Today the Temple is quiet, as if catching its breath after the surprise-attack of the Babelite bug-ships. Lamp posts cast pale circles of light over the shadows directly in front of the entrance, through which the Jupanis and their Zelaks occasionally pass as they make their rounds.

Elsewhere in the city, Kavi carpenters are undoubtedly working overtime; in fact that is where much of the guard has been shifted, to assist in defending the ports, in case a second wave of Babelite bugships might arrive. The Temple's winter surplus is draining quickly to feed and comfort the Darkside and Crafter's Quarter residents who lost their homes.

The Wooden Shekel tightens a few straps on the satchel attached to his harness, which bears more tools than usual. Tonight is a special night for the lizard. Tonight, he attempts what none have dared before. Either he gains infamy as the greatest thief on Sinai … or he never sees daylight again. These possible outcomes turn themselves over and over in Bambridge's mind, but he pushes them away to deal with the task at hand, inspecting his diversionary squads. "Got the fireworks in place, Tatter?" he asks an eeee, who is setting up some sort of launching apparatus.

"It's set," the scruffy gray bat says, In the shadows, he's invisible except for where his fur turns smokey in the light of the Procession. "Batteries two an' three are ready for your signal, too."

Kilri, a sharp-looking rat female in black leathers, fingers the edge of a blade. "This is the stupidest plan I've ever heard of," she grumbles.

"Good, Tatter. If I make it back, I'll be sure you're set for life … big if, I know." The reptile releases a shaky sigh. "Well, Kilri … if you can pull something out of your sleeve right now, I'm perfectly willing to listen. Otherwise, do you have anything constructive to offer?"

Kilri shakes her head. "That's why I'm grumblin'," she says tartly. "S'just crazy enough to work. S'why I'm going with you."

Bambridge checks to be sure every type of lock-pick he can carry is in his cloak. He starts to replace one, but then doubletakes at Kilri. "You're… what? You can't do that! It's too dangerous for more than one person."

"More dangerous for one person," the rat-girl replies. "You need someone to watch your back, keep an eye out for you when you're busy."

The Wooden Shekel still looks hesitant. "But I… I… I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?"

Kilri grins and slaps the Shiga on his back. "That's the spirit, scaley."

"I'll need Slater, Shrill, and Tatter to be able to carry my weight, though," hisses the shiga guardedly. "How're you going to come along?"

Kilri says, "Mack."

Bambridge scratches his head. "Mack?"

A tall black Vartan steps closer – no, wait, that's not quite right. He looks coated with a slick black liquid-like substance that has made him a walking shadow, not even glistening with highlights. His eyes burn a dim orange-red.

"Yes, mistress?" Mack says.

The reptile takes a reflexive step back. "I… ah… see. Is he going to be able to see in the dark?"

Kilri says, "He'll follow your Eeees in. And Vartans have good eyes. We'll be ready to go in a few minutes, Mack. Stay sharp."

The Vartan bows to his mistress servilely. An odd thing to see in one of the griffons when they are normally one of the proudest, most vehemently self-reliant species of Sinai.

"Right." The shiga turns to look at the Temple from their vantage. "You're a sharp Skreek, Kilri, so I'll assume you've got supplies. Travelling light, and we want to move fast, but if worse comes to worse, we could be there for a while."

Kilri leans against Bambridge's side. "Trust me, sugar. I got stuff in places most people don't even got places." It's difficult to tell where in her outfit she'd store it, but then again, perhaps she's right.

Bambridge's left eyeridge rises a good three centimeters. His mouth quirks a little, but all he says is, "Well then… everything checks out, I think. Squads synchronized, this is it. Let's light the fires, and move out."

A look passes over Kilri's face, and then she straightens again. "Right, sugar." She hisses commands to the mix of Skeeks and Skreeks that are tending the curious devices, and then nudges Bambridge to make a move.

The Wooden Shekel waves at the gray eeee, and a couple more. "Tatter. Slater. Shrill. Get the sling set; we'll set out 90 degrees from battery two. They'll fire on my mark."

Tatter throws a salute toward the Shekel, more a carefree gesture than any actual military expression. "Right, boss!"

Bambridge steps into what might as well be a large picnic blanket, with handles sewn into the edges, and takes a seat. "See you topside, Kilri."

Kilri and Mack follow the other three bats. The Vartan looks quite strong enough to pick up one Skreek girl all by himself.

The three eeee each take up edges of the sling. "One, two, three, go!" With a simultaneous downbeat of wings, the bats launch themselves into the air, leaving the fire-team below on standby. The flying rogues, and their odd bundle, make their around the Temple perimeter, concealed by the night sky.

The launch site is a quiet alley blocked from direct view of the Temple, as the three batteries are, the better to keep the guards from immediately apprehending the perpetrators. Tatter picks up one cord connected to the three-sided sling, and attaches it securely to a belt, as do the other Eeees. The smokey bat says very softly, "Ready when you are," but he looks plainly nervous as his wing-membranes vibrate in the wind.

Once it is a fair distance from the launch site, the bundle wiggles, and the shiga's black face pokes out, a strange little tube in his mouth. He blows twice into it, as hard as he can… but to most, nothing can be heard.

For a few seconds, the night silence remains uninterrupted. Then a thin trail of dim orange sparks trails across the night sky, describing an arc toward the Temple. Suddenly, a spot over the Temple roof illuminates for a very brief moment as a bright starburst scatters gobbets of light over it. A split second later, the muted thump of the airburst reaches the ears. The single burst seems to summon a torrent of these missiles, which rise up and begin popping all over the Temple roof, as if the angry city around it were rising up suddenly.

Different burst colors vie for attention, some missiles squealing as they fly, or emitting long tails of sparks, like meteorites.

Cries of alarm spring up almost immediately from the Temple as the guards are quick to suspect a Babelite attack. Terrorists, perhaps? "We're bein' bombarded!" a Jupani yelps.

The sounds of boots clatter rapidly as the guards scatter, some to go fetch reinforcements and others searching for the source of the attack.

Like fierce hornets of flame, the barrage swarms in loops and spirals over the roof, shrieking, buzzing, and finally exploding as they drive the scattering guards back with short thunderclaps and stinging needles of heat.

As the bombardment continues, the three Eeees flap their wings, then huff and puff as they run down the length of the alley and beat harder, until with a nausea-inducing lurch, they *whoof!* swing Bambridge up into the air. Though their thin bodies look inadequate to carry the Shiga's weight, they seem nevertheless to have succeeded in doing so. With frequent wing-beats, they soar over the wide plaza that separates the Temple from the buildings around its front, giving Bambridge a magnificent view of the Jupani guards as they hurry every which way…

Vartan guards take off from the Temple roof as well, scouting over the ground and looking for the attack more directly. It's fortunate for Bambridge that he chose the oblique approach; he can see their wings momentarily lit with flashing colors as the fireworks explode about them. If he had taken the direct route, he'd certainly have been caught by now.

"RAawwk! Red six! Do you see the bogies?" comes the cry from the northwest. A red tabard flaps about the calling Vartan's chest.

The lizard silently kisses an ornately carved wooden replica of a shekel. (Keep working, charm… I hate to admit it, but I'll need yours and Kilri's help… )

The other Vartan replies, "There – wait! There's another one! They must have been planning this for weeks! Dagh take them! Land and take them out from the ground!"

