It's very dark in here. Cold shackles of unknown but durable material bind the Lapi's wrists and ankles to an even colder, hard, flat slab that he is stretched out on, suspended at some odd angle off the horizontal and vertical, and slightly askew so he's hanging a bit to his left. The slab is not without features, for knobby bits poke uncomfortably into the rabbit's back, and some of the rods feel cold enough to suggest that they are made of metal. The low whirr of an electric fan can be heard somewhere … and the click of boots on tile. An antiseptic smell reaches the Lapi's nose, but it fails to completely cover faint whiffs of old odors … blood … bodily fluids … the "smell of fear". Someone got very scared here … and probably had good reason to be frightened.

FLASH

A bright light comes on, occasionally flickering, occasionally surging to an even more uncomfortable glare, and it's directed right at the Lapi's face. While the Lapi is left with the sudden surprise and discomfort of the blinding spotlight, the clicking of the boots makes its way in a half-circle circuit around the rack that the Lapi is attached to.

"Greetings, Citizen Lightfoot," says a female voice in a cold, far from welcoming, tone. "I understand that, while in the Temple Infirmary, you divulged to Mage Windcaller something about an artifact of some sort, belonging to the Temple, that a thief tried to sell to you. Would you be so kind as to tell me about this?"

Aaron moans, "It was some old helmet I picked up in Abu Dhabi. An Arch Inquisitor bought it from me when customs found it!" Closing his eyes, he takes a few breaths before continuing. "A thief tried to sell it back to me on the night those Babelite agents tried to kidnap Jonathon Seagull, and the thief died of a heart attack or something when I told him it belonged to an Inquisitor. In all of the fracas that followed, I'd forgotton all about it, honest!"

"Forgotten about it, hmm?" says the Inquisitrix in a near purr, which has the faintest hint of a growl in it. She gently brushes the back of a finger across the cheek of the rabbit, tracing down his jawline. "Well, that wasn't so hard, now was it? Now that your memory is refreshed, would you be so kind as to tell me where this helmet might be found?"

Aaron shivers at the touch, and blurts, "In my shop, on… on… well, one of the back shelves I think. Jasmine may have put it in storage, though, while she cleaned up the place… "

The Inquisitrix leans in close, whispering into Aaron's floppy ear, "Which shelf, dear Aaron? I would be so grateful if you'd help me find it. It's very important to me."

The Lapi opens his black-circled eye to try and see the face of his interrogator, despite the glare. "Umm, I can go find it and bring it back for you then, Inquisitrix. No need to bother yourself about it at all… "

Aaron can only make out the vaguest of features – enough to tell that his interrogator is a female poodle with dark-lined eyes. He can catch a glimpse of Templar robes and dark leather. "Now, now, it was not that difficult a question, now was it? Please, tell me what I want to know. If you cooperate, you just might be rewarded. If not … " The Inquisitrix lets that thought go uncompleted, as she traces a finger along one of the Lapi's ears.

Cringing, Aaron tells her, "Really, I haven't seen it recently. It must be at the back of the shop though, probably with the Landing Day decorations. Just take me there and I'll find it for you."

Abruptly, the poodle's fingers pinch together on the Lapi's ears. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe you. An item taken from an Inquisitor … an Inquisitor … and you just lose it with the rest of the rubbish in the back of your store? I either think you're lying … or perhaps you do not take the Temple seriously enough."

Aaron winces! "Ow! No, you don't understand! I was recovering from injuries and forgot about it. My clerk Jasmine would have thought it was just a decoration or something that got knocked loose during the fighting!"

The pressure is released. "I'm concerned about your lack of … discretion, Citizen Lightfoot. Such an incident as this truly should have been reported to the Temple. But perhaps you were, as you say, distracted. Perhaps I can give you the benefit of a doubt." She runs a finger down the rabbit's forehead, and brushes it across the bridge of his nose, then pokes it lightly. "Do find it for me, won't you?"

The Lapi swallows, despite his mouth and throat and just about every other part of him feeling very dry. "Y-yes ma'am, certainly. Uhh… but who do I bring it to?"

There's a light kiss on the Lapi's other ear. "Don't worry. Just bring it back to the Temple. I'll take care of it from there. Sweet dreams, Citizen Lightfoot." And then, something is shoved over the rabbit's face! A cloth soaked in … chloroform, definitely.

Aaron relaxes, quite involuntarily, and wonders why he has such lousy luck with poodles…