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“I’m not going to do anything to attract attention to myself. I’ll try to blend in everywhere we go.”

“Good. I hope you’re successful.”

Mirilla nodded, thinking to herself how thankful she was that she’d not finished her sentence before thinking better of it.

“You’ve got several of hours before our first stop. We’ll be in port for about three hours. I suggest you visit the drinkeries and taverns. Describe your brother and see if anyone will admit to having seen him. Don’t offer any compensation unless you have reason to believe they actually have information. Maybe leave out a detail and if they happen to know it, you know they’ve seen him. Don’t accept anything to drink or eat, or even wash your hands in front of anyone for any reason. You could very easily be drugged and go missing yourself.”

Mirilla nodded.

“You may want to get some rest if you can. I’ll wake you one hour before we’re set to dock at the first stop.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

“This is business. But I don’t want to have to go tell your grandfather the next time I see him that you disappeared and are probably bought and paid for by now.”

The captain walked out of his quarters on his way to do whatever it was he does, and Mirilla sat uneasily on the foot of his bed. “What have I gotten myself into?” she wondered aloud.

~~~

“Mirilla, open the door, dear. I must speak with you,” Eula said. “I know that you are innocent. We simply have to wait out the process of investigation, but I have no doubt things are exactly as you’ve said.”

Eula gave Bart a bit of side eye, when there was no response, then knocked on the door again. “Mirilla, are you here?”

“You see? It’s just like both other times I’ve been here. She won’t answer at all, and there’s no sound coming from inside,” Bart said.

“Mirilla? If you don’t open the door, I’m going to have to have someone open it so that we can be sure you’re alright,” Eula called.

Eula and Bart allowed a few more moments, but when no answer came, Eula tried once more. “Mirilla, I order you to open the door.”

Still, silence was their only response.

“Very well,” Eula said. She looked over her shoulder at one of the four guards following them around. “Please find the circuitry engineer and have him program a new passkey for me. I’m aware it will take a short while. I want one for myself, it will open every door in this palace. In addition, contact the Steward and have him send his metalsmith. I want him to remove this door as soon as possible. Momentarily, even.”

“Yes, Sovereigna,” the warrior answered, and rushed off to do her bidding.

“Do I meet you back here?” Bart asked.

Eula smiled. “No. We wait. The metalsmith will arrive before we even get tired of standing here.”

Sure enough, less than five minutes had passed before a very brusque, very large, and very sooty male rounded the corner of the hallway with his toolbox in hand and a canvas bag tossed over his shoulder.

“Ah, Ee’ Venn, thank you for coming so quickly,” Eula said.

“It is an honor to be of service, Sovereigna. What is it that I may do for you?”

“I would like this door removed from its hinges.”

“At once, Sovereigna.”

Eula and Bart watched as the large male unpacked some of his tools, a cannister of some type of gas, connected it all and knelt before the door. He lowered goggles over his eyes and aimed the nozzle at the metal hinges on the doors. “You should look away, Sovereigna, else you’ll burn your eyes.”

Both Eula and Bart hurriedly turned their backs to the male as he got to work.

In a matter of seconds the metal had melted and was beginning to drip to the stone floor. Another few seconds and Ee’ Venn turned a gauge control to top the supply of gas to his nozzle, extinguishing the blue-white, laser looking streak of hotness that had effectively melted all hinges on the door. He grasped the heavy door and leaned it against the wall before telling Eula she could face the door again.

“You may turn around, Sovereigna,” Ee’ Venn said.

When Eula and Bart turned back to him, Ee’ Venn was already standing and disassembling his tools to repack them and the door neatly leaned against the wall to the right of the opening it once filled.

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