[ WP ] A war has erupted between factions who use futuristic science and ancient magic . You are an arms dealer supplying all sides of the conflict .

There's a cross-stitch hanging above my desk with Clarke's third law on it. It's... ironic, I guess? I admit, that Alanis Morissette song basically ruined any possibility of me actually knowing what that word means. 
 
 Haversham opens the door. `` Your 10 o'clock is here,'' she reports. 
 
 `` Remind me.'' 
 
 `` High General Wilhelm Vanderbilt'' 
 
 `` Show him in.'' 
 
 He's a big fellow. Like, once he used to be the size of a goddamn truck and made out of muscle, and now he's not gone to seed but still he's past his physical peak. It's like seeing a wrestler way past their prime but still fit. Kinda sad, but you still feel like you're looking at somebody more fit right now than you have ever or will ever be. 
 
 `` General! Good to see you. How can I help?'' 
 
 `` Remember those plasma rifles you got shipped to us last week?'' 
 
 `` Yes I do, three crates of five apiece I think it was? That was a sample of course, how did you like them?'' 
 
 `` Well they hit like damned hammers and they cause one hell of an explosion. My tech boys went through the manuals you sent, is it true that blast can actually be *shaped*?'' 
 
 `` Absolutely, and I have a few pre-set software templates for them with useful shapes in them, your soldiers could select exactly what they need in a second or so from their HUD once these things are networked into their gearnet. I can certainly provide you the licenses for that software of course.'' 
 
 `` Now, can you turn that explosive blast down at all? We're looking at a lot of urban combat coming up in the future, close quarters stuff. Hi-ex does n't play too nice there.'' 
 
 Urban combat. That's noteworthy. 
 
 `` Absolutely, and I might be able to get you some ray shielding too. Rumor on the street is that the Psychos are testing out something more precise than the usual fireballs.'' 
 
 `` I had heard that, good to hear you might be able to defend against it. Well I'll get my tech-guys on the horn with you to work out the specifics for that software, but from what I've seen already I'm going to green-light an order for 100 crates of these things, and I'll get the licenses to go with, and whatever else is necessary to tie these things into the gearnet.'' 
 
 That's gear for 4 companies, 5 squads of 20 apiece, for six months. That's noteworthy. 
 
 `` Absolutely wonderful, it's a pleasure to do business with you sir,'' I stand and extend my hand to shake with the General, `` and Ms. Haversham will have the paperwork sent over to your legal teams right away, standard contract of course, nothing you have n't seen before.'' 
 
 `` Wonderful, they'll give it the cursory once-over and should be able to deliver it back by close of business tomorrow, with payment in our intermediary account 24 hours after that.'' 
 
 He leaves. I take lunch, make some notes, arrange shipping from my warehouses for some product, and read up on what the Psychos have been fielding lately. Haversham opens my door again. 
 
 `` Your 2 o'clock is here'' 
 
 `` Remind me.'' 
 
 `` Grand Sorcerer Nanukut Vishaan'' 
 
 I stand up. 
 
 `` Thank you, show him in.'' 
 
 This guy is taller than almost anybody I've seen, nearly seven foot, and rail skinny. He wears a three piece suit minus the jacket, with a chain indicating a pocketwatch, and is completely bald. Like, Lex Luthor bald. He's got no eyebrows either, and I've noticed there's no hair on the back of his hands or his knuckles either. 
 
 I bow deeply as I greet him. 
 
 `` An honor to have you in my office, Grand Sorcerer.'' 
 
 `` Thank you, Mr. Penn.'' 
 
 `` How can I help?'' 
 
 `` We are running low on the Gloves of Fire, and I would like to procure more. I have another matter I must discuss with you after that business as well.'' 
 
 `` Of course sir, more of the gloves can be provided quite quickly. If I might note, sir, this seems a bit early given the size of the last order.'' 
 
 `` We expect to deploy and utilize the gloves more widely and frequently given recent observations.'' 
 
 `` Oh?'' 
 
 `` Yes. Our enemies, the Technocrats, have tested a device which casts a ball of fire which explodes upon impact with a solid object, be it man, beast, machine, or building.'' 
 
 They've come upon that sample I sent to the General, and they're anticipating greater recruitment. That's noteworthy. 
 
 `` Excellent, Ms. Haversham will have the same contract as previously ready for your signature in the foyer and the shipping can indeed be expedited if need be, the fee is quite modest.'' 
 
 `` Most excellent. Before I sign that, I have another matter to discuss with you. I am interested in a cloak of invisibility for certain of my men. They will need this to work in a variety of environments.'' 
 
 `` Does that include within the bounds of a city?'' 
 
 `` Possibly, although our clerics and spies think it unlikely.'' 
 
 That's very noteworthy. 
 
 `` Hmm. If I might offer my opinion, I would say better safe than sorry. A spell of invisibility is simple enough when one only needs to blend into what nature offers, the sand of a desert or the underbrush of a forest, but to blend into what is n't natural such as an alleyway or a city, it takes more adaptability and intelligence for a spell to accomplish. More complex magic. A little bit harder to acquire, but more versatile if you can. And of course sir, I can.'' 
 
 `` For a price.'' 
 
 He's cagey. Close it. 
 
 `` For a sum of money far lesser than the cost of the lives you might lose with a bad cloak if the Technocrats attack you in a city.'' 
 
 `` Do you know something my spies and clerics do not?'' 
 
 `` I have my ear to different ground than they do. I have contacts they do n't, and ca n't have. All because I work in a different sector of our industry.'' 
 
 He bristles a little bit at the idea of me knowing more than him, but he recognizes free intel when he sees it. You do n't get to be where he is without knowing that associates are n't always friends. 
 
 He pauses and regards me for a moment. 
 
 `` Perhaps that is wise then. Yes, the urban option. Have a sampling sent over, I'll sign Ms. Haversham's contract for that too.'' 
 
 I beam. 
 
 `` Wonderful. Anything else then?'' 
 
 `` In light of what you've just told me, I wonder if maybe I should place a full order of that wand you showed me which casts a ray of heat.'' 
 
 We arrange the details, but I've already checked out by then. Recently, Technocrat orbital platforms have been seen shifting their orbits slightly, and the various online forums that track such things ( mostly comprised of amateur astronomers armed with a telescope and a GPS-enabled smartphone ) have theorized that they're aiming for maximum time over Prague, which is theorized to be the Psychomancer's base of operations by a different set of online forums ( these mostly comprised of psychomancy-sensitive people noting teleportations they detect, their location, and what time they detected them ). 
 
 I start looking up publicly-traded companies with headquarters or major regional offices in Prague, and the rules for short-selling in the European markets.
