Dialogue and descriptions from The Longest Journey by Funcom - Transcript compiled by Bluejay, slightly modified by me
She woke as the movement of the ship stilled and all she heard was the waves. The hooded figure approached.
The Dark People's Emissary:
Did you sleep?
April:
Very comfortably, thanks. Where are we?
The Dark People's Emissary:
In the Marcuria harbor.
April:
(after looking out through the circular latticed window) But there are barely any ships here!
The Dark People's Emissary:
I do not know why. We must leave you here. We have other business. Carry your Wave into the future, April.
April:
Whatever that means, I'll try.
The black ship glided away once she stepped on the quay. The harbour was empty of ships, eerily empty of people too as she looked around. There was hardly any sounds of activity.
April:
Where did all the ships go? They're gone? This can't be a good sign. I mean, duh. The city looks strangely quiet and deserted. And the sky...those are not ordinary clouds. They look more like...like smoke! What's going on here?
Sunday August 6th, early morning.
How many weird and mysterious people are there in Arcadia? It seems for every "normal" person (and I mean that in the broadest possible sense), there are five or six strange, obtuse, meandering creatures with a tendency to speak really slowly and say things like "Who are you?" and "I see your path, April, and it's not an easy one" and "It is destiny". Like, hello, update your vocabulary already! Learn some new words, lighten up, wear plaid, whatever.
That said, I kinda liked these Dark People. Scary, yes, and probably heavily into the Goth-scene, but they gave me exactly what I wanted - the starmap and the third piece of the stone disc - with a minimum of talk and no strings attached. They even brought me right back to Marcuria, where, alien or not, I can at least find my way around. If only the city didn't look so...empty. And dark. What's going on?
Despite her misgivings, investigating the city seemed like the only option she had. However, she froze after taking a few steps in that direction. A rumbling sound that sent shivers down her spine grew steadily louder..
April:
I know that sound... (A black shiny pulsating amorphous cloud with a dark aura and flashes of light hovered into sight) ...and I know that vortex... (She backed away as it advanced towards her. Eager tentacles reached out. There was no where to run as she desperately glanced around her. She doubted swimming would do any good and the city was too far away. A blue glow suddenly appeared behind her) A Shift! Cortez must have found me, and just in the nick of time, too! (She dove into the shift and walked out into the familiar hall of the cathedral in Hope Street) God, that was close. (She sagged in relief, her heart was thumping so fast that she might have been running a marathon) What caused that Shift to open just in time? It has to be Cortez. Finally.
Sunday morning, back in "Stark", back in Newport!
Wow. That...thing, that Chaos Vortex, popped up. Again. I guess "again", because I'd really hoped our first rendezvous was a dream, nothing but a dream, but hey, apparently not. So not only is it back, it looks like it's chasing me, and it's gotten a hell of a lot BIGGER! Now, by some incredible stroke of luck (or, more likely, Cortez), a Shift opened up in the nick of time and deposited me here, in the cathedral. Convenient, if a little freaky. And why wait so long to bring me back? Not that I haven't accomplished almost everything I need to accomplish in Arcadia (save for the fourth piece of the stone disc and the second Arcadian Dragon's Eye jewel), but come on, Cortez could've at least brought me back for a change of underwear at some point!
Father Raul:
Hello? Anybody there? Who's there?
April:
It's just me.
Father Raul:
April, it's good to see you again.
April:
Father Raul, where is Cortez? I thought he'd be here.
Father Raul:
I haven't seen Cortez for a week, and it worries me. He usually steps by once every few days.
April:
When did you last see Cortez?
Father Raul:
It must've been...I think it was last Sunday. Exactly one week today. He's been gone longer than that before, but this time...
April:
What?
Father Raul:
This time I have a feeling there's something wrong. I don't like that feeling.
April:
Is there anything you're not telling me, Father Raul?
Father Raul:
I don't know what you --
April:
Yes, you do! You're no ordinary priest. You know about Stark and Arcadia, about the Balance, and I'm sure you know a lot more about Cortez than you're willing to let on.
Father Raul:
How did you...?
April:
I heard you and Cortez talking last Sunday, and it scares me -- pisses me off -- to think that you're using me, and that you're keeping things from me. I thought for sure I could trust Cortez, but as it turns out...I can't. I was hoping to confront him with this, but he's not around, and you...you're a part of it too, aren't you?
Father Raul:
April, you have to trust me when I tell you --
April:
Sorry, I can't trust anybody anymore! There's so much at stake, and I -- I don't know who to trust, Father. Please. Tell me what you know.
