A Change of Heart

Evening and Night of Tuesday March 9, 1490

As the Inquisitor approached, I ducked behind the ruins of the old library and crouched by a crumbling wall, the same crumbling wall over which Irene had peered just a week ago when she brought me the Aegis map. All three dogs ran up to me, Gus and Lily regarding me with knowing expressions and Timo wagging his tail hopefully at me. "I know it's a disaster!" I hissed at Tel's parents. "Don't look at me that way! Cly?" I asked urgently, pulling Timo into my arms like a very furry golden shield. "Cly — can Zoe tell that I was the owl?"

My avatar pursed her lips. "See, this is the problem with getting too involved in human events," she lectured prissily. "It prevents you from standing aside and observing the primary actors, because now you need to worry about how they will respond to you."

That was so incredibly unhelpful. "Yes, I know, but it's too late for that now. Do I need to hide?"

Cly glared at me. "How would I know? Humans always act irrationally. If you're asking whether being connected to Mel altered your Resonance — well, the question you should consider is whether Mel would have wanted to conceal it."

So...no then. The Muse of Tragedy probably deemed it most appropriate for me — in the capacity of Secunda — to have assaulted one of House Criamon's last allies, who just happened to have not only the resources to destroy us, but also the motivation to do so if she ever learned the truth about the orphans, and who on top of all of that was in love with our Prima and might very well wreak vengeance on all of us if that love ever changed to hate.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" demanded Cly. "Either interview her, or get into a position where you can observe her interview with Ynez."

Hugging Timo even more tightly until he whined and squirmed free, I peered around the corner. Zoe was just crossing Astera's wards when Ghallim strolled out from the dining room to intercept her.

"Hello, master priest!" he greeted her cheerfully.

The Inquisitor drew up short and favored him with a disapproving frown. "I see Ynez has much to teach you," she said sternly. "I am female and hence cannot possibly be a priest." Forestalling his response, she continued, "But I am not here to lecture you. What happened?"

Ghallim perked up and stabbed a finger upward. "Ah," he explained, launching into storytelling mode. "You see, zere eez an orphanage 'ere. Eet was founded several 'undred years ago. Eet eez a place where young children without families...."

Stalking up to him, Zoe loomed over him threateningly — incidentally turning her side to me. "You are trying my patience!" she boomed. "I don't care about what happened when the orphanage was founded! I want to know what happened at the Acropolis and how Ynez is handling it!"

With a quick "Come on!" gesture at Timo, I scooted backwards to the far side of the library and, hunching over, darted around the backs of the buildings until I slipped into the Hearth. Then I straightened up and hurried down the tunnels to the Prima's study, where Ynez had hidden after Ghallim and I bullied her into eating dinner. Without bothering to knock, I burst through the door, rounded Despina's massive oaken desk, and dove straight under it. She didn't even try to stop me — her only response was to draw her serpent more closely around her neck like a scarf or a boa. Timo wriggled under her skirts and plopped down beside me, panting happily at this new game.

"What are you doing?" Cly demanded. "Is this behavior becoming of a historian and a Secunda?"

"I'm hiding from Zoe!" I whispered back. "You wanted me to observe her!"

"Not from under a desk!"

Both of us stilled as Ghallim's and Zoe's voices drifted through the door. "Zere was a misunderstanding about ze nature of ze Aegis," Ghallim was explaining earnestly. "And zen zere was an explosion, and zen someone attacked us, and zen a bear attacked zem and killed zem — but don't worry, ze bear was mostly slain — "