Morndas, 24 Last Seed
This morning, Rulindil was taken to the hall of the dead in Solitude for embalming, prior to his transit back to Alinor for a proper burial. The murdered security personnel, however, could be afforded no such luxury. Of course the mer were informed to the contrary, so as to protect what little morale there is left after last night's unsavoury happenings. Alas, in reality their service pensions were not sufficient to cover the logistics of it all, and after all, a troll needs to eat as well. I believe that the cave is considered to be a part of the embassy, so at least when I get round to writing all seven letters of apology their families will find some closure in knowing that their sons and daughters were laid to rest on what is technically Aldmeri soil.
Even now that the cleanup operation is nearing completion, I still find it jarring that I ever allowed this to happen in the first place. I can't help but feel as though my own complacency is to blame, and ultimately I have failed. It's just as I had feared: having spent so long in this benighted land, exposed to the elements and all the beastly Nords, I've begun to atrophy. But it's not so much the attack itself that upset me as such. Clearly the spy is a very dangerous individual with noteworthy infiltration skills; there was only so much anyone could have done. The thing that disturbs me the most is that this "Malborn" character had been working here at the Thalmor embassy for almost three years now, and I had never for a moment any reason to suspect that he was bent. It was only in the small hours of the morning, as I sought consolation in sleep that it struck me. I realised who he was. I was told there was an inferno that night in Falinesti. Nobody could've survived the purge. And yet, here we are.
As soon as Esbern is safely in my grasp, and our foolhardy assailant has been dealt with, I shall be sure to turn my attention to the Bosmer and finish the job. He's as good as dead. Nobody crosses the Thalmor and lives to tell the tale, let alone twice. And while I'm at it, I'm afraid I'll have to tie up some loose ends. There's no telling the full extent of the infection that exists within the embassy. It seems as though I'm going to have to make some permanent amendments to our payroll. Brelas was almost certainly collaborating with "Malborn" all along, what with that outrageous distraction of hers during the party. Chances are that she's still with Malborn as well. An opportunity to economise presents itself, indeed a welcome change in these lean times.
It was Thaeril's night off, so I have less reason to suspect her, and she at least put on a very convincing act of shock when I told her Malborn was responsible for the bloodstains she was scrubbing off a door frame. I wouldn't put it past Enilroth, even if he is here less frequently than the others. But he's also my maintenance specialist, and he has a certain way with the common folk, so I can't really afford to dispose of him in the aftermath of last night's carnage. Nonetheless, I'm not ruling out any possibilities here. After all, there's no telling who might've been responsible for conveying our spy his ill-gotten invitation in the first place. I'm afraid I also need to include Tsavanni here. I've never had reason to doubt her in the past, but there again, neither did I have any reason to doubt "Malborn". As per my uncle's old adage, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
I'm definitely going to bring J'datharr in. He owes me a favor, after all. I'm sure he could find a way for some of my staff to have a few tragic domestic accidents in the coming week. Even in the unlikely event that he is caught, the cat won't implicate us. He plays the part of a skooma-addled maniac wonderfully. As for the two Bosmer, I'm doubtless that he'll relish an opportunity to stalk his prey across the land like any good beast does. Perhaps I should look into hiring some Khajiit staff to replace them. It's the inherent substance dependence that keeps them docile and enforces loyalty. After all, I can never trust a human and now I don't even know if I can trust my fellow mer again. Until I can secure new contracts for the labor, I suppose I'll just have to iron my own uniform. Again, such are the sacrifices an ambassador must make.
All I can do for now is wait for Gissur to return, either with Esbern or not at all. Failure is absolutely not an option.