Generally Speaking

As I assumed, the woman did not deign to grant me an interview either last night or the night before. My office, a sparsely decorated room in the Cylinder of Justice, was kept open for a few extra ahn each evening to accomodate her. I will be drafting the writ for her arrest this afternoon, to be posted around the city by nightfall. Regrettable, but necessary. It should be noted that she has not simply tried to avoid this investigation, but made an active attempt to obstruct it. She would have been better served to have sent the foreigner that was given temporary jurisdiction over the Anbar District than the man she ultimately chose. While some consider the General a psychopath, I have at various times known him as a patron, a customer and a friend. Often, those titles have not been exclusive of one another. I've yet to know him as an adversary. We share the bond of a Home Stone. Few men are spurious enough to betray that bond; even alleged psychopaths.
What this portends, ultimately, remains to be seen. Due process of law can be a slow animal, lacking the swiftness of the tracking sleen if not the tenacity. I will proceed henceforth with patience.
The evening before last brought a second visitor as well. A fellow conducting an investigation of his own. It seems like I should remember his name, but I confess I do not. At any rate, it has been well over a year, perhaps two since I last saw him. He was once in the employ of Dukkarr of the Curulean. It was enough that the man called me Poet and I called him Warrior, as he did not deign to offer me his name, nor did I press him for it. That is not to say that the encounter was unfriendly, or even tense. As the General amused himself with Portia, I sent the girl Six to the Warrior's feet as we spoke. He wanted to know if I knew the whereabouts of the man, Dukkarr. I did not. Like the General, Dukkarr and I do not travel in the same circles. Our paths cross from time to time and I consider him a friend, but the realities of the world in which we live escape neither of us.
"Perhaps he is on business related to acquisition," I offered. "The Love Feast approaches."
He had not considered that and nodded to himself at the notion. As the Summer comes to an end, people are eager to purchase women. It is the height of the season, as they say. There are a few reasons for it, of course. Economically speaking, the Love Feast is a heavy buying season which translates into a lot of speculative stocking by the major houses. A lovely girl that might cost a man a few silver coins in the spring could cost him considerably less as fall approaches. There are certain types that will almost always defy the laws of economics, supply and demand and such, but generally speaking, this is the case. The very fact that fall approaches is another factor in the compulsion to purchase women. The cooler side of our temperate climate will start to show itself. While it is practical to simply bring down supplemental bedding from one's storage closet, the idea of something nubile and slutty to heat one's sheets is a much more comforting notion. Finally, more women are purchased during the Love Feast than any other time of the year, I think, simply because it is tradition. Yes, there is a larger selection. Yes, colder temperatures are on the way. Truly, though, it is just the time of year to purchase women. Whether it is a new pleasure slut or something to stir one's kettle, it is a reason to visit the auction houses with one's peers to see what new and delightful things have been brought into the City from abroad. I thought it quite likely that Dukkarr was off on such a trip. Perhaps he was in the dusty markets of Tor, inspecting the belled ankles of some swarthy tarts in a dusty, desert tent or north in the vicinity of Laura & Kassau, testing the heft of a brace of bond maidens' milky white bosoms. The fellow seeking him out, however, seemed uncertain so I made another suggestion.
"I have made the acquaintance of the Scribe, Kateb, who was in the employ of the Curulean about one year ago," I mentioned. "In just the last few hands, I have seen him in the Arena, the Stadium of Tarns and one of the local parks."
This seemed to brighten the fellow's demeanor, to have a tangible lead, someone he might seek out as he sought me to further his quest. I was happy to help him.