Investigation: Refugees

[*Licca]

Lucia notes the keys, but remains silent, allowing Hograth and Caterina to continue.

[*Selebius]

Hograth ignores the lawyer and the keys instead adressing Loke himself again.

"So you want to tell us that your only crime was not asking why Hivers, who are known for making trouble all the time, need several shipments of weaponry?", the Halforc asks dryly.

"Are you that greedy or that ingnorant or do you just not care who they will kill with what you sell?"

He shakes his head in disgust, leans back again and fills himself a cup of water.

Then he looks at the lawyer. "This keys will also unlock the warded chest we found?"

[*Midnight]

Caterina sits in silence as Hogarth speaks. The mimir hovering over the table recirding all. As the two men talk she produces a quill and paper from her bag of holding. She begins writing a list. It appears she has questions but the waits for the Harmonium to finish what they are doing first. She is here to suport what is their operation.

[*LiquidDreamer]

Now Sir Loke speaks stopping Makii before he can respond. "Why should I question and be told things that can get me in trouble? There is no law prohibiting one from selling to Hivers. I am an arms merchant, I don't want to know why people are buying my goods just that they will buy them. I've sold to Hivers and to people in the Lady's Ward, my goods are some of the finest blades. And expensive.

The chest is warded and the key with the snake emblem will open it."

[*Midnight]

As the coversation turns to matters of law Caterina answers the question.

"As an established merchant Sir Locke you will know that it is your responsiblity to perform due dilligence. Ignorance of the parties you are dealing with will not save you in court."

With out reason or explination she reaches up and turns of the mimir. She sits calmly back down and gazes at Sir Locke. Those who know Caterina would no she never shouts rarely displays emotion and seems to have endless reserves of patience. The slight edge to her voice now is as close as anyone will come to seeing the mask slip.

"I remember when I met you Sir Locke. I said I admired what you were doing for your people. I still do. I said I would help them, and I have, they have been fed and clothed and intergrated into the cage or gone on their way of their own will. I also said that for me to help you you would have to help me. You appear to have forgotten this, so I will remind you what is at stake.

Notary Thorn and I come from a plane called Oerth. We have battled demons as your people did. We called it the greyhawk wars. We were lucky. We won but only just. Notary Lyrica here, her people they weren't so lucky. I should not have to tell you of all people what that entails.

Every seed of chaos we allow to burrow into our society, evert anarchist we allow to slip through the cracks brings sigil a step closer to that fate. Now if instead of cooperating you wish to play silly games then we will play silly games, but we will stop at nothing to prevent that.

So I will ask again, you who have experienced this first hand. Help us."

[*Licca]

Lucia's calm collapses slightly as well.

"Sir Loke, my sister and I are the only known survivors from a world that imploded due to chaos. I do not want it to happen to this city which we call home. By not doing due diligence when selling your wares, you risk the same thing happening here. With chaos, innocents could be killed just because they batted an eyelash wrong."

She then turns to one of the Harmonium officers in the room and gives him some instructions.

"Please bring the box labeled 'Loke evidence A-4' from our evidence storage. There are seals on the box; under no circumstances are you to open the box."

/// The "box" is one of the swords that was found in the basement.

[*Selebius]

Hograth stays calm, nothing betraying his own emotions or thoughts- not his face nor his movements or his voice.

"You see... this is what I do not understand. On one hand you take risks to save people from a besieged plane. You do the right thing. You help them and work against the chaos that threatens to destroy them.

Yet at the same time you risk that the same chaos and bloodshed spreads to Sigil- that Chaos tears down everything, that violence and blood reign this city.

Why?

And more important what is more important to you? Make money at all costs? Or help those threatened by death, pain and chaos? "

He then reaches for the keys, shoves them into Lucia's direction nodding at her.

[*Licca]

Lucia grabs the keys, and leaves for the Harmonium evidence storage room. She can be heard giving orders to a soldier in the hallway.

A few moments later, she and another Harmonium soldier, with a bit of effort, lug the magically locked chest into the interrogation room, in the back corner, as far away from Sir Loke and the lawyer. She then turns to Sir Loke and the lawyer.

"Sir Loke, before I put the key into the chest, it would be wise to disclose any traps or devices in this chest. Not doing so will result in the filing of additional assault charges."

In the meantime, another soldier comes in with a magically warded box approximately the size of one of the longswords.

[*Selebius]

"One of your subordinates? We will need a name. Also remember that a leader is always responsible for what the subordinates do. If they work against the leader, betray his trust it is his fault that he has not chosen better."

He then leans back, letting Lucia work.

[*Midnight]

Caterina sighs and turns the mimir back on.

"For the benifit of the recording notary Lyrica is opening the crate seized from Sir Kenneth Locke's property in the lady's ward."