Father Raul:
I'm sorry, April. I mean, I'm sorry you don't feel like you can trust anyone anymore, and I'm sorry that I don't know more than I do. But I will try to answer your questions honestly and openly, as much as I can.
April:
Who is Cortez?
Father Raul:
What do you mean?
April:
The way people react when I mention his name... The fact that he seems to have been alive for a very long time, and that he knows as much as he does... Who is he?
Father Raul:
(chuckled) It's funny, but I've been asking that very same question myself many, many times. Who is this man? He's old, yes, and powerful. He has strong magic, but he rarely lets on exactly how strong he is. He prefers to be considered...eccentric. Crazy, even. They are both excellent disguises.
April:
You still haven't answered my question about Cortez.
Father Raul:
(sighed) That's because I cannot answer. I just don't know. He found me, when I first came here. You see, I'm not just a Catholic priest. I'm also a Sentinel Minstrum.
April:
You're a Minstrum?
Father Raul:
Yes. Do you find that strange?
April:
How can you belong to two religions at the same time?
Father Raul:
Belief in the Balance and belief in God are not mutually exclusive. The Sentinel order was founded on the basis of protecting the Balance, not to worship a higher power. As long as our devotion to whatever god we believe in doesn't conflict with our duty to the Balance, and vice versa, who's to say we can't work in the best interest of both?
April:
I guess. I just always thought of the Sentinel as its own faith.
Father Raul:
It is a faith, but a faith in something less than God yet more than magic or the laws of nature. The Balance was created by someone, was it not?
April:
I don't know.
Father Raul:
Nor do I. But I believe. I have faith. That's enough.
April:
What did you mean when you said Cortez found you?
Father Raul:
One day, he came to visit me here. He knew who I was, that I was a Minstrum, and that I was devoted to restoring the Balance as well as to my God. We soon became good friends. He was very worried about the imminent collapse of the Balance, yet told me that he was waiting for someone special, someone who might be able to help us.
April:
Me?
Father Raul:
Yes. He waited for a long time for you to show up, and when you did... it was hard for him, trying to convince you that he wasn't crazy. I guess his disguise was too good. I don't know much more than that. Cortez tells me very little, only that you're the key to the survival of the Balance. I can only assume that you're the new Guardian?
April:
That's what I've been told. Not by Cortez, of course.
Father Raul:
No. I understand your frustration, but I cannot help you any more than I have. If there's anything, anything at all.
April:
Thanks, Father, but you've done enough.
Father Raul:
It feels like I've done nothing. But...God be with you. And the Balance too.
April:
How did you become a Sentinel Minstrum?
Father Raul:
The Sentinel are not numerous in Stark, not yet. Not with the Vanguard -- the Church of Voltec -- keeping a watchful eye and striking down anyone who dares to proclaim their faith in the Balance. But the Sentinel are here, and when they find someone who they believe will be sympathetic to their cause, they approach them. That's what happened to me.
April:
They asked you to join?
Father Raul:
No. They told me the truth. I was studying theology at the time, and I'd found scriptures that...challenged convential wisdoms. Made me question the validity of my faith. But once I'd learned the truth about the Balance, and the Guardian, and the ongoing war with the Vanguard, it became easier to believe in God again, because now, things made sense. And so, in the end, I chose to become not only a priest, but a Minstrum. And I don't regret my decision.
April:
Have you ever been to Arcadia?
Father Raul:
No. I'm not a Shifter. I'm stuck here, unfortunately. (chuckles) I don't mind. I've been fortunate enough to read most of the Scriptures of the Balance, and that in itself is a rare priviledge for a Starker like me.
April:
How are things here?
Father Raul:
You mean, in the cathedral?
April:
No. No, I mean here, in Newport. How have things been going?
Father Raul:
Nothing out of the ordinary. Why? Have you been away?
April:
You could say that, yeah.
Father Raul:
It's just been hot, and humid, and it's getting worse by the day. And, apparently, crime is on the rise. But what else is new?
April:
I don't have any more questions right now.
Father Raul:
If you do, please ask. I want to help. And that's the truth.
April:
I have to run, Father.
Father Raul:
I hope to see you again soon, April. Please take care of yourself. And if you see Cortez, tell him to see me. Tell him that...that I've been worried.
Father Raul tells me that Cortez hasn't been around for a whole week, not since I overheard the conversation between the two of them last Sunday. That's pretty scary. And it also means that whoever brought me back here, whoever helped me open a Shift, it wasn't him.
Wait...the dream I had, a few nights ago. I remember it distinctly. I saw Cortez, trapped inside some machine. I thought that was just a nightmare. Could it be that what I was seeing was some kind of vision? It's not impossible. But where is he being kept, and who's behind it? Safe money it's got something to do with the Vanguard.
