Realizing that Kayleigh's idea is a good one, Regeris goes over it as well.
Tassira does the same.
Seeing everyone else looking, Nebbin looks too. He's sure the others have things well in hand, though, so doesn't look very carefully.
You pass the list around as you make your way across the lawn to the University outbuildings. There are seven listed there, many of the richest surnames in the city. Tassira recognizes the name of one of her teachers from Theumanexus College. That's the only immediate connection you can make to these historians.
Your meanderings across campus take you to the administrative building. The lobby of the place is a high-ceilinged marble affair with a long row of desks for the clerks who service the staff, students and faculty. In typical fashion, only one of the desks is manned and you have to wait for awhile before your turn in the queue.
When asked for directions to Kentarion Jeggare's office you're given a hall and an office number to seek, along with some easy directions to follow. If the clerk is aware of anything amiss with Jeggare he does not let on.
Following his directions takes the party right past the place where Olaf was found. Of course there's no longer any trace of the earlier murder. Turning two more corners you find the door you seek. Inside, the muffled sounds of lectures being given bleed out into the hall. You find a set of stairs up to the second floor and begin reading name plates on the doors.
The door you seek stands open with an armed guard in the livery of the City Bank standing just inside. Beyond the guard, Tallisan sits at the dead man's desk examining a scroll. He looks up as the group arrives and a passing shade of annoyance crosses his face.
"Oh splendid!" he exclaims as you come into view. The sarcasm in his voice would be very hard to miss.
"Let them pass," he states to the guard. "One of them is the child of my patron. But do keep an eye on the two rebels, please."
---
The office is too small for Tallisan, the guard and the entirety of the party. Emi finds herself standing in the hall as Regeris and Tassira engage with the Abadaran investigator. Casually looking around the hall, her eyes land on the name plate on the office door just one door down.
Randolphus Penderghast. That name seems familiar.
Nebbin waits in the hall, since the office is so crowded and he sometimes makes a room feel crowded himself, so he's there when Emi spots her prey.
His jaw drops in shocked realization.
"That can't be a coincidence, can it?" he whispers. "Should we tell everyone else right now, or wait until the banker leaves?"
It takes Emi a little longer than Nebbin to catch on to where she remembers the name from, but when she does she stiffens with anticipation. Then, after another moment of thought, she relaxes.
"Could be a coincidence. Just writing a book doesn't make one familiar with its readers. But we'll have to look into it, and certainly talk to him. We should wait."
Regeris notes the name on the door but otherwise stalks past the guards and right for Tallisan. He clocks the name on the door down the hall but doesn't mention it quite yet.
"Good, we're overdue for a conversation. We've been granted a warrant to investigate this murder," says Regeris without much preamble.
"Tassira can you show him the warrant? Appreciating our differences are manifold, I'm proposing we pool our evidence and information in the interests of resolving this as quickly as possible. I am certain we have information that will help you. Working separately, or at odds with one another is leave us each with isolated puzzle pieces and no way to connect them to see the full picture."
Tassira does as Regeris asks.
"This matter is more important than whatever anyone's religious affiliations are. I trust we can all put our differences aside and get to the bottom of this."
Kayleigh bristles at being called a rebel, but she reluctantly swallows a mean-spirited retort when Regeris and Tassira do such a professional job of keeping their cool and staying on-task.
"Well, I'd certainly be interested in anything you think I've missed," he says, his tone making it plain that he has his doubts. "I believe I readily shared the most interesting detail of the Vantyev murder, that it was connected by the key stain to the older killings."
"This killing was both more like the old murders and less like, in different ways. The presence of the key blade - left in the corpse at the scene of the crime - is reminiscent of the historic murders. But on the other hand this was obviously a crime of passion. The state of undress of the victim. Abrasions and passion marks on the corpse. A ring missing from the victim's hand - likely a gift from a paramour that was taken back after the killing."
"What I found here only confirms that conclusion." He points to a stack of papers and books on the floor. "Those were strewn on the ground in here like they'd been swept off the desk. And then there's these." He points to a small collection of long blonde hairs, gathered in a pile on the edge of the desk.
"I've collected those here in the office. Some on the floor, others here on the desk. My theory is their encounter started here, then continued over at the museum for some reason. Perhaps he was trying to impress his lover, or simply doing something exotic or risky. Sometime in the heat of passion, things took a turn for the deadly."
