Martin looks absolutely terrified by the prospect of having to have opinions about archaeology.

"It's a network of prehistoric catacombs under Malta! No one has really excavated it yet-- I didn't even know you could get in it-- they must be totally undisturbed." He reconsiders. "Probably they are disturbed by the Knights of Malta."

Why is this very inconsiderate group of Mythos-fighting knights disrupting important things like archaeology.

"How could you know about them if nobody could get in?"

Lev opens his mouth to begin an excited explanation of archaeological techniques.

Oh no.

Martin, sensing that he is going to have to have opinions, says, "--Anyway. Knights of Malta. I'm the last surviving member. --Well, no I'm not, there are the other Knights of Malta that do, um, charity work and things. But I'm the last one that's, err, fighting evil."

"What does that... cash out to, exactly? On your end?"

"Uh. Mostly trying to figure out what the cult is up to?

I'm very good at, err. Hiding."

"And do you know what the cult is up to?"

"They're dealing drugs throughout the Mediterranean out of their warehouse? Which has a giant Mouth that spits Nectar? Which is kind of gross, not going to lie, drinking mouth spit. And powering it through a network of offices and factories which produce nonstop human misery? --Um. I think. And it's all a cult of the demon called Nyarlathotep.

I think they killed Montgomery Donovan's friend Portia Sapienza to keep her in line."

"'They'? Is Donovan not in charge of the cult? I mean, in Malta?"

"There's constant politics in any cult. Especially one that, um, involves a drug that makes everyone who takes it seek power?

Peter Lukas wants to take over."

"Did Lukas have Sapienza killed, or someone else, do you know?"

"Haven't been able to figure it out."

"So, making sure I have this, you think Peter Lukas, or someone else in the cult, killed Portia Sapienza to keep Donovan in line?"

"Yeah. I think they had different, uh, goals?

My guess is that Peter Lukas wanted to expand because he runs the freighter part of the business, and Donovan wanted to stick to Malta because that's her part."

"Why wouldn't Donovan kill him, then?"

".....and Donovan's daughter is mysteriously sick for no apparent reason and nothing is helping."

"Well, they're treating her with black magic and Nectar? I wouldn't expect that to help at all?

I broke in and looked at the spell Dr. Solazzio is using on her."

Well this guy just knows everything, doesn't he.

"It, um. --So I'm not great at magic? But I'm pretty sure it gives Nyarlathotep the option to make the person you say it to sick."

"Well that's certainly the opposite of treatment!"

"Ohhh, so Solazzio's working for Lukas, you think?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Do you know if it needs, like, upkeep? Like, if you took the kid away from the spell, she might get better?"