Curiously, there are no Eeees on duty tonight… Perhaps because the Temple fears the confusion that might arise if citizens mistook some of their guards for Babelite infiltrators. Or perhaps so that it would be harder for any Eeees to infiltrate the Temple…

… in just the manner that Bambridge is now attempting, as his three Eeee carriers stay low to the surface of the Temple roof, sweeping up over the numerous levels and inclines and mysterious apparati. They swoop up to a stop just behind the largest tower, a soaring edifice of ceramic armor that looks impregnable.

Fireworks skitter all about, appearing to turn the sky from night to – well, not day, but a feeling that the sky has gone insane with colors. Something clatters to the ground near Bambridge as the sling sags down around him to the roof. It's a cute stuffed toy with a dull glow from among its tails…

"Ohh, Serpent, Star, or whoever's listening… let Kilri's blueprints be right," breathes the reptile. With a grunt, he heaves himself over the edge of the sling, scrambling to his feet. "Okay, guys, get scarce!" The Wooden Shekel waves at his eeee cohorts, then quickly blows three blasts on his 'silent' whistle.

The Eeees scatter … and a moment later, the bombardment ceases. Annoyed squawks sound as the Vartans, guiding the Jupani into the maze of warehouses and alleys and office buildings, are no longer provided with such handy guides. It sounds from here as if the Jupanis are arguing loudly between themselves but the words can't be made out.

Bambridge pauses to glance at the stuffed toy lying on the roof, and winks at it. "We exiles gotta stick together, eh?" Drawing his cloak around him, the shiga casts around for either Kilri or his means of entry to the Temple.

*POW!* The stuffed fox toy explodes in a fiery show of light, throwing comets toward the sky. It's as if Bambridge can feel thousands of eyes turning his way.

The Wooden Shekel shields his eyes. "Ow! Is this about stiffing you that gold and silver?" Bambridge drops to all fours, and scurries for the nearest cover, his whip of a tail flailing behind him.

Red Five calls to Red Six, "Scout back on the Temple! See what damage they did." A brownish-tinged Vartan turns about and begins flapping toward the roof.

The geography of the local area would seem to offer plenty of cover behind various Sacred Workings of the Temple, and a few hatches as well which are prominently marked with the Star and Anchor, and the words "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY". Stairs go down to a lower level, and presumably somewhere far away in the darkness, there are more stairs and ladders that lead up.

A black snout pokes out from behind an Inner Mystery. "Let's see if I can stay an 'inner mystery'," muses Bambridge, his eyes darting between his goal fifty feet away, and the skies. The snout retracts, and a streamlined shadow begins slipping across the roof, weaving low between machines, vent stacks, and the Serpent-Only-Knows-What.

Red Six sweeps over the roof quickly. "Rawk… Rawk… Rawk… " He frowns, not seeing anywhere nearly the amount of destruction that he had anticipated.

The shadow crouches during the Vartan's pass, slinking around obstacles to keep things between the skulker and the sentry.

An access hatch – not the one that Bambridge wants – sits nearby, its surface slightly convex and a wheel of some kind serving as the 'doorknob'. How does this strange device work?

Red Six comes down for a landing, very close to the spot that Bambridge landed in so recently. Fortunately the Eeees took the sling with them. The Vartan stoops and peers at the crumbly debris.

The shadowshiga decides that the Vartan's current distraction must not be wasted, and hurries from his position, scuttling as quickly as he can while remaining low to the ground. (Where in Faraon's name is Kilri? I didn't see her… Could she have been caught?)

"Great First Ones!" Red Six shrieks as he holds up one of the fuzzy patches. "They've blown up one of our guardsmen!" He whirls around as if expecting the roof to be strewn with bodies. Behind the Vartan, black shadows move quietly, soundless.

The Shiga finds refuge behind a large hulking device of some kind that resembles a musical instrument of some kind, faired into the hull. It's concealment … but it has the disadvantage that he can't easily look around from it to see where the Vartan has gone.

A brief, sick feeling knots in the Wooden Shekel's stomach as he prowls along. (Serpent's spleen… I hope that Vartan's wrong… The fireworks aren't supposed to be lethal… ) He presses his back to the giant machine, looking for his next stealth 'way-point'.

There! Just over several pipes in an exposed section of the Temple, the hull platings apparently removed for a moment to expose the components inside, what looks like a perfect spot to crouch and get into the Temple. But it's across some wide open space, and if the Vartan is looking at the wrong moment… They're supposed to be able to see a moving field-mouse at a mile's distance.

Bambridge shrugs out of his cloak and harness, drawing a long rope and chitin hook from his satchel before stuffing his apparel into it. His scales had lightened a little earlier, but they now darken to pitch, obscuring his features except for the two yellowish slits in his eyesockets. The lizard begins creeping over the roof, belly pressed to it, as if he were slithering over and between the pipes and obstructions breaking up the roof's surface.

A black puddle of a Shiga moves out into the open space, a cord trailing after him like the slithering of a snake… The Vartan, looking distraught, moves back and forth as if looking for more pieces of the body, then finally throws the bits down. "He's been blown to bits so thoroughly I can't even find the BONES!" As another Vartan swoops low, gaze passing over the roof where Bambridge is, surely must be seen, the blue-sashed griffin calls to Red Six, "See anything?"

Red Six calls back, "We've had a guardsman blown to bits! Must have been a Jupani… Zerda… Hard to tell in the dark! Gots just bits of him, see? Better get search teams up and check to see if anyone else got hit. Doesn't look like they damaged anything."

Blue replies, "Good. Hah! Temple armor is more than a match for pathetic Babelite weapons."

The two Vartans proceed the other way, apparently scouting for any other bodies that might be more intact.

(Snakes and ladders… I hate the leap of faith stuff… ) contemplates the scaley blotch oozing along. His emotions tell him his heart should be loud enough to point him out, but his training keeps his head level. With the floor.

The pipes stop Bambridge from passing any farther without scrambling over them. A glance back toward the Vartans shows them out of sight, probably behind that … whatever it is. It looks suspiciously like one of the larger wind instruments scaled up a hundred times, but surely there'd be no use for the Temple to have one mounted on its hull.

(Huh… why would there be an oversized orchestra pit pasted to a building? Guess that's why they're called 'inner mysteries'. Kssh, no matter how long I live here, I'll always be an exile… ) With the general area clear, the reptile decides it's time for his gear to catch up. With a quick glance for spots to conceal the satchel should he be required to sit tight, Bambridge tugs the cord hand over hand, reeling the catch of the night in…

Success! Some more shinnying along, and Bambridge is crouched safely in the shadow of the tower, near the access hatch that seems the most amenable to quick and safe conduct to … well, either exactly what he needs, or else a blank wall.

Kilri slips in next to Bambridge a moment later. "They caught some of the Skreeks," she whispers. "But they pretended they didn't know anything and the guards sent them on their way. Not like they had far to go in pretending." She snorts.

Red Six squawks to Blue, "Looks clear. Guess someone got unlucky." The annoyed chatter of some Jupani guards approaching the Temple's walls, far below, suggests that they are rather upset over not having been able to catch the pranksters.

"Kstgk!" The Wooden Shekel clutches his chest, and looks back at where the Skreek appeared. "You nearly scared me half to death," he whispers… and pauses. "And I guess that if you can sneak up on me, you know what you're doing. I'm glad the Skreeks got out; I was worried I hadn't given the signal soon enough. Where'd Mack drop you off?"

