Emmaline was not at all certain that Neil had made the right decision in not shooting Inspector Leizbauhnor. That worthy was seated at what passed for the dining table, a set of old gun carriage wheels laid on their side with planks nailed over the top, sipping at a glass of the indifferent whine Neil had produced. A fish rose into the air and fileted itself, the waste dropping into one bucket and the meat settling into another. If Leizbauhnor was impressed or intimidated by the display of arcane power he was doing a good job of concealing it. A second fish rose into the air and followed the example of the first.

"Under normal circumstances we might not have noticed the theft for some weeks," Leizbauhnor explained, sipping at the wine politely.

"A lot of powder is used up during blackpowder week and it would have been easy to assume that it was just moved or in transit," Leizbauhnor went on.

"We had an idea that something was afoot but it wasn't until the... accident at the gunnery school that we were sure," the Inspector lamented. The fish continued their self fileting, the process growing a trifle more violent with Emmaline's irritation, scales flying off in glittering arcs.

"Something like twenty tons of the stuff vanished between the powder mills and the storage magazines, most of a months supply for the city." Nuln was the arsenal for the entire Empire and though every city worth its saltpeter maintained at least a small powder mill, it was the shipments that flowed up and down the Reik and Aver rivers that kept up with the demand for an Empire whose security rested on handguns and cannons as surely as pikes and swords.

"Someone stole twenty tons of gunpowder?" Neil asked, arching an eyebrow. He sat across from Leizbauhnor, having reversed the chair so that he could straddle it with his chest to the chair back. If their visitor was irritated by the deliberate lack of respect he was showing no sign of it. From the tone of Neil's voice he was more impressed than shocked.
 
"I wish I had thought of it," Emmaline murmured, eyes still intent on the destruction of her catch. Leizbauhnor forced a tolerant smile.

"It did cross my mind that the theft occurred shortly after one Marguritte von Vissenbach made the acquaintance of a certain member of the Engineers guild we had our eye on, but we were able to rule the pair of you out. Albrecht Magnus has been associated with a number of questionable deals, but a theft of this size, well it requires more than salting a mine with a bit of gold dust or pretending to discover an heir to a lost fortune." Emmaline stiffened slightly, taking the bait in spite of herself.

"Both of those require more work than 'simply' doing anything," she snapped, magically gutting another fish in emphasis. The creatures eyes popped and its back snapped as her control wavered slightly with rising irritation.

"I'm sure you know better than I," Leizbauhnor rejoined dryly, "but the point I was making is that something like this takes logistics. It requires storage, time and patience to find a buyer and fence the take. I'm not attempting to be insulting Frauline Von Morganstern, but you simply don't have that kind of organization." 

"You seem to know a lot, why do you need us?" Emmaline asked. Leizbauhnor sighed heavily.

"You may have noticed that the city has its share of problems to deal with at this moment," he said dryly.

"Figuring out which syndicate did this, and where the goods are stored may be a challenge, it will require subject matter experts on crime and gunpowder, and lo and behold I happen to know a crooked engineering apprentice and a...."

"Engineer," Neil interuppted impudently. Leizbauhnor arched an eyebrow in interogation.

"I've graduated, I'm an Engineer now, not an apprentice," the thie continued glibly. Leizbauhnor heaved a put upon sigh.

"A crooked engineer and a gold wizard who are perfect for the job, and who, frankly, don't have much choice other than to do their patriotic duty."