                          Avery Carson

You are Avery Carson, a name you generated
from a New York City Phone Book. 
Somewhere in New York State there is a draft
notice on file with your birth name on it.  But
Avery Carson is a real person...now.

You are by profession, a blackmailer.  That's
about it really.  You run drugs on the side.  You
are a U.S. Citizen and you moved to D.C. in
the early seventies because the drug business in
New York was getting a little hot, and you
heard there was a good supply in D.C.  You
even went to George Washington University for
a while in `73 and `74. You say "went to"
because you never actually enrolled in classes. 
But you wandered around on campus, and
generally gave the impression you were a
student.  

You started out as a local dealer, and pretty
quickly got some people working under you. 
Mostly you got school friends or their dumb
relatives to act as couriers for you.  You found
the perfect social circle.  The rich, old money,
intellectual crazies.  There were a few dullards
like Gary Morant around the edge and a few
fruit loops like Matthew Allen Carter and Grant
Cochran towards the center. This was a perfect
group.  They wanted drugs, and they could pay
for them.   You were the much loved campus
dealer. 

You were still hanging around in the mid-
seventies, mostly dealing drugs, in an
increasingly pressure-filled environment.  One of
Margot's friends who she knew from prep
school, by the name of Tony Randall-Smith got
burned bringing one of your loads up from
Florida in 76.

You did some time in South America.  You
started selling drugs which paid okay, which led
to smuggling drugs which paid well, which led
to being shot at by Colombian government
troops which paid not enough at any price.  The
foreigners were edging into the Washington drug
market and you decided it was time to edge out. 


By this time Margot Matthews had dropped her
old boyfriend, Grant Cochran, and had a minor
job in the office of a Political Appointee at the
State Department named Darrington Ripley.  

She was sleeping with "Rip" to get up in the
world, and you gave her free drugs in return for
getting him hooked.  Then you turned the tables
on him.  The U.S. ambassador to Sweden was
retiring, and "Rip" seemed a shoe-in for his job. 
You were his dealer and knew enough to make
sure he couldn't get appointed ambassador to
Libya.  You got a cushy appointment on his
staff.

By this time you were blackmailing Ripley and
using Margot heavily.  Ripley started to get into
a really tight spot, and found some really bad
trouble on his own.  By this time you were
smuggling diamonds from the Hague, and using
the Ambassador's office to run an arms
connection with Brussels, selling heavy weapons
through europe to countries that the U.S. doesn't
have legitimate relations with.  You had
connections with a "classmate" of Margot's who
had gone into the arms trade, Mike Ballistas.

Margot worked for you mostly by acting as a
courier.  At first you paid her, but eventually
you got the goods on her, and began forcing her
to work to keep out of trouble.  Of course she
didn't just arrange for deliveries.  She was the
courier who delivered orders for arms papers. 
She brought you the information, and you
shipped back the completed forged documents,
etc.  Probably, she never knew exactly what she
was carrying, though you have know way of
knowing how much she knew about the other
end of the operation.

Then Iran-Contra exploded, and it looked like
there might be a full scale investigation of the
illicit arms trade and you were beginning to
sweat.  At that point "Rip" had a little
"accident" outside of Mons Belgium on a
vacation trip.  There was a car bombing.  How
tragic.  The Basque Liberation Front called to
claim credit.  Nice thing about europe.  Blow up
an american, and someone will take credit for it. 
You didn't do it, so you assume Margot did. 

So everyone returned to the U.S., unemployed. 
You tightened the screws on Margot, who was
running scared by this time.  Unfortunately she
was colder and nastier than Ripley, and she
turned the tables on you just as you had on him. 
You needed some work, and Ballistis has not
had much for you in the arms arena.  Instead,
you called an old friend, Dr. Pierce and went
back to drug dealing, though in slightly better
social circles.

She went to a writer named Grant Cochran, who
you had known distantly, and sold drugs to back
in the seventies.  He's a hack writer who writes
horror stuff.  You prefer LeCarre. Matthews
gave him some weapons export permits which
Ripley had endorsed in Sweden and you had
altered for an end user.  She is apparently trying
to counter-blackmail you.  You intend to get the
evidence from Cochran, either by intimidation or
other means, and then if necessary kill him.
After that, you'll worry about putting Margot in
her place.

