"I agree with the boy. Any long lasting change must come from within this culture. Slave and freed man united as one. It must be their choice, their will, and their plan -- if you don't want it to sink back into barbarism. I'm honestly surprised that the our group doesn't do more outreach and education. Teach them to value truth and beauty. Mold the next generation. Change from without is just colonialism, or tyranny by any other name."
"As I said, we do not intend to start a revolution, but if one occurs we are prepared to make sure it ends with the downfall of the slave princes."
"Our group?" Gabe asks, looking between the two with some surprise. "I mean, I agree. It actually wouldn't be that hard if someone started whispering to the merchants how much larger and more profitable states without slavery can be for the ruling class. That home that belonged to the fat man was large, but I saw bigger in my home city, and it definitely wasn't the capital. Convince the merchants its better for them and they'll start paying workers instead and the workers will start making money and things will flow more into these deserts."
"That said, Targ would still have to go. He's just interested in taking what he wants... little more then a spoiled child. And I spoke to Acera. I -know- she's not interested in the loyalty of her people. She said... loyalty would only last one life time... and a single life time was so very... short... Is it possible she could be more then the human she appears to be? Or do these healing powers give them long lives? Anyway, standing up to them I could understand needing our help, but the merchants, the slaves, the citizens... all of them need to be behind us or we're no better then Targ in the end, and the legacy we leave behind is the same thing. It will crumble." Gabriel takes a deep breath from his rambling, then eyes Heff. "The fact that you have it so readily on your mind suggests you're already more then prepared for it. That kind of resource could easily go somewhere else you know."
Heff smiles knowingly at Gabriel. "You catch on quick." He doesn't elaborate on what he thinks of Gabriel's words though.
Gabriel grimaces, but he schools his face into something like calm. His voice was not quite as relaxed, carrying a note of warning rather then an overt threat. "I see what they mean now. You're a dangerous man. Understand this Heff, I don't care who you work for. If a war starts and I find out you had a hand in instigating it, justice will come for you."
Gabriel's threats make Toramin smile as he heads out to the temple. He is like a wolfhound pup -- so fierce!
Heff smirks. "But not quick enough. You righteous types always amuse me." He waves off the threat, seeming completely unconcerned by it.
Gabriel tilts his head to the side, then shrugs just a little. His tail flickers about just a little. "I'm doing my job Heff, just as you are. Its probably in both our best interests to see that we don't clash while we're doing it, don't you agree?"
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Heff leans forward. "You seem to know so much about me and what I do. Let me tell you something mister high and mighty." He stands, his carefree attitude fading away. He speaks to Gabriel but it seems to extend to the rest of the party as well. "You will not understand who I am until you are being hunted by paladins and clerics and good men who mean well but are being mislead because you were forced to cut an innocent man's life for the greater good. An innocent man, a father whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. And when you watch the life fade from his eyes knowing that you've forced his wife to live without a husband and a child to grow up without a father, knowing that you'll have to do things just as bad or worse in the future but you're willing to take the dive because you know that in the end the world will be better for it even if your name is cursed and spit upon, that is when you can stand in front of me and tell me what is in my best interest." He walks to the door, turning before exiting. "Our work isn't about glory. It isn't about pleasing the gods or making sure that justice prevails. It's about doing what's best for mankind when good men can't." He reaches into his pocket and procures the rusty dagger he held when he spoke to Toramin, looking at the dwarf. "I once spoke to you about our ideals and what's the best tool for achieving them, then I gave you the choice. You chose the acorn, the representation of life and future growth. But sometimes evil won't wait." He whips the rusted weapon, burying it point first at Gabriel's feet. "Sometimes you need the dagger." He looks around once more, then leaves quietly.
"I still have that acorn. I still believe my path is best."[/b]
Gabriel's eyes turn hard, and he's quickly follows to pursue the man out the door, not caring that the house wasn't secure. Gabriel also didn't care -why- he had done what he had done, because from what he could gather, the man had just confessed to outright murder.
Gabriel doesn't reach out to grab the man as he might have been expecting, but rather moves around him and turns to stare him down. The tiefling, Gabriel, was not very largely built. He stood at a good 6'2, and thus stared down many men, but just as many stared down at him. His build was not imposing either, at least not to some. Bjorkus had size and mass to him. Gabriel's muscles were whipcord, lean but hard, and time in the desert has only made him more so. If the man stops, he would step up a little closer and raise both his hands as well as his tail to show Heff that he was unarmed and not going to attack yet. "I don't know what kind of life you lived and I don't care. I was born to a mother who had every right and every chance to throw me out onto the street, but didn't. I was born into slavery that was both unlawful and cruel. I was born into a city that hated me for what I was because they could. And my mother was killed by something that enjoys killing, because he was bored, or so he claims."
