1934 Alice in Jails: Streets/Chapter 2: Misdirected Hysteria

Synopsis
On a certain day in December 1934, Daily Days employees Gustav St. Germain and Carol arrive at Nebula's headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Carol enthuses over the sksycraper's architecture and bronze statue, the latter of which Gustav remarks was designed and cast by Carnald Strassburg. He does not permit her to take a photograph on the grounds that it would be redundant, lecturing her on good journalistic conduct while they walk. As they enter the building, they pass Manfred Beriam and his bodyguard entourage as they exit, causing Carol to panic. Gustav scolds her for overreacting, and they take the elevator to the top floor's rooftop garden.

Thirty minutes later, Gustav leads a stunned Carol to a bench in the first-floor lobby and asks why she was so nervous at meeting such a genial man as Cal Muybridge—Nebula's Chairman. She is still too tongue-tied to properly answer, so he he leaves her on the bench while he goes to buy a beverage.

A beautiful woman in a white lab coat approaches Carol while she is alone; mistakenly assuming the woman is a doctor Gustav sent to check on her, Carol apologizes and says she is all right. The woman apologizes back, explaining she thought Carol looked unwell and wanted to check in with her, and the two apologize at each other for a little while before laughing it off.

Carol introduces herself by name and occupation, and asks if the woman is a doctor. The woman replies that she is more of a pharmacist than doctor, at which point Gustav—having returned with a bottle of cola—asks what "Miss Renee" is doing with his assistant. Renee claims she was definitely "not thinking of kidnapping her and turning her into a guinea pig or anything like that," something Carol assumes is a joke.

Gustav informs Carol that Renee is acquainted with the Daily Days' President, which impresses Carol greatly, and asks how Renee's experiments are proceeding. Renee demurs that her experiments are failing and causing trouble for people as usual, to which Gustav asks if she considers the twelve hundred individuals at Mist Wall a success or failure.

Again, Renee demurs; she says that is not her sole jurisdiction and that they are having trouble from various angles. Homer is taking care of some things in New York City, she herself is in danger, and the Russos—and this is where Gustav cuts her, warning her that she seems to be on the cusp of revealing more information than she ought. Renee gasps and says "that was close," quipping that she would have had to "shut [them] up permanently" had she slipped up any further. Carol laughs, assuming once again that she is joking.

After a little more small talk the three say their goodbyes, with Renee tripping over a bench as she walks away. Once Gustav and Carol are outside the building, Gustav asks if Renee "truly did nothing" to Carol and warns her to be careful; once they are in front of the Wrigley Building, he clarifies that Renee was serious when she said she would have to permanently silence them.

A few minutes earlier, Rail and Frank stand on the bridge arching over Chicago river and look at the Wrigley building, Wrigley being one of America's leading chewing gum manufacturers. Rail declares that, should Huey Laforet ever order them to burn Chicago down, they would protect Wrigley due to their love of chewing gum. Frank is nervous about passersby staring at the two of them, and Rail wonders whether it is their scars or Frank's build that is attracting attention. They add that it is impossible for the two them to be inconspicuous no matter Huey's orders.

Rail further discusses the Comte de Saint-Germain, a historical figure rumored to be immortal, and exclaims that the two of them could go down in history too if they were to become famous. Rail laughs; then, they and Frank hear Carol laughing as she and Gustav walk over the bridge. At first Rail and Frank think she is laughing at their appearances, but as she and her companion come into earshot they realize she is not.

Carol bumps into Frank, looks up at him, and yelps. Upon spotting Rail's scars, she screams again. Gustav chides her for being rude and apologizes on her behalf, unperturbed by either's appearance; as he explains it, he knows a doctor with worse scars than Rail's, and knows of a Robert in Illinois who is eight feet tall and still growing (much to Frank's awe). Once Carol apologizes and introduces herself, she proposes they lunch so she can properly atone for her gracelessness. Since Frank is too large for ordinary restaurant chairs, she volunteers Gustav to go buy sandwiches for everyone.

In the Russo mansion, Ricardo Russo exits the room where Lua Klein is being kept and into the corridor, where a guard is on-duty and Ricardo's bodyguard Christopher Shaldred stands idle. Christopher affirms that Lua has been holed up in the room for about a week and teases Ricardo over admitting that he would likely not be able to stand such conditions, but Ricardo says that the Russo Family will die with his grandfather Placido's generation as his own parents are already dead. Christopher asks what Ricardo's parents died of, to which Ricardo replies a car bomb.

Laughing at Ricardo's casual delivery, Christopher questions whether Ricardo should not at least pretend to be upset. Ricardo counters that garnering sympathy will do nothing to bring his parents back and asks about Christopher's family; Christopher replies that he has no blood relations, admits that he is not sure how to relate to or empathize with Ricardo's feelings, and claims that his dream is to someday play innocent and answer 'Family' when asked what is important to him.

Ricardo calls him a hypocrite, but Christopher readily acknowledges he is a fake—though he doubts Ricardo will know what he means. By 'family' he means the Lamia, though he would like to someday become 'family' with the Earth even if the two of them are not blood kin. When Ricardo calls him 'weird', he thinks of how Hong Chi-Mei used to call him such things as well. Ricardo then says he wants to go to town and buy Lua some books, which for Christopher will be the first time he has been out to town in quite a while. It occurs to him that this may be related to why the twins have not yet contacted him, but he is having enough fun with Ricardo that this does not trouble him too deeply.