I need to get home and figure stuff out.
She took the subway back to East Venice. The train was empty, something she was grateful for. She should really go home and changed into something that did not make her look like a medieval restorationist. Her clothes were grubby and she could have sworn there were at least three layers of dirt on her knees. A plump homeless man lay sleeping on the bench outside the East Venice station. She wondered what the homeless people did in the winter time. Supposedly, it got biting cold in Newport and she did not know if there were any shelters anymore. Since it was Sunday morning, there was no one around the park nor the bridges.
She stepped into the Border House to see Fiona sitting on the sofa, sobbing while Emma looked on.
April:
What's going on here?
Emma:
April, run! Get out of there!
April:
Why? What's the--
Emma:
Run, April! Now!
A metallic-like voice called out.
Vanguard Agent:
I wouldn't listen to her if I were you. Move over there. (A tall hulking man descended from the stairs) I said move!
He did not look like a police officer, his clothes were strange and his eyes were cold and blank as he stared at her. She backed away, confused and alarmed as he moved to block the entrance.
April:
Emma, who's this man? Tell me what's going on! (to the agent) Who are you? What do you want?
A cold emotionless voice answered her as another man, with a shock of white hair, a very pale face and dressed in a neat suit, came down the stairs. He looked vaguely familiar but she could not recall where she had seen him.
Gordon Halloway:
He is just following orders, Miss Ryan. He is just a servant. My servant. I was hoping you would join our little...party. You are a very difficult person to find, Miss Ryan. A very difficult person to find. (He moved from the shadows of the staircase to stand near Emma)
April:
What are you doing to my friends?
Gordon Halloway:
If you cooperate? Nothing. Nothing permanent, at any rate. But if you make this any harder than it has to be, I will have your friends shot. All of them.
April:
What do you w-- Do I know you? I know you. I've seen your face somewhere.
Gordon Halloway:
My name is Halloway. I work for Jacob McAllen, who I am certain you have heard of, yes? He runs the Church of Voltec, also known as the Vanguard? He has been insisting on meeting you, Miss Ryan. Of course, we were not sure who you were at first, but we knew we would find you in Venice. You did give us a run for our money, I must admit. Your Shift a week ago today made it a lot easier, but then you decided to stay out of town for a while. Smart. Coming back, though was rather stupid.
April:
How did you find me?
Gordon Halloway:
Oh, we have our methods. The eyes that see, the ears that hear -- our impressive technology helps, of course. And Mister McAllen is not a bad magician. He can sense things. Besides, you have not been especially covert, have you? I mean, the job you did in the police archives was messy. Very messy. Footprints all over it. Not your footprints, certainly, but footprints. That poor fool...Mister Minnelli, was it? It ook us eight painful hours to get a confession, and then it turns out he actually knew nothing about it.
April:
Did...did you kill him?
Gordon Halloway:
Certainly not! He has proven useful in the past. No, a little mental laundry, and this nasty business is behind him. We even cleaned up a few...unfortunate childhood memories while we were at it.
April:
Where's Cortez?
Gordon Halloway:
Cortez? He has been...disposed of. He was meddling. Not at all acceptable behaviour from a man his stature. He simply had to go. He kept telling all the secrets, and that is not how we play this game.
April:
What do you want from me?
Gordon Halloway:
We want you. And what you carry with you. We have our...connections, in Arcadia. We know of your journey north -- good job on our friend Mister Klacks, by the way. Good job. Very impressive. Of course, not to mention the fine work you did on that Gribbler creature. She was not very cooperative, she just refused to listen to reason, but she was a twisted old girl, and we respected that. Unfortunately, we lost track of you once you set out to sea. The Tyren are not very comfortable with water, and so there was no chance of sending anyone after you. However, with your good fortune, and...shall we say, good breeding, I am certain you brought some valuable items back with you. I would expect no less from a bright and industrious girl such as your self. So -- give me what you have, and let us be done with this nasty business. I will let your friends go, and then you and I will go on a little...trip.
April:
All right, release my friends and you will get what I have.
Gordon Halloway:
You are a very intelligent woman, Miss Ryan. Still, we need to teach you and your friends a lesson. Shoot... (he pointed to Emma) that one.
April:
There's nothing I have that you could possibly want.
Gordon Halloway:
Leave that decision to me, Miss Ryan. Just hand it all over, and we can let these fine people return to their pathetic little lives. You have caused them enough pain, yes? Still, we need to teach you and your friends a lesson...Shoot (he pointed to Emma) that one.