Gabriel takes a breath, but not a long enough one to let the man speak. "I have done everything I can to grow stronger, to protect people. I have faced trials and evils that even you would respect and I have done so without compromising who I am. I don't care who you are... and may the gods forgive me, I don't care why you do the things you do. If I ever hear that the story is true, I will hunt you down personally. And if you think you can really stand up to me understand this..."
Gabe steps another foot forward, very nearly face to face with the human. "I stood toe to toe with Calios, a man that couldn't be killed, and I wounded him so badly that I angered him. I survived to tell the tale too. You would do best to understand that whatever sob story you have does not justify murder. In the end, that father still can't be there for his children, and there's a little more darkness, hate, and evil in the world because of your actions. You may think me naive... but I see you equally so, and lacking in foresight besides."
"You have no idea what suffering is." He stares hard at Gabriel, rage finally boiling in his eyes. "Oh you grew up without your mom, boohoo. You were also blessed by the gods and chosen as one of their champions because of how pure and righteous your heart is, then you squired to one of the most successful men in the world. You went through hardships but were made stronger by them and your success is a shining beacon that can be seen by all."
Heff stares at Gabriel in silence for a moment, then speaks in a soft voice as if afraid to shatter the air. "I know the darkness and hate I have caused. I remember it every day, every hour, every minute. It keeps me awake at night and will scar me forever." Heff slowly takes off his shirt, then turns around to show Gabriel his back. After a moment he realizes that Heff's last statement isn't just an expression. On his back are names carved into his flesh, permanent scars that number in the hundreds. Heff turns back around. "Every name is a good person who died at my hand or word. Many are Aestherics who fought under my name and knew the risks, but many of them had no idea what their sacrifice was for or why I had to take them away from this world."
Heff stands facing Gabriel with his shirt still off. He seems smaller without his extravagant clothing on, lean and wiry. He looks at Gabriel another moment longer, then holds his arms out to the side. "That story is one of many. If you feel that you need to strike me down with your divine power, now's your chance, because I've killed that man and many more besides." His arms lower to his sides. "But I will not just stand here and let the memory of these unsung heroes die with him. Take your shot paladin. You wouldn't be the first one." He shifts his leg, making his silks slide off to the side to reveal a dagger. "Or the last."
Gabriel glares at him, hard, and then shakes his head slowly. As much as he personally wanted to, the mans softer tone was what held him. He wasn't sure if Heff saw it, but there was no fear of the man's blade in Gabriel as he spoke. There was little fear at all to be held in the tiefling these days. "I earned what I have become, just as Geoffrey did, and just as every paladin who keeps to their oath before him. You call me blessed, but in truth I am nothing special. I am just a man who has a job and is not always strong enough to do it..."
Gabriel steps around the man, purposefully putting his back to him. "You may think I hate you for what you are, but in truth I pity you. You could have been so much more. Iomedae's teachings says I should strike you down now for what you have done and Abadar's teachings would tell me to bring you to a judge who would weigh your deeds fairly. But.."
Gabriel pauses and turns his head to look over his shoulder, "I follow three gods, for in one there's a view too narrow to see this world in all of its beauty. So in the name of Shelyn, in the name of all that is good, and in the name of all those who had died at your hands or because of you... Become stronger... become smarter and do better so that you don't need to sacrifice lives for the greater good. I made a similar offer to Acera... and she declined. Think of that as you leave and plan the deaths of innocents."
"Hate, fear, pity, whatever you feel is best. I'll add your name to the list. I suppose I was a fool to think you would understand. Not even the dragonborn did." He slides his silks back over the dagger. "I follow no gods, although if all goes well there will be a new one soon I may bow my head to. The gods do nothing in this age, this is the age of men." He puts a hand on the railing. "That man died so that an entire village would live. Tell me that you would stand there and let hundreds die so that you didn't have to bloody your hands. Tell me that you would stand there as women and children burned because you didn't have the stomach to act."
