Typically, he didn't know what I was talking about, "not his area" so he directed me to a different clerk. This clerk of course would then direct me to someone else who knew nothing, who would direct me to someone else who would know nothing, and so on and so forth. This is a favoured game of bureaucrats, loads of fun if you have the proper sap to play with. This could go on for days, maybe months in a large enough system. Unfortunately for these amateurs I have played this game with government officials in Glamour where the game is a true art form. This office was just too small for a really effective game. Imagine a few hundred Buserians and a half hundred different departments under a dozen or so ministries with conflicting authorities and you can see the true chilling potential of the game. I 've heard that there are special homes run by Deezolans for the poor fools who go insane trying to get the proper licenses in Glamour and the Tripolis. They used to just let them wander the streets as an example before the advent of our goddess. I decided that I didn't have any time to waste with these tyros and decided to jump the circuit by going to see Sor-Eel himself.
Oh, the miserable, indignant faces when I announced this. Ha, ha. I went to Sor-Eel's office and asked the clerk outside his door if his special investigator could talk to him. Oh, he hemmed and he hawed and swore that I couldn't without an appointment but finally gave up under the combined glare power of Jorjar and myself. Another thing Jorjar's good for. The clerk went into Sor-Eel's office and quickly came back out saying the Count had time for a short meeting. We went in.
Sor-Eel's office was considerably less crowded, at least before we joined him. Only Radak was in there with him, no sign of Bor-Eel or Jotoran Longsword. His desk was covered with papers and he actually looked pleased to see us. How nice. "Any news so far?" he asked. I shook my head and told him what I'd found out so far. He was a cool customer, he didn't blink, move a muscle, or make a face when I explained how much money this investigation had cost him so far. He nodded when I'd finished as if not surprised. "Now I have some questions, who found the body and who was he?"
Sor-Eel smiled a thin smile and said, "He was Cressidus Silvercloak, Lightson of Yemalio. He was head of a special delegation sent by the Sun Dome temple in Sartar to investigate stronger ties between that temple and the two Sun Domes here in Prax." After Jorjar and I picked our jaws back up off the floor and I had regained some composure I repeated my other question. "And who discovered the body?" Sor-Eel grimaced, "I don't know for certain but a templar woke me up early this morning with the news of where the body was to be found."
To be continued.
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