Lureene yawns and stretches her body under the warm blankets, only then realizing Alis and Priyya have already finished dressing and are ready to start the day. She climbs out of bed and waves a sleepy hello to her new sisters, while she heads to the sink to freshen up.
While the two are talking, she splashes some hot water on her face and freshens up with a quick cantrip, and them slips into a comfortable set of breeches and a shirt, before waving Alis over to assist her in putting on her new set of armor. She notes with satisfaction the armor seems to be molding nicely to her form. Once she has finished dressing, she pins up her hair, not wanting it to get in the way, and then starts pooring over her spellbooks.
”I am sorry for oversleeping ‘Lis, and Priyya, I hope I did not miss anything.” She responds cheerily, but there is an undercurrent of sadness in her voice as well. ”What shall we do to help the new Count in putting his city back in order?”
"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to imprint in his head the image of the three of us nude in bed."
Alis gasps and covers her mouth with the tips of her fingers. "Well we had to get the images of Lucia and Chivane out somehow right?"
"Alis, how old are you?"
A raised eyebrow meets the unexpected inquiry. "I'll be 34 on the summer solstice, why do you ask?"
"You are on this mission as a reaction to a situation. You didn't cause it. Don't carry guilt for actions which aren't your burden. Trust me - you do yourself no favors walking down that road."
"That's probably true, but I still feel badly that all of this came to pass. I might not be responsible for how things turned out, but the fact that I'm being used to further their plots... Well, it's a hard reality to escape, isn't it?"
Upon hearing about Priyya's near-death experience, she tucks her feet up under herself. "The last time that happened, you received a vision from Alíta, it sounds like it was different this time though. No revelations I take it?"
Alis seems almost disappointed when Priyya shakes her head. "Well, if I have any close-calls, I'll be sure to stick close to my body."
She winks.
"Alexis and I drive each other crazy enough when we're in the same palace, I don't think she'd want me inside her head!"
When Lureene enters the den, Alis waves. "Good morning sleepyhead!"
"I am sorry for oversleeping ‘Lis, and Priyya, I hope I did not miss anything."
"Oh ho HO!" she laughs. "Well, if you see Felmor looking at the three of us strangely, it's because the three of us are supposedly going to be sleeping in the nude together until Felmor learns how to appreciate Priyya. It's all just a joke of course, but such is the price to pay for upsetting a Surya-ka-Vahaak and waking a princess from her beauty-sleep!"
"What shall we do to help the new Count in putting his city back in order?"
"As for the city... I think it would be best if the people of Dunwaar saw Alex taking charge himself. They need to see that he's strong enough to handle this situation without bowing to," she points to herself, "external forces."
"Fair enough. Should we assist in some way? Scouring the city for Drakes? Helping Monroe quell any further rioting?"
"Oh ho HO!" she laughs. "Well, if you see Felmor looking at the three of us strangely, it's because the three of us are supposedly going to be sleeping in the nude together until Felmor learns how to appreciate Priyya. It's all just a joke of course, but such is the price to pay for upsetting a Surya-ka-Vahaak and waking a princess from her beauty-sleep!"
Lureene laughs on hearing the story from Alis and Priyya, ”Well, I have no idea why men like our good Captain feel the need to sow their oats all over the various planes in the multiverse. Perhaps, I can educate him as to what these black hearted beauties do to their beaus after they have outlived their usefulness!”
"As for the city... I think it would be best if the people of Dunwaar saw Alex taking charge himself. They need to see that he's strong enough to handle this situation without bowing to," she points to herself, "external forces."
Lureene nods at the sage advice given by Alis. ”Yes that makes sense, although I still feel we can help him behind the scenes.”
"Fair enough. Should we assist in some way? Scouring the city for Drakes? Helping Monroe quell any further rioting?"
Lureene nods at Priyya, ”Our sister speaks wisely, we should try to see what happened to the Drakes that were caught in the ambush. Also, we may want to see if there are any other traces of the Coil involvement in Dunwaar."
Priyya seems lost in thought staring out the window... Joel... Jo'el? Why do I think a Jo'el has some part in the elaborate web we've found ourselves ensnared in? Maybe Alita is getting too subtle in her messages.
Alis mulls over Priyya and Lureene's input. "Well we should probably confer with–"
A knock at the door disrupts Alis' train of thought. She looks up, points to the door and says, "Come in," and it opens on its own.
