After a brief silence, Alger, the Hanged Man, said:
"While investigating the Vice Admiral of Ailment, I found someone who had made contact with her... He may be connected to the disappearance of slaves in the colonies. Please keep an eye out for him.
"He calls himself Baelen. He has reddish-brown skin and features typical of the Southern Continent, but someone once overheard him speaking with a Backlund accent.
"He's missing the third tooth on the left, though he may have had it replaced by now.
"Otherwise, his face is unremarkable, and his height is fairly average.
"If you find any trace of him, payment won't be a problem. At least 100 pounds, or something of equivalent value."
As Alger finished, his gaze swept over the Tower, the World, and Judgment. He had little desire to provoke the Vice Admiral of Ailment, but the Pirate Admiral had only handled transportation. The people on either end of the operation were worth investigating.
Judgment made a careful note of it and decided to look into it when she got back. She was short of money lately, and 100 pounds was no small sum.
Abner knew that, during the Great Smog before the new year, Baelen should have been in the Blood Emperor's mausoleum in the Northwest Suburbs of Backlund. Where he was now, though, Abner had no idea. He merely nodded to show he would keep an eye out and said nothing.
Klein sighed helplessly. With a description like that, I can't even perform Divination, let alone find him in person...
A few seconds passed without anyone proposing another trade or commission, and the gathering moved naturally into free discussion.
The Fool maintained his inscrutable air while making the World speak in a low, hoarse voice:
"While investigating the Sauron family, I