"In short, all the physical evidence points to a lover's quarrel of some sort. The presence of the key blade is frankly baffling. I've found no real connection between this murder and the murder of the Vantyev youth other than the exotic weapon and the common location of the University. No real connection at all."
"There. I've shared what I've found thus far. Several dots, but no string to connect them. My next moves are to start interviewing the professor's friends. Someone must know who he was seeing. I'm also waiting on a final inventory of the museum exhibits to hear if anything other than the ring was stolen."
Tallisan crosses his arms and lets Regeris absorb the evidence he's presented.
"Your thoughts?"
Kayleigh, too, turns her attention toward Regeris.
C'mon--wipe that smug look off his face!
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Regeris nods once and begins speaking in his gravelly, flat voice.
"Excellent, this will help. I'll lay out what we've discovered so far. I'm speaking from memory so my companions may need to clarify points. The current keylock killer is almost certainly a necromancer named Rolth Lamm, who has an unidentified elven woman as his accomplice. He is the son of a petty crime lord named Gaedren Lamm who was probably the original keylock killer. My companions killed Gaedren before I had met them, having all been harmed by him in some way. It appears his son wanted revenge."
Regeris then goes into explain the investigation over Olaf's death, and how it lead them to the Gray and then the Dead Warrens, the fight with the derro, the Carrion Golem, the attempts to implant suggestions, and how Rolth and his unnamed elven companion were the named masterminds behind it all.
"When we reported this information to Field Marshall Kroft, she then sent us to investigate the Jeggare murder."
Regeris then explains some more, how they determined it was an unexpected attack from the front and matches what Talli had found. Then the ring on the wrong finger, and what they discovered in the archives.
"The missing text was a journal of Norriat Jeggare, nephew of Montlarion. Years ... 4408-4410, the years immediately after Korvosa's founding. We do not know the motive for this killing or what is important about that journal. We cannot directly link Rolth to this crime but the pattern is clear. Rolth is also a learned man in the arcane arts and connections to the university are a reasonable assumption. Unfortunately we have no information on where he might be at this moment."
He turns to his companions. "Am I missing anything?"
Everbloom save me, that was satisfying. Smug prick.
"Technically, we didn't kill old Gaedren," Kayleigh interjects. "He was attacked and eaten by his own pet crocodile--one of the reasons folks who aren't crazy child-abusers don't keep such beasts as pets, I assume."
"Other than that, I think you hit all the major points."
Kayleigh keeps a smile off her face, but there's more than the usual respect in her eyes when they meet Regeris's: She's exceptionally proud of and happy for the inquisitor in this moment.
Having heard Regeris's tale, Tallisan blows out his cheeks and sits down in the dead professors chair.
"The wrong hand... ugh! So the motive for the first murder was pure revenge, and the motive for this latest is... a book? A journal? Is it not possible that someone else with access to the Jeggare archive took the missing volume?" Tallisan shakes his head, clearly taken aback by the wave of information Regeris just laid down on him. He turns to Tassira.
"It would seem that your father may want to save his precious silvers and turn the investigation over to you lot - or to the city guard if that is who you work for now."
"The name Rolth Lamm means nothing to me. The she-elf accomplice lines up with the evidence in this murder - that much is very plausible. I can think of no better next steps than to start interviewing Kentarion's friends and colleagues to find if anyone knows the identity of this lover. There's also the records of the bank - it may be valuable to at least establish this Rolth Lamm as a real person by searching the bank archives."
He breaks the thread of his out-loud musings and turns suspicious eyes back towards Regeris.
"It is curious that the House of Pharasma did not choose to share this information with the bank - knowing the nature of my investigation. Perhaps the notion slipped old Keppira's mind, eh?"
Yeah! Nebbin thinks as Regeris lowers the boom on his rival. Take that!
He continues to wait outside, now conspicuously trying not to look at the nearby door.
"It's quite likely the high priestess did simply forget to convey this bit of information to you," Kayleigh interjects. "I'm not certain if we mentioned making a connection between Rolth and Gaedren in her presence or not, but she and the Pharasmans had plenty to attend to in terms of clearing out and reconsecrating the defiled burial caves and trying to heal the abused captives we found therein...not to mention dealing with the increased workload associated with all the recent dead in the city streets, be it from violence or the latest scourge of this plague."