When she sees who is standing there, Alis exclaims, "Alex! I was just about to tell my companions that we should confer with the ruler of this city before taking any further actions on our own."
"Oh, I see," Alex says. He takes a hesitant step into what was until recently his father's study. "I was actually hoping to ask you about that very same matter myself. Er– that is, to solicit your advice on what the uh– 'new ruler of Dunwaar' should be doing to fix this debacle..."
Alis nods thoughtfully at Alex's words and eyes her backpack. After a moment, she gets up from the large chair she was in, grabs her pack and proceeds to stuff all the dresses on the desk and chairs back inside. Once finished, she reaches into one of the pack's side pouches and withdraws a small bag made of silver silk and ivory-colored drawstrings.
From within, she carefully removes a bundle of water-colored cards wrapped in silk having the faintest hint purple to it. She spreads the square of cloth out across the surface of the well-polished cherry desk and motions for Alex to sit opposite her.
Once they are both seated, she says, "I'm going to do three readings. What is your first question?"
The young lord looks rather surprised. "Is that a Tarot deck?"
Alis looks up from shuffling with a smirk. "Yeeees. However, when I said to ask a question, I meant for what you would like me to try and divine."
Alex blushes deeply and squirms somewhat uncomfortably with Priyya and Lureene looking at him expectantly. "Right, of course, you said that you had a gift for divination. Forgive me, Alis."
He furrows his brow in concentration. While to others his gaze might have seemed focused intently upon Alis' cleavage, Priyya and Alis both could tell that his gaze was rather fixed upon the cards she was shuffling.
"How should we proceed?" he asks.
"How should we proceed...?" Alis repeats softly and shuffles a few more times.
At length, she places the deck in the center of the table. "Cut it into three piles, however you please, and place them side-by-side."
Alex does so, first taking the top third of the deck and putting it to the left, then taking the next third and placing it to the right. Once done, Alis turns over the top card of each stack and reflects on them.
Past, Present, Future: How should we proceed?
This seems to have more meaning for me than Alex. At attempt to smother a flame, music bringing spiritual harmony, leaving a castle behind... Or is it that my judgment is conflicted?
"The past influence is the Ace of Wands — the source of inspiration, and willpower. It is the epitome of creativity, confidence, and courage. It can be difficult to control, but when the torch is seized firmly and held aloft, it can be a light to lead others. Here though it's reversed and pointed towards the ground. At best, that could indicate someone trying to start a fire, at worst, someone trying to smother that flame."
"The present influence is the Nine of Discs — the balance of material and spiritual resources. The girl in the card is using a musical instrument, a piano of wood, wire, and ivory, something made of natural materials yet transformed into a wholly unnatural work to affect the world and reach harmony with it. You yourself are a mage, a conjurer no less, and can use the raw makeup of the elements to affect this world. At present then, I would say this implies you are using your strength to the best of your abilities to address this situation."
She looks up and gives a melancholy smile. "Oddly enough, music was the approach I took in Valehaven to influence the nobility there, to dispel any negative misgivings that might have been directed towards us."
Looking back to the cards, Alis continues, "The future result is the Ten of Discs — is the pinnacle of worldly success. Enjoying the success and security of long-term efforts finally achieved. Yet on another level, the imagery of the girl being whisked away by a dragon, the keeper of riches, would seem to say that my friends and I will be moving on from here soon."
While he had been smiling at the mention of great success, Alex's visage seems to dim a bit at the prospect of the princess leaving.
"What about Dunwaar?" he asks for his second question.
Once again, Alis shuffles the cards and has Alex split them into 3 piles.
Situation, Problem, Solution: What about Dunwaar?
Well if this doesn't seem to just be a recounting of everything that stands to befall us in this town... The chariot overturned, the maiden giving advice, the protective vixen losing ground to aggressors... Right, focus on Alex, not yourself.
"What we have here is the situation we have found ourselves in, the current problem, and its solution."
The princess takes a deep breath. "The situation is The Chariot — power and authority driving towards a cause with great certainty. Only much like the carriage we rode in on, in this case it has been overturned, much like the leadership of Dunwaar was by that cabal of interlopers."
