Sooner or later, things catch up with you. It didn't help that Bambridge was surprised, or that another patrol was in the vicinity. A lack of resistance seemed the best course, especially with the Jupani in charge ordering that everyone be arrested for the Temple to sort out. Chiri, Little Reed, Envoy, Corpselicker and 'Scotch' Bambridge were split up when they arrived at the Temple, and taken to individual rooms. Not hospitality suites, but those are always available later, depending how questioning goes.

The Temple Authorities have removed all of the Shiga's possessions, and outer clothing, 'for his own protection'. The chameleon is then taken to a room by a guard and Zelak. "In you go, the Inquisitor will see you now," The Jupani says, opening the door to a bare room and motioning for Bambridge to enter. The Zelak behind the Shiga clacks twice to let him know this isn't optional.

With his tail dragging, the reptile shuffles into the room, raising his head only for a brief look around. After a few feet, he stands meekly just on the inside of the door frame, far enough to where his tail won't get caught in the door itself.

The door closes solidly behind the Shiga, and there is the grinding sound of a heavy bolt being set.

Bambridge starts at the boom of the door, and shivers a little. He backs up a step, his tail touching the wall…

There is a slight hum in the room, like a small insect. One of the strange light panels overhead flickers suddenly, with a click. The light stops flickering a moment later, and shines normally.

A little of the flesh beneath one of the Shiga's eyes twitches slightly. He cringes a little, eyeing the light suspiciously. "H-… hello?" he croaks.

A voice emanates into the room, it has an unusual quality, and no obvious source. There is little inflection, and the speech is broken up with small crackling noises, similar to the ones issuing from the lights. "Take your seat, and face the mirror."

Bambridge takes a few hesitant steps away from the door. The reptile stops in mid-stride, trembling terribly. With a sudden mad dash, he crosses the short space to the chair, and occupies it, slouching until the chair's back meets his neck, and he can barely see over the table.

"You are the fugitive who resisted arrest on… Fool's Day 6, and has been at large since then." The voice states, not really as a question.

"Ah… heh, so very sorry! I'm sure there was a great misunderstanding, and this must be a horrible waste of your time." The Shiga swallows hard, trying to maintain a smile. "I'll cooperate in any way I can."

"Answer the question please, there will be time afterwards for you to make a statement." The flat voice says with only minimal static interruption, "and of course, we expect your full cooperation."

Bambridge is treated to the pleasure of his own reflection in the mirror, a green Shiga cowering behind a table with a wan and nervous smile.

Bambridge nods rapidly, peering at the mirror over the top of the desk. "Oh, well, heh, I believe I may have been present at an incident on the day you mentioned, yes. I… ah, can't recall anything involving an altercation with… with your most esteemed establishment."

There is no reply for a moment, just the hum of the overhead lights which seems to be getting louder. Reflections can be such an unsettling thing, the Shiga can see every nervous twitch in the flat mirror, which is probably exactly what the Inquisitor is also seeing.

The staticy voice speaks again, "Describe this incident."

The unsettled burglar's throat works, and his paws grip the edge of the table. Despite a powerful urge to sink beneath the table, he keeps his gaze fixed on the reflection, hoping to be able to watch his back and front at the same time. "Ah, w-well… you see, I was making my way through the bazaar on… on the day you mentioned when I heard the most horrible noise from the skies. A great beast of wood, metal, and canvas came roaring down from above! The bazaar goers, myself included, were terribly frightened, as I'm sure you can well imagine."

There is a static crackle, "go on."

"Oh, it belched fire and made noise the likes of which nearly scared my scales off," hisses Bambridge, gesticulating uselessly in an attempt to put across the sheer terror such a monster could inspire. "I thought everyone present was doomed, and awaited my inevitable trip to the Great Serpent… however, instead of devouring us, or burning us alive, the creature smashed into a building, causing a most tremendous explosion. I could feel it through the very pads of my feet!"

The Shiga's wild motions are reflected back at him by the mirror. The emotions in them seem a little forced, especially after all this time, and the wild eye'd expression seems just that, wild. There is a brief echo from the lizzard's words, then the room falls silent except for the electric hum.

The silence eats away at the reptile, and after a few moments, he continues his torrent, trying to calm himself a little. "After it crashed, and I discovered I wasn't dead, I plucked up what little courage such a wretch as myself," A nervous laugh at this point. "A wretch such as myself possesses, and went to investigate the destruction wrought. Can you imagine my surprise to find an Eeee in the center of it? Another Eeee arrived, and we attempted to free the trapped one."

"Is there anything further you wish to add?" The voice crackles.