Gabriel turns to look at Heff and he says, "You say the god's do nothing, but we oppose now a force led by one. Perhaps it is not that they do nothing, but that man does not see it, or undoes their work with their own hands. The gods let that father grow up and they gave him a family. As far as I can see, it was man that took that away from them, not gods."
Gabriel turns away again and starts to leave the man, but over his shoulder he replies, "I would have stood and defended them all rather then take one of their lives. And if death came for me that day, I would have died before any of them. At least there was a chance, however small, that I could have saved them all. I hope if that day comes, I will be strong enough to make it possible."
And then Gabriel was gone, turning a corner into some random part of the mansion. He wasn't certain he had left Heff with any doubts, but he had tried his best. His best might not have been good enough this time but Gabe would keep trying to do better. And if he saw Heff do such things again... well... Gabriel knew where he would stand. After thinking about it for a few moments, the paladin decides to go outside to where he last saw Edward. If he found the knightly man where he had last been, the horned tiefling would take a seat beside him and look up at the stars.
"Sometimes its about doing the best you can." Gabe had been looking at the stars for more then an hour before he had spoken to Edward. He wasn't certain the knightly man would be interested in hearing what he had to say, but Gabe had already failed one lost soul today. "Sometimes... you aren't strong enough to do better, and all you can do is the best you can. In the end... it just means that you have to try harder next time."
Gabe looks down to Edward, a calm expression on his face, and then he turns his eyes back to the stars. "You held the blame for the slave you killed today earlier. I hold the blame for all those that died because I wasn't strong enough to protect them. But I decided... the first time someone died because I wasn't strong enough... If it kept happening, I would just have to do better..."
From the way Gabe was talking, it didn't really seem certain if he was talking to Edward or to himself. Either way they were heavy thoughts to be carrying considering the pair had just gotten their freedom. Gabriel hoped he wasn't burdening Edward with them, but of all the people that could understand, there was him and Toramin within arms reach. And the latter had other work to do that Gabriel did not want to keep him from. "I don't know what gods you believe in, if any, but... Tonight will you pray with me? For all the souls we couldn't save?"
Edward didn't move upon Gabriel's arrival, indeed with his still posture and closed eyes it wasn't clear if he was even awake. But as Gabriel conclude she begins to speak, then clears his throat and tries again. "You forget I spent so much time with you, I know when something else is bothering you. Was it that elf that just visited?" He opens his eyes, looking up at the skies. "I pray to different gods than you are familiar with, but the closest representation of my ideas here is the god you call Erastil" He seems willing to pray, but first wants to talk about what's bothering Gabe.
Gabriel chuckles just a little and his tail whips about erratically, matching the tired sounding amusement. It fades, replaced by simple exhaustion. "Another lost soul I can't save... and one I may have to fight one day. It doesn't seem like I'm very good at my job yet..."
"Ah, that tall elf fellow? Mhmm..." He stares at the sky again, then points to a constallation. "See that? That is the betrayal of Zanatoa, a kind king who always did what was right for the people. He purposefully sent half the army to die and wrecked the economy before being assassinated for turning so violently against his land and people." He smiles. "However the story doesn't end there. Hundreds of years later it was discovered that Zanatoa had known of a great, unstoppable evil that was sweeping the lands. It crushed any land that resisted it and cast the land into darkness for a hundred years. However Zanatoa had weakened his lands enough that they could not martial an actual defense against the creature, so it simply passed over them." He looks at Gabriel. "That's an old fairy tale from my homeland. It teaches children that just because they see things one way it doesn't mean that is the truth. There are many paths to take in this world, and many of them will not align with your own, but just because you do not understand or agree with one doesn't mean it's not a good path."
Gabriel looks up to the stars and nods slowly, "Perhaps his actions result in good. Perhaps his intentions are truly the best. However, I am not a king, whose responsibility it is to make such hard decisions, nor am I that elf. "
Gabriel turns to look at the elf and smiles sadly, "I knew from the moment I saw the names of the innocent lives he had taken that he was not an evil man, nor were his intentions. I am not ignorant of his path. But in the end, though it may be both foolish and stupid, I would still protect any innocent from his hands."
Gabriel sighs as he lays back into the grass and looks up into the stars. he wonders if that was truly where his own gods resided and he wished he had listened a little more to his mentors lessons. "I am a paladin. My job is too do more then protect as many innocents as I can. My job is to protect them all. It is an impossible task, I know. But striving for the impossible is not striving for futility. It is striving to always do better. People may think me naive... but I have faith. When the time comes, I will have the strength, and if I do not... then I must do better."
