"Why Halt thinks I need more paperwork beats me," Crowley said, walking into the office with a folder full of papers. Hannah looked up from the map she had been studying.
"Foldar?" she guessed.
"Yep. That and he wants to go chase after Will."
"You don't?"
"I do, but I know that I'm needed here! Unlike Halt!"
"I agree. Gilan could easily take over the Foldar case," Hannah noted, fully realizing that Crowley meant Halt didn't realize he was needed, not that Crowley was needed and Halt wasn't.
"That is not what I meant."
"I know. But you have to admit that he could."
"Halt is better."
"Of course. But Gilan is close in second."
Crowley sighed. "With the amount of detail in these files, you'd think he's planning on going anyways. Halt never writes detailed reports."
Hannah was about to say that maybe he was when someone rapped on the door.
"Come in, as long as you aren't bringing me paperwork!" Crowley called.
"You might wish I was, after I explain what happened," the king said, opening the door. Hannah stood up to leave, but Duncan waved her back to her seat.
"What is it?" Crowley asked, the worry in his voice barely concealed.
"Halt."
"What happened? What does he need! I'll get someone-" Crowley paused as the king held up a hand, warily shaking his head.
"He was caught in a tavern last night, in front of witnesses. He apparently got drunk. Started treasonous talk about my lineage. Some stevedore tried to steal his money, he knocked him out in a couple seconds. Captain of the Guard tried to arrest him, he held up his bow and nocked an arrow. Looked like he would've shot it, but his bowstring snapped."
"I don't believe it," Hannah said.
"Halt never had a good head for alcohol," Crowley said sadly.
"No- I don't believe that his bowstring snapped. Do you have any idea how much he's told Will and I to check it every night? There's no way that Halt would have let his bowstring get so frayed that it would snap."
"Regardless, treason is treason- I'll have to either execute or banish him tomorrow," Duncan said, resting his head in his hands.
"Banishment… How is that worded here?" If the term was as loose as in Arrida, Hannah had an idea.
"I don't know! Why does it matter?"
"Because if the law is loosely worded, banishment does not have to be permanent."
"How do you know this?" Duncan asked, surprised.
"I grew up with George," Hannah said without missing a beat.