The high chair squeaks as it wheels around to face the winged, horned creature being escorted in by several Jupanis. Bridge Officer Nimiss, an ebony black bat, looks curious. "Ah. The Aeolun that I encountered at the DiMedici party so long ago," he says in his characteristic deep voice. "The companion of that charming bard, Vielanika, if I am not mistaken."

Envoy smiles and nods.

"And you are here because… ?" Nimiss prompts.

Envoy says, "I would like to offer my services to the Temple, and this department seems the most logical one to make best use of them."

"Indeed. Would it surprise you to know that your name has been mentioned in documents passing before my eyes?" Nimiss leans forward, watching Envoy's reactions curiously.

Envoy's smile doesn't waver, "It does not surprise me. I assumed records would have been kept of my encounters here."

Nimiss nods. "Of course. I am gifted with an exceptional memory for certain things. And what do you imagine these records said, Envoy?"

Envoy says, "If they are accurate, I do not need to imagine anything. My memory is perfect… would you like me to recite a particular event?"

"You wish to join Records and Procedures, do you not?" Nimiss says, his black eyes giving away nothing, his voice calm. "And if the secretary's words are not mistaken, in the capacity of auditing. You must analyze data as well as record it. What would you make of your own actions and encounters here?"

Envoy says, "My analysis of those events has been that the various departments within the Temple do not share information or cooperate efficiently, with each being run as if it were a small kingdom."

Nimiss nods, his encouragement for Envoy to continue unspoken.

Envoy says, "Ritual has replaced innovation, and many records are in danger of being lost through neglect and ignorance. Particularly those stored within the Temple computer system."

"Interesting." Nimiss continues listening.

Envoy says, "The Audit itself is inefficient in its current methods, which involve a costly review every few years that hampers normal functioning of the Temple. Audits should be done weekly, so that the amount of changed information is easier to process and the review has minimal impact on departmental functions."

The Bridge Officer listens curiously to the Exile systematically criticizing his department.

Envoy says, "I could perform the weekly acquisition and processing of information myself."

Envoy says, "With sufficient technical assistance, I may also be able to recover the records stored in the main computer."

"An interesting claim," Nimiss says.

Envoy says, "I think you would be more interested in having those records under this department's jurisdiction, rather than the technicians or others."

The black bat looks over the apparently guileless Aeolun, who has just proposed that he increase, as it were, his fief at the expense of others. A perpetual reign of Auditing. "And you stand to gain in all this?… "

Envoy smiles, "Data gathering is my biological imperative. My overview of this world would be enhanced."

"And you would thus become indispensable," Nimiss says. His voice is almost a purr as he whispers the last word.

Envoy blinks. "Perhaps. I am effectively immortal, however, so my abilities will be available for a long time."

The black bat leans back. "Thus far, Envoy, it would appear that Arch-Inquisitor Supreme – now Majoris, I suppose, or even Minoris – Melchizedek has not profitted from his interactions with you. You are aware of course, that he has been sent off on some trivial task. You appear, and immediately he appears to be somewhat distracted, eliciting complaints from Verdigris of the Inner Mysteries that the Inquisitors have been meddling in their affairs. Airships quarantine a hitherto unimportant site in the Savan, thus far remarkable only for slaves and slavers. There are even rumors that you and Melchizedek are related… In one way or another. How do you explain this?"

Envoy says, "As I said, the various departments do not share information effectively. These are rumors, not facts."

Envoy says, "I cannot possibly be related to Inquisitor Melchizedek, since I am an Exile."

Nimiss raises his eyebrows.

Envoy says, "You see the Forbidden Zone in the Savan as being unimportant. There is obviously information the Inquisition is withholding about it from you."

This elicits a small black smile from the Eeee.

Envoy says, "Perhaps that is why Inquisitor Melchizedek has been sent on tour, so that he cannot be questioned about these events."

"That is an interesting supposition," Nimiss says. "And these charges of meddling? Have you influenced Melchizedek's judgment?"

Envoy says, "I acquired information from the computer that falls under Lord Verdigris' purview. When I attempted to share this information with the Inner Mysteries, his reaction was to attempt to silence me."

Nimiss looks interested. "Really? Did he say why?"

Envoy says, "Inquisitor Melchizedek was simply reacting rationally to the incident by countermanding the order to have me disposed of."

Envoy says, "He claimed it was blasphemy. I have learned that the different departments take great pride in their ability to keep their own information away from others. Anyone espousing information that they do not posess but by all rights should is seen as a threat."

Envoy says, "Nobody likes having their ignorance exposed."

