The vaulted ceiling soared above City Hall's corridor, and shafts of light from the stained-glass windows drifted through the dust.
Renato stood outside the office's heavy oak door, hearing the sharp crash of something breaking within. Speaker Albert's furious curses carried through the door.
"Useless! Every last one of you is a useless freeloader!"
The sound of a longsword being drawn interrupted an aide's excuses.
The door suddenly swung inward. A deathly pale clerk all but scrambled out on his hands and knees, disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
Inside, a noble retainer wearing finely crafted plate armor stood to one side, the Atwood Family Crest engraved on his breastplate. He gave Renato a slight nod.
Renato stepped into the office to find a scene of devastation. An inkwell lay overturned on the carpet, a Magic Sword had been carelessly tossed at Albert's feet, and a chunk was missing from the desk's upper-left corner.
Apparently, the desk had borne the brunt of it. At least Albert had not been angry enough to start cutting people down.
Renato stopped three paces from the desk and placed his right hand over his chest in salute.
"Lord Speaker, what are your instructions?"
Albert did not look at him. With his eyes closed, he asked coldly:
"How are things going with Lailas?"
"Lady Lailas is still conducting searches and investigating targets that may pose a threat to the city. At present-"
"I asked whether you knew what she was doing!" Albert's eyes snapped open, bloodshot.
Of course Renato knew. The Harpers were tracking traces of Orton and the Dakoul Cult deep in the Slums, even at the cost of clashing openly with the Wolf Gang.
"Lord Speaker, I have recently focused my surveillance on another suspicious individual, the bard Reggie. His movements were