Magnet. Pickpocket from further away.
Murray: Legs of Steal. Run while carrying an object.
Author's Notes
Happy New Year, everyone. As Bentley's slideshow may have clued you in, the next set of jobs are going to be simultaneous: Carmelita'll be partway finished with hers before Bentley sets out, Sly'll start his before either of them are back, Murray's job will begin while Sly and Bentley are still in the field. As I mentioned before, I won't be asking for 'which job comes next' this time, precisely because of that. I hope you can forgive me.
It's going to be an interesting January.