Haizei Thousand-blows Sumiko
Haizei
"I was quite a looker in my youth."
"I'm here for less pleasant circumstances, Haizei. I am tasked by the Rani-Satrap with an investigation into possible treason and collusion with foreign powers."
"I only go abroad when the Rani-Satrap does. I am her ride, after all." It was distracting, how these flying ship captains referred to themselves as if they were the ship.
"Quite, have you been in contact with anyone you met during these trips?"
"Last Calibration, I received a letter from a learned foreigner, asking me for my opinion on geomantic occurances in the Dreaming Sea, something I've made a reputation for myself for. I replied that outside the freak reflux wave on the Candlefire river that almost killed our ambassadors about Wyldstone, I knew of no such event."
"Which embassadors?"
"Rani-Satrap Rohavin had asked me to accompany Ambassadors Wisdom’s Shining Promise, Karal Kallias and Burano Namika Jahan on their fishing trip up the river, then the firewalker stream, and onto Lake Taikal. "
"Fascinating, I have sworn depositions from Haizei Branched Skull Vine and Haizei Dumatro Shalon that they accompanied the ambassadors on that trip."
"Pfah, as if their ships would be fitting for dignitaries, both have readiness issues."
"Of course you'd know about that, you wrote them up?"
"I had officers unrelated to me inspect them. Not only do I not want any stink of impropriety in my decisions, but readiness is hardly something best evaluated by a visiting senior officer, they would know of my coming in advance.
"At any rate?"
"I'd recheck if those reports have been properly filed, if I were you..."
"Why?"
"You're not the only one empowered as a magistrate by the Rani-Satrap, I've been asked to hunt down missing paperwork, including court documents, apparently stolen from our archives..."
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