She is actually quite useful, if you can get her to
drop the concept that she can act independently
of you.  You needed to get a network together
as soon as you got back to D.C., and all you
had to do was follow her around as she began
collecting old acquaintances.  Like Matthew
Allen Carter, the noted fruit loop who is one of
your best customers.

For example, she still gets invited to the best
embassy parties, and was glad to wrangle an
invitation for Tony Randall-Smith, who
apparently has the semblance of a career as an
athlete these days.  She is still riding horses, and
you had heard that she still ran "cargo" from
time to time.  With Margot to attract her
attention it wasn't too difficult to convince her to
begin working for you again.

She didn't have too many hard feelings about
her earlier bust, and you managed to leverage
her into agreeing to run narcotics for you.  It
didn't hurt to point out that if her arrest came
out in the tabloids, that her sports career could
take a very sudden plunge.

She lives down here in Buffuck Virginia, and
she set up a perfect exchange.  Your old friend
Grant Cochran was throwing a party, and so you
suggested to Margot that she should invite you. 
The deal is, you come down, and exchange the
goods in the general confusion of the party. 
Best thing is, if something goes wrong, you can
probably see to it that Grant takes the blame,
since it is his house, and he's known to use all
sorts of drugs.

Then there is Emily Breezewood.  Beautiful girl,
Senator's daughter.  Margot ended up rooming
with her, and reluctantly mentioned that she
needed a job.  You found her one as a delivery
person of course.  Drugs for the Americans,
weapons permits for the Arabs.  A very nice
business.  As a socialite, she can so easily move
in diplomatic circles where a minor former
staffer like yourself would seem out of place.

She happened to lead you to Craig Webber, and
you are planning to make your first approach to
him this weekend.  You have a particular job in
mind.  The fact is that you are looking to begin
to pull out of drugs and arms.  Drugs are getting
too risky, and arms are headed that way, though
right now, despite Iran-Contra there is a virtual
"open door" policy for illicit shipments.

You are also using this weekend to vette Craig
Webber.  He is a small times arms merchant
who has drifted into your circle of
acquaintances, and a few days ago he said he
had a proposal for you.  You are trying to figure
out how to make the best of it.  Whatever it is,
you'll need to buy phony documentation from
Ballistis, and cut him in for a portion.  

School: 

                                        You attended George Washington
                                        University from 1973 to 1974.  You
                                        know Gary Morant, Grant Cochran,
                                        Avery Carson, Matthew Allen Carter,
                                        and Margot Matthews from a circle of
                                        acquaintances there.
THE OTHERS

What they know about you:
Avery Carson: attended George Washington
University and has many acquaintances from that
period, and immediately afterward.  Avery met
most of Grant's circle of friends in the seventies
while they were working in Washington after
graduation.  Mr. Carson occupied a position in
the staff of the late Darrington Ripley, U.S.
Ambassador to Sweden.  Currently employed by
the State Department, Avery Carson is rumored
to actually work for the Company, or No-such-
agency.

PEOPLE YOU KNOW WELL:

Mike Ballistas:  a wealthy international
consultant with impressive offices downtown. 
Ballistas has numerous prominent government
contacts, and is generally known to be an
influential businessman.  He donated heavily to
the Reagan Campaign.

Emily Breezewood:  you met her through
Margot when she was taking night classes at
GW, and have occasionally acted as a supplier
for her when you were in the U.S.  Emily is
currently acting as a courier for you, though
she does not know much about what she is
carrying.

A college friend of Grant Cochran, and a prep-
school friend of Margot Matthews, Emily is the
daughter of Senator Breezewood of Connecticut,
a very powerful senior U.S. Legislator.  Emily
was married to Matthew Allen Carter, and
divorced him, in a particularly messy case
during which Mr. Carter was represented by
Gary Morant.  They are reported to be on barely
civil speaking terms now.  Emily is living with
Mike Ballistis.

Margot Matthews: She could be very
dangerous for you.  You are certain that she
probably blew up Ripley, though you have no
evidence.  She has the goods on you and she
gave them to Grant Cochran.

