To the Watchman of Night, and the Forgewright of Fire,

To the Appraiser of Slavery, and the Augur of Mystery,

And last of all to the Madman of Chaos.

The words of Silence were revealed.

Silence 1:14

'Bitch!' Cassius screamed. 'Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch!'

The Mabari barked, loudly, then stopped chasing some imaginary foe around the chamber, ran to the window to place its front paws on the windowsill and howl madly at the crescent moon.

'This cannot stand!' the Magister shouted, to cover the racket. 'This cannot stand, you hear me? I shall not let this go unpunished, I swear to you!'

'Your excellence,' Gladius dared, shirking in a corner and not being able to determine whether he was more terrified of the howling hound or of his former master – for both seemed to be foaming at the mouth rabid, 'perhaps his grace Radonis…'

'What, Gladius? What!' Cassius shouted, turning his blood shot eyes on his former slave, and making the man all but melt into the door behind him. 'Do you also now possess some sort of insight into his mind that I do not? Or perhaps it is not that!' the Magister barked, on the exact same tone as his unwanted, frenzied pet. 'Perhaps Radonis has only ever possessed the half-brain of an elf, which is why you and that Pavus bitch understand him so well!'

'That woman belongs in the deepest, darkest cell we have, but no – he has her sealed three ways in his study, while he sends me to fetch…'

The dog spun on himself, gave a short, excited bark at the word and rushed at the human mage, wagging its entire body in unbridled enthusiasm, and cutting Cassius rant short.

'…shiny elven balls,' the Magister ended, in a voice strangled by shock; it was indeed hard to determine whether that was what he had been truly been tasked with, or it had been some sort of expletive. Gladius reckoned it was a little of both.

'And did we find, any, erm…' the elven mage dared, hoping that the many parchments he held to his chest would perhaps protect him, but knowing from experience that they likely would not.

'What?' Cassius shouted.

'Shiny elven balls?' the elf whispered, in a tiny, terrified voice – as he'd suspected, the parchments provided no shield, and he was struck across the face twice, hard. Still, it was for the best, Gladius bitterly reckoned, running his tongue along the inside of his mouth to determine whether all his teeth were still in place.

Two slaps now were much preferable to a proper beating later, and they did seem to calm Cassius down significantly.

'Yes,' the Magister snarled, in a considerably more controlled tone of voice. 'We did find three in Minrathous and six in overall, but of how many…'

The human sighed deeply, and sat behind his desk with his face in his hands, allowing his secretary to relax a little; at least he'd have time to brace before the next slap came.

'Then, perhaps the savage…' Gladius hesitantly said.

'Why are you still speaking as if someone cared for your opinion?' the human asked, looking up and shaking his head.

'I apologise, your excellence,' the elf replied, lowering his glance.

Cassius sighed once more, and there was a moment of silence; even the blasted dog settled in his corner. 'I know she knows what she's talking about,' the Magister said at long length. 'But this presents two problems to me and my office, Gladius, which you are too short sighted to acknowledge.'

'The first and most important problem,' Cassius thoughtfully followed, 'is that I know she is feeding us this information in fragmented pieces; this slows retaliation efforts to the pace she and her fool of a husband set – a century of her permanence in Tevinter will not convince me she has our best interests in mind. No elf ever could.'

'Your excellence,' Gladius whimpered, 'I have…'

'You have been properly reared and understand your place,' Cassius sneered, 'but the only reason why I can't have you roasting in the cells with the others is that would decrease my credibility as well, fool – and I can scarcely afford that, because, you see, if the southern savage does intend to earnestly fight this fight at our side, she will make Magistra, and will give that absurd Tilani creature and her accursed Lucerni another seat, in Senate – and they are bloody approaching a third, already…'

'His grace Radonis would never do that,' Gladius said, with bile of his own.

The Magister looked up, sneering. 'I don't know, Gladius,' he responded, each of his words a lash. 'You and your fellow Liberati must have some hope of an elven elevation eventually happening, else you would not still be scurrying along the Senate's corridors like so many hungry mice chasing scraps.'

'One dares not hope so high,' the elf said, knowing that he had paled and that his former owner was greatly enjoying it. 'I am already grateful that your excellence retained me in his service, and not…'

'Sent you to rot somewhere along the Hundred Pillars, yes,' Cassius said, dryly. 'Keep that in mind…So you see,' the Magister sighed, leaning back in his chair and analysing his fingertips, 'I am in a very unpleasant position of damned if I do, and damned if I do not interfere with this woman, whom I regard as a threat to all of Tevinter's legacy, and who has already greatly interfered with…Yes, well, you know that part; if her Inquisition had not stood in our way, you might have had a Liberati Magister by now.'

The elf nodded. 'I am well aware of that, your excellence,' he expressionlessly said. 'Her meddling has caused us all much grief. If…If I may,' he pleadingly said, 'have you informed his grace Radonis of what Altus Hadrian has…erm, shared?'