The Skreek replies, "Down a level. I wanted to keep an eye on what was going on." She motions Bambridge to the hatch. "Don't got all night. Ever seen one o' these 'fore?"

At Kilri's direction, the shiga digs his cloak back out of his satchel, donning it while he examines the hatch.

The access hatch looks to have a small, thin hole rather like that which would be used for a key, at the center axle of the wheel. It looks like it would turn, if the mechanism inside were unlocked.

"Looks mechanically based… nothing Templishly mysterious about this," muses the Wooden Shekel, rubbing his chin thoughtfully with his left paw. The other produces a simple narrow rod. "I'll feel around, I think I can trigger the wheel lock open… "

-Tcklik- *Snikt-klatch* "Mph … They've got quality, that's for sure… " The Wooden Shekel's nose practically touches the keyhole as he pries and twists with a pick in either paw. His paws move deftly, however, the right eventually taking hold of both when they're in their proper places, and the left applies a third pick with a curiously bent tip. Things inside fall into place with a final satisfying click. "Ho, ho… putty in my paws. Or at least, on my skeleton keys."

Kilri mutters, "Never got the hang of those 'lil fiddlers." But she watches with half an eye, spending the rest of her attention on the sky in case some Vartans come back.

The wheel creaks: not loudly, but enough that overactive Shiga imagination can make it seem to be a rolling thunderclap. Once the catch is free, the hatch swings inward to reveal a dark corridor.

The reptile raises a paw at Kilri, pausing to listen for a moment…

"Hear anything?" he says, after a minute or so.

The moving hatch catches Kilri's attention; she watches intently. There seem to be no sounds from within except the rhythmic swish swish of some kind of machinery. These, if the schematics are right, are maintenance corridors, so there won't be anyone walking through them. However, they only cover the areas just beneath the roof proper, so to get to where Bambridge wants to go, he'll have to leave the network of corridors and enter the more often used halls.

"Looks clear… " Bambridge motions for Kilri to follow, and lowers himself and his satchel into the hatch, to the corridor below.

Kilri mutters, "I still don't believe it worked."

In the very middle of the night, there seem to be no Technopriests about in the maintenance corridors, which occupy the areas closest to the roof of the Temple. Kilri, a dangerous-looking Skreek clad in tight black leather and carrying at least a few knives, stops to listen by the hatch which opens into the main corridors, then murmurs to the Shiga, "Sounds clear."

"Got it. Keep my satchel, I'll scout ahead," hisses the shiga, handing his bundle off to the Skreek. The black lizard wears nothing for the time being, but mammals don't seem to be as squeamish about reptiles in the scales, so he's able to travel light. He just carries one pouch in a paw, tied to his wrist by a drawstring. "If it's clear, I'll either signal, or just return. If it isn't, I'll return to the maintainance corridor here, so we can discuss a plan of action."

Kilri nods and swings the satchel over on her back.

With that, the Wooden Shekel opens the secondary hatch to the main corridors, takes a few breathes to steel his resolve, and pokes his head through to look inside.

The corridors look clear. Like all parts of the Temple that Bambridge has seen, the wall panels are made of some sort of chitinous substance (he would assume, though the feel isn't quite the same as chitin armor) and thin strips of some glassy substance run along both edges of the ceiling. Within the maintenance sector, there was an ever-present sound of clanking and rumbling, as if some vast monster dwelt in the depths of the Temple. Here, the sounds are remarkably muted within the Temple corridors proper, still present to a careful ear… which is not one of Bambridge's strong traits.

The shiga crouches by a wall warily, casting his gaze around. A flush of pale gray spreads over his scales, as if the colour were being poured into a black lizard-shaped vessel. A few seconds later, the Wooden Shekel has made a colour match, and begins quietly making his way down the hall, pausing every so often to listen as best he can.

No signs of activity … yet.

Bambridge continues his series of stops and starts, moving as quickly as he can without raising any noise. (Serpent's spleen… it's even more confusing than before. Still… I think I've got a handle on it. Need to find someplace I can hide Kilri, and go back for her.)

There seems to be a nearly ideal place, a storeroom near the tower's central stairwell. It'd be easy to hide there amidst the crates, and perhaps to slip out around pursuers if they were to enter the maze of boxes. As to what's inside the boxes, well, they're marked 'Forms' followed by several numbers and letters.

The Wooden Shekel wanders the aisles for a moment, turning his head this way and that to look over the mountains of boxes, then hisses slightly with satisfaction. "Perfect." He returns to the door, and pokes his head out to look around before proceeding back to his partner in crime.

There, however, his partner has some serious objections. "Look, Wooden Shekel, I'm not some hothouse flower," Kilri says heatedly. "When I said I'd watch your back, I didn't mean I'd do it from inside some hidey hole. What if you're busy with your lockpicks on something and you don't see a guard coming by? You could have a crossbow bolt planted between your shoulderblades before you even realize he's there!"

"Kssht! The more people on the move, the more likely it is to draw attention," replies the shiga, looking somewhat exasperated. "The stockroom is just a safe place to retreat to, should we need it, and when one of us scouts the coast as clear, the both of us can work on tasks. We'll have to do this in stages anyway."

Kilri mutters. "Let's get going," she says. "You can show me your hidey hole, but don't even think about locking me inside."

"Perish the thought!" hisses the Wooden Shekel, winking. The gray lizard beckons his comrade to follow, and begins leading the way back to the newly defined 'emergency meeting place'.

The way seems clear again … until, a few steps away from turning into the corridor where the storeroom would be, Kilri holds Bambridge's shoulder. "Hsst," she whispers. "Someone's walking down the corridor." She gestures toward some convenient bulkheads, where hopefully they can avoid being noticed as the others (whomever they are) walk past the intersection.

The reptile nods quickly, and hurries to the bit of shadow the bulkheads leave, motioning Kilri to go first. He follows after, his hide shifting to blend with the subtle shades, and spots where it's broken.

Kilri glares at Bambridge at first, then seeing his camoflauge, realizes that he's an even better spot to hide behind than a bulkhead. She flattens herself into his shadow.

*Step* *Step* *Step* *STEP* *STEP* *STEP* Three Jupani guards and two Zelaks escort a shrieking fox dressed in gaudy clothes past the intersection. One of the Zelaks looks awfully familiar, as it pauses to sniff the air… It's the one that chased Bambridge all over the Bazaar!

The lizard goes stock still, just another lump in the Temple's machinations. So to speak.

After a few seconds of apparent thought, the Zelak continues onward. The guards drag a highly frustrated fox away.

Kilri glances toward Bambridge, then mutters, "Whatever you've got planned, it'd better get us out of sight pretty fast up there. It won't be nice if they catch us doing highly improper things in Temple precincts."

A thin, dull-yellow slit in the shadows widens slightly as the fox is drawn past. "Kilri… do you recognize that fox from the guild at all?"

Kilri shakes her head. "Nope."

Bambridge nods agreement with the 'moving fast' notion. He slips out and hurries onward toward the stockroom, whispering with Kilri as he goes. "That fox returned the Sign once… I wonder what he's here for, being dragged by in the middle of the night like this? With that many guards? That zelak is bad news too… "

Kilri shakes her head. "His problem. We've got our job to do. Later, you can ask around." The Skreek follows Bambridge to the storeroom, then peers about the crates. "Hmm. adequate. Could hide up there." She points to the highest levels of the crates, where people could hide from obvious view.