"The problem is represented the Page or Princess of Discs — sleeping opportunity and the dreams of great things which have yet to be achieved. Essentially, the problem is where we are right now. Alex, you have a great deal of potential, but it is still sleeping within you. Others can advise you, but ultimately, nothing happens unless you act."
"The solution then is shown by the Seven of Wands — taking a stand and defending what's dear to you like a vixen protecting her kits. The strange thing is that in this case, the card is reversed. I would take that to mean that you need to be cautious in how you approach this. Rather than trying to take a stand on your own, with courage you may or may not have, for goals that others who are powerful her may not share, you will have to employ cunning rather than brute force. Use your mental agility to keep stronger opponents off-balance tripping over the sticks and snares you dance over as you give your backers time to build up strength of their own."
Alex nods in understanding. "It sounds like I need to be as cognizant of my strengths and the weaknesses of my allies, as I am mindful of my shortcomings and aware of the strengths of others."
Alis smiles and Alex touches her hand as she gathers up the cards for the third and final reading. "What should I do?"
What should Alex do? What should I do with Alex...?
This time after shuffling, Alis leans over and spreads out the cards before Alex. "Pick ten of them, from anywhere you like."
Slowly and carefully, Alex counts out ten different cards, from different points in the spread-out pile of cards before handing them to Alis. He gives an almost nervous sigh as he hands them over as if his very fate were being decided. The young count jumps a bit when his hand briefly touches Alis'.
"Relax," she says, "this doesn't set anything in stone. It's more of a way to stimulate the mind and soul to see answers we might not have otherwise considered."
The Cross: What should Alex Do? / What should I do with Alex?
However, when she turns over the first cards, The Queen of Cups reversed, Alis hesitates.
Sense Motive Checks:
"Is everything alright, Alis?" Alex looks concerned by her unexpected pause.
Priyya covers for Alis quickly, "Divination is a powerful tool, Alex. It can catch practitioners by surprise. Give her a moment to collect her thoughts."
Lureene glances at Alis, a concerned look in her eyes, but says nothing, not wanting to interrupt the reading.
"Oh, everything's fine," she smiles. "I was just surprised to see so many major and powerful cards in the spread."
Sense Motive Checks:
"Alright, let's see here then." She points to the two cards in the center. "The Queen of Cups is reversed and crossed by the Knight of Wands. That calls to mind a heart that wants to be brave and valiant but is in dischord."
"The foundation of the problem, and how it is rooted in the past" she points to the center, top and bottom cards respectively, "are the Page of Discs again, and Justice. Since the same card has come up again, that indicates a repeating them. Basically, you have a great deal of potential born of a strong desire for justice."
"In the immediate future," she points to the left-most card, "we have the King of Swords reversed. Swords represent the intellect, and the royals tend to represent actual people. In a very real sense, you are likely to feel as though your whole world has been turned on its head. See, even the owl that was giving advice along with the Page of Discs is upside down, trying hard to perch atop the sword yet upside down like that even he will be hard-pressed. You need to make certain to get your own thoughts in order so that you can right yourself. Otherwise you'll be of no benefit to anyone!"
"Not surprisingly," Alis indicates the card on the right-side of the cross, "right now you feel like you want to fade into the background and let all of this pass you by. The Page of Wands is an inspiration for everyone and lifts them up by being the center of attention. yet reversed like this, indicates a desire to get away from all that. Unfortunately, in this situation, running and hiding won't help matters anyway. If you are seen to be absent, or shirking from your responsibilities, you can expect that others will take advantage of the situation."
"The card on the bottom-right here is the three of coins. It represents how you see yourself. If you recall the parable of the master who gave to each of three different servants three different sums of money, you can think of this card in the same way. The one servant who was given 3 coins invested it wisely, the one given 2 coins was judicious and returned with profits. Yet the one give only 1 coin squandered it in shame because they felt their master didn't think highly of them. With the card being turned upside down like this. I'd say you think of yourself as having been given only one coin, but I would say that you are selling yourself short."
"This," she points to the card above it, "is how everyone else sees you — The Magician. The one with all the answers, the bastion of power, and creativity who can make solutions that others cannot even dream of. You need to realize that this is who you are. Let go of your self-doubts because those will hold you back more than anyone else can. If nothing else, as you said before 'be cognizant' of what others think your strengths are and use that to your advantage!"