Cassius smirked. 'The report has been on his desk since yesterday morning, but he shows no signs of having read it; but for tonight, I might have thought he's biding his time and watching those two traitors before he pounces, yet more and more I am convinced…'

He looked to the side, with the expression of a man who was about to spit. 'I am starting to believe he wants this creature dead as well, and that fills me with rage, Gladius. You understand? Rage!' he bellowed, to emphasize the point, though the elf was shaking like a leaf and no emphasis was needed. 'Not only has this other elven menace attempted to toy with Lord Corypheus,' the Magister whispered, 'but now he attacks us head on, and his bitch is fighting tooth and nail to make sure that every last hope of restoration – of our, glorious restauration - is buried…'

'…while his grace Radonis does nothing to stop it,' Gladius agreed, gritting his teeth. 'I understand your excellence is disheartened, and,' he followed, hotly, 'I am assured you will not be the only one, once those true of heart understand the truth of the Archon's actions. If gathered in the Archon's presence, they may perhaps impress upon him the dimensions of his error.'

The Magister cranked his nose. 'You know,' he thoughtfully uttered, 'sometimes, randomly, you do give me reason to think clothing and feeding you is not a complete waste…There is an upside to this,' he reasoned, sounding content. 'With Tilani and Pavus under house arrest in Quarinus or committing suicide on Seheron, or whatever it is they intend to do, the Lucerni are publically disgraced, which gives me strengthened control over both Senate and concilliarum. Temporarily, but it should serve; Radonis is currently presiding over the greatest cataclysm since the First Blight. He can oppose me, but he cannot oppose us all. Hm, good.'

Gladius managed a half smile, hoping, perhaps for reassurance that the perpetual threat of being sent to the Hundred Pillars had been staved off for another month, and that Cassius would say as much. No such thing was forthcoming.

'Go walk this beast,' the Magister ordered, waving towards the Mabari. 'I'll have a list of names for you by the time you get back – and don't come back until it has emptied its bowels fully...'

'Yes, your excellence,' Gladius said, once more lowering his glance and swallowing dry. 'Your excellence…'

'You're now boring me, elf,' Cassius said, with a terrible scowl.

'I…I apologise, I beg your patience for but a moment longer,' the elven mage said, bowing. 'An old friend of ours, whose name is maybe too menial to come to your excellence's mind, may be a great value for the initial meeting of those who still wish that our Imperium be great again.'

There was a spark in Cassius eye, but, yet again, no recognition was granted.

'She would have come to mind, Gladius,' the Magister said. 'How fares Calpernia?'

'Forgotten by all but those very close,' Gladius humbly said. 'She too…'

'Has a great stake in this,' Cassius muttered. 'I am well aware of it. What do you want with her? I'm not about to raise her once more; her hour is done.'

'I am your humble servant,' the elf said, 'and it is perhaps true that her opportunity was lost, yet she has some knowledge that the assembled Magisters you shall gather might like to partake in.'

'Such as?' the Magister asked, arching an eyebrow.

'Such as the fact that Archon Radonis' unfortunate attitude towards restoring our rightful legacy is not recent, and that in fact, he has been working against the Venatori and Lord Corypheus for quite a long time. Long before the face painted savage and her Southern Chantry allies even knew of our goals.'

'And you know this, how?' Cassius inquired, sitting up in obvious interest.

'Many a night have I and Calpernia spoken of this, and deplored our ill fortunes.' Gladius said. 'If it pleases you, it would perhaps be for the best if you spoke to her, directly…'

'Very well,' Cassius said. 'Have her fetched. After you walk the dog,' he added, killing even the shadow of a smile that was beginning to grow on his secretary's features.

The elf bowed, and left, with the Mabari in literal tow; just as Cassius had felt it was safe to grin to himself, however, Gladius briefly returned, to straighten the carpets the vile animal had dragged along and crumpled, as it was being dragged along itself. Still, because the elf had been useful, Cassius did not see fit punish the unannounced return by words, and considered his glare was enough of an incentive for Gladius to get out of his way, and allow him to enjoy a glimpse of future triumph.

His anger at how he was being treated had not fully receded, but it was now running cold, allowing room for thought.

There was no doubt in Cassius' mind that Pavus and his wife intended to fight the elven upstart; there was no doubt that they fully intended to kill him. And he'd allow them to come close to doing so – if Radonis sincerely helped the effort, then all was for the best, for less work for more gain was never to be shunned. It all then spun into a plan worth following, one that his old, frustrated and like-minded friends would greatly approve of…

Cassius did not wish to unfold it to completion in his mind, just yet, though, for, anger aside amusement was clouding his thoughts.

A Liberati Magister, he thought to himself, beginning to chuckle while remembering the dead fish eyes of the insipid, gap toothed woman that was Calpernia. An elven Liberati Magister, he reiterated, in his mind, thinking the fever in Gladius' eyes. It was that image that caused his control to falter.

He leaned both his arms on his desk, laughing so hard that tears were wetting his sleeves.

The stupid animals actually thing we ever intended to give them that, Cassius thought.

The mere fact that Liberati, human or not, even dreamt of that simply showed why they would never be worthy of a senatorial seat – it was, truly, funny as hell.

Uuh, methinks Cassius has never heard that old adage of if you rattle the pill bottle and you hear silence, it means you're out of mood stabilising meds o.O Still even mad folk get lucky at points, and we think he's stumbled onto something here...Thank you for reading and commenting, and we'll see you on Monday, with an ever thickening plot.

Up next - Zevran attempts a valiant rescue! (no, really!)