"It should do," hisses Bambridge, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But we still have to move fast, and your hearing is obviously sharper than mine. Okay, you wanted to watch my back, so you're going to… remember this place to retreat to in case we have trouble. I wish we had time to empty some of these crates, they'd be a guaruntee… "

Kilri nods to Bambridge. "Gehnoh."

The Wooden Shekel's eyes narrow a smidge … but he simply says, "I've got a general idea which direction in the Temple we need to go, but I don't have specifics. How up-to-date are the schematics you used to give us the tip on the floor above Nimiss' office?"

"They haven't changed in centuries, and the ones we got were as of a year ago," Kilri comments. "They should be adequate."

Bambridge bobs his head, his eyes still shifting to the door occasionally. "Good, dig the plans out. Let's plot our course from this point, so we don't have to second guess anything. That should speed things up."

The Skreek takes out the satchel and fetches the plans. They're thick and voluminous and crinkle lots. Fortunately the door to the storeroom has been shut already, to prevent casual inspection from revealing their presence.

The directions look straightforward from here: up six levels, down to an emergency stairwell, up there to the disused office floor, and then to the specific hallway that might, just might, be an unconsidered entrance to Nimiss's office.

Bambridge makes sure the course is clear in his head. "Okay then, let's move out. You'll be both our ears, so if you hear something, we'll both fall back as far and fast as we need to to reach cover. I can camo on most things, but you'll want to make note of spots of cover as we pass them."

Kilri nods. "I'm not a first-year 'prentice," she reminds Bambridge. "Let's go."

The two make their way through the web of Temple corridors, being carefully unshod on the stairs to avoid letting sound resonate through the shaft, and soon find themselves before … a door.

At least it used to be a door. This doorway has been bricked shut some time ago, but the mortar used to secure the bricks are probably a good deal softer than the ceramic of the Temple walls. This door would have opened onto an office on the same floor, were that office not now part of Nimiss's office, the floor sawn through to give the bat more spacious accomodations.

Kilri takes up a station nearby, having scouted out a possible place of concealment about eight feet away, between two bulkheads that presumably allow mysterious machinery to do their work; they vibrate at a very low frequency. She reminds Bambridge, "When I tap your shoulder twice, run for that spot. I'll be in front of you."

The Wooden Shekel nods at the Skreek, then sizes the brick obstruction up, musing idly to himself. "You know, I wonder if they made his office taller so he could fly in there?" he whispers as he takes his satchel back to get a small hand-drill from it.

Kilri shrugs. "I wouldn't be surprised if he just did it to impress people."

"Hmm. He seemed the academian sort… always obsessed with information, and its acquisition," murmurs the shiga, drawing the drill out. Small as it is, it's fashioned from a shining steel rod, with an optional diamond bit to fit over it. Bambridge's eyes can't conceal a slight sparkle at the sight of it, and he looks to take some glee in getting to use it. Propping the bit on a soft part of mortar, he begins making a small opening, angled down so as to be able to look into the office.

"And this disproves my point just how?" Kilri says acidly. She keeps watching both ends of the corridor, ears perked.

"I wouldn't think he'd be interested in just impressing witless minions and dignitaries." Bambridge pauses to blow dust out of the hole every so often, to keep it from accumulating and trickling down, and then catches his breath he finally breaks through a last thin layer. Light meets his eye.

It appears that Bridge Officer Nimiss works very late. One can only hope that he goes to sleep at some time.

Bambridge looks vaguely frustrated. Now that there's a hole in the wall that could possibly admit sound to a bat's sensitive ears, he decides to try a little precaution. He turns back to Kilri, and crooks his fingers in the thiefly sign for 'danger'. Then he begins wiggling them in a different series of gestures.

Kilri nods toward the hole, understanding the danger, then flicks her ears. She does not return the strange gestures.

The Wooden Shekel's face bears brief disappointment, but the expression disappears quickly. He stands, beckoning Kilri to move a ways away from the wall so they can whisper safely.

Kilri whispers, once they are safe, "Someone in there?"

"The light's on. I'm assuming Nimiss is working," replies the shiga, his whisper tense. "I didn't get a very good look, so I'll check again, but he might be there for a while. I made the plan with that in mind, so we can lie low in the Temple to wait him out, if need be. If you have any ideas that can speed things up, though, now's the time to share them."

The lizard pauses a moment. "I might have something … but I'd like to hear your take on this too."

Kilri shakes her head. She whispers, "Killing him would complicate things too much."

"Right. I thought as much, and I'm not into killing in the first place," agrees Bambridge. "I might have something worse in mind, though, even if it is a long shot. We'll need to go back to the storage room and crack open a few crates, though."

"Still, we've got some time before we have to look for other options," whispers Bambridge, leaning on a bulkhead to dig in his satchel, smiling. "I think we've earned a lunch break, don't you?"

Kilri grins wryly. "All right. Let's take ten."

Time passes. The light does not go off, and it's possible to make out the form of a black bat sitting behind the desk. An hour goes by without any obvious changes…

Kilri taps Bambridge on the shoulder twice.

The Wooden Shekel doesn't have to be reminded twice. Cramming what remains of his scarab sandwich into his mouth, the reptile scuttles for his hiding place after his accomplice.

Kilri and Bambridge wait in hiding while a young Technopriest, a Rath'ani, passes by pushing a cart half full of interesting-looking bits…

The shadows watch the technopriest pass by, eyeing some of the more glittery specimens in the cart covetously as it passes by. Sure, he can't tell what they actually do … but they look valuable.

The little Rath'ani apprentice looks around as if he'd thought of something. His gaze passes over Bambridge.

At the Rath'ani's movements, the thin yellow crescents that were in the shadows quickly narrow, so thin as to be imperceptible. (Hopefully.)

The Rath'ani grumps. "Could have sworn I heard something," he says as he moves on. "Buran's voices must be getting to me." He laughs and continues on his way, the cart's wheels creaking.

Another hour… And at last the light clicks off, the hole becoming rather dimmer.

Bambridge listens closely to the wall for a good five or ten minutes, at the end of which he asks Kilri, in a voice so faint he has to repeat it twice, "Hear if he's gone?"

Kilri whispers back, "Sounds like it. Should have tried watching the door to his office," she grumbles. "Would have been sure then."

"It's at the wrong angle, so I couldn't tell… " replies the shiga. His voice is still faint, but he seems to be gaining some confidence. "I think this is our chance; let's start fixing this wall brick by brick. Stack them by another bulkhead so they don't tip us off."

Kilri nods to Bambridge. "Let's do it."

The task is arduous and painstaking, each brick being carefully removed to spill little or no mortar dust, and make even less noise. Still, the Wooden Shekel works diligently, always mindful of Kilri's watch, and tensed up to flee to his hiding place when need be. So it goes with burgling.

A few bricks make a large enough hole to look through and see a darkened office. Such light as there is spills through the immensely tall window which is Nimiss's prize feature of his office, and makes long obscured mountain ranges from the papers strewn across his desk. Several bookcases line the walls, and a lengthy file cabinet that apparently stores massive amounts of records in an interior space that can rotate. All Bambridge can do for now is look, however, until he's made the hole wide enough that he can squirm through it.

Kilri whispers to the Wooden Shekel, "Once you're in, where do you want me to keep a look out for you? Inside his door or outside it?"