April:
No way, I'm not giving you anything!
Gordon Halloway:
Very well. Shoot (he pointed to Emma) that one.
The agent obeyed the order. April stood frozen with horror as Emma cried out and collapsed to the floor.
April:
Emma!
At this moment, Mickey walked in.
Mickey:
What the hell is going on?
Startled, both the agent and Halloway looked to the entrance. In that moment of distraction, April ran past them and up the stairs to see her neighbour, Zack Lee, another shining example of the male animal, with the emphasis in this case on "animal", standing before her door.
April:
Get outta my way, Zack!
Zack:
(not budging) Where you going, April? Don't you know the game's up?
April:
What game, Zack? They're trying to kill me! They just shot Emma!
Zack:
Who did?
April:
The agents! The Vanguard!
Zack:
But...but they said -- They said they weren't really gonna hurt nobody. They were just going to --
April:
They said? What do you mean, you spoke with them?
Zack:
No! I mean, they were just gonna arrest you, and --
April:
You bastard! You sold me out? You killed Emma! Do you know what? You killed my best friend!
Zack:
I...I didn't --
Face pale and anxious, he took a step forward when the hulking agent appeared, took aim and shot him. With a gurgle, he fell to his knees before hitting the floor, dead.
April:
Zack! Are you ....shit!
With the agent zeroing in on her, she tugged opened her door, slammed and locked it.
Vanguard Agent:
Open up! If you don't open, we will break down the door!
Sunday, August 6th. Late morning.
They shot Emma. They killed her. God knows what they've done to Mickey and Fiona. And Zack, they got him too, but I'm not gonna shed any tears over him. He sold us out, all of us, because of me. It's all my fault. I got them involved, my friends, and it got Emma killed, and maybe the others too, and I don't know what to do or how to feel. I'm so miserable! I hate myself, yet at the same time, could I have done anything different? They were all caught up in...we were all caught up in whatever this is, this cosmic farce. Is it ever gonna end? Maybe when I accept my destiny and give up everything to become Guardian, maybe that's where it's gonna end, and now I don't...no choice, because if I give up now, Emma's death will mean NOTHING. I have to go on. I have to go on, now more than ever.
She did not bother to respond. Instead she ran over to the window.
Vanguard Agent:
Let's do it...take it down.
The door and walls shook as the agents began to pound on the door. She looked out the window and down at the canal which was the only way she could think of to escape.
April:
(grimacing at the thought of jumping into the green muck below) Oh God, this is not gonna be fun, but...I don't have a choice! Close your eyes, April... (She grabbed hold of the chain and jumped) Oh shiiiiit!
It smelt as bad as she thought it would as she wiped off the liquid from her face when she surfaced. Trying to make as little noise as possible, she swam over to the nearby ladder and climbed up to emerge at the waterpump outside the Border House. She froze as she moved to the bridge, discovering a Vanguard agent standing at the entrance of the Border House in the nick of time. He did not see her, fortunately. She kept to the wall, staying out of sight. There was no way she could get by without him seeing her but there was no other way out of there either. Something to distract him? Searching through her pack, she found the invisibility potion and drank it quickly. The potion took effect immediately. Not knowing how long it would last, she moved as quickly as she could but tried to minimise the sound of her passage by removing her shoes. The agent heard something nevertheless.
Vanguard Agent:
Who's there? I know somebody's there! I can hear you! (He looked around carefully, not seeing anything. He wrinkled his nose) Nah... Probably just a sewer rat.
April:
(fierce whisper) Sewer rat?
She scowled but hurried to the bridges, whereupon the effects of the potion wore off. The duration seemed far shorter than it had been in Arcadia but she supposed it might have something to do with Stark. She put on her shoes and looked down at herself, visible now. It was a close call. If she had been caught... she did not want to think about what would have happened. Right then, she had to go somewhere. The Fringe seemed like a good place to go at the moment, at least for a while. But her hopes were dashed when she got there. It was closed and there was a sign hanging on the doors. To her horror, the agents spotted her. Two of them appeared, one behind her, the other from her right, effectively cutting off her escape routes. Just when it looked like she was done for, there was a bright flash. She turned.
April:
What's that? The mystery door....it's open!
She ran for the door and vanished through it. Expecting to see Marcuria, she was astonished to find herself in the doorway of a room. A warm, cosy room with a fireplace, cushions strewned on the floor and an old woman with her back to her, sitting in an armchair. The door closed behind her, shutting off the glow of the portal.
