A Surplus of Wealth and Fortune

The orphanage had lush grounds, complete with a beautiful orchard of fruit trees and flowers. It looked like such a nice place. Jelena's face was completely without an expression. She didn't look anyone in the eye. She reached inside her robes for the holy symbol of Ilmater, and proudly displayed it on her clothes. As they approached the doors of the building, they could see the same symbol painted on the top of the door. Jelena's eyes narrowed at this, but she didn't say anything. She was eerily calm. The others were apprehensive, but just walked behind her. This was her show, and they were just assisting her.

Jelena entered, and a nursemaid came to greet her.

- "An agent of the Crying God!" she exclaimed. "Welcome!"

- "Thank you. I am lady Jelena, and, as you say, an agent of Ilmater." Jelena's voice was calm and pleasant. She smiled. If the nursemaid had known her, she would have known that something was off as the smile didn't reach the blue eyes. But she didn't.

- "We would like a tour, and to meet your leader. It is not often that such charity is practiced in Sembia," Jelena went on, Winski shuddering at the uncharacteristic sarcasm.

- "But of course. I am sure that he would like to give the tour himself, for one serving his beloved patron god," the nursemaid said.

Jelena's smile of steel didn't falter. She waited as the woman disappeared to fetch the object of her hatred.

The man who entered the hall was very attractive in a refined sort of way. His open, pleasant, friendly face looked like the face of someone you could implicitly trust. Someone kind and nurturing, yet strong and charismatic. His eyes were blue and his blond neatly clipped hair was barely starting to grey. He was tall, and looked very paternal. His picture could well have been in a children's book depicting a perfect, loving father of a happy family.

- "What a pleasure!" he exclaimed in a deep, cultured voice. A voice not unlike Keldorn's, Peri noticed with involuntary shudder. She could feel Sarevok fuming and glaring beside her. She hoped he would keep quiet for long enough.

- "I am very honored that an agent of the god I dearly love would give us a visit! Let me give you a tour. I have been blessed with a surplus of wealth and fortune, and I consider it my little way of trying to make the world a bit better place to use some of that to give these poor children the best possible circumstances," the man went on smoothly, extending her hand to Jelena, who took it without flinching.

- "It is very good of you. I only wish your kind of attitude would be more prevalent in Sembia. Loving children and caring for them is one of the things most pleasing to my Lord," Jelena answered, as smoothly. Only Winski was able to detect the tiniest hint of steel in her voice.

Jelbeth Lamar shook hands with everyone. Winski just smiled sardonically at him, his unblinking eyes like jewels. Peri used her 'sullen mercenary' expression that often made people dangerously underestimate her ability to perceive subtleties, and Imoen bit her lip, looking even younger than she actually was. Sarevok squeezed the fingers of the man with more force than necessary, and uttered his name through gritted teeth, his golden eyes glaring. The man frowned slightly at this, but shrugged it off and returned her attention to Jelena.

They were led to a dining room, which was very nice with bright-colored paintings on the walls, small tables arranged in irregular little dining groups.

- "We strive to strike a balance between nutritionally healthy food and the food the children vote for themselves," Lamar explained. "I of course would like to give them whatever they want to eat, but I fear their tastes aren't always in complete harmony with nutritional balance."

- "It must be hard for you to disappoint the poor dears in any way," Jelena said. "Seeing as you are so fond of children."

The man chuckled and nodded, never perceiving the shudder of revulsion shaking Jelena's body.

It appeared that every child had an own room, which was a luxury even in an average Sembian home.

Lamar knocked on the door of one of the rooms, and a little girl came to open. She looked a bit suspicious and guarded.

- "Hello, Mia," Lamar said, affectionately touching the child's cheek. "Say hello to the nice people. The lady here is a priestess of Ilmater, you know."

- "Hello," the girl said and smiled a little, glancing at Lamar as she did.

The group greeted the girl, who seemed to want to please the leader of the orphanage, gauging his reactions to her behaviour all the time.

There were rooms full of expensive toys, a library with a lot of books, a school room for older children, and a shrine of Ilmater. It looked like such a perfect place for suffered little children. After the tour Lamar led them to his study, and Jelena closed the door behind her, slowly turning to face the man.