flexibility

[calescent]

They leave Thiyec, cross Soche-Tas, and re-enter Welce.

Kiri sends a letter Jayce's way as soon as they stop in a Welchin town. It's brief - we found the Lalindar prime, we'll drop him off and my next stop is the palace so please forward my correspondence there.

The Lalindar house, on inspection, appears to be completely empty. There's a note from the butler on the dining room table stating - in appropriately formal language - that no one was paying them and so they have left, but he, the cook, the gardeners, and the maids may be contacted at the following addresses respectively if the new prime, when located, wishes to re-employ their services. Unlike the Ardelay house at the time of Elytte's death, this house as of Nerine's death contains no extended family. There's nothing to do but for Loel to move in. Kiri draws him a little map of the route between the estate and the nearest town, where he will probably want to buy groceries, and she and Aleko leave to let him plan his moat.

They're at the palace the following day.

Comments

[calendarofcrime]

"Yes," she says. "I am, as my sister often tells me, the least elay elay ever to elay, but I am apparently elay enough."

[calescent]

"Okay then. He was in Thiyec but now he's in the Lalindar country house. His name is Loel. I found him by seeing what locations had been suffering from excess rain. How do you think you've tracked down the missing Serlast? There wouldn't be anything obvious for wood and bone."

[calendarofcrime]

"Genealogy," she says. "I looked up every record of every relative of every previous hunti prime I could find, and then narrowed it down to only the ones who had left Welce recently enough that they might still be alive to inherit the primacy but who were not still in contact such that they might have heard the news. And I found one woman who left the country twenty-one years ago with her weeks-old baby. She went to Malinqua. I propose to go to Malinqua and find her, or the child, because one of them is very likely to be the missing prime."

[calescent]

"That definitely sounds worth doing, yes. After this long I'd expect even an unknown illegitimate descendant to have come forward, so a branch that moved to Malinqua is promising. When are you going?"

[calendarofcrime]

"I was planning to wait for you, as the most experienced prime who is not currently bedridden. Would you like to go to Malinqua?"

[calescent]

"I... don't speak a word of Malinquan. What do you want me to do?"

[calendarofcrime]

"It seems prudent to have someone along who knows the business of primes. I can translate for you if required."

[calescent]

"Okay. Sure, we can go to Malinqua if you can plan the search route and I can bring my twin brother."

[calendarofcrime]

"Of course," she says. "I, however, will leave my twin sister at home."

[calescent]

"As you like. I just bring Aleko with me most everywhere. Do you have passage booked, a schedule...?"

[calendarofcrime]

"Not yet. When would be convenient for you to leave? I will arrange it."

[calescent]

"I need to write two - no, three letters. One for the king, one for Alser - or his granddaughter Patience who's expected to succeed him, if he's not well enough to read it by the time it arrives - and one for my other brother who's managing my affairs in my absence. After that I can leave at any time, though I'd like at least one night in my nice comfy palace bed before traveling again."

[calendarofcrime]

"The soonest available passage no earlier than the day after tomorrow, then?"

[calescent]

"Yes. The sooner we can have a set of stable primes the better."

[calendarofcrime]

"Agreed. I'll let you know as soon as I have something booked. It was," she pauses, then smiles very slightly, "interesting to meet you."

[calescent]

"Likewise," remarks Kiri. "Oh - a question - I've historically found other primes more open to the idea of my mindreading than other people. My range is about five feet, a little more on a cold day; how carefully do you want me to mind your personal space?"

[calendarofcrime]

She considers this, then says, "I will mind it for you."

[calescent]

"I'm not sure what you mean by that, unless it's just that I should keep away from you but you might choose to approach me."

[calendarofcrime]

"You could interpret it that way, yes."

[calescent]

"...Okay. Do you know where to find my palace suite when you have an itinerary for us?"

[calendarofcrime]

"Yes."

[calescent]

"Okay. I'll see you later, then." And off Kiri goes, at the briskest safe walk, towards said palace suite to inform her twin and write some letters.

[calendarofcrime]

The next day, Sarelle Dochenza comes to Kiri's palace suite.

[liakoura]

Aleko answers the door. "Hi. Dochenza?" he guesses.

[calendarofcrime]

"Correct. Most people do not guess that on sight," she says.