Regeris nods over to Kayleigh, choosing not to elaborate much more.
"What we're left with is motive and what would be worth killing Jeggare over in such a spectacular fashion just to get access to some information in the archives. Surely information on the founding of the city isn't particularly rare or in short supply here. I also fail to see what connects Olaf to Kentarion. It may be a good idea to see if Rolth is connected here at all which may explain how he - or his accomplice was able to just meet with Kentarion and get into the museum without issue."
"You've given me quite a bit to think through," Tallisan replies. "I knew nothing of this secret archive at the museum, and need to go investigate and verify some of the things you've told me. I also want to cross-index with the archives of the bank, so perhaps there's more to find there."
He directs his guard back out into the hall, nodding to the rest of the party as he passes.
You're left in the office of the murdered professor. In the chaos of scrolls and books it's hard to tell what's been moved by the investigator and what's part of the chaos he found the place in. There are volume after volume of his own notes, scrolls written by students that he was grading, all the trappings of a professor of history.
The door to Randolpus Penderghast's office is locked. You hear nothing to make you think the office is occupied.
"Should we just go in? Or wait for him?" Nebbin asks. "We might find more if we can get in, though I wouldn't want anyone to think we were stealing anything."
He considers.
"Or we could look more through this office, I guess."
When Emi and Nebbin fill her in on whose name is on the office next door, Kayleigh's eyes widen and her jaw drops. After complimenting Nebbin on his investigatory skill, the cleric throws out her latest slightly-wild theory.
"There might be some sort of secret society here at the university," she whispers to the others. "The earlier scandal Keppira mentioned about body-snatchers from this place apparently didn't uncover all the perpetrators; maybe the underlings took the fall for their leaders." Remembering something Tassira had mentioned regarding Professor Penderghast's book, Kayleigh crinkles her nose in distaste and concludes, "Anthropomancy isn't likely part of the mainstream curriculum here, I'm betting. It seems more likely than not that the professor isn't just an innocent whose work was used by a madman; signing the copy of the book reminds me a little too much of the inscribed keylock dagger we assume Rolth sent to Gaedren. It feels like some twisted mutual admiration society...or cult, in this case."
Regeris blinks as Tallisan just stalks out, and he sighs and shakes his head. "Should have kept a closer eye on him, I wanted to figure out if there was any motive behind him doing what is frankly a mediocre job to date. Well let's see what he missed here."
He glances over as Tallisan leaves, frowning for a moment.
Put a tail on him or trust what he says at face value? Best we stick together.
"I still don't trust him. But let's do a search." Ashe starts to work, he blinks and looks over to Kayleigh.
"Of course! We have this madman Rolth with this laboratory and Gods know what else, and a potential connection to the university via the book. I coul see some less savory academics getting involved in a corpse trade. We're going to want to question Penderghast, and since we have the authority of the guard it may be a little less of an informal chat."
Tassira can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction when Tallisan leaves.
She opts to help Regeris poke around the office.
Pleased with Kayleigh's praise, Nebbin turns back to the task at hand, searching for some clues.
Emi waits patiently in the hall outside the door, propped against the wall and listening in on the conversation. Eventually she takes out a small penknife and begins to tend to her nails, trimming and cleaning them to pass the time.
Giving away the whole store Regeris? I suppose it doesn't matter. Who claims credit is less important than stopping Rolth, so all hands on deck is best.
After Tallisan leaves Emi helps look through the office. "You still hold Tallisan to be highly competent Regeris?"
The search of Kentarion's office comes up surprisingly dry. It seems Tallisan may have done a thorough job for once, because the collection of hairs really does turn out to be the only thing of interest. From the subject matter of his text collection and the tenor of the work that looks most recent, you judge Kentarion was a scholar of pre-colonial Varisia, which is very in-keeping with the reputation of his family.
Standing out in the hall as the rest of the group shakes down the office, Emi seems to have the place to herself. It's true that classes are in session and the hour grows late, but you imagined the university to be busier. Perhaps the sickness in the city is having an effect here as well.
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"So should we go look at the other office, or wait until the professor comes back?" Nebbin asks.
"I could maybe wait as a lookout and pretend to be a student to try to distract him if he comes back while you're all looking," he offers, ignoring the fact that very few students wander around campus wearing a greatsword on their back.