"Inside the door," hisses the lizard, as he secures a grappling hook to the sturdiest available surface. "I'd like you jam the door, if you can somehow. Make it seem stuck, so we have a little time just in case we need to scramble. How fast can you climb a rope?"

Kilri nods. "I expect that I can arrange that." She grins as Bambridge asks about ropes and waves an arm around, as if showing the Shiga its underside. "See that?" she whispers. "Rope burns. I climb pretty fast, scaley."

The Wooden Shekel gives a low whistle. "Yow, I guess you must. Alrighty, then. Signal me if we have to make a break for it. If I don't have time to get up the rope, draw it up after you." He tugs the rope a couple times to be sure it's secure. "Ready?"

The Skreek nods, then pauses as she looks at the hole in the wall. "You know, this is going to be as obvious as Dagh's first mistake to anyone walking by," she mutters.

Bambridge rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I thought no-one needed to come down this corridor … think hanging my cloak over it would help? Maybe I could search for a tapestry."

"Keep working on the hole," Kilri says softly. "I'll go dig up a few boxes of those forms. No one wants to look at even one, so a whole mass of them… " She sniggers.

The shiga nods his head, and continues his work. "Be careful on your way there. How long do you think it'll take for you to get there and back?"

"Not long. Five minutes at most," the Skreek says. "I'll try and be quick."

Kilri hurries down the hall, throwing back a "Be careful" to Bambridge.

The reptile nods as Kilri departs, and puts his climbing implements back in the satchel. He hangs his emptied cloak over the hole with a spare lockpick, then moves to a hiding place to wait. (Can't get much done in five minutes anyway. Best I just wait until my lookout is back to continue.) he reasons.

It doesn't take five minutes for Kilri to return…

In fact, by the time fifteen minutes have passed, there's still no sign of the Skreek.

The Wooden Shekel grows increasingly agitated as he waits. (What could be keeping her? Great Serpent, I hope it's only a delay. If she's captured… ) The reptile isn't sure what he'd do. He takes an hourglass from his satchel, turning it over. (If she isn't back before this runs out, I'm going to have to get the file, then go looking for her… )

Still no signs of the Skreek. The hourglass runs halfway through.

Bambridge's heart sinks as quickly as the sands seem to. He continues to watch the trickle, despair creeping over him. (I warned her… I warned her… )

The last grain runs out. What could have happened to the Skreek?

The Wooden Shekel swears to himself quietly. (I'll have to risk the office alone, then, and make it quick if I'm going to find Kilri and get us out of here alive.) He sets his grapnel up again, leaving his cloak over the hole, and preparing himself to climb down.

Without Kilri's familiar presence along, it feels much like dropping into a pit of rabid fuff'nars, all ready to shout 'Dead?' … But as the Shiga's feet touch down, the room seems to settle in place, merely lurking and looming over the thief.

The instructions Kilri gave Bambridge so long ago seem to repeat themselves in his mind. It's a series of folders, information about the late Inquisitor Moffat. His legacy … which must now be brought back from the precincts of the Temple, a place where no thief has ever stolen before and lived to tell about it. Faraon feels it unlikely that Nimiss would mix them in with his ordinary papers, but still, there is always the extreme chance that it could happen.

The Wooden Shekel's apprehension manifests in grays on his hide, shifting subconsciously to slither over his scales like living blotches. After drawing the rope back up to the hole with a pulley, Bambridge immediately moves to the door to inspect it.

This seems to be one of the sliding doors in the Temple, with a wheel that would crank it in or out.

The shiga rummages through his satchel, drawing forth several spikes made from dense ironwood, and begins feeling around the edge of the door, looking for a spot to wedge the shims into.

The space between the frame and the sliding hatch looks adequate … enough space so that the tip of the spike can be jammed in, but not so wide that it would fail to do its job.

With a rough shove, the reptile jams several spikes into the door-frame, stepping back to smile with grim satisfaction at his handiwork. He turns to look around the office once more, his eyes roving over it.

(Hmm … guess the desk is as good a place to start as any. Bound to be something interesting in it.) Prowling over to Nimiss's ornate, wooden office centerpiece, the shiga gives it the once over, applying cautious tricks of the trade to check for any unwanted surprises.

A quick riffle through the papers shows nothing interesting; merely the minutae and trivia of the entire Temple, accounting for the use of function space and the budgetary requests of departments for the coming year, matched against expenses. The walls of the desk sound quite thick to casual knocking. The drawers are secured by simple locks and, when pulled out, are not quite as long as the desk, falling short by a foot. Their contents seem innocuous, various office supply bits and in the lowest drawer is a much-decayed vermite body with a hole gnawed in the back.

The window provides shadowy light, but not enough to see to the end of the drawer-space; for that, Bambridge must use one of his special candles, which produces no discernable smell … and which shows a blank wall on the inside of the desk.

The Wooden Shekel's stomach turns slightly at the vermite corpse, which he avoids touching. (You'd think a Bridge Officer would be a little cleaner. ) Instead, he begins looking beneath the desk, where a seated individual's legs would go, to see if the missing foot of drawer length can be accounted for.

This produces what looks like a panel, lit only by Bambridge's tiny candle. It's carefully fitted into the dark wood of the desk and can't be seen from the visitor's side at all. There's no lock on this panel, however.

Bambridge taps the panel very lightly, listening and feeling for any sort of mechanism that might produce unpleasant results when triggered.

It gives a little.

Encouraged, the reptile lifts the panel slowly, and tries to shift it to any side it might move.

Once it's pressed in, it springs open and the contents fall out with a clatter!

Instinctively, Bambridge's jaw clenches and his teeth grit, his scales flushing an alarmed red. As his scales fade back down to muted gray, he looks over what's been spilled, mentally reminding himself to be a little more careful opening those panels should he find any more.

Whatever was inside the panel now glitters before Bambridge's eyes. There is a steel-and-wood handgun, beautifully crafted with gilt on the handle, a sack of powder and balls near it; there's a small bag that jingles musically, and a knife with a steel pommel in a leather sheath that keeps the blade from being seen immediately… But it's undoubtedly as precious as the rest of this, and there are two cannisters of some kind that look as if they would shatter easily, still inside the compartment, along with a pouch full of some solid-feeling chunks. It must be a cache in case Nimiss's position is ever endangered catastrophically.

These do not however, look at all like the papers that he was looking for.

Bambridge scoops his prizes up, unable to keep a pleased smile off his face despite the situation. (These could come in handy… if I can get away to use them.) He takes up one of the cannisters curiously, looking for some sort of marking to define the contents.

They're made from some kind of thin purple-tinted glass. The sack feels heavy; it must be heavy valuta.

Some liquid sloshes inside the cannisters… And the tops are part of the glass so that they don't seem to be openable.

The Wooden Shekel scratches his head curiously. (Most peculiar. I guess they're meant to be broken open… if they're kept with weapons, they're probably supposed to be broken over someone or something bad. Huh.

The chunks look like some kind of hard-dried meat, and they're actually inside a tough burlap sack inside the pouch itself, along with some camping supplies like a drape. Surprisingly foresightful for a Bridge Officer who must be used to the lap of luxury.

Bambridge graciously allows Nimiss to keep his camping supplies, instead choosing to look in the final remaining item, the jingling pouch.

Shekels… Ceramic?? But a quick pouring out of the contents shows that the cheaper shekels form a protective layer over the more interesting metal ones, a mix of copper and silver and even gold. There must be twenty gold here. The Wooden Shekel is rich!

