Sable gives the tree a friendly pat on the trunk as she passes it on her way across the courtyard.

"Mistress Sable?," a synthetic voice calls across the courtyard, "Mistress Sable Arrowsmith!"

The robot approaches her.

"That's me!" she says. "Hi!"

"Greetings. I have been sent to escort you to Professor Myari. She is very anxious for your arrival."

"Well, lucky for her I got here so quick, then." She reaches the bottom of the short stairway and starts to climb. "Did she mention what she wanted to see me about?"

"Only that she wanted you, Mistress." It follows her up the ramp built into the side of the stairway.

"A mystery! I love mysteries!"

Giggling, she turns left at the top of the stairs and heads for Myari's office.

As she reaches the door, the professor's voice reaches out: "Sable! Here you are. Come in."

Myari's face is stern and controlled as always, her brown skin framed by now-graying hair and a crisp scarlet blouse.

"Here I am!" she agrees, heading into the office. "So what was the rush?"

"You're our expert on history. What do you make of this?"

The piece she proffers features a purple gemstone perhaps four centimeters across, hexagonally faceted, and prong-set to an engraved steel piece cut in the shape of a stylized wing or perhaps a flame. If she takes it she'll notice there's a pin along the back.

"Oh that's interesting," she murmurs to herself, accepting the brooch and peering at it. "What stone is that—? Where did you find it?"

She turns it over to examine it from all sides, running her fingertips along the curve of the wing.

The design is simple, but the craftsmanship is exacting.

Among the engraved parts, she can make out a few groups of Ancient characters:

"That's a verb... looks a little like 'happiness'... 'enjoy'? And I don't think I recognize the next one, I'd have to check my notes - and then the connecting particle, and... hmm, 'holy Emperor'? What of the holy Emperor am I meant to enjoy here? His taste in jewelry? It is very pretty."

"Mhm. One of the scholars sent this to me. Janniqi Renba.

"Did you know him?"

"Seen him around. His thing is robots, isn't it? Where'd he get an imperial eagle-wing brooch? Chip it out of the concrete with his latest friend?"

"Perhaps so. Janniqi told me he'd found something, but that was more than a month ago.

"He told me he was going to a moon named Maersi. Then nothing. And then... he sends me this." She gestures at the brooch.

"I'm hoping you can find him, Sable."

"Goodness, a missing person. That's a new one." Her hand closes around the brooch, and she vanishes it away into a pocket. "Well. I'll do my best."

"Come back when you've found him. And - please take the robot with you. I wouldn't want you to be lost as well."

"Thank you, Professor. I long to see the nebula..."

"I like to think of myself as harder to lose than that, but I do like making new friends." She turns to the robot. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

"I'm happy to meet you, Mistress Sable. I would offer a handshake, but," it shrugs its arms and holographic hands.

She laughs. "Yes, I see the trouble. Well, come on back to my boat and we'll see about finding this lost roboticist." As she nods to Myari and turns to walk out, she adds, "Did you know him?"

"I believe Master Renba activated me, Mistress, when I was uncovered. I suspect that is why Professor Myari assigned me to you."

"Reasonable of her, I guess. But did you know him? Did you talk to him, work with him...?"

"I cannot remember, Mistress. I remember a man standing over me, and then nothing else until my assignment to Professor Myari."

(Following Sable down the ramp-and-stairs.)

"So for practical purposes, I can assume I did not."