"They're, uh, little bitty swords that make you better at bluffing. I invented them because the project had us lying a lot. Just in case you need it."

She hands him one.

"I wasn't really planning to do a lot of lying, but - okay."  He takes it and doesn't activate it.

Ione is gone, so now it's her job, Asmodia guesses.

"Keltham, the Project has been hugely sheltering you in a lot of ways, you are way too easy to read and you will need that pin.  I'd suggest you activate it right now, and if not then definitely before talking to any royalty of Osirion, even if you're not planning to lie."

"Further warning, the Pharaoh of Osirion will be able to read you anyways.  His Sense Motive is said to basically be nonmagical Detect Thoughts.  There's rules you will find strange about what you're not allowed to say in Osirion about the Pharaoh.  Ask about those very quickly."

(Asmodia only knows any of this due to hanging around Korva, to be clear.)

"Your advice is noted."

"I'm going to miss you. Don't - hurt yourself - and, once you're ready, come back for me. If you take too long about it I might send additional presents so I can at least rest assured you're not lonely and miserable without a single overengineered sex toy to keep you company."

"Don't worry, if you're a real person, I'll definitely be seeing you later.  Possibly after literally anything standing between us has been obliterated."

"Broom, I can notice you now, stop that."

"Coming along on the trip seemed easier than arguing about whether I should."

"Right, well, this is Broom, agent of the goddess whose purpose is hidden, I don't really get him very much, he can turn invisible, I would prefer he not do that around me though, I assume you've got contacts with his people, bring him along but maybe check him out before you let him loose."

"Broom, former halfling slave sweeping the halls in the archduke of Sirmium's villa, before I was chosen as the oracle of that goddess in the same moment as was Ione Sala chosen of Nethys.  Aspexia Rugatonn did not wish to interfere with Her purposes, whatever they might be."

The Osirians look utterly unsurprised. "In Osirion halflings are free," their leader says. "We'll take you."

Broom will extend a hand, then, in the same moment as does Keltham.

Broom is, in fact, rather cheerful about this turn of events, though he doesn't show it, of course.

And off they go. 

ASMODEUS.

We had a DEAL, Asmodeus.

WHY is the anomaly NOT in the anomaly containment zone?

ProjectLawful.com:  exists