Edward gives a hmph. "It's always good to strive to do better, but don't blind yourself to reality. Many men have gone mad and become some of the worst bastards in history because they felt they were not strong enough to protect who they loved or do what was necessary. That is a path of the lost." His eyes to back up I the sky. "This is my prayer, in a way. Being under an open sky or in a quiet forest. Enjoying the brief times of piece in this busy, chaotic world."
As Edward concludes speaking, he is reminded of Geoffrey after the siege. He had been so traumatized by his orders to kill innocent people for the sake of the masses that he was incapacitated, unable to give orders the rest of the day.
Gabriel shrugged his shoulders just a little, "In a way, their choice to despair is much the same as the king or the elf's choices. They choose to believe there isn't a better way and stop striving for it. I am... I am not blind to the problems I will face with my belief. I may never -be- strong enough or smart enough. But I will never stop trying. And my faith will never falter... In the end, when I fail as I have today, I trust that my gods will watch over the souls of those who have departed from this world and give them what I could not..."
The paladin sighs a little and shakes his head, then pushes himself to his feet. "But if in the end I am a fool, then that is what I choose to be. To believe in a world where my ideals are possible... I would be the fool any day of the week to see it so."
He looks down to Edward and then he grins, "I suppose it would be rude to ask you to agree, but just as you have asked me to understand the path of the king and the elf, I ask you to understand my path. And I ask that you join me in prayer for those I was not strong enough to protect today, so that they might find peace in the embrace of whatever gods they believed in. And that I might be strong enough to do better next time."
Gabriel waits for Edwards affirmative.
Toramin in his new dwarf disguise makes it to the church without any problems. He is greeted warmly and taken down to a basement room to speak in private. He believes he recognizes some voices from the arena. "We are glad you could make it. We are organizing teachers with books of learning to start some educational sessions, but we do not have the space available besides the church, but we fear that is too risky."
Edward gets a hard set to his jaw. "I've lost many friends because they believe the next life is more important than this one. No, I do not understand that path. I will pray for the fallen, but I will not ever honor a man who throws his life away because he can't make a hard choice."
"I can't say anything of those friends you speak of. I do not know them. But you do me a dishonor in assuming I seek death happily. I simply do not fear it. If all I cared about was the next world over, I would not fight so fiercely for the lives that live in this one. Make no mistake, Edward. I will do my -utmost- to defend the innocent and live to tell the tale. But I have no authority to make a hard choice that includes sacrificing another's life. I am just a guardian, nothing more, and the moment I let myself believe that because I have the -power- to take lives because it would best suit my purposes is the moment I become no better then Targ, whatever those purposes might be."
Gabriel's eyes had grown hard as well as Edward spoke. He had hoped the man might understand, but perhaps in the end Gabriel truly was naive to them all. "What if, in that story, the king never sacrificed his men, because the great evil spoke to him before hand... simply asking for one babe when it came, one babe to pass over their lands and leave them unharmed, one babe rather then the thousands the king lost weakening his land. Would you sacrifice that babe? If not, how is sacrificing the men that babe would grow up to be any different? And if so, how would you justify what happens to that babe for the greater good? What if he then asked for another babe, the coming year? One more child compared to the thousands that could be lost. And the year after? Just one more child. And he would keep his word, every year taking only one child. The world is filled with 'necessary evils' that people ignore for 'good' reasons. Where is the line? Are you wise enough to find it? Is that elf or that king? Who is to say that fighting that evil would not have taken less of a toll on the kingdom?"
Toramin nods.
"Yes. I concur. Teaching here or at one of your shrines would be a risk if discovery were to occur. I recommend a double-blind solution: the creation of a space that is new, hidden but otherwise not connected to you. Do you have druids or priests among you who can shape stone? As you undoubtedly know there are tunnels and caverns that run beneath the city. Some these could be repurposed to serve as storerooms and class rooms, and also be shielded from divination. Since there are many such tunnels beneath Akropash they could be a good way to ferry materials and people. Should they be discovered there can be escape routes built into them that allow egress into the city. I would be happy to help scout these locations with my elemental ally."
He pauses for a brief moments -- as if he is struggling with an internal decision -- before he continues.
