act35side

It seems that Zubayr broke the window... and left on his own?

I'll go find him and bring him back.

Leave it to the museum, Pepe. You haven't had a proper rest for several days now.

The envoy from the City of Gold is about to reach my father's territory, Anat. I need every second I can get.

Pepe...

You and Titi have gone through a lot tidying up the damage to the museum. I suspect there are a few spots Zubayr might be. I'll go check them out right away.

Do you know why I didn't want to lend you Zubayr at first, Pepe? After I got your letter saying you were coming back, I wanted to tell you...

Two months ago, I was on a business trip in your father's domain. There, I saw that the envoy from the City of Gold had already arrived.

Your brother's already gone to the City.

You knew, but you never told me.

You were so happy in your letter telling me what you found. You even used twenty exclamation marks in a row at one point.

I... I didn't have the heart to tell you.

Then why'd you lend him to me? You got me excited over nothing...

This is a city of jewels, Pepe! There's just so many gems here that I thought you'd never find the ones you were looking for!

I thought you might give up on your own, when the time came.

B-But the envoy was supposed to arrive in August, right? Why were they ahead of schedule?

Your father wrote a letter requesting they come in advance.

So they already decided a long time ago. They just didn't want me to kick up a fuss, so they waited until I was out looking for artifacts of the Shah before sending the kid off to the City of Gold.

But He told me he would wait to see my discovery before making his decision...

The elders always make their own decisions, Pepe. Nothing us can do about it.

Did you see the brat too?

...Yeah.

He must be real happy with himself, getting to go to the City of Gold. I don't know how many times we've fought in public <i>or</i> in private.

I don't think he was particularly happy about it, Pepe. From what I could see, he looked like he's been hiding some sadness this whole time.

He called me to the study that day, saying that it was unlikely the two of you would meet again in your lifetimes, and that he hoped that I could pass a few words on to you.

What did he say?

He said he hopes you will remember his voice. After that, he left.

He didn't have much luggage on him, and only a portion of it was his. Everything else had to do with you and your father.

Pepe...?

Ever since I was little, everyone would tell me how becoming the Shahanshah's historian would continue my family's honorable legacy. But honor is usually bought with sacrifice and devotion, Anat.

Entering the City of Gold and becoming the historian means never leaving ever again, never to see your friends or family. All that comes with you is your scrolls and books.

But... you really hate being chained to a desk, don't you, Pepe?

Yep. I wanted to spend my entire life walking across Sargon, free to look for every remnant and vestige left behind by history.

But I couldn't do all that... because I couldn't let the boy get what he wanted.

Is it so tough for you to let your brother get his way that you'd rather be unhappy yourself?

Ever since we were little, everyone who saw him would praise him as a quiet yet cool-headed boy, perfect historian material.

I was the only one who knew how bad he was, and that he loved fooling around. Making him sit in front of a table for more than a second was torture for him.

Then why did the two of you fight over the position of court historian?

Because he didn't want me to go to the City of Gold.

He didn't want me stuck there by myself.

So you...?

I'm kinda the same...

I don't want him to be stuck there by himself either.

A gem that would bring relief to sore legs after standing for too long? No, I have no need of it.

A gem that would cause the other party to apologize of their own accord? Of some use, but also not what I seek.

I can sense that the gem is extremely close, but there are far, far too many jewels in this house...

Hearing footsteps coming from the corridor, Zubayr immediately hurries back to the huge gilded box to lie down.

He senses an attentive gaze falling upon him, yet not a word breaks the silence. He cautiously opens his eyes a silver—

And sees a sand-colored animal.

Oh... This cannot be...

The creature jumps into the gilded box, bringing its face right up against Zubayr's mask, as if lightly sniffing him.

A sable beast also sticks its head into the box.

Mio... Woof...?

Seems your memory's nearly back to normal.

Mhm. The scent does not lie. You are no fake.

Shut it, Woof.

How did you two become so small...?

Aren't we the way we are now because you failed in your duties as a retainer?

My duties...?

If I still looked as I did back then, I'd be carried out to parade every day. How would I have time to help you find gems, then?

It's better for all of us the way I am now.

Mio, Zubayr has no way of understanding what we're talking about right now.

I already warned you of this before he arrived.

(Angry glare) Hmph...

(Guiltily looks away)

Never mind. He'll soon understand what we experienced these past three hundred years.

Woof, call over our new retainer.

The young overseer walks through a near-endless hallway to reach Zubayr.

A blue fowlbeast suddenly flies atop the wall of the trading post, prodding at a mechanism inlaid within.

Gears mesh together and springs creak, and the fowlbeast plucks a gemstone out of the safe that just opened.

It places the stone on a thick brown piece of velvet on a tray, presenting it to the overseer.

His gaze is calm. His gaze is impassioned.

I am pleased to meet you, Zubayr Effendi... No. Rather, long time no see.

This stone is one of my weights.

In addition to this gem trading post, there are also all the jewels circulating through the Grand Bazaar...

I would like to know, Zubayr Effendi, if all these gems together would outweigh the soul of a sinner?

The door's unlocked, come in.

I said come in, did I not?

Is that you, Narantuya?

There is no-one in the black of night outside, but the rapping on the door continues.

Aspasia looks up and sees a construct of exceedingly ancient make clinging to the top of the door.

The gyrating construct beats on the jewels embedded into the door with all speed, shaking out grains of sand from who-knows-where.

A new form of robbery...?

As Aspasia stretches out her hand to take it down from its perch, it drops the door ornament it was holding onto the ground.

The gem glimmers for a moment in the darkness. Soon after, Aspasia sees the gem and the construct disappear into the entrance to the sewer.

Jewels snatching away a jewel.

Good. Merely gems retrieving their compatriots from the clutches of their excavators.

To history!

To the dead!

To our dear Narantuya!

Even though she's not here!

But she's the one who treated us to all this carob juice!

I never knew a mummy could be that valuable. How about we go check out the museum storehouses tomorrow and see if we can scrounge up another dead guy?

Oh, Ajazi, Ajazi, ye of little thought. Only looking for the dead in the museum? Can't you see the big picture here?

We need to go look for dead people <i>outside</i> the museum too!

Yeah, you're right.

But wouldn't we become officers of the law if we did that?

...Did you lose something, Ajazi? I feel like you're not your usual self.

Eh? No, definitely haven't lost anything here. A great bandit like me wouldn't let anything of mine get stolen.

Now shut up already and keep drinking!