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Wherein alliances are tested (Ch. 26)

  Every night, there was a checklist. It wasn’t extraordinarily long, which helped the diligence with which it was upkept. The first item was the room – should any mess remain; it must be tidied. The second item was the grand order, a rather pompous name for what amounted to an ever-growing leviathan of contractual obligations, though of course he only had a copy. Completed items were to be checked off, new items entered into work plans, duties shuffled around between archivists and servants almost at random. At the very least, the instant synchronization with the document of the grand order itself was gratifying. He wondered whether there was some vetting process between his copy and the central document, for as far as he knew his entries were ever respected. As the old priorities were no longer upheld, he could’ve just asked the central archivist. But the official freedoms seemed a pale thing when compared to centuries of organization. The third item was his health; cleaning of...
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Wherein the old ways are expounded upon (Ch. 25)

  “Trust not the old to be wise, nor the young to be pure. Do not heed the whispers in the wind, but do not scorn them either. Trust that tomorrow will be as today, until it is not. Respect the stars, for they are ancient, and respect the beasts for they are vigorous. Trust the word of your father, listen to the word of a shaman, and never trust a brown cloak” Excerpt from “The tragedies of the toll”, Jennept’s archive of northern stories Chy was out cold. A friend would’ve been worried. A companion concerned. A passerby compassionate, or perhaps merely curious. Opal was overjoyed. She found herself overjoyed at most everything that happened to her. So powerful was this joy that she found it necessary to explain it to the unconscious Chy. After all, had he been awake, he’d surely have had some suitably dampening reply. “I’m like a long-lived yellow tail, aren’t I Chy? Look at me! I radiate glory in the summer sun! I bring joy, I pique fascination, I entice, I taunt. I’m t...
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Wherein a promise is kept (Ch. 24)

  “A line of sulfur three nails thick, For binding charms shall do the trick. What more can one ask of a humble prophetess? Messenger from the divine, guide to the blind, I do what you wish! I am at your command! So don’t be shocked when it’s solutions I find” Excerpt from Gubita’s poems of aid, the litany of days to come, second standard edition. “Smallness in the spring – The illusive shine known to the north, silken draping that I have heard is purple and green, known to them as the moon’s laughter. Monster of the morning – This cannot be but the fading of the stars, the goddess’s jewels, the pearls of the sky, the souls of Pontiacs past. As is written in the deathbed clarities: ‘it is a monstrous thing to deny another one of the joys of life, but it is a monster alone that would deny another the clarity of truth, the greatness of all that is, the infinite span of the sky’. Now, clarity shining upon us as to the meaning, how shall we interpret this line? I hope to ...
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Wherein Opal's legacy is discussed (Ch. 23)

  “2 and 11:21 – Acting head of league proceedings Lawful declares emergency meeting to be in session. 2 and 11:23 – Treasurer of the west wing and league accountant Gertrude is found to be missing. Brief commotion ensues. 2 and 11:24 – Snide remarks by league representative to the King’s council Berrington promptly shut down by acting head of league proceedings. 2 and 11:25 – First correspondence with minor league affiliate Pilly read aloud by acting head of league proceedings. See footnotes. No such footnote survives. See appendices for possible reconstruction. 2 and 11:31 – Minor semantic argument over the use of the subjunctive quelled by league accountant. 2 and 11:34 – Edited copy of first correspondence with minor league affiliate Pilly read aloud by chief of operations Bold. 2 and 11:36 – Reading of the correspondence interrupted by appearance of Prince Wilk. The page is torn, see appendices for possible reconstruction. 3 and 00:04 – Prince Wilk assents to t...
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