The Bridge Officer steeples his fingers. "This is indeed true. You make a persuasive case. Tell me, Envoy. What is it that you want? A long and successful career, perhaps occupying the place I now hold in our illustrious hierarchy? To reform the system? Or perhaps, to bring it down, replace it with something new?"

Envoy says, "Which reminds me… the Audit has in its possession a pair of crystal hands. It should dispose of them immediately."

Nimiss raises his eyebrows. "An interesting request."

Envoy says, "I wish to make the Temple more efficient, and in the process learn more about the history of this world. Power is useless to me."

"And an interesting response. You are truly not of this world, Exile," Nimiss says thoughtfully. "These crystal hands you speak of, now. Why is it so important that they be disposed of?"

Envoy thinks. "Do you have a chart of the world that I may demonstrate with?"

Nimiss nods. "Let us consider this perhaps a test of your abilities." He stands, then walks to a cabinet at the side with perhaps twenty long, flat trays and pulls one out, revealing a map pinned to a flat board. It has been printed onto some tremendously thin paper, and myriads of thin lines depict land contours and altitudes and formations. Colored pins have been set into the map with little tags bearing such names as 'Abu Dhabi' and 'Elamoore'.

Envoy says, "May I use a piece of chalk to draw on this map?"

Envoy says, "It is important that the lines be erased afterwards."

The bat raises an eyebrow again. "A curious request." He moves to the intercom and flips the panel open that separates it from the wire grill on the other side. "This is Bridge Officer Nimiss. Fetch me three sticks of colored chalks immediately." A high voice on the other side replies, "Immediately, sir."

Nimiss nods satisfiedly. "I prefer my assistants not to ask unnecessary questions."

Envoy blinks. She wonders what sorts of questions are unnecessary…

A few minutes later, a smaller brownish-black Eeee walks in. "Your chalks, Bridge Officer," she says as she hands him several long sticks of red, green, and blue chalk. Nimiss passes these on to Envoy and dismisses the secretary.

Envoy begins drawing on the map. First the silhouette of a sky island and some nonsensible symbols, then a clearly defined course across the map, including dates for specific points over the next year.

Envoy says, "This is the path of one of a number of large sky islands over the next year."

"Mm. Perhaps you should be applying to the Bureau of Astronomy and Satellite Tracking," Nimiss comments.

The bat looks askance at Envoy.

Envoy says, "The crystal hands in the Audit's possession are part of an ancient technology for tracking major sky islands. Those particular hands are the keys for plotting the course of Rephidim."

Envoy says, "It is therefore in the Audit's best interest to dispose of them."

Envoy begins wiping the chalk lines from the map.

"You have drawn some lines upon the map," Nimiss says dryly. "And asked me to believe thereby that somehow these hands are used to create a plot of a sky-island's course. Undoubtedly they are waved about by some sort of magical spell, which looks into the future. It occurs to me that there is of course, one way to test your claim."

Envoy says, "You can send an airship to the position indicated on the map and see if there is an island there."

The bat nods. "I am gratified that I do not need to point out the obvious. When will you be ready to leave?"

Envoy says, "I can leave at any time. However, I must ask you what you will do once this information is confirmed?"

"That depends on what is found," Nimiss says. "Information is valuable; therefore it is not to be destroyed lightly."

Envoy pauses, then says, "I cannot study a civilization that is in chaos. Therefore, I cannot allow the information contained within the crystal hands to be used to undermine the station of the Captain-Astromancer."

Nimiss slides the map away and walks to the platform on which his desk is situated, looking out the window across the city of Rephidim. "And you have heard somehow that the Captain-Astromancer's station rests upon his sole ability to plot the course of Rephidim, so that our merchant-fleet will always be guaranteed the ability to return here for refueling," he says.

Envoy says, "That is my understanding."

Nimiss says, "Ridiculous."

Envoy says, "Nonetheless, the information could be detrimental in the wrong hands. Knowing where Rephidim will be is akin to knowing what routes the merchant ships must take, which would make them more vulnerable to piracy."

Envoy says, "It would also give a merchant an advantage over his competitors by allowing him to plan for the shortest possible routes ahead of time."

He gestures out across the city. "Take out one of the buildings that stands beyond – destroy it by fire from the sky, perhaps. It is gone, but its neighbors remain, and others will expand into that space and fill it anew. So it is with the Captain-Astromancer and the vast bureaucracy that supports him. There is more than map-making to his authority. Far more."

