Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Appeals to Authority

He led us back through the door he entered, which appeared to be some sort of bar, framed not around the bartender, but a large flat Vision spell that showed the same octagon we left from above. Behind us, to the left and right of the door were stairs, presumably into the stands above the octagon, judging by the cheers. 

The crowd in the bar was a mixed group of nearly every sentient race, so far as I could tell, though some were clearly employed rather than patrons. I even saw a Draken in one corner, dressed in Sumar Navy fatigues lounging with a pipe.

Fochet lead us through the crowd and managed to stop one of the servers, an elf with blue hair and one full sleeve of tattoos, who was cleaning a table. “When you are free, could you send a waiter up to booth twelve?”

He nodded without a word, going back to cleaning. 

We wove our way towards a stone hallway lined with sturdy wooden doors. At twelve, Fochet pressed his hand to the surface, and the invisible spell on the door flickered. The door swung open to reveal a room with a small couch, table, a few chairs, and a small bed built into the opposite wall. As we stepped in, we could see also a small sink set into the stone walls, with some towels on shelf.

“What kind of booth has a bed?” Justice looked at me.

“I do believe they offer other services to get the blood pumping.”

Justice blushed slightly, “Ah.”

Fochet’s grin had widened as we spoke, but when the door was closed and the spell flickered again, his forced mirth dropped and he slumped a little, falling into the couch with a big sigh.

Justice looked at me again, but Fochet spoke first. 

“Wait while I restore the privacy spell.” Raising his hands and going through several complicated motions while speaking the language arcana, the spell was quick and clean.

The room didn’t change, having already been very well soundproofed, but I assumed this would prevent augary and other surveillance spells from working. 

He nodded affirmatively, and focused his intense, if tired, gaze on Justice. “I am to understand that you, along with Scaleen, are responsible for keeping me from dying at the hand of a false Draken delegation.”

Justice nodded, “Yeah… I mean,  Scaleen did all the work, sh- he was really focused on trying to save you. I didn’t do anything.” 

Fochet quirked an eyebrow, “Less than two days prior, you destabilized one of the most dangerous conventional war artifacts before it could be used against a defenseless town, killing dozens of cultists.” I noticed where this was going, but remained quiet for now, washing off my arms in the sink and grabbing a glass of water. 

“I did, but I kind of had the advantage. They didn’t expect, like, any resistance.”

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“Was that also where you found out that the delegation was false?” 

“Uh. Yeah. They had some papers about it.” Justice tried to implement our shared lie, to little avail.

“How did you know I was going to be in the crossfire?”

“Uhh-“

“Fochet Raim, I did not know this was an interrogation. Did we not win you enough money to assuage your good will and patronage?” Justice visible relaxed as the questions turned away from her.

He had the good graces to look embarrassed. “Of course.” He closed his eyes and rubbed them. “Sorry, I haven’t slept since we met and the No-sleep hex I am using is wearing off. I’m not at my sharpest.” He motioned to the table Justice sat at, “Help yourself. The pitchers are all non alcholic. Water and tonic juice.”

“Did you find out anything in the intervening time?”

“Yes. The delegation was received without question by the Royal Guard even though I tried to use my contacts to raise silent alarms. They don’t seem to be permitted to leave their compound in the center of the city however, except with strict guard and oversight. The nobility most interested in meeting with them seem to favor peace and are sympathetic to the current succession plans, except for the foreign minister Roginar, who favors neither.”

I glanced at Justice, who seemed to be absorbing the information, seated at the small table in the room. “We have reason to believe that he is incredibly unhappy with the succession as it stands as well.”

Fochet didn’t question this, “Which would explain why rumors have it that he is going to request that the City Guard step out of the coronation ceremony directly, and instead police outer Sumar City, where there are new rumors of protests from civilians.”

“You were so right, Scaleen, they found a way around the city guard being at the coronation.” Justice sounded a little defeated, so I pat her wrist. 

“She, I mean, he usually is, if his work reports have anything to say for it. You’ve got an eye for detail and analysis.” 

“I am not particularly observant, just cynical. I suppose that means that my Violet Letter was thrown in the trash as soon as I stepped outside the building.”

“No, actually, that’s how Lord Roginar is going to justify the change. The Commander increased patrols, and the guard found a pocket of armed men staging some sort of attack for tomorrow, at least a dozen people, Humans and Elves. None of them are attacking but they had maps of the CenSum wall passages that are state secrets. They haven’t been talkative but one of them muttered something while in the transition cell. It was picked up on the recording enchantments. Does the name ‘Crage Corbin’ mean-“

“Oh fuck.” Justice had spilled the last gulp or two of water from the mug she’d poured for herself and we both looked at her. She looked between us, her eyes focusing on my face for a moment in panic, before glancing at Fochet. I had a suspicion about her panic.

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