Roho sighs, and starts up the steps to the Temple. All of its grandeur is lost on him, as he picks his way carefully along, trying not to trip or walk into anything. All that's on his mind now, is how he managed to avoid dealing with it for over eighty years, only to voluntarily do so now.

The mutters of the Temple Guards, a pair of Jupani, reach Roho's ears. "Hnnnh. Look at the old wingless Eeee." "That's no Eeee! It's a Vykarin that's lost his shell."

Roho chuckles at the comments. He's become rather used to it; apparently Zerda rarely are seen in Rephidim. He passes through the Temple's entrance, and begins walking down the hallway, tapping with his walking staff. Pawtuxet said to the end of the hall, and right…

Temple scouts and guards occasionally brush past, without much disturbing the fennec. Soon, he's reached the door Pawtuxet indicated.

Roho stops for a moment. Last chance to turn back. He steels himself, takes a deep breath, and taps the door with the head of his staff.

There is a grating noise as the door swings inward, and a slight outrush of air. Someone must have opened the door, but they remain silent except for the pad of their feet and their breathing.

The distinct scent of a Savanite wafts to Roho's nose.

Roho stands for a moment in the open door, then as he catches the scent of Savanite, decides he probably won't get a verbal invitation and enters.

The door grates shut behind Roho as the Savanite pushes it shut. There is more motion around the healer, and then the cheetah is still, except for his breathing

Roho pauses again inside, and then walks forward again.

The quiet step of the Savanite, Reppi, falls in behind Roho.

The fennec keeps moving down a hallway… with the *click* of his walking stick noting wooden doors on both sides, between areas of stone.

Roho continues down the hall, aware of those around him, but not saying anything. How could they answer? The taps of his staff seem strangely loud in the stone corridor.

Roho turns to one of his Savanite escorts, "I do not know which office I'm looking for, I have never been here before. If you could tap on my shoulder when I need to turn, I would be grateful."

At first there is no response. Then, after a delay long enough to allow someone to nod, and notice no reaction to the gesture, there is brief bark accompanying a tap on Roho's shoulder. After, silence again.

Roho stops, and turns towards the wall, looking for a door.

There's no door, but from waves of his stick, the hallway turns left here.

Reppi barks again, pitched a little higher than the first.

Roho turns to follow the hallway, and continues onward.

After a bit more walking, Roho and Reppi arrive at the end of the hall… stone, from Roho's taps, though a little different in sound than the rest of the hall.

Roho checks the end of the hallway for doors, wishing for once that he could just see where he was going.

The soft breathing noises of the Savanite are still with Roho, coming from behind him.

And the sounds on the end of the hall are different… though still sound like stone. The echoing nature of the hall makes it hard to determine, even for Roho's excellent hearing.

Roho sighs in frustration, then knocks firmly on the stone with his staff.

A loud knocking, and the same different tone… but no sound other than the knock and the cheetah.

Roho turns to the cheetah, "I'm blind, I'm afraid you may have to help me here… I can't find the door."

There is a quiet chuff as the Savanite exhales, then a grunt. It's hard to determine just what happened, but there is an impact at the ceiling, then a more audible thump as something heavy lands near Roho.

Roho jumps slightly, and then crouches down to see what's just landed…

Savanite fur is felt under Roho's fingers as Reppi stands up again.

Hissing sounds begin to come from the end of the corridor… and a grinding noise begins… along with the squeak of metal against metal, and a whirr. It's loud enough to irritate a normal person… on Roho's ears, it's deafening.

Roho blinks, and stands at the same time. He winces, and places his paws to his ears.

The grinding, squaking, and whirring keeps on for over a minute, echoing in the hall. Finally, with a last hiss like a giant teakettle, the noise stops.

Roho's paws slowly come down, and he re-grips his staff. He forces his nervous breathing to slow.

Reppi's hand touches Roho's shoulder, then gives him a gentle push in a direction the fennec knows is blocked by a stone wall. Hardly even a push, more a light indication with no force behind it.

Roho walks forward, expecting his staff to contact the wall at any moment.

There's no wall now?

A slightly creaky voice comes from in front and a bit to the right of Roho. "Come in, Doctor. Do have a seat… "

There is just the barely audible sound of Reppi leaving down the hallway.

Roho looks a little startled, but not overly surprised. This is the Temple, strange things happen. He enters the room, and locats a seat with his staff. "Good afternoon, madam," he says as he takes a seat.

The voice speaks. "I do hope there was no trouble. Reppi's hearing is beginning to go… all these years of operating the door, you know."

Roho smiles slightly, "There was no trouble, and I can believe the part about the noise from the door. You are Officer Nuttenboltschen?"

"Venerable Officer Nuttenboltschen.", she says with a schoolmistress's emphasis. "But only the it'uns need bother with that: Please do call me Miriam."