Kayleigh gives Nebbin's question and comment some consideration. "I doubt the field marshal's writ gives us permission to break into Penderghast's office," she says slowly. "And we don't want to spook the professor, if he is involved."
After thinking a bit longer, Kayleigh speaks again. "Perhaps we could engage in some misdirection...some obfuscation. What if we make it known that we'd like to interview folks with offices near Jeggare's to see if they noticed anyone suspicious lurking nearby in recent days? Then once we've got Penderghast for an interview...ask a few harder and more pointed questions."
"Yeah, that's a good idea!" Nebbin agrees.
"We should make an appointment to see him, but at this point in the day it's not likely we'd be able to see him today. It may be a good thing though. We should remember we only know he wrote a book that Rolth either likes or finds useful. Yes, his office is near to Jeggare's, but they are both faculty here so it may not mean much."
"Writing a book that a killer reads doesn't make him a conspirator or associate of the killer. I'm not saying he's not, but we have no reason to assume he is. He could still be very helpful though. Rolth may have been a student of his. If they share academic interests they may have met or corresponded. Did anyone ever take a close look at the notes and comments Rolth wrote in the book? If not, it may be helpful to do so before we talk to him. Maybe we can ask more targeted questions."
"There is a second mystery we need to solve. How is he implanting mental controls into people to be activated later? It could be that Penderghast can help answer that question. My point is, until there's a stronger reason to suspect he's complicit, we should try to benefit from any knowledge he might have of Rolth, or Rolth's experimentation. Implying he's suspect in any way won't help us do that."
"Let's just make the appointment, one person only so it doesn't stand out to him, and call on him then. Besides, I still have letters to deliver today."
Kayleigh winces at Emileva's words.
"We've always been about three steps behind Rolth, but now it feels like we're right on his heels! I'm loathe to hesitate even for a moment for fear that we'll fall further behind again."
The cleric lets her words hang in the air a while.
"That having been said...Emi's not wrong. The more we know going into our interviews the better off we'll be. And we still haven't fully deciphered Gaedren's ledger: there could be a valuable clue or damning evidence in there."
"Perhaps Regeris can accompany you to Master Orisini's place while the rest of us return to the temple and try to crack Gaedren's code," Kayleigh says to Emi. "And please, no arguing this time! There'll be no protective crowds to shield you if Rolth decides to make an opportune strike at you while you're alone. For all we know, he's watching or listening to us as we speak."
Nebbin looks around to make sure he isn't in fact watching or listening right now, waiting for the women to decide what he should do.
Once satisfied, he shares his usual look of worry.
"If we do that, though, we should use a fake name, in case they are working together and he recognizes it, he might know we've figured out what's happening and try to destroy evidence or run away," he suggests.
Regeris makes a face. "I would really like to have that book in hand when we talk to him, but I also don't want to let a trail go cold. Tassira, you're probably the best to speak to some staff here and find out when we speak with him. I'm willing to go get the book and come back even if it means a very long day to ensure we do this as quickly as possible. Gaedren's ledger is almost certainly useful but we have no idea how long decoding will take."
He thinks for a moment. "Determining when Penderghast is normally in his office will be less suspicious than booking an appointment. Nebbin is right that we don't want to tip him off. He very well may be innocent, but two coincidences is enough for us to be suspicious."
Regeris thinks for a moment and steps out to check the nearby offices and jot down the names. "We need a description of Rolth from Tiora and we can figure out if someone resembling him visited Kentarion on a few occasions. Let's move quickly, we have a lot to do."
Emi's suspicion is correct that the administrative building you were in an hour ago is deserted when you return. You walk around inside the lobby for a while before someone finally comes out to check the desk. When the clerk hears what you want he shakes his head.
"I'm sorry. The staff secretary can help you tomorrow morning with appointments. Are you..." he looks around at the young faces. "You're not parents," he finishes matter-of-factly. Shown the warrant he just repeats himself that the staff secretary is the only one to help you. He shows you to the door, locking it as you leave.
The sun is dropping behind western eaves as you walk back out into the evening air. The sky is cloudless and the temperature mild. This is the kind of night that would once have lit up Old Dock until sunrise. Tonight though, people shy away. They cross streets to avoid one another and keep their troubling coughs to themselves.
Your bellies rumble as you make your footsore way back across town, discussing tomorrow's possible plans as you go.
