Samir shows no sign of acknowledgement, other than a brief pause his step. That, however, is enough to say I have heard you, or will have to be enough; the next moment, he is gone.

Devero is alone with himself and the hall. The only sound is the soft tk. tk. tk. of an ancient clock on the wall. There are a number of artifacts displayed here, ancient curiosities or ones that have been recreated; a veritable museum, were it not for the lack of any sort of explanation placard or podium.

tk. tk. tk.

Art on the walls is surprisingly...benign is not the correct word. Neither is innocent. They're bland, is what they are, not in terms of skill or quality - both of which are high - but of simple, almost serene displays. A still life of a fruit basket. A house by a river, with an ancient waterwheel. A cat curled up by a window, sleeping in a sunbeam.

The mute slave returns, and beckons to be followed. They lead Devero down a set of stairs, through a hall, in to...

...a library? Or some sort of study, at least. Heber is there, hands clasped behind his back, watching a vidscreen on a wall.