"The next card up, The Six of Discs, symbolizes your hopes and fears."
"The Six of... Discs?" Alex raises an eyebrow, "There's a tavern in Valehaven I would go to after classes called The Six of Coins. Is there any relation there?"
Alis grins. "I'm familiar with that tavern actually. I suspect that whomever runs the place named it that as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the cards. Coins, discs, pentacles, plates... the suit of earth goes by many names. I just think 'pentacles' sounds too wordy compared to swords, wands, and cups."
"As for the tavern though, that's a good point. That place was where all the busy-bodies, the movers-and-shakers took their spirits. It could be that your hopes and fears are bound up in either belonging and mastering such a social group, or that perhaps you dread being an object of their focus."
She rests her chin on her hand, seemingly amused and relaxed by that thought. "As for the more esoteric meaning of the card, symbolizes the harmony and balance of worldly matters. It represents the endless cycles of commerce and growth. I would say that your hope is to be like the piper, pouring out generosity to help those beneath you flourish, yet at the same time, you fear that perhaps your generosity may be wasted. Yet just like in the painting, those same lowly roots, grow up to help support and buttress the perch the piper sits on. In otherwords, don't worry, there's a place for everyone in the grand scheme of things. Just do what you know needs to be done."
"The last card in the upper right is the Nine of Cups." She pauses, a pensive look on her face. "Right now, if no changes were made, this would be the result. It shows that all that your heart desires is within reach — good fortune, and prosperity. In a way, it is almost suggestive of an intoxication by an abundance of pleasures. That the future is assured and there is a bounty on the horizon."
Alex's face seems to light up at this news, but Alis bites her forefinger and looks at it further.
"The one caution I would urge," her blue-violet eyes meet his, "is that not everything can stay as it is right now. My friends and I need to get underway, and pleasure and self-fulfilled delight might not necessarily be the best end unless you can assure that for all of Dunwaar and not just yourself. Don't be content to let others appease you just so you'll turn them a blind eye. Remain vigilant lest the badger from the second reading gobble up those things you hold dear."
The young count seems somewhat crestfallen at Alis' reminder that they cannot stay, but he nods knowingly. "Yes, of course, you have your own mission you still must attend to..."
Alex gets up from the table and bows to Alis and the rest of you, "Thank you so much for all that you have done to help not only me but all of Dunwaar. We would be in real trouble had that demon impersonating my father not been outed. I only regret that I don't know what became of him. Still, there's no time for such conjecture now I suppose. I already have the carpenters busy building a new access causeway to the main gate. It will take a good week or two to complete the whole thing, although by tomorrow we should at least have a passable ramp so you can ride to Malatesta in my carriage."
He rubs his hand along his clean-shaven chin and says, "The greater concern will be your safety in getting you out of the city. It will take some time to get the populace settled, although with the sudden disappearance of the Tar Dog's leadership, I'm hopeful that whatever organized rebellion they were scheming will fall apart. Perhaps spreading the information we learned from the captured gang-leader — that they sought to manipulate the citizenry to their own end — would turn things to our favor..."
Count Ayers paces back and forth, the gears in his head clearly working towards a solution.
Lureene rises to her feet and smiles at Alex, and says to him quietly, "I am sorry but I never got the chance to thank you earlier for destroying Lucia. That was very brave of you, and such an act of bravery certainly deserves a reward, don't you think?"
When he gives her an uncertain look, she shushes him, and proceeds to give him a hug, along with a kiss on his cheek. She then murmers in his ear, while still holding him, "Consider that a reward from your golden angel. Like Alis has said, our time here grows short. My advice to you is always follow what is in your heart. You have a good heart, Alex, and I know you will do fine. If you ever need my help, I will be with Princess Alis. Let me know and I will help you in any way I can. Thank you once again."
She finally releases him, so he can recover from the effects. Hmmm, maybe Felmor was right, he certainly was heroic then. I think he does have heroic potential," She thinks to herself.
"I am sorry but I never got the chance to thank you earlier for destroying Lucia. That was very brave of you, and such an act of bravery certainly deserves a reward, don't you think?"
"Reward? I'm not sure I foll–"
As Lureene hugs him and gives him a kiss on the cheek, he gives Alis a somewhat distressed look while giving the winged-woman a pat on the back as he returns the hug. The princess however merely shrugs her shoulders and makes no effort to intervene.
