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Message: <blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 1051564" data-attributes="member: 96">[A knock, and a GUARD appears at the door.]GUARD: Detective? Brother Egil has finished with his spells.  I'll send him in when you're ready.[ENNIS regards DRU thoughtfully for a moment, then turns back to the GUARD.]ENNIS: Send him in now.GUARD (startled): Sir? Isn't she (hesitates) a suspect?ENNIS (slow and thoughtful): No.  No, I don't believe she is.  In fact, I rather suspect that these two officers of the Freeport City Watch will be more than happy to assist us in our investigation.DRU (looking up): I'm not-[DI'FIER puts a hand on her arm to quiet her, and ENNIS gives her a knowing look.  The GUARD departs, and DRU looks at ENNIS levelly.]DRU: My father wouldn't have killed those priests.[ENNIS closes the box, stands, paces over to the bookshelves along the office wall.]ENNIS (studying the books): I believe you.  Had the attack been executed against the Dragon's Claw, or some other organization who was in opposition to him, then he would be a prime suspect.  But the Temple of Knowledge? There is no motive.  (he pauses, looking back over his shoulder at the pair.) Especially considering the nature of one of the missing persons.[DRU and DI'FIER share a puzzled glance.]ENNIS: Councilman Revel Varian.[ENNIS lets that sink in for a moment, then continues.  CUT to a silent shot of VARIAN speaking to the other members of the COUNCIL: white-haired, almost skeletally thin, with an aquiline nose and a penetrating gaze.]ENNIS (vo): Councilman Varian was a staunch supporter of the Temple of Knowledge, and an equally staunch foe of the Dragon's Claw.[VARIAN beats on the table to emphasize whatever point he his making.]ENNIS (vo): There would be no reason for your father to arrange his disappearance, and I have difficulty believing that he would be so clumsy as to leave such an obvious clue behind.[CUT back to ENNIS, who now stands by the desk, his fingertips resting on the box containing the dagger.]DI'FIER: But it couldn't really be a frame-up - for the same reason.[ENNIS nods silently.]DRU (flatly): It's a message.[The door opens, and EGIL is admitted: strawberry blond, with long hair and a beard, he is dressed in the simple robes of a priest of the Temple.  DRU and DI'FIER stand to greet him, and he embraces each in turn.]DI'FIER: Egil!DRU: We're glad you're all right.EGIL: And the two of you? (he pulls back from DRU, his hands still on her arms, and studies her) Are you all right? (he looks towards ENNIS)DRU: We're fine.  The detective has (hesitates) asked us to help in the investigation.EGIL (grins in relief): Then I know it is in good hands.  I have no doubt that you wil find your way to the bottom of this.DI'FIER (with a smile):  Sure, we'll wander around asking questions until somebody attacks us, and there's your culprit.[They laugh.]ENNIS (cutting in): Brother Egil. I was told you had turned something up.EGIL: Oh! Yes, of course.  We are still conducting an inventory, but it appears that several books are missing or destroyed.ENNIS: Which books?EGIL: Primarily ones dealing with elven and dwarven myth, although there were also a pair of volumes on lost or mythical places taken.[DRU watches EGIL, but stays silent.  The scene FADES to the one we saw in the opening credits, with shadowy figres creeping up the steps of the temple and disappearing inside.  EGIL continues to speak.]EGIL (vo): From what I have been able to piece together, the first sign of the attack was the lights going out[They do so.]EGIL (vo): - all over the temple at once.[Inside the temple, it is black. We see hints of movement here and there but nothing definite.]EGIL (vo): They may have started the killing even before then - it is difficult to tell.  Darnesthi Tirarolor was in charge of the ceremonies that night.[In the blackness, a golden light appears, held in the hand of a female elf dressed in the simple robes of the priests.  Beside her is a male elf bearing a longsword - DARNESTHI and CARDOLAN, respectively.  As the light expands in diameter, we see shadowy movement around her, dimly hearing the screams of the people as they are killed by their unknown attackers. One, concealed in the shadows, barely recognizable as female, raises a black hand into the light.]ATTACKER: Lil elg'cahl d'Lolth elgg dos![DARNESTHI'S eyes widen, her face goes pale, and she crumples, the light already fading.]EGIL (vo): She was struck down by magic.[CARDOLAN screams with rage, and charges, but the attacker steps calmly back into the darkness. As DARNESTHI'S light fades we see more attackers stepping out of the shadows to surround CARDOLAN.]EGIL (vo): Cardolan, her protector, was cut to pieces in the dark.[FADE back to EGIL sitting with the others.]EGIL: Tomorrow I'll be able to speak with the spirits of the slain, in the hopes that they will be able to tell us more about these attackers.DRU: We'll be here.EXT - TEMPLE OF KNOWLEDGE - NIGHT[A pair of GUARDS open the door and DRU emerges, DI'FIER keeping up thanks to his longer stride, moving down the stairs.]DI'FIER: I don't get it. Why are you so sure it's a message?DRU: You heard which books they destroyed.  Books that might have mentioned Silathenial.  They didn't have to destroy anything - if they hadn't, nobody ever would have made the connection.[They reach the bottom of the stairs and begin crossing the cobbled streets towards a waiting carriage.]DI'FIER: If your father went to Silathenial to rescue you, he must have had a reason to think you were there.  (pause) They must want you back for some reason.[DRU yanks the door to the carriage open and puts one foot on the step as she turns to look at DI'FIER.]DRU: Then they are going to regret it. Because that is exactly what they are going to get.</blockquote>

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