On the walk back Emi tells the others what she heard of Queen Ileosa's public address. There isn't much to relate really, only that a judge, a woman, seems to have gone missing. "The Queen will be acting as Trinia Sabor's judge in her stead. But we all knew how this will end anyway. It's just more transparent now. Mostly I'm surprised it hasn't already been decided."
There was also the mention of a doctor and some assistants coming from Egorian to investigate the spreading disease. "I might have missed most of it though. It seemed to be winding down by the time I got there."
Emi is increasingly frustrated with Kayleigh's bird-dogging. It's hard to resist reflexively rejecting the priestess's request. On the other hand, Emi doesn't want to get into it with her again, and it is much closer to dark than she had expected it to be. Not that she's worried about walking to Orisini's house alone, but between the two things Emi decides to try a compromise.
As they near the church, Emi brings it up. "I still have to take the letters from Barvasi's office to Master Orisini this evening." Looking at Kayleigh, Emi continues. "There's really not much point in another person coming along with me. If you'll recall, this morning I told you I'd be staying there tonight. Whoever comes with me would have to walk back alone, and so that puts things back to square one."
"But if you think it's important enough I don't walk there alone that everyone wants to make the extra round trip, fine, you can."
"Yeah, we should do that!" Nebbin agrees, happy that Emi wants to be safe. "We'll take you there, then we can go back to the church and come get you tomorrow when we come back here to make appointments."
A trip directly to Orisini's takes you through a postern gate known as the "Garden Gate", but looking around you cannot tell how it ever got that name. Crossing its perilous Narrows bridge you come through an assortment of interior plazas littered with trash and coughing vagrancy, and eventually onto Wave Street. From here it is a steep climb up narrow streets to reach the crest of Garrison Hill. As ever in this part of town, you're reminded by the occasional slipped shingle or glimpsed shadow that there are eyes above the rooflines here, and of course also paths.
Eventually you reach the hill's crest and enter the Garrison District by the eastern gate with the last warm tones of the sunset bleeding out of the sky. Orisini's academy is right up against the old garrison wall. A dim lamp lights the entrance to the home and another window further along the building shows more light within.
With a detour to Orisini Academy only slightly out of the way, Kayleigh feels it's a worthwhile compromise to have the entire party escort Emileva to the destination.
"I still don't see why this couldn't wait 'til tomorrow, or why you feel you have to stay the night if all you have to do is give Orisini Barvasi's letters...."
And it's at that moment that sunlight finally breaks through the cloudy haze of naivety surrounding the priestess. Her mouth drops open at the revelation and, of course, she blushes deeply. Making sure her friend has enough money to hire a cab to return to the temple the next day, Kayleigh gives Emi a happy smile and promises they'll talk a bit the following day.
At the gate, she quietly whispers, "Let's just wait a moment to make sure she gets inside safely and then head back to the Temple of Aroden. I was thinking that maybe we could bring back something special for the Lambs."
Emi had planned to get some things from the temple, including one of those nice bottle of liquor, to bring with her to Vencarlo's place, but not be able to is nothing to fuss over. Instead she stops by a shop on the way and picks up a good bottle of wine.
Regeris heads along silently, clearly thinking the buddy system the group has put together is overcautious and intrusive into Emi's life. But he stalks along anyways, keeping an eye out for anyone tailing them.
He notices Kayleigh's expression change shape and he manages a bit of a grin before they drop Emi off and return to the temple. As he walks he looks to Kayleigh.
"The amount of information Rolth has on us remains a concern to me because we have not determined how he gets it. If there's one thing I am good at, it's spotting a tail. He either has an informant or is magically scrying on us."
Nebbin nods at Regeris' suggestion. "Do you think one of the kids is telling Rolth? I guess they might have had a chance to meet at Lamm's, but it doesn't seem likely," he says.
When Kayleigh trails off as she questions why Emi needs to stay at Orisini's overnight, Emi picks up her thread.
"...and also talk with him about some things vexing us right now. Master Orisini is our ally who knows the most about Barvasi and his dealings. He may have some insight into what we can expect in the aftermath of his death. He also travels in some of the same circles as the Jeggares, so he may have something to say about this murder from the family's side of the affair. It could take quite a while, and then it would be quite late."
Of course Emi's rational makes little sense to anyone paying close attention. She's already recently admitted she intended to stay before the murder was known to them.