"We must be flexible in how we pursue our goals and adapt to the circumstances. Ares, the Honorable, was taken this evening by the legion. I doubt he will stay long in custody. Nor will he be an advocate for peaceful change or the slow boil of revolution that comes when the populace realizes that slavery is a lie: that no person can be owned by another. Moreover, it has come to my attention that powerful outside forces are exerting pressures on to Akropash. This city will soon be a powder keg. I do not advocate that you become freedom fighters, but neither can you let history pass you by. Not only must we begin building the foundations of new leadership so that this desert city can finally know self rule and you may return to greening the desert but also you need to take steps to prevent Akropash and her people from being usurped by outside interests. Akropash will not be well served if it becomes an outpost for foreign interests. Akropash will not be well served by sinking into further barbarism and a succession of slave-mongering warlords. You are the wise men of this desert. You must not be complacent. You must be able to out think and out plan the forces that would retard your greater mission."
Trust must be given before it can be received.
"Not your purposes, for the betterment of others."
"You're twisting hypotheticals to match your world view. In the story the evil was unstoppable. There was no winning fight, any land that resisted was completely wiped out. Do not pepper your argument with hypotheticals, it ill suits a mature mind."
"Evil will always exist in this world. It is not something that can be eradicated."
"Then what makes the evil that exists in our world different from the hypothetical? It is unbeatable in both. And it is not a hypothetical in the end. Men like that elf have sacrificed more then a child a year to stave off the ever present, unbeatable evil that exists in our world. Just because that babe was grown into a man does not make him any less deserving of our protection." Gabriel shakes his head, "Your own fable presents an imperfect example. I didn't change it to suit my purposes... I changed it to match the story of that man more closely. It is always the few he sacrifices for the many, and one day he will have found he has sacrificed more lives then he saved the first time he did it, if he has not already, making him worse then that first evil he gave in too."
The masked men grumble and nod in agreement with Toramin. "A good plan, we will find the proper casters."
"Of course we would not with for Yenrick to become a bloodbath or ripped apart by other nations, but we are a pacifist group. We could not use force to exert our will even if we wanted to."
Edward shrugs. "Have it your way than. You're clearly in no mood to be convinced of anything." He closes his eyes, going back to silence.
"I find you equally resistant to actually speaking of this my friend. I listen and understand what you say, I simply disagree with it. I personally believe it is wrong to take one life for the many... because it is never one life, not from what I've seen. Evil is not sated that way. It always asks for another, year after year, day after day, so that it will not take many. As you say, it is ever present. I think the only way to combat it is to never give into it at all. The day the gods grant me the wisdom to know exactly how many innocent lives it takes to destroy all evil in the world is the day I change my mind. And by your own words, evil will never be slain."
Gabriel looks up to the stars, as if briefly expecting such a thing to occur. He was not being mocking, but rather his usual inattentive and distracted self. All this intense focus required an outlet for that slightly chaotic nature of his mind. He looks up into the stars and smiles just a little. He had not had such a discussion since the temple of Shelyn... since Arelene. "It is odd being on this side of the discussion you know. I had a cleric, a good friend, who believed no soul was too far gone. I have seen gangsters and murderers weep and change thanks to her words, her kindness. But I also saw those who did not care to change. She would say as I just did... one death was one too many, because it never stopped at one. But she meant what I would do as a paladin... not just protecting the weak, but bringing justice to the wicked that can not, do not, want to be saved. I think I understand her frustration with me a little bit better now."
"I do not council using violence. Power is not exhausted by coercive violence. Power is the totality of what people can produce with and against each other. You have foresworn coercive violence, but you have not foresworn persuasion and working in concert with others to achieve a better world. You need not be silent nor serve the interests of evil. The acorn does not conquer through bloodshed but by overshadowing its enemies, by denying them the resources to grow, by growing strong itself. How can you use your voices to persuade? Think who you can work with to forestall these unfortunate outcomes. Do not be blind to them. Most importantly, when there is a vacuum of power think of how you might lead by word and example. History is not like the natural world. It is not a system of forces that can only be bent through mystical means. History is the shared product of all that thinks and acts. Do not fool yourselves into believing you are without power even if you reject violence as a means to greater ends."
Toramin's deep voice is full of passion as he exhorts the masked men and women to have the courage of their convictions.
"Innocents will always die because of evil, and evil will always exist. The job of good men it to minimize both as much as possible, but there is no perfect victory. That is the basis of our disagreement."
Toramin guesses by their posture and inflection changes that they're smiling. "We know the power of words well, and we shape what we can."
