Feargus

All right, so, being in that box while Councilwoman Faust gave Strauss his quest was a top ten favourite moment of my life. I've no idea how I kept it together. Frankly, I have no idea how Faust kept it together. Actually, it might have been that we were both hungover, or that I was extremely uncomfortable. I was flexible like any Strachan Partisan, but there'd been a few too many minutes of niceties, and I was beginning to get a cramp.

So I've read Strauss's version of events in The First One. They're pretty accurate, only there were a lot more awkward pauses, and at some point, he got a tickle in his throat and had to drink some water. I remember because I nearly split my side. No sense going over the whole affair again otherwise.

"Your father was a good man. Ugly and drunk, but good," Faust said, right before she dropped the golden doodle: Strauss had Assembly lineage. I was surprised he didn't know that. I also came to realize he had a soothing voice when I caught myself nodding off to it.

"Why are you telling me this? Are you ill?" he asked.

"I've never felt better," Faust replied, which sounded absolutely nothing like what she'd said ten minutes afore in the wagon. I heard them exchange the key, and then she roundabout threatened his life which was hilarious—to me, anyhow. Poor chap was probably so confused, and there I was, about to make it much worse.

Once Faust was gone, Strauss paced the room for about forty-five minutes. Look, he'll tell you it was only five—at best fifteen. But I know it was at least forty-five because I was counting. Not much else to do. He also knows the truth because he's got that uncanny memory. But if it were me? Half a second flat and I'd have opened the mysterious box. It was getting out of hand, and something I might have to leave out of my report.

"'Ey, Strauss, mind popping me open? I'm starting to feel woozy," I said, but I wasn't. I liked the man, but he deserved to feel a bit silly for walking in circles so long. I waited while he flipped the latches and the lid, and then I stood and shook myself out like a dog.

"Been a while," I said. "How are you, mate?"

But there was only one way to be when you're about to go on a treasure hunt, and there was no time like the present to get started. If he was surprised to see me showing up out of nowhere, he didn't show it. He didn't show much of anything, ever.

"It's good seeing you, Finlay. Councilwoman Faust said you have instructions…?"

Oh, so now I'm out of the uncomfortable box, he gets straight to the point. I thought about that for a second and grinned. "Aye, you've gotta find a lock, and I've got instructions. I hope you're good at riddles."

"I can't say I've had to solve many riddles," he answered. "What is it?"

"At the highest point of the peak, the brother holds the key."

I thoroughly slayed myself, but it was right there. Leberecht was the answer to the key, and if the portrait would lead Strauss to the Vonsinfonies, the Vonsinfonies should lead Strauss to Leberecht—that's where the fables say they were from. And if I knew that, he ought to. He man read a lot of books.

"Without context, that could mean so many things. Is there nothing else?"

"That's it, mate."

Strauss started pacing again, so I had a look around. Standard fare sleeping quarters, but not half bad considering the state of the village. Strauss's room backed out into an overgrown courtyard that looked to be deserted, and while I was at the window, I checked to see how it opened and closed. It'd be a tight squeeze, but I'd manage.

"Let me ponder the riddle," Strauss said. "In the meantime, I have to prepare for dusk sermon."

"Boy, as exciting as that sounds, I just so happen to have somewhere to be. I'll be laying low, though, hence the box. If you need me, leave your drape open a little to the left."

Strauss shrugged and nodded. 'Course, I reckon a blue chicken could come crawling out from under his bed laying flaming eggs and he'd shrug and nod at that, too.

I flashed Strauss a grin. It's a bit strange, reminiscing a time when he could still see. We're all used to it now—especially him. But, aye, thinking back… it's a feeling. I tossed him a salute and slipped out the window.

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The fun was only just beginning.

???

A dismal day; an advantage. Seeing you not seeing me, Mister Finlay.

???