"Well, yes… you see, I think this is where the misunderstanding we had occurred," hisses Bambridge, a pleading tone creeping into his voice. "You see, while we attempted to free one of your trapped citizens, two of your mighty Zelak guardsmen appeared, and we beseeched them for aid. They began moving the beam holding the Eeee, but then, to my horror, the beast rose again! Flame rose up from the contraption I thought slain, and began devouring one of the guardsmen, rending him limb from limb! Why, I was so terrified, I immediately fled for my life like a coward, despite the… ah, reassurance of one of your respected Jupani Templars. I'm sure it must have been dreadfully inconvenient, I do apologize for any trouble my fear might have caused… "

The reflection smiles back at the Shiga, while he waits for a reply.

"The three months it took to catch you certainly qualifies as an inconvenient use of Temple resources." The flat voice intones, "would you like to add any further details about what you were doing, prior to this incident."

The Wooden Shekel twiddles his thumbs, swallowing again. "Well, ah, you see, I'm the assistant to a potter in the Nagai Empire. As part of his seasonal trade, he sends me to Rephidim every so often to sell some small pieces of merchandise at the Bazaar, along with my sub-assistant, a Savanite slave. You might find some of my scoring tools in my belongings. After that incident, I left Rephidim, as my trade was completed. Only recently have I returned, esteemed Inquisitor."

Another crackle of static, "Your possessions are being examined. Is there any further details you wish to add."

"Ah, ehm… n-no, your Inquisitiveness," gulps the lizard. "Would… ah, would you like some clay urns for the Temple? I'm still only an apprentice, but my jars are quite uniquely shaped, and they only ever shatter if you leave them in the sun for more than a few hours."

"In addition to… uhm, traditional methods of breakage, of course," adds Bambridge. A sheepish smile follows this 'admission' up.

The sheepish smile needs some work, according to the reflection.

The Shiga slouches just a little bit more.

"I would rather attend to the business at hand. According to our reports you had spoken with one of the Eees, before the accident, in a rather cryptic manner. As well, the guard states that you engaged him in conversation, and threw your cloak over a Zelak before leaving the scene, despite his orders for you to remain. These are hardly the actions of a terrified innocent bystander." There is a momentary pause where the hum of the lights seems especially loud. "Is there anything you wish to confess."

The Shiga's reflection slouches with him.

{Grife… } "Ah, t-the Eeee? Oh, yes, I recall now. I … ah, mistook her for an acquaintance in Little Babel who makes the most delightful fried mealworm sandwiches." A laugh dies in the Wooden Shekel's throat, leaving a nasty taste. "I rather confused the poor girl with idle chatter that the cook and I share. The warmbloodeds kind of… ah, they're a little hard for me to tell apart, you know?" The reptile pauses a moment, thinking back to the incident. "I was hoping the other Zelak could beat out the fire consuming his comrade with my cloak. Really, other than that, fear was my only driving force."

The Shiga's reflection looks like a stranger trying to tell a bad joke, one where he isn't sure if the audience is getting the punchline.

"The guard's report describes you as having a tan colouration, but you are obviously green." The voice crackles and pauses, "Do you have an explanation for this."

The Shiga in the mirror is shrinking lower, and lower, and lower.

The reptile winces slightly, wishing he could just melt from the seat and seep into a crack in the ceramic of the floor. "Well, it'd been some time since I'd bathed… sometimes for us Jingai, all we can get is dust baths. Does frightful things to the skin, very uncomfortable."

There is no response, just the loud hum of the fluorescence and the chameleon's reflection that tries to hide in their bright light.

The lack of response continues…

Squinting into the glare, Bambridge blinks several times. {By the Mercy of Oblivian in the Great One's belly… will it ever end… ?}

The Shiga's reflection seems confused, and briefly scheming. Finally the flat voice states, "do you have clarification's of your actions in the intervening months while the Zelak was pursuing you, or an explanation for the bag of substance in your possession."

"It is rare that a fugitive manages to avoid capture for three months." It adds with a crackle.

"The substance is a tea I'm to brew daily for the maintenance of my sub-assistant. My master didn't tell me what it was, just to give it to him every morning," hisses the reptile, looking slightly puzzled. Well, it's mostly true. "Ah, yes, during those three months, I returned to Imperial territory, as my seasonal trading was completed."

"The Zelak scented you many times during the past three months." The static voice crackles, "Would you like to amend your statement."

"You should also be aware that your answer will be checked and cross-referenced with our records of visas granted to and from Imperial territory." It adds, after a moment.

