The brothel mistress looked a little dissapointed both that Cydric declined her services and that he was clearly with Camilla but Ricardo was already nodding his head.

"Yes Hilde dearest, can you have it bought back to my room?" the Tilean asked. Camilla leaned slightly against Cydric, her eyes felt gritty from the long day of travel and the excitement back at the Taal's Rest. 

"Of course I can," Hilde said, her expression brightening, "Ill add it to your tab."

Ricardo led them back behind the curtain and through a long hall. The corridor was lined with heavy wooden doors. The sounds of pleasure came faintly through some of them but it was clear to Camilla that they were using some sort of sound proofing. Brothel girls tended to be theatrical, it helped with tips if nothing else. To Camilla's relief Ricardo led them up a flight of stairs that led to another story above the main floor of the brothel. The elaborate veneer of faux civility fell away, and they were in a plain, if clean space. Camilla caught the scent of food and perfume as they passed more doorways and guessed that this must be primarily a storage area. 

At the end of the hallway Ricardo opened a door and lead them into a small room. Old furniture including several couches were stacked neatly around the room. There was a bedroll rolled out in a clear corner and a table pushed up against the wall on which a variety of weapons were laid out along with several scrolls and some parchment and ink.

"Settling in I see," Camilla said archly. Ricardo turned with a smile, it was a little forced, his wound clearly still paining him.

"It isn't much, but its home," he said taking a seat on a high backed upholstered chair and gesturing to some more chairs. Camilla turned hers around so she could rest her folded arms on top of it.

"Alright, lets hear it," Camilla said, laying her chin on her folded arms. Ricardo sighed and nodded. He took a scroll from the table and unrolled it. On the paper was a charcoal rendering of what must have been an intricate golden beetle of some sort. The artist had been at pains to capture the shine of the metal as well as the faceting of a large central jewel in the middle of the things back, around which the wings folded artfully . It looked like it had been taken from a book.

"Did you draw that?" Camilla asked, suddenly reminded that Ricardo wasn't without artistic skill of his own. He nodded curtly.

"When I first came to work for the Countessa it was to catalog the collection," he confessed, "It is from my notes." Camilla nodded and glanced at Cydric. That explained why Ricardo was so afire to recover the thing, he would be the prime suspect. For a fleeting moment she wondered if he had stolen it, but quickly dismissed the idea. It wasn't that he was too virtuous or honest, he simply wasnt that stupid, the Countessa Di Riario had a famous temper.

"It dosen't look particularly Arabyian," Camilla said skeptically. The lines were all wrong, much to angular for the more graceful curves of Arabyian sensibilities. This was blockier, more primal some how. Ricardo nodded.

"Ze records, zey are not good, but they seem to suggest that it is from some expidtion one of the Caliphs made into the southern deserts." He shrugged his shoulders and winced as he did so.

"I'm not a historian Ucellina," he confided and went on.

"The Countess had a guest, the night before the thing was reported missing, an antique dealer from Marienburg. Marcellus Krolsh. Apparently he has a reputation among people who deal in such things. He had a... uhh... unimpeachable alibi though." Camilla slowly arched an eyebrow and Ricardo glowered.

"You must be slipping," she commented blandly.

"Common interest sometimes trumps good looks Ucellina," he said a trifle defensively.

"If you say so," she said with a wide grin. Ricardo made a rude gesture.

"Anyway Krolsh sailed for Marienburg the next morning and that afternoon the Contessa discovered the thing was missing. He operates out of the city but he dosen't seem to have a shop..." Ricardo trailed off as there was a timid knock at the door. A moment later it swung open and a stunning young woman, no more than eighteen and dressed as the girls downstairs had been carried in a tray piled high with cheese, sliced meat and olives. She laid it down on one of the couches and smiled a dazzling unabashed smile at the silent occupants of the room before slipping out without uttering a word.

"We need to find Krolsh and see what he can tell us. If we are lucky he will have the scarab with him," Ricardo concluded then stood up.

"Eat," he instructed, "There are no other spare rooms but Ill see if I can get a couple more bed rolls." With that the handsome Tilean slipped from the room. Camilla took the opportunity to lean in and kiss Cydric, savoring the first moment of privacy since they had reached the city.

"I was worried," she said simply touching his shoulder gently, "Does it hurt?"

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