Margot was a friend of Grant Cochran, and
several other attendees in college, but went on to
become a prominent Washington socialite who
rose out of the ranks of minor political followers
due to her connections with the late U.S.
ambassador to Sweden Mr. Darrington Ripley. 
Margot is giving this party in honor of Grant
Cochran's birthday.

Margot is currently employed by the Department
of State, where she is rumored to the mistress of
a powerful political appointee.  She was
mentioned in People magazine shortly after the
inaugural ball, and her fortunes have definitely
been on the rise with the Reagan government. 

Tony Randall-Smith: ran drugs for you back
in the seventies.  Got busted once, but Margot,
who she was in school with, had a connection,
and got her off.  You think it was probably
Emily's father.  You'll be paying her $2000 for
a delivery this evening.

Olympic Equestrian Medalist, winning two
Silver and one Bronze medal at Los Angeles in
1984.  Native of McLean Virginia, the child of
a former ambassador to England.  Personally
acquainted with Princess Margaret, has appeared
in Sports Illustrated, and network television. 
Currently holds American and European
Championships in several categories of jumps. 
Professional status has been called into question,
but intends to compete in 1988.  

Craig Webber:  A recent "friend" of yours,
who you met at a party while you were keeping
an eye on Margot.  Webber is a small time
arms dealer looking to enlarge his operation. 
He approached you about a possible deal.  You
have not told him specifically that you deal in
arms, but he seems to have the right
connections.

An acquaintance of Margot Matthews, Mr.
Webber is a well-to-do local business consultant,
rumored to have connections to smuggling and
the underworld.  Webber is said to be a business
partner of Avery Carson.
OTHER PEOPLE:

Anthony Blaine:  A New York writer
considered a protege of Grant Cochran, Blaine
is handled by Jonathan Drake, the same
publisher as Cochran.  It was rumored that
Blaine and Cochran had a very serious argument
while appearing together at a promotional
convention after the publication of Sightless
King.  Blaine is best known for his Fantasy-
Horror novel Wunderking, and his most recent
work The Dinner Guest.  

Matthew Allen Carter:  A well known mystic,
Carter is associated with decadence, drugs, and
bizarre mysticism.  It is unclear where his
money comes from, though he is known to be at
least moderately wealthy, and eccentric.  
M.A Carter provides spiritual consultation to
some of Washington's most prominent social
figures.  He has appeared on several area talk
shows, notably Panorama in July 1979 where he
was involved in an altercation, and declined to
appear on Good Morning America in August of
1982 on the topic "Senators who follow the
Horoscopes."  He has assisted Federal
authorities as a consultant on "Cult Related
Cases", and appeared before a Senate
Subcommittee Special Hearing in 1983 to
discuss "Cult Phenomena and Crime."

Grant Cochran:  Grant Cochran is a horror
writer whose early work brought him wealth and
recognition.  His first acclaimed work was a
collection of short stories in 1977 entitled Look
Ma, No Hands!  Grant achieved a more limited
success with The Sickness in John Harrol, 1977;
The Collection, 1979; but his mainstream horror
novels  Dark Symbols,1980; and Trinity, 1982;
were extremely successful.  His Lovecraftian
fantasy-horror The Sightless King, 1984 was
universally panned.  Grant also wrote the
screenplay for the 1981 film The Blinding.
Numerous short stories including The Metallic
Taste of Blood Omni, Feb 1982.

Grant's work has tended more towards the
occult and fantasy side than Stephen King, and
his success has been less marked, but his early
novels were commercially successful.  Born
1955 to a wealthy Virginia family, Grant
graduated from George Washington University
in DC in 1975, aged twenty.  Writer and
playboy, known to have inherited some money
from parent's death in 1974. He is widely
rumored to have been hospitalized recently for
rehabilitation.

Thomas Cochran: Used to be a minor courier
for you, mostly as a favor to Grant and Margot
who knew him.  He was a failure in every
sense of the word.  He had already dropped out
of school to be a redneck when you first met
him.
 Grant's failure of a brother.  Thomas dropped
out of school, and was deeply involved in drugs. 
He narrowly avoided jail on larceny charges. 
He lost his share of the family wealth, and is
currently employed by his brother as a
handyman. 

