Sabine reached one forearm around her back and held onto her other arm. She answered in a flat, quiet voice, as she did when anxious. "There was a flood recently. She is okay. She lost some expensive stock. She said she would recover after a few months." Sabine made eye contact with Meesei. "She often talks about things as if they are not as bad as they are. I think she is having more difficulty than she has told me."

[hr]
While the change of subject seemed sudden, the new topic certainly piqued Janius' interest. "Is that so?" he asked. After tilting his head in an acknowledging gesture, he looked to the children and continued. "Well, you sound like you'd be quite the asset. Meesei's looking for the best and you've had more experience than probably anyone else that we could find." He sipped and turned his eyes to Saras. "Do you have reservations about being the spymaster?"