The Empress's death had thrown the Palace into chaos. Guests, courtiers and servants alike clamoured to accuse one another.
"It's the Fool from Umbar, I'd stake the Imperial Hoard on it!" declared the venerable Treasurer, Inziladun. "None of us have ever seen him before, after all!"
"No, no, it's me!" the beggar Bom piped up from his corner. "Not only am I afflicted with every disease or deformity known to Man or any other species, I'm also mad! Mad, I tell you! Lynch me at once! Or give me alms, whichever."
Everyone ignored him.
"What about Court Physician Thinlomien?" suggested Lottie, the sorcerer's apprentice. "Her Imperial Splendour trusted her– and I'm sure she has all kinds of knives and scapels and things. In fact, I could cast a divining spell on her–"
A chorus of voices pleaded with her to do no such thing– Lottie's attempts at spellcasting had been known to backfire rather disastrously– but nonetheless more than one person agreed with her.
"Grief for the death of our fair Empress has consumed me, along with preparations for her pyre," said Chief Eunuch Eruhen, "but I believe there's much in what you say."
"Yes..." breathed G55, in a sinister whisper, staring fixedly at Lommy's throat. "Perhaps someone should...deal with her, in her turn..."
"I don't believe this!" Lommy spluttered. "Me! Who has made healing her life's work! If you ask me G55 did the deed! She's an assassin, after all!"
Nonetheless, things were looking very black for Lommy, until Shasta stepped in.
"Nonsense. It *is* that so-called beggar! How better to put us off our guard?"
Many of the company were struck with this notion, and Bom was dragged to the execution-block, protesting all the way that he hadn't meant it, and that anyway he was suffering from terminal hayfever. The Executioner being, unaccountably, nowhere to be found, they took turns stabbing him. As Lommy dealt the final blow with surgical precision, the beggar's scrawny frame gave one last shudder and went limp.
The survivors looked on expectantly, but nothing happened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Living
Boromir88 –Wealthy mûmak breeder.
Sally –Messenger girl.
Galadriel55 –Professional assassin.
Shasta –Particularly attentive guard-lieutenant.
Steve –Court Jester (from Umbar).
Pomegranate –Entertainer.
A Little Green –The Empress's favourite snake-charmer.
Rikae –Empress's handmaiden.
Eruhen –Court eunuch.
Pitchwife –Captain in the "Provisional Royal Númenórean Navy" and emissary of Angamaitë IX, Lord of Umbar.
Lottie –Accident-prone sorcerer's apprentice.
Inziladun –Minister of the Treasury.
Lommy! –Court physician.
Nogrod –Camel and coffee trader.
Legate of Amon Lanc –Legate of Khand.
Dead
The Empress of Harad. Mod.
–assassinated in her sleep.
Bom Tombadillo –Greatly afflicted beggar. Ordo.
–multiple stab wounds.
Night Two has begun.