[Nerwen]

"But, just so everyone is utterly clear, the show is not cancelled, and we have not been run out of town, and Elanor has not, as of yet, proved herself to be evil. Any questions?"

"Yes! What do you think of this?" Asta was not about to lose this second chance at revealing the note, not when the first time had been so anticlimatic. She would have liked to be able to move around a bit more, and make some appropriate dramatic gestures, but the near-miss she had just received from Coldan (which she would not let him forget in a hurry) was a reminder of how close the quarters were.

"I found this outside Lord Sador's door– if he really is a lord– yesterday. It's mostly indecipherable– you'd think a real lord would write a fairer hand, wouldn't you?– but it most definitely says "Aldarion", "third" and "tomorrow"– which is to say, today. And you remember that business with the letters? There's something going on, that's for sure– in fact," she added, as a startling new thought occurred to her, "if you ask me they've kidnapped him!"

It all made sense now. She could not imagine why it had taken her so long to work it out.