“Well, they told me you had a laamuffal,” Mariner began, glancing at me, “so I just had to see for myself.”
I frowned upon hearing that weird term obviously applied to me again, but didn’t say anything.
“And your task?” Mariner continued.
Rune simply gestured toward me, causing our visitor to look in my direction again, although this time his gaze lingered a little longer.
“Seems young,” Mariner noted after a few seconds, “although I do sense aptitude.”
“It was short notice,” Rune declared. “I had to work with what was available.”
“Perhaps he could speak with Sayo while we converse?” Mariner suggested. As he spoke, he hooked a thumb over his shoulder, and for the first time I realized that there was a fourth person in the room. (Apparently I had been so preoccupied with Mariner’s unique appearance that I hadn’t even noticed.)
It was a young woman whom I judged to be just a few years older than me — maybe nineteen or twenty — and dressed in what seemed to be a cheongsam coat with a pair of leggings underneath. Like Mariner, she had her hair braided (although hers was done in triplicate, with three braids hanging down on each side of her head).
The young woman, Sayo (who was standing a few feet behind Mariner), turned to me and gave a slight bow of her head. I glanced at Rune, who gave me a subtle nod. Taking that as my cue, I stood up and walked toward her.
“Hi,” I said, extending my hand. “I’m Jim.”
She reached out and took my hand, firmly shaking it once while at the same time executing a slight bow. “A pleasure to meet you, Jim. I’m Sayo. Shall we retire to your quarters?”
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “My quarters?”
“Yes,” she replied. “The Incarnates wish to speak privately, and the Inscrutable’s chambers” — she gestured toward the door leading to Rune’s quarters — “are clearly off-limits. That leaves your room.”
I frowned at her use of the term “inscrutable,” not quite knowing what to make of it. However, before I could question her about it, she turned and began walking toward the door Rune had identified as being the entrance to my quarters.
Chapter 6
The space Rune had designated for my personal use turned out to be on par with a large, one-bedroom apartment. Upon entering with Sayo, I closed the door behind us, and then took a quick look around.
The place opened up into a cozy sitting room that was seemingly the center of the apartment. From there, I could make out a kitchen and dining area, and through an open door set off to the side I could see the foot of a bed, marking that area as the bedroom.
Without waiting for an invitation, Sayo took a seat in a nearby lounge chair. I sat down at the end of a love seat diagonal to her.
“So, you are Rune’s laamuffal,” she said.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure what that word even means.”
“Then allow me to explain,” Sayo stated, beaming. “A laamuffal assists an Incarnate in any way possible, whether that be obtaining items for his use, carrying out his orders, or simply making sure the Incarnate is at all times comfortable.”
“Kind of like a servant,” I surmised with a frown.
She nodded. “Serving a Chomarsus is a privilege, and I feel honored to be a laamuffal, just as you should be honored to serve Rune in that same capacity.”
At that moment, I had my own thoughts about being Rune’s servant, but it was nothing that could be said in polite society. Deciding to table the laamuffal topic for the moment, I instead changed the subject.
“What do you know about the Incarnate who was killed?” I asked.
She gave me an inquisitive look. “You mean Gamma?”
“Uh…I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t think anyone’s told me her name. I just know she was murdered.”
“Then yes, you’re referring to Gamma,” Sayo confirmed. “As to your question, I knew her by virtue of my role as Mariner’s laamuffal, but we didn’t socialize.”
“What was she like?”
Sayo gave me a blank stare. “She was an Incarnate,” she said flatly after a moment, as if that explained everything.
“But what was she like?” I asked again. “Mean? Nice? Friendly? Aloof? What?”
Sayo looked down. “It’s not for me to comment on the disposition of a Chomarsus.”
Great, I thought. She reveres Incarnates so much that she can’t –
“However,” Sayo continued, catching me off guard, “I found her to be” — she hesitated for a moment, as if searching for the proper word — “pleasant. Congenial. I liked her. Her death is a real blow.”
Reaching out empathically, I picked up on feelings of sadness and melancholy. Sayo’s grief, while not overwhelming, was definitely real.
“I’m sorry,” I said, reaching out to give her a sympathetic pat on the hand. “Any idea how she died?”
She shook her head. “No one knows.”
“So I’ve heard,” I acknowledged. “But there have to be rumors or speculation.”
“The only thing anyone is certain of is that another Incarnate must have done it,” she stated, then gave me an odd look. “Why are you so interested in this subject?”
My first instinct was to sidestep the question, but then it occurred to me that she’d find out soon enough.
“It’s why I’m here,” I stated. “To find out who killed her.”
Sayo’s face suddenly took on a slightly nervous expression. At the same time, I felt a slight twinge of anxiety emanating from her.
“Well,” she said, coming to her feet, “we should be getting back.”
“Ah, sure,” I muttered, standing as well.
Sayo started heading for the door, with me right on her heels. Moments later, we were back in the main living room.
Seeing us approach, Mariner and Rune appeared to wrap up their conversation, with the former rising from the couch. Much to my surprise, I noticed that