Bambridge's grin widens slightly, his eyes glittering. (If I manage to keep this up, I'll be able to retire like a king… ) The reptile shakes his head, and is brought back to the here and now. (Enough of this. My priority is those papers.) Strapping the knife to the base of his tail, the reptile deposits the rest of his loot in satchel. Replacing the panel, he checks to make sure there are no more such secret caches in the desk…

This seems to be it. So much for the desk. That leaves the bookcases, the file cabinets, and the walls.

(He seems to be taking pains to keep truly important things away from the obvious,) muses the lizard, casting his gaze over the walls. (I'd best have a look for safes while I still have time. The other things shouldn't take long.) The decision resolved, Bambridge begins testing the office walls, mindful of time constraints.

Nothing, solid walls… Wait, there's an odd echo from the wall near the filing cabinet.

Finishing his inspection, the Wooden Shekel doubles back for the odd-sounding wall.

The shiga runs his paws over the area by the filing cabinet, looking for a seam.

The wide cabinet – there are two of them actually, side by side – is apparently designed so the lid can be pulled up to reveal a swinging wheel, each spoke of the wheel connected to a row of folders. This design layout doesn't actually economize on space but it makes it much easier to fetch individual folders rather than duck or stand on a stoopladder.

Finding nothing on the wall itself, Bambridge begins rifling through files in the cabinets, trying to get a fix on their general natures. Periodically, he looks up, glancing around behind himself out of habit.

Rules! Rules and regulations. These file cabinets aren't used for storing records; they're used for keeping just about every law and ordinance that the Temple has passed for external or internal affairs. This particular row up front deals with the provisioning and maintenance of frontier outposts. What little Bambridge can see of the back suggests that it's an enclosed unit, with a panel of ceramic on the back protecting the wall behind the cabinet from view.

(Oh, pity… I could live to be a thousand, and not have time to break all these… ) He doesn't bother checking the back of the cabinet yet, deciding to come back to it after he looks into the other one, which he moves now to do.

The other cabinet… contains even MORE rules and regulations. Amazing. All the books look well thumbed, and some are obviously newer than others.

Bambridge makes a distasteful face, and closes that cabinet too. (Hmmm… backs looked pretty solid, but I'm almost positive there's something in that wall. Maybe the bookshelves will yield a clue. A trigger or some notes… ) With that notion in mind, the lizard goes over to check the bookshelves out.

The books present a tidy array of all sorts of information, references, manuals, descriptions of various lands, and even a shelf dedicated entirely to recent years' atlases of different lands. What use could Bridge Officer Nimiss find for all these texts? Still, fifteen minutes of exhaustive searching proves all the texts genuine.

(Well… he's a collector of information. Perhaps I should have expected this.) The stymied shiga returns to the cabinets to make a more thorough search of their innards this time around, leaning in to test the back walls for mechanisms or catches.

Examination shows a confusing array of mechanisms that presumably bring the wheels about and lock them into place. Hmm, there may be something here. Surely not all of these levers can be for the shelves of regulations?

The lizard purples, deep in thought. He tries to memorize the current arrangement of the levers so he can return to it, and then pushes the lever on the far right to see what it does.

Clack clack clack… Another row comes up to the front, the largest wheel moving with the rows of books. There seems to be an irritating doubling to the sound however.

Bambridge moves the lever again, trying to pinpoint where the echoed sound is coming from, and praying no-one else can hear it…

Clack clack clack. The rows move back, and it seems to Bambridge that it must be coming from deeper inside the filing cabinet. If only he had Kilri's ears here now, she could probably make out exactly where…

Reminded of his missing accomplice, the colours on the reptile's hide war with one another, a sense of frustration and disheartenment roiling within the burglar in much the same manner. He tries the lever next to the first, listening again.

The repetitive clacking sounds the same, though it's a different row that comes up.

With an apprehensive sigh, Bambridge straightens his back out for a moment to stretch, then puts one of his feet into the cabinet, crouching down so as to fit. He moves to try pressing his head to the back wall like a safecracker.

The back panel feels as if it's part of the cabinet. The space is quite cramped however, and the wheel feels rickety. Wait… There's that clacking sound, and from this position, Bambridge can see that the largest wheel is in fact attached to… an even larger wheel that goes into… Whups!

*CLACKCLACKCLACK* And the cabinet swings sideways, incidentally causing the unsecured Shiga to be pulled off his feet and into its book-stuffed interior. He may at least be glad that Kilri wasn't about to see this example of professional burglary.

(Bambridge Tumbleton, Master Burglar… psht… ) All thoughts of winning the Golden Lockpick awards are discarded now. Instead, the reptile takes stock of his situation, trying to figure out exactly what happened.

The Shiga's feet are fortunately, still sticking outside the cabinet, so presumably it's a matter of wriggling back out now.

Being devoured by office furniture is not the kind of fate the Wooden Shekel envisioned for himself, and so he begins trying to work himself backwards with a minimum of chafing and pinching in the drawer door, trying to keep from grunting too loudly with the exertion.

As best as the Shiga can make out, the bottom lever, which he must have bumped in crawling into the cabinet, must retract the next-to-largest wheel and connect it to another, hidden wheel at the bottom. It takes a few minutes but he's back out, with a minimum of scraped clothes, and now regards a recessed space which contains three shelves, each with a set of folders marked 'Most Secret' and 'Eyes of the Bridge Only'.

Pleased that a moment of embarrassment has yielded the find of a lifetime, Bambridge briefly inspects the shelves for any more tricky mechanisms before taking a folder to rifle through.

The top shelf seems to contain the information that Bambridge wants, most of it being lists with various annotations in two different hands, giving names and addresses and sometimes additional information, cryptically arranged, such as 'order bugloaf sandwich while wearing red hat'. Some of it reads more like the memoirs that Bambridge found earlier, describing Moffat's plans to involve – this sounds like magic – the spirit and substance of the new Astromancer… An inventory list at the beginning shows that there should be thirteen folders. There are only twelve, and a note next to the first folder reads, "Sr. Inv. Kani Agochara."

The other shelves are unrelated to the investigation, and seem to concern the disposition and use of Temple military assets and some island called Tarsus.

Bambridge regards the shelf and his satchel worriedly. (I'm just barely going to manage this… Oh, how I could use that extra set of paws right now… ) He takes the bulkier things out of his satchel, and begins stuffing it with the pertinent information, still casting wistful glances at the treasured information he must leave behind.

There's a sound from above – from the hole that the Wooden Shekel had draped with his cloak.

The reptile freezes in the midst of laying something small on the now-empty shelf. He quickly searches for a bulkhead to hide against, clumsily holding Nimiss' flintlock pistol at the ready should desperate measures be warrented. He waits, listening…

The cloak is moved aside to reveal a curious-looking Jupani guard in armor, whose expression turns to horror. "Thieves!" he yells. "Someone's broken into this office!" The guard begins to try and fit through, but the hole isn't quite large enough to admit his armored bulk; thinking better of it, he cuts the rope so that it falls into the room and hurries off. Presumably to try and cut Bambridge off at the door.

Bambridge's throat clenches, the shiga even more horrified than the guard. Stealth is cast aside, and flight is now the concern. Racing for the door, the reptile goes to jerk his shims free and get the door open.