"I agree that that is why we disagree. I did not hope to change your path, at least not yet..." He chuckles a little and shakes his head. "I am used to discussions and debates that end with no winner. It comes from growing up in a temple of Shelyn and becoming a squire to a paladin of Abadar while swearing yourself to Iomedae. I hold all three in my heart now, but I wouldn't have if I had never debated. I simply hoped that, agree or not, you might understand why I take the path I do. You are a good friend Edward, and I do not wish for that to change because of our differences in belief. I can understand your path and respect the strength it takes to follow it. And if our blades ever cross because of this disagreement, I will understand why you would fight me, and I will show mercy if I am the victor."
"Of course I understand that path. I just disagree with it because it has no basis in reality. I pray all of the forms in your road are as black and white as you hope they will be."
Toramin nods and smiles himself when he senses their collective amusement. He briefly felt silly, almost as if he had tried to advise his grandmother on fertility rites. However, his embarrassment quickly fades. If I cannot persuade people well disposed towards my beliefs but with different goals, then how can I think I could build even more disparate coalitions? This is a victory. A small victory, but a victory nevertheless. Enough small victories can win wars.
"Is there anything further you would like to share at this time? I would like to volunteer my services at every juncture when appropriate. Also, I have a young protege. A paladin who we recently rescued. I believe he would like to volunteer his healing services, if he can. Would you be comfortable if I informed him of our agreement?"
"Of course. We will contact you daily both with our progress as well as any problems."
"These goals are your own, we only hope to help make them a reality through our efforts and advice. If you trust this paladin than we see no problem with his assistance."
"I see them as neither my goals nor your goals, but our goals that support our independent projects in different ways. Ultimately, this place is your garden. I simply hope to leave it better and healthier than when I encountered it."
The dwarf waits briefly to allow them to get the last word in before he bows respectfully and departs.
1. Place an order with Naome to get some alchemy to make his hammer count as silver. He will pay out of the Aestherics' funds.
2. Buy the raw materials to create a metal door to the underground passage ways in the villa.
Toramin heads to bed. The next morning -- after sending the servants away -- Toramin will work with Ymir to knock down a section of the villa so it connects with the tunnels. He will then instal the metal door and use the excess stone to mask its presence.
The peaceful order thanks Toramin for his presence, bidding him farewell.
After securing a private audience with Naome the elf informs him that silversheen will not be that difficult to get and she will have it within a few days. She says she can get two doses for free considering the circumstances, but anything more than that would require payment.
Toramin easily purchases the metal for a door (costing him 10gp).
The next morning, Toramin asks Ninnec to join him in the study.
"Friend Ninnec, one of the reasons I chose this villa is because it abuts the tunnels in the basement. I think they could be a useful means of egress if things went poorly for us. However, I need to knock down a wall and install a door. This takes time and is quite loud. I was hoping that I could have your assistance. Do you think you could take the household staff out on errands for several hours -- distracted and not suspicious -- while I work?"
"Ah, are you sure I'm allowed in the all-secret study?" He smiles at the jab. Clearly he's feeling more comfortable with the party.
Ninnec listens quietly, seeming surprised at the tunnels. "You really like to plan ahead." He sits back in his chair, thinking for a moment. "It would be very odd for all of the slaves to leave the house. I mean messengers would make sense to run to the market, but the chef? The cleaners? They would know something is wrong." He cocks his head at Toramin. "Why are you trusting me with this information and this kind of errand?"
"Because you have proven yourself trust-worthy with smaller things. Because you also like to plan, to think ahead. Because you know that I have been trying to help the most vulnerable. Because I need your help. I believe that trust must be given before it can be received. To get your trust, I must first give you mine. Can you help me in this? I'm open to suggestions. We could lace their drinking water with a sleeping draught but that would also be suspicious. How would you suggest distracting them so that I might work in peace."
Ninnec gives a genuine smile, a tear coming to his eye. "I've...I've never had somebody put this much faith in me before. I've never been given such a chance." He reflects on that a moment more before getting his game face on. "Ideally we want them to not even suspect anything. Loud noises for several hours..." He sits in thought for a moment, then laughs. "A party. There's a party room in the house. Throw a loud, chaotic party. With enough guests and some loud music you won't even be heard. Plus that kind of event will have the rest of the slaves busier than a squirrel in autumn, running from one end of the house to the other to keep the guests happy. However it will have some expenses come with it."