Envoy says, "Given the reactions of other Temple departments to having knowledge of their proprietary data out of their control, I cannot see how the Bridge would not react harshly to protect this information.""And yet you speak of destroying information. Because it might change a small part of the great functioning of this temple," Nimiss says with an almost disappointed tone. "Ah, Envoy. You have spoken of making the Temple more efficient, of making auditing a task so everywhere, so commonplace as to be a second breath for us all, and yet you have not thought this through. Information is valuable… Only when it is used well."

Envoy says, "If you had access to this data, what would you do with it?"

Envoy says, "Then give me the crystal hands. I am the only one available who can access the technology that uses them, and I can memorize the path of Rephidim for an arbitrary length of time into the future. The knowledge will therefor not be lost, but also not be easily accessible."

"If I could plot the course of Rephidim?" Nimiss's voice turns ironic. "Oh, I might sell the data to pirates and undermine Rephidim's own dominance on shipping, or I might make it available to all and destroy our enterprise of sales of these maps. No, no, I see no great urgency to change the status quo on this." He smiles at the strange Aeolun, passionate in her small ways, ways strange to one used to struggles for dominance. "I offer you a different question."

Envoy listens attentively.

"What would you do, if you had access to the new Captain-Astromancer? A chance to influence his opinions, his actions and decisions that govern our island, and the numerous branches we fund all over this world?" Nimiss gestures for Envoy to stand before the tall, thin window with him, the one that looks over a slice of Rephidim. "How would you guide us?"

Envoy blinks and looks out of the window. "My function is not to guide. I can only provide analysis of information, and probability assessments based on those."

"And yet, you proposed that the Temple be made more efficient, information shared across departments," Nimiss observes. "That seems remarkably like advice to me, albeit one that serves a different cause than the aggrandization of power to oneself."

Envoy says, "Increasing the efficiency of the Temple's information system is to my benefit, while it need not have any actual impact on the Temple itself. After all, how much of one departments information is useful to another? All of it is useful to me, however."

Nimiss gives Envoy a thin smile. "You might be surprised… Very well, then. Go on this trip for me. Confirm the veracity of your information, and return. I will study the log of the Captain and speak to you again… And then we shall discuss how you may best serve the Temple." An ironic tilt of his head. "If, of course, that is what you wish. Is it agreed?"

Envoy considers…

Envoy says, "I agree. You cannot make use of the information I have already given you without my help, and I will be able to verify that the tracking mechanism is accurate."

"Indeed." Nimiss walks back to the intercom and flips open the panel. "Secretary."

The small brown-black bat walks in again. "Yes, Bridge Officer?"

Nimiss begins dictating. "These are my orders with respect to the person known as Envoy of Lothrhyn. She is to proceed to the ship Ferocious Invigilator of Truth, now in dock and under the command of a Captain Ironhoof, and he is then to set course and speed under her direction. Ironhoof is advised to take notes on any and all occurances that may prove significant, and if he encounters a sky-island, is empowered to select the crew that lands to search and map the island for any relics that may prove of interest to the Temple. Envoy's authority is limited to that of navigator for the purpose of this journey, but Ironhoof will answer to me for any action he may take beyond exploration." Steel tinges these last words, despite no apparent change in intonation.

"Tell Ironhoof that he is authorized to procure such supplies as necessary to a standard mapping mission." Nimiss turns to Envoy. "Do you have companions you intend to bring?"

Envoy shakes her head. She doesn't think Vielanika would be too happy about such a journey, and Chiaroscuro is still undergoing Haskalah's treatments.

"Very well. Envoy will be unaccompanied. If she requests supplies within the reach of necessity for her duty on this mission, Captain Ironhoof is directed to provide her them. I wish Envoy's claim to be able to locate a particular island verified. Sign it, Bridge Officer Nimiss." The smaller Eeee nods as she finishes writing. "Yes, sir."

Nimiss turns to Envoy. "Take the letter to the Ferocious Invigilator of Truth as soon as the ink has finished drying. Return to me when you have completed your verification. Are there any questions?"

Envoy says, "Are you glad I came to see you?"

Nimiss raises an eyebrow. "Let's say that it has been an… interesting discussion. I wait to see whether it will bear fruit. And what taste that fruit will have." He smiles, an effect quite different from Envoy's own innocence.

Envoy nods to Nimiss and follows the Secretary.

As the door closes, Nimiss glances aside to the map. He could retrace the path that Envoy drew, if he chose to do so… His gaze turns to the chalks left behind on the cabinet. He picks them up, and tosses them into the wastebasket. No. The prize is insignificant, when there are more interesting ones to be taken. The bat looks out again upon Rephidim, through the narrow window of his office, and ponders Envoy's answers.