The spikes clatter against the floor. The door itself seems rather sluggish, or perhaps that's the effect of the adrenaline racing through the lizard's veins. Nevertheless, it eventually opens onto a front office that seems mercifully free of an armed presence, at least so far.

The lizard struggles through the opening, the door not able to open fast enough to suit his tastes. Squirming past, he begins sprinting toward the stairwell he'd used before, turning Temple gray in a vain hope to confuse any pursuers…

Lugging his paper load is difficult, but fear and andrenaline offset the weighty paper to a degree, the Wooden Shekel being spurred on to flee for his life, making his way toward the stairs, some folders clutched in his left paw, and one of the purplish glass canisters in his right.

Sure enough, flight was not a moment too soon – the Jupani has rounded up two of his comrades, all of which are running down the corridor pell-mell. "Stop, thief!" bays the first Jupani. "Stop in the name of the Temple!"

On the other side of the corridor is a slow-moving cart being pushed by a robed Skreek, her hood pulled up to cover her features. The smell of the cart and the few implements sticking out of it suggest a janitor.

The fleeing lizard slaps at a pouch on his harness, next to Nimiss' flintlock. The pouch comes loose, spilling round balls of pistol shot into the corridor. "Look out, Skreek! Temple emergency!" shouts the lizard as he barrels by. (Can it be her? Nah… )

As the Wooden Shekel runs past the Skreek, she calls out, "Dagh take it!" as her cart topples over to add a wash of soapy water to the mixture, brooms falling against the corridor walls. The guards hit the mix of pistol shots and liquids and begin skidding, one slamming against the cart heavily. "Look where you're going, Skreek!" the third yells angrily at the robed janitor, trying to clamber back to his feet.

He's talking to thin air however, because the Skreek is running the same direction as Bambridge.

"So good (puff, puff) of you to (puff, puff) join me, Kilri!" pants the sprinting lizard. "If you know how to use a pistol, take the one off my harness! No shot left, so save it!"

The Skreek tears off her robes, revealing her tight leather outfit again, but hangs onto the thick and concealing garment. She wrenches the pistol from Bambridge's harness, then curses. "It's not loaded! Where are your brains?" They take a left and head down the hallway.

"I'm a thief, not a marksman! Hang onto it anyway!" The Wooden Shekel cries as he tries to keep the pace up. "Where in the Serpent's name did you go?! I was worried sick!"

Kilri snarls. "Ran into a doddering old Rath'ani. He caught me just as I was pushing the crates along, trying to find some way to get them over. He thought I was a janitor so I'd better look the role, and I've been working my way back ever since." The rat stuffs the gun into her belt. "Are we going to duck in that room?"

"I don't think we have time, and those guards won't be far behind! We've got the element of surprise still. I think we better just keep going until we make the roof, unless you've got a better idea!" Bambridge casts a glance over his shoulder while he runs, trying to hand off the folders in his hand so he can reach his eeee-whistle.

Kilri shakes her head. "Running sounds like a good plan. The longer we wait, the more time they'll have to bring security in around us."

After a minute, the Skreek notices the folders, then grabs them. "You got them!"

"What do you think this satchel I'm breaking my back with is full of?!" gasps the lizard, fumbling for his whistle with his left hand. "I only wish I didn't have to leave the other good stuff behind!"

"What good stuff?" Kilri looks up at the stairs that would lead to the top of the tower, then down where they want to go, then climbs up a bit and leaves her cloak on the steps before following Bambridge down to the level of corridors that accesses the maintenance halls.

The lizard takes Kilri's curious action as an oppourtunity to catch his breath for a few precious seconds. "About twice again more information about stuff other than what I'm carrying, plus some goodies that old bat had been stashing! I've got most of it, it's the information I'll feel bad at missing. If we even get out with THIS stuff! Let's go!"

Kilri says, "Let's hope they think we went to the top. Right, I'm ahead of you!" She races Bambridge down the stairs, and they brush by two startled-looking Technopriests who are pushing a little machine that makes beeping noises, as they duck into the maintenance corridors.

The shiga has about enough time as he's flying past to yell, "Temple drill! Do not be alarmed!" at the technopriests.

"What? What?" The Technopriests look flustered, but nevertheless fail to give chase as Kilri slams open a door and holds it for the Wooden Shekel.

The reptilian burglar dashes madly through it, using the panting from his exertion to blow three sharp, strong, yet strangely silent blasts through his whistle on their way to the roof.

There's no evidence that the whistling has alerted anyone, not inside the unlit maintenance areas, but after a long bit of running and climbing of ladders, the two finally emerge onto … a brightly lit Temple roof. It appears that guards are using powerful lamps and reflectors to shine spotlights around the roof, lacking the candlepower it would take to illuminate the entire Temple surface. Several Vartans wing overhead, searching for the intruders.

Kilri whispers to Bambridge, "We are doomed."

Bambridge hastily explains, "The whistle should signal the remaining fireworks barrage, and our ride. We'll have to hope we aren't hurt in the bombardment."

For a moment, it seems as if the thieves will be doomed to hiding out on the surface of the Temple until they are caught or morning comes and makes capture inevitable… And then fireworks burst in the sky again! It's an incredible bombardment that rivals the first one. Almost instantly the spotlights swing outward toward the warehouses and offices that are adjacent to the Temple, panning across them to try and pinpoint the attackers. A blue-sashed Vartan calls to the others, "Spread out! Let's try and catch them this time!"

Kilri flattens into the niche where the hatch is located. "This is terrible," she mutters. "How can our ride get here with all these spotlights in the way?"

The Wooden Shekel keeps blowing his whistle, pausing in between breaths to wheeze, "Do you have a way to summon Mack?"

"I told him to come when your bats did," the Skreek says practically. She looks up at the night sky.

The spray of fireworks from one battery winks out as a team of Vartans pounce! Maybe it's just Bambridge's imagination that supplies screams and yelping.

"Well, maybe we can disable at least one of them, on the side they'll approach from… " hisses Bambridge, showing his comrade the fragile glass canister. "Do you have any idea what this is? It was in Nimiss' stash. I assume you throw it, and it… uh… I don't know. Does something bad."

Kilri shrugs and takes it. "Worth a try. That one over there? It looks closest."

Bambridge squints to look at the searchlight. "Got a good enough arm to reach it?"

The Skreek winds up. "We'll find out," she says tersely, then… throws! The purplish glass cannister revolves in the air, catching the light as it passes through a beam so that it seems like an amethyst star… then shatters against the base of the spotlight tower.

Ka*THOOM!*

A fireball of brilliant orange wells up from the liquid, along with voluminous quantities of smoke. The ceramic of the Temple seems unaffected, but the smoke is doing wonders to mask off the spotlight beam, and just in time as three Eeees wing down low over the roof.

A wave of intense heat buffets the Eeees, the Shiga, and the Skreek… It would not have been pleasant to be standing much closer to that device.

The Wooden Shekel shields his eyes, gritting his teeth to stifle a cry of, "By the Great Serpent's sinuous spine!" He nearly ends up biting the end off his whistle, so it's fortunate the eeee arrive when they do. "Slater, where's Mack?!"

The Eeees put down their thongs to let the Shiga get on the sling, and nearby, Kilri waves excitedly to Mack. "Come on," Slater says. "We've gotta bust heiny on this one!"

"What did they just shoot!" Blue Five calls to Blue Six, from high up where they are looking for the third fireworks brigade. "A big boomer?!"

