“No. And any answer we receive will be unofficial. It will provide some possible context, some possible direction for further investigation. That is all.”
Master Sabrai walked over to a desk tucked against the wall. “Very well. On the understanding that our records are not up to the standards of the Imperial Service, or even the Halls of Law, I will attempt to answer your questions.” He opened a drawer. From it, he withdrew two large, long books. The covers had dates.
He had already prepared the information he thought the Wolves would ask for. Had Severn not asked, he would not have offered.
“These are the relevant logs.” Severn rose and retrieved them. Elluvian was both watchful and silent. He almost reached for the logs himself, but appeared to think better of it.
“Lord Marlin doesn’t want the Wolves to become entangled in strictly Barrani affairs.”
“And I don’t want rain when I’m forced to leave the Oracular Halls.”
Severn opened the book while the two older men stared at each other. The dating system was much the same as the dating system used for Records in the Halls of Law. The Oracular Halls weren’t as busy as he might have expected, given the information the Oracles could offer. There were requests, yes. But few of those requests appeared to have been granted, and some had been refused outright, with no explanation.
Nor did he think an explanation would be forthcoming if he asked for one. It didn’t matter. The Barrani didn’t often ask for permission to interact with the Oracles.
“Do you recall,” Severn said, as he turned pages, “a Barrani by the name of Ollarin?”
“Not offhand.”
“I ask you to consider it now, because a Barrani mandidvisit Random. The visit occurred after the Tha’alani children visited. Do you have a record of their visit?”
“No. They were not here to receive an oracle.”
“Did the Barrani man who was granted permission to visit also peruse your logs?”
“No. He didn’t have the threat of the Imperial Service hanging over my head.”
“Was the visit by the Tha’alani—the second visit—logged?”
Master Sabrai didn’t answer.
Severn had found the entry, the first entry, of relevance. He didn’t recognize the name, only the styling. Elluvian held out a hand, and Severn passed the book to him. He watched Elluvian’s face, or rather, the color of his eyes; Elluvian’s expression gave nothing away.
The name was familiar to Severn; he’d heard it on his first visit to the High Halls. It was the name Elluvian had given Corvallan and Cassandre: Sennarin.
Sennarin was a family name; it was not An’Sennarin. The Barrani man, however, had given no other.
Elluvian closed the book. He then set it on the table beside his empty glass. Severn had moved on to the most recent book. “How did Sennarin receive permission to visit Random? Did he ask specifically for Random?”
Silence.
“I was under the impression,” Severn continued, “that the request is made of the Oracular Halls. The choice of Oracle is not in the hands of the person who makes the request; it is your decision.”
Master Sabrai nodded.
“Did Random tell you that Ollarin—or rather, that a Barrani man—would come to speak with her? Did she make the same request she made when setting up our appointment?”
“Yes.”
“Did the Barrani man arrive after Tessa’s second visit?”
“Yes.”
“He has never returned.”
“No. Nor will he.”
“But he did make the request through the usual channels.”