"Consider that a reward from your golden angel. Like Alis has said, our time here grows short. My advice to you is always follow what is in your heart. You have a good heart, Alex, and I know you will do fine. If you ever need my help, I will be with Princess Alis. Let me know and I will help you in any way I can. Thank you once again."
"Ah, yes. Well, still having a city to govern and knowing that Alis is safe is reward enough, but um– I appreciate the sentiment."
Sense Motive Checks:
For the rest of the day, you remain in Dunwaar. While Lureene remains behind at the castle, keeping Alis company and chatting up Alex about spells, the princess gives Mal leave to accompany Felmor and Priyya on a search for members of the Golden Drakes.
At Felmor's insistence, the trio make their way to investigate the burned-out ruins of Baron Quailworthy's estate. The heavy fog from the lake provides ample cover for their activities and they have no trouble making their way there.
While there is precious little left of the place, Felmor's bull-dog like determination uncovers an interesting find. In the basement, an iron door leading into the sewers has a broken lock, seemingly destroyed from the outside. It seems there's a strong possibility that whomever torched the mansion did so by sneaking in from the sewers.
Although the rank smell of offal is especially unpleasant for Mal's keen nose, he does detect the faint but lingering smell of oil. Oddly enough, it has the same faint lemon grass smell as the lamp oil used in the ambush you rode into just yesterday.
Felmor wrinkles his nose in disgust at the smells discovered in the remains of the mansion, but when Mal informs him of the passage leading to the sewers, he turns to Priyya and Mal, saying in a hushed voice, "I t'ink we should check it out fer a ways, I be curious if'n it be jes th'Tar Dogs or if th'Coil left any other traces down thar."
"Clearly our ambushers were supplied of the same oil as the arsonists. Could be a coincidence or the same group of Tar Dogs were behind both efforts." Despite the matter-of-fact tone, Priyya's aura starts to flicker with her anger. She turns to the tall Corporal. "Mal, I hope you are still up for gutting these Dogs with me."
Mal grins eagerly as he cracks his knuckles. "I'll never turn down a good hunt."
Performing a search of the nearby area, it looks like there was a rather heavy saturation of oil here, hence why Mal was able to smell it over the sewer. It looks like a lot of oil got spilled on the curb of the sewers here. Upon further examination of the oily residue, it looks like perhaps a barrel of it was cracked open and doled out into other vessels. The only footprints Mal can discern with oil on them (or at all for that matter), are all by the iron door.
Whomever made the footprints must have approached thru the sewers and left thru the mansion.
Felmor looks at the faint puddle of oil residue left behind. When Mal tells him he cannot pick up a trail, he sighs in frustration. Ach, ‘n it be takin’ too long ta traipse thru th’ sewers. Not ta mention, I dinnae wanna ruin me boots!
He leans back and studies the scene for a moment. ”Well, I t’ink our best clue be th’ oil the Dogs used ‘ere. Let me have a look see here…”
He studies the oil, trying to determine where the oil could have originated from, either a local source in Dunwaar, or elsewhere in Elsemar Vale.
"So does every upstanding citizen in this town have their mansion connected to the sewers through a metal door? It makes me wonder if Quailworthy weren't working with the Coil or Tar Dogs all along. In which case, either he pissed off the wrong people OR perhaps the burned corpse isn't him at all and he's gone underground."
Felmor nods at Priyya, ”Aye, that makes sense. I think the Coil used the late Baron as a foothold to gain access to the Count. I also agree wit’ ye Priyya, I t’ink he faked ‘is own death, as it seems too easy otherwise. If’n we kin track down where he disappeared to, we may learn where th’ Coil be based from.”
Priyya harumphs resolutely. "We can come back and check this out later. Right now, I think we need to report what we've found to the Count. This is his town and we are trying to not be seen mucking in their internal matters. Then we need to find any of Stallings' men and the Drakes that we can. They may be injured. After that, we can figure out whether we want to crawl down this drain and find some rats. Thoughts, gentlemen?"
Mal looks up from where he'd been trying to double and triple check the tracks. "I agree with Darkmane. This is an issue for the new lordling. I'm all for helping a bit, but at some point, we have Alis's mission to further. At the rate we're traveling, we'll never get anywhere."