They don't have to tell the reptile twice. He leaps into the sling, curling up until the edges have risen enough for him to poke his head over securely.

"Mmf!" The Eeees struggle with the Shiga's weight. "Go on a diet," Slater tells Bambridge, but still, they flap their wings vigorously, and *whoosh!* quickly begin their retreat from the Temple.

Smoke roils angrily behind them, as a fire blazes upon the Temple's roof like the incarnation of Dagh himself returned to torment Rephidim.

"Get us to the Dome, and we'll be set up so well, you can pay to have people fly for you!" promises the lizard, casting a glance back at the furious blaze whipping about on the roof. He shudders slightly. (I carried… two of those, for a while… )

The golden dragon looks sinuously down at the sooty Shiga and his companion, Kilri. "Excellent, Wooden Shekel. You have succeeded where many others have failed." One eye. Now the other twists to look at the shiga instead. "However, I foresee that Rephidim will become very uncomfortable for you soon. The Jupani may have gotten a good enough view of you that any Shiga will become suspect. You may wish to go on a vacation."

A pause, and then Faraon continues, "One of the folders is missing. Do you have any ideas what might have happened to it, Wooden Shekel?"

The weary, soot-stained shiga kneeling before Faraon nods slightly. "Those twelve were all that were on the shelf. The remaining open spot was labelled 'Senior Investigator Kani Agochara'. Something pertaining to one of their personel, I presume."

"Then perhaps I shall have to arrange that Senior Investigator Kani Agochara finds it in his best interests to yield his interests in the investigation to myself," Faraon whispers. He gestures to the prettily dressed Naga dancer, who slithers forward and presses a sack of cold-feeling coins into Bambridge's hands.

"I'm sure he'd be all to happy to, once persuaded properly. As to my pending discomfort, Faraon Whose Claws Penetrate The Temple Itself… I imagine I'll have a little more notoriety than before." The Wooden Shekel smiles grimly, accepting the sack of coins. "Even if it should hound me for the rest of my days… the name of the Wooden Shekel won't soon be forgotten." He looks up, his smile softening from one of off humor to one of cameraderie. "But Kilri… she got as deep into this as I did. We two managed what one alone couldn't."

The golden dragon chuckles and glances slyly sideways to the Skreek, who stands proudly. "She too will be rewarded for her loyal service," Faraon murmurs, "which was above and beyond the call of duty. There is, however, one small matter of which I have been reminded… "

The grayish lizard hisses, "And that, Mighty Faraon, is?"

"You expressed curiousity into the nature of a death, and the wish to speak with one of the Faceless Men about it, did you not?" the golden dragon murmurs, head tilting side to side, so each eye can have its fair turn looking at Bambridge searchingly.

Bambridge hisses, "Indeed. I may be a thief, but death isn't part of my job … and to have been associated with it at one point was disturbing."

"You may speak with a Faceless Man now, if that is what you wish," Faraon whispers. He gestures toward one side, where a white-robed being stands in the shadows. Its face is covered with some sort of magical effect that makes it appear as if one were looking into a shadow, rather than at any normal being.

The shiga stands, looking startled. He regards the assassin warily. "I was not expecting… but I suppose the time doesn't matter." Though thrown off a little by the intimidating figure, the Wooden Shekel nevertheless asks, "What do you know about the death of the opera star those many weeks ago?"

The Faceless Man's voice too has been obscured, so it isn't possible to remark on its quality, only to remember what it said after the fact. The robed figure inclines its hood. "Many fear death, but the wise accept it. The one of whom you speak … He was not wise."

"So he didn't accept death?" Bambridge tilts his head quizzically, not fully comprehending. "Did he think he was immortal?"

The white-robed man continues, "Nor is he dead. His death was contrived so that he could vanish from the scene of Rephidim. It is our business to know of these things. An amateur death … would reflect badly upon the Guild."

Faraon looks pleasantly surprised by the revelation. "How fascinating. I thought he was an overrated singer for his reputation."

"I see," hisses the shiga, nodding absently, processing this new information. "Then, provided I am in no way traced to this, things should be fine. Well then … another thing. Perhaps Master Faraon would be as good to discuss this with as you, Faceless Man."

The Wooden Shekel clears his throat. "Why would Jat, the head gardener, require concentrated waashu venom?"

The Faceless Man looks toward Bambridge, but it's impossible to be sure that his eyes are actually regarding the Shiga. "I have heard that it makes an indispensable growth supplement for certain types of jungle plants." A joke or a serious answer?

Whichever it might be, the Faceless Man gives no sign of laughter.

"Then … perhaps that unsavory business was all just unhappy coincidence," hisses Bambridge, looking only partially convinced. "As it is, I'm content to know that these things are unrelated. You have my gratitude for taking the time to speak with me."

Faraon, however, chuckles and twines sinuously on his throne. "If there are no other questions then, Wooden Shekel … you may find a vacation in the Nagai Empire to your tastes. The Lady Sikili will be delighted to accompany you to her homeland, to show you about. You are not quite ready yet to assume the reins there, but you should take some time to get to know the area."

The Faceless Man bows. "A good death to you, Wooden Shekel," he whispers before disappearing into the shadows again.

Slightly unsettled by the Faceless Man's odd farewell, the Wooden Shekel tilts his head at the golden dragon. "I would be all too happy to enjoy a blissful period of having fewer responsibilities, Lord Faraon. Particularly at the side of one so stunning as the Lady Sikili. There is one last thing I should see to before I depart Rephidim, however… "

Faraon looks curious. "You should take care not to have too many last things to see to," he admonishes. "The longer you wait, the more likely it is that some Temple official will think of closing the ports. But what did you have in mind?"

"I can leave immediately, if I can accomplish this from afar, with the servants I … heh, heh … think I can afford now." The shiga can't help but look at least vaguely pleased. "There are a number of specific Savanites I must aquire. A trifling matter, really. I know of their individual skills, much like the Baron who accompanied me knew about that first-rate gardener. Perhaps it's an irrational desire for me, but I must get them all together."

"An interesting request," Faraon murmurs. "Were you inquiring into my assistance, or is this a matter you prefer to accomplish yourself?"

The reptile bows his head. "It is normally a matter I wouldn't dream of asking you to squander any resources on, Mighty Faraon, and would simply take care of myself … but with my departure from Rephidim, it might become rather difficult for me. With your vast network, diverting a few slaves would probably be a change even your underlings would barely notice."

Faraon chuckles dryly. "Perhaps so, but I shall promise nothing. Some masters… " Was that a sly moment when both eyes were focused on Bambridge? "… are very fond of their slaves and may refuse to sell under any condition. Still, perhaps something might be arranged. Do present Kilri with a list of these slaves and how they might be found."

"Your generosity is boundless, Lord Faraon. I have imposed enough on you already with my presence. I appreciate the oppourtunity you presented me with, and can only hope I performed my task adequately for you." With that, the reptile's head bow turns into a deeper one, then a full front-slither before he rises again.

As dawn rises and Bridge Officer Nimiss surveys the destruction, noting especially the file cabinet pulled aside to reveal the niche behind it, and a small wooden coin laid mockingly upon the topmost, empty shelf, he has only three things to tell the Temple guard next to him. "Close the Port to all Shigai and Nagai for the next four days. Find the shiga, Tugsley Pine. And bring me Senior Investigator Kani Agochara."