I didn't have anywhere to be until later, but I didn't want to watch Strauss write speeches, so I used the opportunity to get a look at the layout of the village, locate the points of interest, get a feel for the people—who, by the way, were either invisible or were all inside. It was a dismal day as far as weather went, but my understanding of Amali weather told me that was normal. It wasn't my first picnic, so staying out of sight of the few locals wandering around was easy enough.

It was a boring evening watching out from the rooftops, but there were a fair few boring days like that under my belt. That's why I always packed snacks. Then again, I normally had Rhian with me, too. It'd only been a few days, but I missed her already.

By the time it was dark enough to use the shadows to my advantage, I made my way toward the Widow's Peak. It stood out as the highest point of the village, sitting on top of a big hill. Now, I knew there was a door around back, so I knocked twice, waited, knocked three times, waited, and then knocked twice again.

It was short of a minute before the door opened.

"Who are you?" the woman asked.

"Alexander sent me over here to buddy up."

The brunette rolled her eyes, but she waved me into her office. For having five hundred years to decorate, it was pretty sparse in there, but what was there was classy enough looking. Four locks on the door. A desk with an oil lamp and a stack of ledgers. No window. I reckoned the safe was behind one of the paintings or under the floor.

"Jack Finnegan," I said, offering my hand.

"Ivana," she replied, not taking it. Looked like she considered it for a second, though. "How can I help you?"

"Have you met the new priest?"

"Yeah, he came around his first day to introduce himself."

I explained to Ivana that Alexander sent me to her as a point of contact in the village; someone who knew the day-to-day, and had probably heard the locals talking about Strauss. Faust wanted me to get a better understanding of his character outside solitaire, outside Palisade, from other people's perspectives, and when not being led by someone else.

"Well, if he does anything strange around here in the next few days, try to look the other way," I said. Knowing Ivana would be skeptical, Alexander sent me off with a letter which I produced and handed over. She broke the red seal and rolled her eyes again while she read.

"Fine, whatever." She gave me a quick once over. "You seem… fine."

"How's he doing?" I asked. "The priest."

"The locals like him, for the most part. Something about him. And he doesn't get on my nerves, if that tells you anything."

"Should it?"

"I have traumas."

I let that one sit for a minute before answering, "Don't we all."

She smiled. I grinned.

And that's when Ivana told me more about how the Anima function. The way she explained it, their living selves were still in there—haunted by patterns and dark echoes. The echoes were louder, but no echo was loud enough to resist this face. About ten minutes in, I was sitting at her desk waiting on a Piglet delivery. Hers was better than Alexander's.

"Who are all these lasses?" I asked about the portraits. They looked a bit alike, so I was betting family. But what good's private betting for sparking conversation?

"My sisters," Ivana answered.

"Are they Animas?"

"Just Anima, and yes—they were. They're passed now. Permanently."

"I'm sorry, mate," I said. "I understand how that is."

"Yeah, well. They were tired of the cycle."

"I wouldn't mind living forever," I said.

"You say that, but—"

That's when I learned about the Novak sisters and the Widow's Peak. And before you ask why I never told the others about Ivana or her story, Ivana swore me to secrecy with free Piglets for life. You just can't break a Piglet pact.

"So what'll you do this time?" I asked. "Who'll take over when people start noticing you're not aging anymore?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I think that we should just be out in the open, finally. Anyway—why am I telling you this?"

If I had a note for every time I'd heard that. I'm pretty sure it was the hair. "Well," I said, "it's a nice place you've got here."

"You haven't left the office."

"Aye, it's a nice office."

Ivana chuckled. "All right. Well, when you see Alexander, make sure to tell him he owes me. You can stay here for a while. The tavern noise might be more interesting than whatever you'd get at that shit hole church. I've gotta get back."

I winked and saluted with my Pig.

I'll tell you this: The Widow's Peak hadn't been making profit for decades, she was funding the operation entirely. Otherwise, Ivana was a meticulous accountant.

Those were some sexy ledgers.

The safe was behind sister number two.

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