April:
I'm guessing...I'm pretty sure, actually...I'm not in Venice anymore. Now I know how Alice and Dorothy felt. (She glanced at the books on the walkshelves on her left) "Moby Dick", "Oliver Tiwst","The World According to Garp","Zan and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance","The Holy Bible"...It's an eclectic collection, that's for sure. (She was sure the old woman was aware of her but she did not say anything. April moved carefully so she could see the old woman's face) I don't know who she is, but she does look vaguely familiar.
Old Woman:
Welcome, April Ryan.
April:
I won't ask how you know my name...but who are you?
Old Woman:
The Lady Alvane is my name now.
April:
And where am I? What's this place?
Old Woman:
This is my home, the House of All Worlds.
April:
This is Arcadia? It looked like I passed through a Shift but it didn't feel...it felt different, not like Shifting.
Old Woman:
It's similar to Shifting, except you did not pass through dreams, and you're not in Arcadia, not in Stark. This place is Between, and Everywhere. But don't worry. You are safe from your pursuers. For the moment.
April:
Did you bring me here?
Old Woman:
You brought yourself here, but yes, I opened a doorway for you.
April:
Why?
Old Woman:
Because that's how the story goes, April. You escape. You outrun your pursuers, and your journey continues. It's been written, and we cannot change that now.
She smiled as April settled herself down by her feet.
April:
Lady Alvane, I appreciate your help, but I'm so tired of hearing about my destiny, and about prophecies...I've lost a good friend today, and...
Old Woman:
She's not dead.
April:
What...what did you say?
Old Woman:
Emma's not dead. She was hurt, but not killed.
April:
Oh, thank God. Are you sure?
Old Woman:
I'm quite certain. She is on her way to the hospital as we speak. But the others, Charlie, Fiona...they're angry at you. They blame you for Emma's pain and for not letting them in on the truth.
April:
They should blame me. I brought it all to them, the violence, the chaos...I've hurt so many people since this all started, and yet at the same time it all seemed -- justified.
Old Woman:
It was. The fate of many depend on the sacrifice of the few. Your sacrifice most of all. You've made so many, and you'll have to make many more before this is all over.
April:
Will it ever be over?
Old Woman:
Eventually. The pain won't go away, though, You'll keep that with you forever.
April:
I don't know if I can go on. It's so hard.
Old Woman:
Listen to me, April. You must go on, you must be brave. They all depend on...on you. And you can do it, you can get through this. Just remember what's important and what's not. Remember who your friends are, and trust them, let them help you.
April:
I already did that, and look where it got them.
Old Woman:
Somebody gets hurt. That doesn't mean you can give up. I want you to go to Marcuria, to see for yourself how those who are not willing to surrender are holding up. You can learn from their courage.
April:
I can't go there. I can't Shift. People tell me I have this....this talent but it's not true. If I can't use it, what good is it?
Old Woman:
But you have used it twice already! April, child, you must learn to believe in yourself and your abilities, use what you know, what you do best, to focus your magic.
April:
What I do best...you mean painting?
Old Woman:
If that's what you do best, then yes, use that as a focal point. After a while, you won't even need that, but it's a beginning.
April:
What about the other things I have to do? What about the Guardian?
Old Woman:
The Vanguard are holding Adrian, the Guardian, captive. But they still don't know where the entrance to the Guardian's Realm is located.
April:
Shouldn't I free Adrain immediately?
Old Woman:
Go first to Marcuria. The doorway will bring you there. If you go straight back to Stark, the Vanguard will find you.
April:
Thanks, Lady Alvane. I'm not gonna ask you how you know everything you just told me, because I'm not sure I want to know.
Old Woman:
Good luck on the journey ahead, April. I will...keep my fingers crossed for you.
April:
Maybe I'll see you again?
Old Woman:
Oh, I'm quite certain of that. Quite, quite certain.
Sunday, August 6th, around mid-day, and my life was hanging by a thin thread this morning. If the Lady Alvane hadn't "invited" me to her house (by way of what looked like a Shift), I would have been captured and maybe killed by now. She also told me that Emma will be okay, and even though I can't be sure she's telling me the truth, I trust that she is. There was something about her, something so disconcertingly familiar, that I can't help but trust her implicitly. Not to mention the fact that she helped me out when I most needed it. It's really strange how much she seemed to know about me, and it's so frustrating that she wouldn't tell me more. At least she brought me here, to Marcuria, to see how people are holding up in the face of war, and, I guess, to complete the disc. I wonder who's stayed on? Tobias, maybe. Or Abnaxus. I don't think he'd leave without saying goodbye. And Brian. Can't forget Brian. I'll have to go visit them all, one last time.
The door opened as she approached. Focusing her thoughts, she stepped through.