"-oh. I do know that, now. We can't actually read ourselves, it's better if someone asks us questions. Still, should you really be doing things evil wizards would do?"

"We breathe and talk, and evil wizards do that."

"Maybe you should stop doing that too? No, I think that's not evil...but I can't very well trust anyone else on what's not evil, the last time I did that, I served an evil wizard."

"I'm so sorry that happened to you! I think that if there were no army there would be a lot of grey unemployment though. They'd be upset. We can try to re-spec them into, like, helping angels fight whoever angels fight, probably? That isn't what an evil wizard would do."

"Yes, that's much better. Armies can help angels, that doesn't seem evil at all."

Daernir would rather listen to an evil wizard Lintalai than a judgmental skull, but nobody asked him. He'll ask her later what Amentans use armies for in case she's making it sound easy to the judgmental skull.

"Do you want me to buy you?" she asks it. "I might need to put you in a covering of some kind once there are Amentans around, because you're shaped like a skull, so you're aware."

"Oh, that's wonderful, actually! It doesn't sound evil or wizardly at all."

"Okay. Also I don't believe in slavery and you seem to have opinions so - I guess you can't just walk off but if you want to go somewhere I will make some reasonable effort to accommodate this." She purchases the anti-evil-wizard one.

They are happy to sell it to her for a good chunk of her local currency!

Daernir pitches in because probably Lintalai's money should go into her colony.

"I appreciate that you're not an evil wizard, but could you tell me more about my covering options?"

"I don't have anything handy for you yet but I'm thinking something like a wig with a beard and big sunglasses. It could be something else like a tea cozy if you prefer."

"You can always change it later, right?"

"A wizard-"

"No."

"It could be a good wizard."

"Good wizards can do whatever they want but not to me."

Tyshvian doesn't offer any commentary of her own, just takes notes on what everyone is saying and what's happening that Lintalai is too busy to pay attention to.

"Yeah, I was just going to cover you up, you're metal and not a real skull so that'll be plenty, so you can change around between stuff as you like."

"Whatever you pick is fine for now!"

They can retire for now, then. There is something of an inn for travelers in Mercantus, where they can acquire lodging for the night: it lacks the stable, the courtyard, and the spring which were features of some of her previous not-hotels, instead consisting only of rooms and a common dining area.

That's fine as long as she can get water and take some kind of bath or shower.

There is well water! Intrepid assures her that they will find something better long term but this water does come from the same source, ultimately, if that helps.

It helps but she's glad she is personally hyposensitive.