Customs was fairly nosy, as usual. None of the items acquired from the curio shop set off any of the wards set up for detecting magical items being brought into Rephidim … but then, those wards simply can't be foolproof, so that doesn't necessarily mean anything for certain. However, what wards couldn't pick up, snooping customs agents could … and that meant that the helmet couldn't be passed off as some cheap replica from the surface. The Lapi merchant was encouraged to visit the Temple to tell an investigator all about this interesting little item, and just how he came to possess it.

A couple of lupine Guards escort the Lapi – and his belongings – into a humble-looking office. Some of the furnishings are covered, suggesting that it may have been in disuse for a while.

Sesus leans back on his chair. His hands still cover his ears, as he just came back from the noise outside. With a sigh, he wonders what is going to happen next. The headache slowly coming over him isn't helping much either. Taking a deep breath, he leans back and digs his fingers into the desk in front of him. He looks up and sees the Lapi being, brought in.

Aaron, the Lapi in question, looks around nervously before realizing that looking nervous probably is a sign of guilt. Just as he tries to straighten up and look put out, however, he wonders if that might not be seen as a bluff to cover up some crime. Finally, he ends up just standing there with one ear lopped down over half his face, clutching his pack tightly in his hands.

Letting go of the desk, Sesus puts his fingers together in front of himself and asks, "So what do we have here?" He sniffs the air and nods to himself. His eyes and most of his face remain concealed under his hood.

The Guard to the right – a Sergeant, by his rank marks – barks, "Rephidim citizen returning from the Himaat, sir! He was found with … this." His comrade brings forth a helmet, and sets it on the desk in front of the Investigator.

The helmet looks very akin to designs used by the Temple – and by the Knights Templar. The visor of the helmet is slit in an almost cross-shape that suggests the top of the Star-and-Anchor emblem of the Temple … except that the crossbars are ever so slightly angled upwards, giving the eye-slot a slightly more sinister aspect.

It takes only a glance to determine that the helmet is not made of metal or chitin, but rather of some other material not so quickly identified. It has also seen quite a bit of abuse – and many, many years, by a hasty guess.

With a wince at the barking, Sesus again reaches for his ears. He eyes the helmet in front of himself, sniffing it lightly. He starts to remove one of his gloves, and asks, "Any papers accompanying this … person?"

Sesus lifts the edge of his hood slightly, only revealing a little more of his white muzzle in the dim light, asking the Lapi directly, "Who are you?"

The Sergeant slaps some papers down on the desk … confiscated credentials identifying the Lapi as the proprietor of an apothecary that sees a lot of business from students and journeymen of the Collegia Esoterica.

Sesus leans over and eyes the papers. He looks back up and says, "Sergeant, I am sure this… " He looks down. "… Lightfoot … can answer himself." He adds, mostly to himself, "Preferably less loudly as well."

"Umm," Aaron stutters, "the merchant didn't give me any certificate of authenticity or anything, I'm afraid. Sir."

The Sergeant frowns, but adopts a professional "at guard" stance behind and to one side of the Lapi, awaiting further orders – as does his comrade.

Flicking the papers a little more, Sesus gently folds his gloved hand over them and turns his attention to the helmet again. He looks up and says, "You had better do something about that sweat, too," and his muzzle seams to break up in a smile. But as the corners of his mouth are not visible, it could be a snarl as well.

The Sergeant's nose wrinkles almost imperceptibly. Could be a knee-jerk Jupani reaction to the mention of the possibility of scents in the air…

Aaron nods. "Right away, sir. I'll take a bath as soon as I get home, sir." The Lapi smiles his predators-won't-eat-you-if-you're-cute-and-fluffy-enough smile.

Sesus pats the helmet softly with his ungloved paw and then runs a finger over the surface. He looks directly at the Lapi and asks, "So, how did you acquire this … piece, then?"

"I purchased it in a curio shop," Aaron explains, "in Abu Dhabi."

Leaning back, Sesus still runs a finger over the helmet, sliding it into the eye-slot and following the path of the cross downwards. "And why did you buy it?" he asks the Lapi.

Sesus carefully tips the helmet to one side and runs his bare fingers along the inside of the edge, apparently looking for something as he waits for the Lapi to answer his last question.

Aaron blinks a bit at the question. "Well, because the merchant told me it was a pre-Imperial artifact. I'm not sure that it really is, mind you, but it's certainly an interesting piece. I thought it would make a good conversation piece."

A smile is again visible at the tip of Sesus' muzzle. He asks, "How much did you pay for it?"

The Lapi's throat muscles seem to lock up for a moment, followed by a spate of coughing. "Ack. Er… pardon me, sir. It was part of a larger purchase, which totaled sixty shekels."

Nodding to himself, Sesus starts to look through the papers again, spreading them out over his desk. He looks up a little and waves the Lapi closer.

Aaron shuffles forward obediently.

Sesus gets up and leans closer to Aaron, sniffing at him. His nose wrinkles a little as so many scents overpower it slightly. Leaning back, he takes a deep breath and tries again.

The Lapi tries not to cringe back from the sniffing. "Uh … Sorry, sir, I just got off the airship this afternoon, and was escorted here directly from customs. I probably stillsmell like vanderats."

Sesus sneezes a little and says, "That is not all you smell of. I can pick up the traces of nervousness of you. You are hiding something. As most do. And I can ask you politely, or I can ask someone else to ask you, less politely." He pauses and then says, "So, what more do you know of this helmet?"

Aaron reaches up and tugs at his ears. "Well… I asked if it was an Expedition artifact, and the merchant didn't deny it… I thought that since it was just a helmet, I'd be allowed to keep it."

Sesus hmms and shuffles the papers a little, tracing some lines with his finger. He stops and looks up, saying, "You claimed you paid sixty shekels for it, right. I offer to buy it from you for eighty. How does that sound?"

The Lapi's ears escape his hands to stand erect now. "Eighty? Is it really an artifact then? Something that could go on display in a museum?"

With a sigh, the Jupani explains, "It is not an artifact. My guess is that it has belonged to some knight … who apparently lost it … and probably it's head with it. We only wish to know who did it. Just consider the money a little payment – for any information you can come up with regarding what happened to this helmet." He reaches for a piece of paper and his pen, saying, "By the way, you can start with telling me the name and owner of that shop you found it in."

"Oh," Aaron says, drooping a bit. "The shop was owned by an old Khatta named… umm… Pungent? Punja… Yes, Punja. I think. It was very hot."

Sesus sits down and starts making a receipt of eighty shekels, then slides it over the desk after signing it. He adds "Of course, you should not leave Rephidim, in case we need to ask some other questions. There might be more money involved." He ends with another smile.

Aaron pauses in his grab for the receipt, and asks, "Uhh, my business sometimes requires me to travel… Could I just give notice if I have to leave?"

Sesus still holds the receipt with his fingers and says, "Besure to do that," then nods, letting go. He leans back and starts putting on his glove again.

The Lapi nods his head fast enough to cause his ears to flap. "Oh, you can count on it, sir!"

Whipping his head back slightly by the loud voice, Sesus says,"All right. Just wander along. You can give the receipt to a clerk." He turns to the guards and says, "Sergeant, lead him away."

Aaron grabs up his pack and waits for the guards to lead him out, hiding his disappointment. Ancient helmets are so much more… romantic… than incomprehensible books or joke powder.

The guards lead the Lapi away, toward the Audit office where he will be able to claim his eighty shekels with the receipt.

Sesus leans his head to one side, and looks at the helmet,still very curious about what it is. Then, he reaches over and grabs a blank piece of paper. Running his pen a couple of times around in the dried up inkwell, he starts to write his report.