Emi almost just came out with her real reason instead. She thinks Kayleigh may have finally figured things out, and what did she care what the others thought anyway? Emi supposes she doesn't mostly to spare poor Nebbin's delicate sensibilities.
When they near Vencarlo's house, Emi tells the others "I'll be fine from here. See you tomorrow." She knocks on the door, but then goes ahead and lets herself in without waiting for an answer.
Tassira can easily tell that Emi's rationale is decidedly false, but opts to keep quiet.
...I mean, the bottle of wine was a very clear giveaway, Ms. Mavrakis.
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Ravnos sticks her head out of Tassira's backpack as Emi leaves.
"Mew, meow prr." The tabby cat says.
Tassira's eyes widen and she looks over at her cat.
"Wait--did you just talk?"
Kayleigh smile of joy for Emileva falters a bit when she realizes that the young woman she thinks of as her 'badass little sister' has never introduced any of their group to Master Orisini. The priestess had experienced an epiphany that Emi had found a 'special someone' at Orisini's academy, but she'd jumped to the conclusion that the someone was a member of the staff or, most likely, a fellow student of the martial arts. Now Kayleigh had a disconcerting thought: What if Emi were romantically involved with Orisini himself?
Admittedly, she knew next to nothing about the man, but something about how comfortable the two old priests at the Temple of Aroden felt about the man suggested they'd known Orisini for some time. And, truth be told, Garlan and Crayden were old as dust; didn't that at least make Master Orisini old as dirt then?
Convinced that she was probably just being a fuddy-duddy, Kayleigh dismissed the thought and explained her plan to treat the Lambs in more detail to her remaining friends.
"I was thinking, since the Lambs have been so good of late--and since we might be looking for a new base of operations soon--that we might get them something special to go with supper tonight. I assume you've all had or at least heard of oliphant ear pastries--the ones they actually fry on old tower shields? Well, I was thinking we could pick up a couple in Reefclaw Run Market--there's a baker there who makes them, though I hear the best ones are fried in Gold Market in Midland. I don't know if I'd be able to carry two ears all the way back to the temple, but I'll bet Nebbin's up to the task!"
"I think the cat said meow, but I don't speak cat," says Regeris, ignoring Emi's false explanation he bids her farewell. He wanders back with the group. "Presents for the Lambs is a good idea, particularly since we are going to need to question them and that can be uncomfortable. More lives may be at stake though and so we are going to have to start talking to people. Understand that Rolth may use one or several intermediaries."
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After purchasing a pair of the gargantuan buttery pastries, Kayleigh sends Regeris and Tassira inside to gather the Lambs for the surprise. Then the priestess enters herself, telling the kiddos, "Wait 'til you see what Nebbin's got!" Stepping out of the doorway but suddenly marching in place, Kayleigh starts to sing an old children's song dedicated to the tastiest of treats.
”Oliphant ear! Oliphant ear!
It’s large and it’s lumpy and ever so queer!
Oliphant ear! Oliphant ear!
Rest of it’s dead so there’s nothing to fear!
”Eat it plain or slather it with jelly!
Tastes mighty good once it’s inside your belly!
Oliphant ears are fluffy and ever so big!
Eat one yourself and you’ll be called a pig!
”Oliphant ear! Oliphant ear!
No other pastry is close to your peer.
Oliphant ear! Oliphant ear!
Chase it down with a tankard of beer!
Chase it down with a tankard of beeeer!”
While a smiling Nebbin enters and starts carrying the giant treats toward the dining hall, the Lamb named Peri tugs on Kayleigh's robe. "We heard another stanza when we worked under Lamm," he tells her, but his eyes fall upon Hal and Carawyn, the two budding lovebirds. Grinning like an imp, Peri seems to dedicate the next bit to the young couple.
”Oliphant ear! Oliphant ear!
As the wife eats it her husband will sneer.
Oliphant ear! Oliphant ear!
‘All that dough will go straight to your rear!’”
Kayleigh laughs and tousles Peri's hair. "I've never heard those lyrics before...and I'm not entirely sure they're appropriate! Come on--let's get you seated and served before Nebbin starts to dig in!" She throws her handsome boyfriend a smile and quick wink.
"Wow! We get to have beer with it?" Peri asks, totally psyched.
"No," Kayleigh replies sweetly, dashing the lad's hopes.