Dr. Gerde opens a narrow drawer beneath the sealed evidence folder. Inside lies a signed copy of his refusal, dated and witnessed, with the police seal pressed into the paper.
Dr. Edmund Gerde
This authorizes immediate action on Appel Quay. The folder remains here. The lead does not.
He places the document in The Austrian Policeman's free hand, then points to the route schedule's marked stretch near the river.
The Austrian Policeman
I take Savić to the contact point, identify the recipient, and return with the network's next link.
Governor's Representative
You will do nothing without the governor's order. Potiorek's office demands the witness and the evidence immediately.
Mata Hari
Then let the governor's office explain why its order arrived after the route was already compromised.
At the doorway, the Representative blocks the passage. Behind The Austrian Policeman, Viktor strains against the hold, while Gerde's signed paper turns a stalled inquiry into an authorized interception.
Viktor Savić
The contact will not wait. If he sees police, he disappears before sunset.
“"It is simple. Dress your policeman in civilian clothing and give him a case to carry. He approaches the contact openly and gives him the password. By this token, we know we have our man. The arrivals at the trains station will unfortunately have to wait."”
FAILURE (Fair Disguise, rolled +1)
Fraulein Doktor
It is simple. Dress your policeman in civilian clothing and give him a case to carry. He approaches openly, gives the password, and identifies the contact. The arrivals at the station will have to wait.
The Austrian Policeman strips off his outer tunic and takes a plain coat from the office rack. Gerde places an empty dispatch case in his hand. The disguise lasts only until the doorway.
Governor's Representative
That is still the policeman. His face is known to every sentry between here and Appel Quay. If he leaves, I report an unauthorized operation.
The passage narrows around the argument. The Austrian Policeman cannot carry Viktor and pass as a civilian courier, while the Representative's protest carries into the corridor. The open approach is lost before it reaches the street.
The Austrian Policeman
Then the password must travel without me. Savić said the contact will answer only to the phrase, and the marked stretch has a delivery entrance beside the river.
Dr. Edmund Gerde
A usable opening, but not a safe one. Mata Hari can reach the entrance without wearing a uniform. Decide quickly, Fraulein Doktor. The governor's obstruction is already moving toward Appel Quay.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure an actionable identification of the contact
“"I am fairly confident that there are already policemen on the Quay, it is the busiest street in Sarajevo, and the General's order would not apply to them. If Dr. Gerde will give me a written authorization, I can commandeer a policeman or two while Mata distracts the suspect."”
FAILURE (Good Persuasion, rolled +0)
Fraulein Doktor
I believe policemen are already on Appel Quay. Give me written authority to commandeer one or two while Mata distracts the contact.
Gerde reaches for his pen, but the Governor's Representative plants a gloved hand over the authorization book.
Governor's Representative
No commandeering. Your authority ends at this door, and mine does not extend to the street without the governor's seal.
Dr. Edmund Gerde
Then I will not issue a document that can be used to disavow this office. But I can give Mata Hari the exact entrance and the password, with my seal as proof of police cooperation.
Mata Hari
A sealed note is not a patrol, Doctor. Still, a door and a phrase are better than wandering into the crowd blind.
Gerde writes the river-side delivery entrance and the coded phrase on a narrow slip, then seals it. He keeps the authorization book closed. Outside, boots turn toward the stairs, and the blocked operation begins to move without Fraulein Doktor.
“Apparently, Dr. Gerde plans to apprehend the suspect without her assistance? Still, his plan may miscarry, and nothing prevents her from following. No one will notice a lady taking a stroll on the Quay.”
FAILURE (Fair Stealth, rolled +1)
The stairs empty into Appel Quay. Fraulein Doktor joins the foot traffic, parasol lowered, pace measured to the rhythm of passing carriages.
The ordinary stroll fails almost at once. A uniformed figure across the street turns his head, recognizes her, and checks his step instead of continuing toward the river entrance.
The Austrian Policeman
Fraulein Doktor, you have been seen. Do not come nearer.
His warning reaches her without a gesture. Beneath a blue awning by the delivery lane, a narrow-faced man closes his ledger and watches the policeman, not the traffic.
The Austrian Policeman
The man beneath the blue awning is the contact. The red cord is visible at his cuff. He knows the phrase, and he knows we are here.
The policeman shifts toward the awning, forcing the contact to choose between the river lane and the crowded quay. Fraulein Doktor remains exposed in the stream of pedestrians, with the identification secured but the contact still moving.
Quest Complete
Secure an actionable identification of the contact
Skill Upgrade: Persuasion Good→Great