My investigations have proved fruitful. And vexing. They have borne vexing fruit. Aheh. Ahee hee. A hum. It seems a child has Victoria. Has a child. Victoria has a child. Not… You know. Anyway, that’s fine. Nuna my bizness. But here’s the thing. The thing is, do you want to know the little scamp’s name?

Darien.

What’s a fellow to make of that, hm? That’s practically my name. I’d remember if I’d’ve done that. How could you forget… bedding down… with someone as… beautiful… and… cruel... as Victoria?

Pour me another, dear fellow.

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Ye gods, it’s bright out here.

*Sigh*

Suck it up, Dorian, you did this to yourself. Now go see what else you can learn about the power structure in this city. You can’t play the game if you don’t know the lay of the board.

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The board sucks. Another, dear fellow. My mind needs lubrication if I am to figure out how to make lemonade out of… murder hobos. Murder squatters? Anyway, not lemons. It would be easy if they were lemons.

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Oh my gods, how do they get into SO MUCH TROUBLE in so little time? And why am I trying to explain delicate subterfuge to Vani and Ren. I think Vani might actually be able to grasp it (if not remember it). But with Ren, it’s like the old joke about teaching a pig to sing. I’d be thrilled if they would talk to me before following their hare-brained notions. If I could just get them to look before they leap…

Ok, focus, time for damage control.

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I guess I’m headed back into Malkara. Narcel’Uss should really be coming with us: this is her mess. Where the hell is she?

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Hmm, letting Vani be Vani worked out remarkably well with Officer Danger. I shall have to bear that in mind for the future. But next time, I’ll have to leave off the preamble about acting innocent. I think that just confused her, and that’s the last thing we need.

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Further proof that the Tong are not to be underestimated: they checked Ren’s “rumor”” before blindly rushing into a turf war against Lucien.

So Lucien says his dwarf girl is imprisoned in a box, yet he doesn’t know where. I infer that he must have had someone else do the deed and cart her off, and they didn’t tell him so we can’t beat or magic the information out of him. He is a very crafty and exceedingly ruthless individual.

He certainly kicked Ren right in her compassion. Seems her compassion will be her undoing.

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Gods damn it, Ren is going off half-cocked again! She can’t wait five damned minutes for us to find the rest of the party before we march of to the frontier. Does she even realize where we’re going? There had better be some sort of profit in this.

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