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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 18211" data-attributes="member: 143">Part 23In a shadowy room, silent but for the patter of raindrops on the roof above, a man sat waiting.  A gray slant of light that came in from the two windows high along the walls barely illuminated him enough to outline his visage.  He was well into middle age but not yet truly old, with a carefully trimmed beard and penetrating, hooded eyes.  He was dressed in a simple outfit of undyed wool, the sort that might have been worn by a middling townsman, or perhaps even by a well-off peasant making a visit to relatives in the city.  He looked a little pensive, as if grappling with serious thoughts this day.  He did not show a reaction when the sound of a door being opened sundered the silence, nor did he turn to view the newcomer who came into the room, staying deep within the shadows.  It was impossible to tell more about him—or her, as it may have been, for even when the newcomer spoke, it was with a voice pitched so deliberately neutral that it might have belonged to anyone.  “You sent for me,” the shadowed one said.  The seated man did not respond for a long uncomfortable moment.  When he finally did speak, his voice was soft and melodious, yet somehow it seemed as cold as frost on a winter’s day.“What were you thinking, Enialis?” he finally said.  Enialis shifted, and came briefly into the beam of light long enough to reveal a finely stitched wool cloak, trimmed with fox fur and silver thread.   “Why do you mock me with that name?” Enialis said.  “It is not who I am, nor ever truly was.”“Sending those assassins was the epitome of foolishness,” the seated man continued, as if the other had not spoken.“Those four adventurers are dangerous to us.  They needed to be eliminated—they were getting close…”“Bah!  They had nothing, nothing to link us to the operation in the Wood of Sharp Teeth, nothing to connect the banditry along the roads to us here in Elturel.  That fool Zorak gave us that much, at least.  Now, they are engaged, and curious, and… dangerous.”“I admit, they proved more adept than I anticipated, but no one found out about the attack, and the four did not go to the Guard.”“That only confirms that they suspect something.”“They are outsiders,” Enialis offered.  “They won’t get very far in their search, and—”“They’ve already gotten farther than they should have,” the seated man cut him off.  “And two things that you should remember, my friend.  First, these outsiders are ‘heroes’ to the public, at least for the moment, and that gives them the ear of those who would not otherwise be inclined to hear.  And second, and never forget this, your noble title and all your wealth won’t be worth a thing if even the whisper of your other… affiliation… becomes public.  Or do you think that Lord Dhelt will be understanding, should he find out?”That seemed to cow the shadowed figure, who finally said, “So, what should we do?”“YOU will go back to your normal routine, and keep playing the foolish games that you do.  Luckily, I had anticipated something like this, and I have already acted to bring in an ally to clean up the mess that you and Zorak have created here.”“You don’t mean—” “Exactly.  I would just as soon not have brought them into this, but at the moment I have little choice.  Now, get out of here.”The dismissal was one that could not be refused, and ‘Enialis’ quickly scuttled out of the room, leaving the other to return to his dark thoughts.</blockquote>

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