Leda Deerden: A New York author, or visual
artist, guest of Grant's Publisher.  Ms. Deerden
is known for her terra cotta figures, which are
widely sold in gift shops in the Village, and her
work at the 42nd Street Gallery, but is a
newcomer to the writing field.  Her first project
is projected to be a collaboration with Grant
Cochran.

Jonathan Drake: Publisher of Grant Cochran,
Drake is Editor of Horror at Electra publishing,
a division of Robert W. Thormond and Sons,
Inc., one of the nations largest publishing
houses.  Despite the failure of Cochran's latest
novel, Drake is reported to be successful and on
the rise.  He handles many other writers
including Anthony Blaine, and is also in charge
of titles under the smaller, but profitable Medea
imprintaur, for occult paperbacks, which
includes the works of Jeffrey Saxon.

Linda Kane:  Parapsychological researcher for
the Institute for Parapsychological Studies, 1567
23rd St. NW.  Graduate of Columbia Prep, and
Mary Washington College.  M.A. Barnard. 
Kane is a literary agent for Matthew Allen
Carter and is rumored to be his lover.  
Sarah Lamont:  Personally, you aren't
expecting to see Sarah again.  She paid you a
visit yesterday and had you obtain a passport
for her in another name.  She made some
remarks about "financial problems" and "not
wanting to be around Gary when the shit hit
the fan." 

Sarah Lamont is an old Prep-school and College
friend of Margot Matthews, Linda Kane, Emily
Breezewood and others.  Sarah went to work for
Gary Morant as a paralegal, and is now his chief
secretary.  

Gary Morant:  Washington Attorney. 
Graduated from George Washington University
in 1974, GW Law in 1978.  Formed Morant and
Steele with Harlan Steel in 1980.  Known for
handling some of the messiest and most
prominent divorce and lawsuit cases in the
Washington social spectrum.  Morant is a rising
star in the social constellation of Washington,
and is Grant Cochran's attorney, and is currently
representing him in all of his sordid legal
affairs. 

Mort Nicholson: a well known private
detective.  Nicholson has worked for Gary
Morant, and was a research reference for the
character of Detective George Panopalous in
Grant Cochran's Trinity.

Roger Pierce: the good professor seems to
enjoy reconstructing Freud's original
experiments with coke.  Back in the seventies
you had a warm relationship with Dr. Pierce,
but you suspect that his laissez-faire attitude
about drugs is becoming unpopular more
quickly than he realizes.  When you returned to
D.C. from Sweden, he helped you get back into
the pharmaceutical business. 

Professor/practitioner of Psychology at George
Washington University.  Young but promising,
for several years his 400 level course on
Personality Disorders has been considered the
"most fun" class in the entire psych department. 
Many of Dr. Pierce's associates consider him to
be "that strung out quack", Dr. Pierce considers
himself a "perceptually enhanced alternative
practitioner."  It is obvious that Dr. Pierce either
has something on the University, or has tenure.

"Psychological disorders can be not only
instructive, but entertaining as well..."
(American Psychiatric Yearbook, 1980).  


Jeffrey Saxon: A noted Parapsychology/Occult
writer and Astrologer, author of Health Signs,
Astrology for You, and Psychic Defense, and
several other successful books published in
paperback.  Jeffrey is rumored to be practically
the only person in New York who does not
suffer from an incapacitating drug addiction.

Karyn Seidmann:  A New-York literary agent,
Seidmann is not well known in literary circles,
though there are some dark rumors about her
past, including a lawsuit.  Seidmann handles
small time occult authors, and until recently her
biggest literary success was Jeffrey Saxon, the
popular occultist and astrologer.

Oliver Stewart:  A comic-book author and
illustrator for Universal Comics, a major
competitor of Marvel and D.C. 

Oliver is responsible for the satirical Captain
Flapjack miniseries, but is best known for his
work with Blood Hound, a revitalized 1960's
Superhero, and with Revenant, a dark-horror
miniseries.  Stewart handled a graphic-novel
adaptation of Grant Cochran's Sightless King,
which was somewhat more successful than the
actual novel.  Oliver is a New Yorker, but has
maintained a friendship with horror writer Grant
Cochran, and has come down with some of his
other New York acquaintances to make his
birthday an interesting affair.