Placido asks them where they are off to and reminds them that Ladd Russo is due to be released soon, which poses a risk to Ricardo's safety. He warns Christopher of the pain the Russos will put him through should Ricardo be so much as scratched under his watch. Once Christopher and Ricardo are gone, Placido considers how imbibing the Cure-All Elixir will render descendants unimportant.

After practically buying out a hot dog stand, Carol's group head for the plaza between the two Wrigley buildings to eat lunch. While Gustav informs Carol the cost of the hot dogs will come out of her wages, Frank wishfully dreams of befriending the giant Robert—only for Rail to interject that Huey would never let them meet. All this talk of friends reminds Rail of Christopher, who Rail is certain is still alive. If Christopher was really so fragile, maybe all of them would have died back at the lab.

Frank shudders at the thought of the lab and changes the subject, fretting over whether it was all right for Gustav and Carol to buy so many hot dogs. Rail is not particularly concerned, but Frank took a liking to the pair on the bridge and is now concerned that, since he and Rail are currently acting as decoys, they are putting Gustav and Carol in danger by accompanying them. Again, Rail is nonchalant; Rail doubts that the enemy would be brainless enough to attack them in broad daylight with witnesses, thinking it more likely that the enemy will track them to their hideout and ambush them in their sleep.

The enemy in question—Graham Specter, Shaft, and the rest of his gang—are currently crossing the bridge spanning the Chicago River. Graham exalts the beauty of the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower, despairs at his desire to dismantle such beauty, and despairs further at his awareness of how "screwy" his desires are.

Over at the central plaza, Rail has convinced Carol that their and Frank's parents sold them to a circus on account of their appearances, after which they toured the country with the troupe. Feeling a little guilt over how easily Carol believes their lies, Rail incorporates a bit of truth by claiming they are in charge of explosives; when they proceed to talk about why they like explosives, their smile is entirely genuine. Rail even admits that their goal is to surpass Chicago's own bomb fiend, who has so many stories told about her that she is akin to an urban legend.

Rail would also like to meet the bomb fiend if possible, but before Carol can offer the Daily Days' assistance, Graham—newly arrived—interjects that the bomb fiend in question is now in New York. Just as it dawns on Rail that Graham might be the enemy, Carol shrieks that Graham is the person who tried to rob the train she and Gustav took to Chicago ten days ago. On the sidelines, Shaft provides context for the gang members who were not on the train—including how Gustav had "taken out" everyone but Graham.

Graham recognizes Carol in turn, wonders if she and Gustav are actually the Poet and Sickle, and procures a wanted poster to check. Meanwhile, Rail bristles at Graham calling the Lamia Huey's 'flunkies' and wonders how a 'robber' acquired the Lamia's wanted poster; after thinking it over, they decide to go along with Graham for now, and once they are out of sight thrash Graham's group and bring them to the Poet and the others.

Out loud, Rail says that they and Frank will go with Graham without a fight. Frank wolfs down the last of his hot dogs and perches Rail on his shoulder, where Rail sincerely thanks Carol for their conversation (Frank expressing thanks for the hot dogs). More quietly, they warn Carol to leave Chicago soon—it is possible there might be a large explosion on the horizon.

Carol reluctantly watches Rail and Frank leave with Graham's gang, concerned for their safety, but Gustav points out the two left of their own volition. However, as he has a hunch something major is due to happen, he decides they will not leave for New York tomorrow as planned and extend their Chicago visit. Carol notes that he did not mention anything about sending her home ahead of him, but he says that—while he considered doing so—he determined that sending her off on her own might only put her in more danger.

Krieck sits next to Carol and opens a newspaper with one hand. With his other he procures a handgun, hiding it with the newspaper, and instructs Carol and Gustav to come with him. Should they truly have nothing to do with Rail and Frank, then they are unlucky souls indeed. Carol is afraid, but Gustav reminds her of the spirit she showed before; with a rare smile, speaking so quietly that only she can here, he adds that a matter "this trivial" will likely not even quality as part of the actual incident.

As soon as Graham's group enters a seldom-trafficked alleyway, Rail asks Graham just how far he intends to take them. Graham is not at liberty to say, though he introduces himself as "Graham Specter" as if it is somehow compensation. He then confirms that Rail and Frank really are who they say they are, admits that he is kidnapping them, and laments how low he must have fallen to carry out such a deed. Even so, he refuses to divulge who ordered the kidnapping. With guilt-tripping having failed, Rail switches to force.

At Rail's signal, Frank kicks Graham into the air and then into the side of a building. He then gives Rail the backpack, from which Rail retrieves a coat and starts to pull it on. A man charges at them with a knife; Frank knocks him away, picks up Rail, and leaps about twenty yards away from the men to escape being encircled. Rail taunts the gang for assuming Frank was slow in mind and body, directs their attention to a pocket watch-like device on the ground, and says that the only one they need to torture is Graham.

Frank covers his ears. The clock's second hand reaches twelve, and an explosion rocks the alleyway.

Trivia

 * The German artist Carnald Strassburg originates from Vamp!, another series set in the Naritaverse.

Cultural References

 * Wrigley Building
 * Tribune Tower
 * Elizabeth Blackwell
 * Comte de Saint-Germain
 * Robert Wadlow