Felmor raises his hands in a placating gesture, "Och, ye may be right, let th' new Count 'andle this. we need ta find the rest o' the Drakes."
Upon returning to the castle, you have little trouble tracking down Alex, Alis, and Lureene.
"So Baron Quailworthy's manor was broken into from the sewers by people toting jugs oil thru the sewers?" He scratches his head as he considers the matter. "That would seem to go along with the reports that the fire began near that mansion. But if there were no footsteps being tracked away thru the oil, then the fire must have been sparked after the arsonists already made their way into the streets. I'm not certain that really helps us though."
"Not so." Yvonne states. "Oil of that kind cannot here be made. The grass from which it is made, in Malatesta grows. To Elsmyr Dale it must be imported."
"So we would just need to check recent shipping manifests to see who any consignees were and–"
Felmor chimes up, "Aye, if'n th'oil came from Malatesta, mebbe we kin find out which businesses in Dunwaar purchased the lamp oil. Methinks not too many shops need that much oil, it should not be too hard ta find." He pauses, then adds, "Course, if they smuggled th' oil in, then all bets are off."
Alex gives Felmor a sour look for cutting off Alis before responding. "I can tell that you and Alis have lived all your lives in large port cities. Things are not quite as... sophisticated here. The way our commonwealth is setup, we don't really keep records of goods like that since our taxes are not based upon tariffs and the like. It would be all too easy for the city to be bypassed or another built to get around such a revenue stream, so only the actual sale of goods and services is taxed, not their transit."
"Well," Alis muses, "there might not be any official systems in place here to track sales, but unless they are dead already, then someone in the city should know where to get some imported lamp oil. Saaay... someone who sympathizes with the plight of the common man..."
"You mean having some plants ask around town?" He looks troubled. "Monroe's men have their hands full just keeping the city locked down right now. Besides that, I'd imagine in a small city like this, their faces are pretty well known by anyone with criminal intent. Putting together a network of informants might not be a bad idea for the future, but right now..."
Felmor sighs, "Aye, I be the least recognizeable face in this group 'ere. I kin canvas the streets 'n see what I kin find out." He starts to leave, but then realizes he still works for Alis. "Ehh, wit' yer leave, Highness."
Alex seems surprised by the offer, but Alis grins slyly. She puts one arm around Lureene's waist and teases. "Captain, are you saying that some of us stand out in a crowd?"
Sense Motive Checks:
Alex sputters and chokes on a glass of water he was drinking, and Yvonne hides a slight smile behind her sleeve. Mal and Lureene are a bit lost, whereas Priyya wonders if she was just the butt of another boob joke.
Once Alex has stopped dying, she continues, "Under the present circumstances, I do think you would be the one best-suited to helping the good Count. Priyya glows in the dark when she gets riled, Mal is seven feet tall, Lureene has wings, and apparently everyone here knows what I look like somehow. That is, with the Count's permission of course..."
Alex nods emphatically, "Yes, by all means! If your man is up to the task then so much the better. I have no one at my disposal with such talents, that much is certain."
Alis smiles proudly at Felmor. "Well there you have it. Knight, captain, hero, and now spy. The next thing we know, he'll take up stage acting too!"
"Right, let's get you dressed for the part then! Perhaps afterwards, Count Alex can provide an invisibility spell to get you outside the castle's vicinity without being seen..."
Felmor gives Alis a rakish grin, as she starts disguising the handsome sailor in something more nondescript. "Aye, mebbe I needs ta come up wit' me own list of Things Ta Do. 'N that stage actin' be right up at th' top!" He gives Lureene a wink, and says, " I be asking ye ta join me, but like Alis has said, ye do stand out, wit' ye beauty 'n ye courage. I will nae git anywhere trying ta fight off all the suitors tryin' ta win yer hand, he he."
Lureene gives Felmor a smoldering look, "Flattery will not save your reputation with me either, sailor!" Although her tone is sharp, there is a laughing look in her eyes which shows she is not upset with him, and is happy showing her enjoyment of his antics. She gives him a brief hug and a kiss, while saying quietly, "Be careful, Fel. I don't want to explain to Priyya how I let anything happen to you, sailor."
She releases Felmor, and then her gaze goes unfocused. After a few minutes, Grak comes crawling into the room. She looks at Grak, and says, "Grak, keep an eye on him for me, please."