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1131, day 2

" Well, as long as you had a reason..." Haxta said with a touch of sarcasm. " If you want to go home Enrick, go home then, if you can find a ride out of here. Obviously whatever brought you to the inquisition isn't all that important to you. Who else wants to just 'go home'? I for one am going on, I hope I won't be going alone, but I will if I must."

1131 Day 2

"I seriously doubt our employers are just going to let us waltz home because we didn't like our job." Marco commented. "We're pretty much stuck here until our mission is completed. And Phebia's quite right; our only lead is to go along with what the Seer says. Though I strongly suggest everyone keeps their weapons withing arm's reach during the trip."

1131, Day Two

Trask muttered under his breath, "I can't believe I'm saying this." Then, louder, he said, "The sister is right. Aristarchus may be behind the attack on us, and actively involved in whatever heretical plot is going on here. These so-called Malleus agents may be, as well. But we've got to get to the site of the cathedral - and you know what they say about 'keeping your friends close, but...' I for one would rather keep the Seer in my sight rather than - if he is in fact involved in some heresy - let him go do whatever he wants unchecked."

1131, day 2

" As if any of us keep our weapons at any other distance, except maybe closer." Haxta sighed and rubbed at her temples. " We don't really know enough to make any real plans, do we? Our only real option here is to ride on out with our eyes open and our weapons ready and hope we see the real threat in time?"

Enrick laughed. "Oh, all I need to go home is for everyone here to die of or quit. As long as you guys are in this, I'm stuck. On a side note. Why don't we find out where this guy wants us to go and plan our own way there. Shuffle around a bit so that no one can tell where and when we plan to do anything. Once we have a meeting place, set up a change out so that the meeting then has to move to a location of our choice."

1131, Day Two

"Sound tactics, Enrick," Trask answered, "but if the Seer is guilty of some heresy - and involved with some other group to do so - I think the last think we want to do is to let him know that we suspect him."

Enrick giggled. "Who's to say we suspect him? Why not say we suspect someone else. I'm sure we could make it look like someone followed us or is following us. Make the Seer we're worried about that. More so that our attention is divided. Whatever his plans are will be hampered by this. He can't tell us to forgo caution without looking guilty, nor can he predict our actions. He'll be forced to change his plans in order to match us. Which means WE can control how he plans out his actions."

1132, Day Two

Trask shrugged. "Worth a shot, I guess. You have a vehicle and local navigation to the site of the cathedral?"

Enrick gave a joking shrug. "Not yet I don't..." An almost evil grin reached across his face. "...but I'm sure it could be arranged easily enough."

1132

"Why don't we just steal whatever vehicle the Seer was going to give us?"

"And then do what?" Karibi sighed. "We'd just end up going in the same direction in the same vehicle at the same pace."

" Except we would be driving it, not some hired flunky," Haxta put in. " We could choose our own pace, and we could take a more round about approach. It might not make a difference, but if there were any plans requiring a certain timing to them, we could at least throw those off."

"Fair point." Marco nodded in agreement. "Though if we want to throw off any timing, how about accelerating our plans? Let's go hi-jack the half-track now rather than wait."

1134

"What's the point? The Seer knows where we'll be going, roughly when, and roughly how no matter what we do. Whatever vehicle he'd be supplying is most likely capable of the journey and ready to go. Like the priestess says, we take it, pick our own route and pace. That's the extend of the subterfuge available to us."

1135, Day Two

Trask finally wiped the blood from the edge of his goattee, then ran his hand over his pale, bald pate. "I sure don't mind, but there's two things to consider. One: The Seer may or may not be involved in something untoward, but he's far less likely to direct or assist an ambush against a vehicle that he's riding in. Two: if he is involved insomething, shouldn't we position ourselves to keep our eyes on him?"