Roho nods, "And you may call me Roho." He shifts a little nervously, unsure of who should speak next.

"Now,", Miriam says, "I have managed to arrange an expidition to Little Rephidim West, which your friend Pawtuxet will be helping upon." Noises of paper shuffling come from the desk. "She recommends you very highly… "

Roho smiles, "I know her from a long time back. Helped her when she was in her more… impetuous youth. She told me you might be in need of a physician on the expedition."

Miriam nods. "Indeed we do… and from what I have found out of you, you are quite a capable one." Papers shuffle. "However, I will need a bit more information of you before we can hire you."

Roho nods, "I understand. I will provide what I know."

"Firstly, where did you receive your training?", the old Rath'ani says.

Roho answers after consideration, "Mainly from studying under a variety of elders in both my village and several others in the Himaat where I lived the first thirty years of my life. Since then, I have learned what I can from who I can, in most areas of Sinai both civilized and not."

A quill's scratching on paper reaches Roho's ears.

Miriam hmmms… "I see. And where have you spent the last… six months of your practice?", she asks with a driving tone.

Roho rasps, "I spent time in Babel, as one of the healers attending to their sick leader, the Sabaoth. From there, I came to Rephidim, and was hired as the doctor aboard The Freedom's Dream, an exploration airship out of Rephidim. We very recently returned. If you wish, I believe it is still in port here. You could ask the captain and crew of my performance."

Miriam's quill drops. "You worked for the Sabaoth of Babel?", she says in a tone of shock that creaks from her throat.

Roho sighs and nods, "I'm aware of the current political situation, but I did. This was before the war."

Miriam regains her composure, though her strokes on the paper are shakier- unsurpising for one her age, however. "That could count against you, Roho, if this Office cannot be sure of your loyalty on this mission."

Roho nods, "I was aware of that before I even entered the Temple, but I did not wish to hide the fact. I have no ties of loyalty to Babel, though. I travelled there because there was a sick man who needed to be healed, that is all."

Miriam replies, "Very well, then. I'm glad to encounter one so honest about past affairs… " she pauses a moment, and scribbles quickly upon a piece of paper. "Will one silver plus a daily allotment for travel costs be sufficient for your wages?"

Roho nods, "That will be most sufficient." His expression changes, "Ven – Miriam, I know very little about the background to this mission. What is expected?"

"If all should go well, only routine duties.", she says calmly. "However, as we are at war, it is possible you may need to serve as a combat physician, treating a variety of wounds." She flips a page. "Ah. And my cousin's great-grandaughter will be serving as an assistant to you… though the young ninny has just a year of school completed, and wants to be a musician. Musician, hmmph… ", she grumbles mostly to herself, "Next thing you know, she'll be claiming she's saving the world from evil bats."

Roho nods, "Well, I will welcome the help. I had no assistant on the last expedition, and it was quite overwhelming at times. And I have experience as a combat physician, if that helps you."

"It certainly will.", Miriam says. "Other than that, you may be called upon to diagnose causes of death, should there be an accident with the substance that has caused all the difficulty in the first place. We have yet to determine precisely how the 'goop' does what it does."

Roho nods, "I heard Pawtuxet's account of the 'goop'. I will say that it was that which brought my interest to this matter. I hope I can help in determining what it is."

Miriam nods, writing a final message upon a bit of paper, then folding in neatly. "That is one of our hopes for this mission. Give this paper to Reppi as you leave… he'll give you your pay.", she says with a smile, reaching the paper across her desk.

Roho reaches out for the paper, aiming for the rustling sound.

The paper meets Roho's hand neatly, and Miriam leans back in her chair, with the sound of her fingerclaws lightly drumming the armrest lightly audible. "One other question before you go, Doctor… do you have any family in the Ashdod area?"

Roho shakes his head, "No. I don't have any family remaining at all. Well, no close family. I never had any children, and the last of my siblings died at least thirty years back."

Miriam mm-hmms, in a unemphasized tone. "I see… well then, if you will return to this office in five day's time, I shall inform you of the departure date."

Roho nods and rises, bowing slightly in the Officer's direction and touching his left shoulder with two fingers on his right paw, in his peoples' show of respect, "Thank you, madam. Fare well." He turns to leave.

Miriam nods, watching the Zerda leave. "Good day, Roho."

Roho leaves back the way he came. As Reppi rejoins him, he hands the Savanite the paperwork, and then places his paws over his ears in preparation for the door.

Reppi takes the papers, pausing for a moment to read them… then grunts, and impacts noisily on the floor. The horribly loud grinding and whirring starts back up.

Reppi nudges Roho slightly down the hallway, guiding him with a bark at the sharp turn.

Roho follows the nudges back out the Temple's twisting corridors, using his staff less now. He wonders what exactly he's just gotten himself into…