"We didn't actually have confirmation of which parties were involved in the whole mess, though I'd started to suspect the answer would be 'pretty much everyone' just because there's so much happening. Were gonna contact this guy, guess we won't if he's dead."

"Suppose there's a way to - if our own government is involved, then surely they have the information they'd need to tell Taldor we didn't do anything and to leave us alone -"

"I don't know who I'd ask. This is clearly secret."

"No one's going to give a fuck. We handle it ourselves."

"I assume springing her's a no-go."

"I'm assuming we probably don't want to marry her?"

"She's not uncharming company but I might have odd tastes and she didn't seem in the market."

"Then it's a no go. I doubt she really cares that much about one rainstorm, feels more likely she's angling for information about what kind of options you have on tap."

"That's a sixth level spell?"

"Seventh. Can't cast it and can't afford it."

"Do they ever get, like, the option for supervised trips out, to visit family or make, uh, pilgrimages or anything..."

"Saint Hadassah's for escape risks, I think. Other ones do more of that."

"I dunno that we need more from her. We've got a couple people who are still alive, we can drag them to Taldor. We're not going to unravel an entire complicated multinational thing, we just need some people clearly more at fault than we are."

"If they throw off a scry you have an idea how you'd find 'em?"

"They have some known associates. Maybe we can get a couple more off her."

"I was going for the rapport angle since I didn't take enhanced interrogation, maybe I'll bring her a snack or something, bet the food in there sucks. Maybe she'll tell me more."

"You got a lot off her! I don't think they can possibly afford antiscrying for everyone, so we can probably find someone eventually."

"I liked the plan where we ask the government for help," says Mahdi, pouting.

"He hates scrying."

"It takes an hour."

"Would you like me to entertain you for that hour by singing you traditional drow songs some of which are about baby murder? It'll be fine, you won't understand the lyrics so you won't know which ones."

He makes a face.

"Think about it. If we go to the government now, we get told to stay out of it, we retire, you have to sell scrying for the rest of your life. We go track these pirates down and learn why everyone in the Inner Sea is paying them, you make ninth level, you get to sell Teleports instead -"

"I'll try the known associates and if they don't work Belmarniss can go back and ask for more associates. And bring pie."

"I was thinking something I could tuck in my sleeve, you think they'll let me haul in a pie?"