They spent that evening in the Coronet. No one was in a mood to do much else. Even Lidia, who was usually a one-woman whirlwind of activity in her free time, had taken time off from evaluating the group's supplies to linger with the others in the common room. The place was much cleaner and much emptier than usual; Hendak and Bernard had clearly been hard at work over the past day or so.

As Jaheira and Minsc were having an animated discussion about Boo's current weight and diet, Yoshimo was lazily leaning back in his chair nearby with a beer in his hand. Lidia sat down next to him.

He was still in high spirits, his morale seemingly undented by the escapade in the tent. He asked, "When Lord Jierdan pays us, what'll you do with your cut?"

"Use it towards Imoen's rescue," she said. She looked about for any listening ears, but the Company was mostly alone, and no one else seemed to be paying them much attention. "Someone out there has to know something."

"You're catching on," he said with a wink. A long pause, and then he said, "You know, I did a little theological reading when I first came west."

Yoshimo had never mentioned any devotion or interest towards religion, so to Lidia this was something of a surprise. "Looking for answers?"

"Nothing of the kind," he said, with a laugh. "No, it was simply a matter of getting to know the players before becoming involved with the game, so to speak, since Kara-Tur follows a different pantheon altogether. I simply wished to know more about Faerûn. But I remembered something, just now. Perhaps you can help clarify."

"What do you wish to know?"

"Some of your special powers were granted by your god, and in order to retain them you must obey a set of conditions. Is that not so?"

She wondered what he had speculated about the other source of her powers. She said, "To me, being a paladin is a calling, rather than a bargain. But yes, that's how more or less it works."

"I read that paladins must not associate with evildoers." He lowered his voice. "Would giving gold to the Shadow Thieves break this rule?"

She leaned forward. "That's the thing. I don't know," she said. "If it were a simple trade of money for services, maybe not."

"If it was the only way to find Imoen, would you consider it?"

Lidia stared at a knothole on the table for a long moment. "Once they had the gold, what would they do with it? Move slaves, extort money, hire a murderer? That's enough to give me pause, at least." She looked Yoshimo in the eye. "My duty is to resist evil, no matter the danger or cost. At the same time, Imoen is suffering unjustly. Something needs to be done. The way to do it is much less clear."

"It seems unjust to me that the gods would punish you for rescuing a friend," he said.

"You've been around. It's never simply about what you do, but how and why. That's true for anybody." She remembered how they'd come to this point, and added, "I don't suppose that clears anything up for you."

"No, but my curiosity is sated for the moment. You have a lot to consider, and no mistake," he said. He drained his glass.

They silently watched as Boo scurried atop the next table. Minsc and Jaheira took turns using their hands as a barrier around the edge, a game they had played many times before.

Lidia thought that now was a good time to change the subject. "We should get that key back to Bernard."

A flash of apprehension crossed Yoshimo's face, but he said, as easily as before, "Who did it end up with?"

"Hendak. Hopefully he hasn't yet returned it himself. Do you want to tell Bernard how he got it, or should I?"

"I secretly borrowed it from his cabinet, if you must know." He threw up his hands in mock despair. "How shall I work if you can see right through me?"

"I didn't. But after people get to know me, they usually come to me for help, if they don't try to kill me first. Listen - I'm sure Bernard is inclined to think well of Hendak to begin with, and he'll likely just be happy to have the key back. No harm was done. Besides, you've been with the Company through some serious scrapes. So I'll tell you as a friend: I need you to deal straight with me."

He seemed hesitant, until he finally said, "You place a tall order, though not an unexpected one. I've lived through subterfuge my entire life."

"Maybe what I'm asking isn't easy for you. And after all this talk of confronting evil, I can see why you might have withheld this from me. But I hope you can trust me, nonetheless."

"You bring up a fair point. We escaped Irenicus's maw together, didn't we?" He bowed low with a hand on his chest. "My apologies, good samurai. I shall not disappoint again." He left towards the bar, where Hendak was restocking the barrels.

It occurred to Lidia that Yoshimo had referred to her as a "samurai" a number of times, but she still wasn't entirely sure what he meant. Someday, she'd have to ask him.

On the day after the next, they rose early. Once the other members of the Company vacated their rooms, Lidia scoured them for any possessions that might have been left behind, and only when she declared them clear did they leave the Coronet one last time.

The first light of dawn was spreading over Athkatla, and the city was beginning to awaken. Some were coming out to do their first chores; a woman was spreading grain in front of some freely-wandering chickens. Some patrols were extinguishing the tall, spindly oil lamps that lined the main streets. Several guards held their stations at the Meirtyn Gate.

This gate was the tallest and most imposing structure in the neighborhood. The wall surrounding it was made of the same concrete as the docks and the walls, with nary a crack or patch in it. It was adorned with some of the same gold domes that oversaw the Promenade. Two large pillars framed a massive iron grate, which was partly raised now to allow foot traffic through. On each side of the gate were two massive terracotta statues, depicting two men sitting in robes, sternly contemplating all who passed.

"Did you see behind us?" Jaheira whispered.

Lidia turned to look behind her. Far away, a grey and blue shadow disappeared behind a corner. Perhaps it was because of the early spring morning, but a shiver ran up her arms.

Anomen and Aerie were both waiting under the nearby aspen, some distance apart, perhaps uncertain if they were both waiting for the same group. Whatever they had to offer, Lidia considered their punctuality to be a good sign.

After a few rounds of introductions, and some shuffling in the lineup, Gorion's Company paid the toll, went through the gate, and took the main road east.