"He had been checking into Karak as I said the man had been wronging people. He had been checking in just prior to being suddenly found dead."

"...I see. ...And did he manage to tell you of anything useful he'd learned, before his death...?"

"Some, in fact you were mentioned as being in a feud with Karak and thus."

"...Mm. Not a great secret... Or at least not a well-kept one..."

"Well as I said Maraki, I am new here. So to me it was something. Also that was one of the things, I am hoping it wasn't you that ordered the death of this demon ? It wasn't was it ?"

"It was not. I am aware, though, that Squig and Karak would have known each other, in a work-related way..." He frowns, thinking...

She nods, "That is possible Squig did say he got close that is before this nastiness."

More tapping of Maraki's fingertips on his desk. "...Can you give me a day or two to look into Squig's death, and see what I can find...?"

She nodded, "Until then I will try and hide in town as I don't want to end up like Squig." She looked around for the meal that was supposed to be arriving.

Food arrived, in tin boxes. Maraki unboxed it and started eating, and gestured to Allura to do the same.

"Mm," said Maraki, "I hadn't thought of that. Do you need a place to-- wait." He ate a bit more, and thought. "...I have a thought... I know a place where no one would find you," he said. "Thelik's shack. He'll certainly never tell his father that someone he thinks is a friend of mine is there... And furthermore... for his age, Thelik is an extremely good thief. It seems to me that he could be extremely useful to our... investigation. He'd be delighted to work against his father-- if all goes well, he might even count it as the favor I owe him..."

"That is a very interesting choice, I will give you that."

She opened her tin and ate if it was poisoned she was in the best form to handle it, if not she was starved.

"I shall seek him out then ? After this ?"

"That's my recommendation... If you are able to convince him... But it shouldn't be hard... Let's see..." More eating and thinking for a minute. "...Might I suggest that you seek out the office of a certain Sawall named Kotesh? He's basically the Sawall's accountant here in this Shadow. You might see if you and Thelik can find any irregularities in the paperwork. Such irregularities might shine light on paying an assassin to kill Squig, or on whatever larger matter affects your House, or it might turn out to give me advantage in my feud with Karak..." More eating. "...Of course, if you get caught, I'll have to deny having had this conversation, or any knowledge of such events..."

"I know that Maraki, you have to protect yourself. I can only hope that I am not a pawn so easily sacrificed. If not this could all be fun and interesting. Alright, I will speak with Thelik and hope that things are as you say between him and his father."

She starts in on her meal.

(I've got no plans for the meal to be interrupted-- nor is it poisoned)

"Well he knows that I know you, but how much do you think Thelik will be open to housing me ? I have some funds but certainly no where near the money of the church. I can talk with him though, he seemed like he was more interested in pleasing or impressing people then money really."

"Yes, a good insight. He gets an allowance, he's not lacking for money. And if you don't mind my saying so, ah... He's obviously younger, but I think he might also respond well to someone... closer to his own age than myself...?" Maraki says, clearly meaning Allura...

"Yes it is difficult when your young and have no one else around your age. I should be able to provide him friendship though I won't prostitute myself." the last said with a bit of acid to it.

"You know with all the shape shifters it still amazes me that my elders and that includes you, can tell my age or at least that I am in the same age category as another. Is that a skill, I will acquire with time ?"

"Yes, I expect so... The young have a different way of talking, of holding themselves..."

She nodded and thought about it. She would have to practice older ways of posing and walking and sayings just for fun and of course for fitting in if she ever wanted to try that.

"Ah so simply a more practiced eye. Alright, thank you for the lunch. I will seek out Thelik and see what I can do. Following accounting is a system of order that I hadn't thought of. A smart angle that required someone more detached from the situation of the death." She nodded as if Maraki had done something clever.

"It may not pan out, of course. Maraki may have paid an assassin out of his own pocket, or it might be someone so loyal to him that payment wasn't asked for... or he may have cast a spell himself... But a man with access to greater funds than his own will often find a way to use it for his own ends..."

Nods, "I hate to admit this but, if it were for a fellow Lord or Lady it would probably be better hidden. A demon though most are very insensitive about the lives of those beings."</Purple> She rose.

"Alright, thank you for your counsel, I will keep you in the loop."

"Fare well," Maraki nods.

She heads off to meet Thelik though she is concerned about doing so for now it is her main lead.

Everyone continues to be pleased by the amount of light today. Even the humans scurrying around seem slightly less oppressed.

Knocks on the shack door