"Well, many of the items I handle are porous… stains and such stay in them, after all. Could perhaps your guardsman have been scenting the pots I sold?" Bambridge's sinking stomach feels like it'll hit the floor at any moment. "As to visas… well, I wasn't aware of such a thing. My master said I wasn't a full citizen, so he merely had me shipped in the hold of a cargo vessel, amidst his merchandise. He said I'd be able to watch it for breakage, and that it was cheaper this way." {I'm doomed. Doomed.}

The Shiga's reflection has a grasping appearance, while Bambrige gives his explanation; it shares his doomed outlook once he is finished. The lizzard looked around a little too much during his last statement perhaps.

There is another click-click-click, and an accompanying flicker of the overhead light.

The reptile looks somewhat lost in thought now… {Let's see… I'll bequeath my trophy collection to Door Camden… maybe he can display it someplace high, where it won't be broken. Brishen can have my disguises… maybe she'd like some of the brighter scarves… let's see… maybe Chaser would like that sheaf of papers I got, if she ever surfaces… maybe she'll just find them… oh, shoot, I hope someone can take good care of poor Corpselicker… I failed them, but maybe… }

There is a pop of static that interrupts the Shiga's reverie, "Detail the circumstances surrounding your arrest."

"Uh? Oh… I… was visiting a casual acquaintance, not really even aquainted, so much as 'seen before'." Bambridge appears somewhat resigned now, but just lets the words flow. "I also know the healer a little bit, Chiri. I entertained her servants a little bit while visiting. Hah, hah, it's a kinship thing, I think." The joke is flatter than Titanian tenderized meat. {I wonder how they'll do it? Just throw me off the island? Beheading? I hope it doesn't hurt much.}

The lights hum very loudly.

{Little Reedy's a nice kid… I hope they're not scaring him much," mulls Bambridge, trying to forget the humming grating on his brain. {Maybe he'd like my thieving kit… the boy has promise, at least, from a hobbyist standpoint.}

The voice interrupts the lights, "You deny any knowledge of the Exile arrested with you?"

"Knowledge? Well, she's rather strange. She was hurt rather badly, too, the poor thing," hisses the Shiga, thinking back to that bizarre horn-headed woman. "I was the one that brought her to Chiri, initially. I hadn't had much chance to speak to her."

"Tugsley Pines, you do realize we will be comparing your statement with those provided by the ones arrested with you." The voice asks flatly, with only a slight static disruption, "is there anything you wish to change or confess."

With a long, shuddering sigh, the trembling creature in the chair shakes his head. "N-… no, Inquisitor."

The reflection trembles in the mirror; the lights continue to hum like a nest of annoyed bees.

Bambridge watches the mirror. {So… that's what a condemned person looks like… funny, I thought there'd be more tears, and screaming, and clutching of table legs.}

{I guess that comes later,} concludes the lizard.

There is a static crackle again, and the toneless voice states, "So, the facts are as follows: you resisted arrest after rescuing someone from a burning airplane, and now, were finally apprehended while taking someone to a healer's tent. I think I'm going to have to talk to the guards and explain that people committing random acts of kindness are not criminals to be hounded."

The Shiga sits there for a moment like a Dromodon that's been struck a knock-out blow on the forehead. It takes a second or two for him to realize that his mouth his hanging open, and it snaps shut with an audible clap.

Bambridge's heart nearly leaps into his throat. "You… you are? Why… thank you, Inquisitor! Please, don't be too hard on them… I'm sure they just wanted to do their jobs to… ah, the best of their ability."

"My name is Inquisitor Vassoy, and I have decided to conduct the rest of this interview in person. I expect you will show me the respect accorded to my station, despite my appearance." The flat voice intones again, then stops with a crackle. A section of the wall slides back silently, then slips sideways, revealing itself to be a hidden door.

"Ah, yes, most certainly, Inquisitor Vassoy! You have my utmost respect and admiration. It must take a rare individual indeed to attain such a proud position." The reptile nearly smashes his nose into the table in a sitting bow, then glances at the door.

A Savanite enters through it. He is of normal height with a strong build, but an elaborate headdress makes him seem much taller. His robes are also not the standard Temple issue, but the colourful ones of an Inquisitor. The gold, black and green patterns draw the eyes upwards. He has none of the characteristic cringing associated with slaves in his motions, and the cheetah walks to stand opposite Bambridge without even a nod or bow. Instead he just stares into the Shiga's eyes from underneath his elaborate hat.

The reptile slips completely from the chair, falling to his knees in shock, a blur of thoughts whirling through his mind as he bows his head. A Savanite. The list. The name. A mission. "In-… Inquisitor."