The duty to live

[Anastasia]

"Very familiar," Is the answer, no resistance, just a simple reply.

[Ebiris]

He's not very verbose. "Would you say that you command the Dark Speech? Who do you know that commands it better?" she asks to dig out more detail.

[Anastasia]

"Yes. Shar." Is the answer.

"More," The Lord of the Seventh Commands in a word.

"Yes, I do. I have been trained in it. I have learned from Shar herself and her mastery is beyond peer."

[Ebiris]

Well that tracks with Dragodan hyping up Penae. "Do you habitually change your gender when dealing with the Shadow Twelve?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes. I do not allow them to see a shadow fully," Is his answer.

[Ebiris]

So little trust. "Well, that answers that mystery," she says, looking at Beezlebub.

There's other things she could ask Penae but it would only be a rehash of Dragodan and she doesn't want to interrogate someone else's captive right in front of him unless invited.

[Anastasia]

"Surgat," The Lord of the Seventh says kindly, "Record the names of those who handled the first interrogation."

The scribble of quill on paper is as heavy as a cell door's slam.

[Ebiris]

"That does leave the question of why Penae was stripped the honour of acting as Shar's proxy," Alicia brings them back to an earlier point.

[Anastasia]

"So many questions," The Lord of the Seventh concurs, "It brings to mind the question if she wished Penae to be captured. It would be a remarkably inferior, imperfect scheme, even for her standards."

[Ebiris]

"Well what does Penae have to say about it?" Alicia asks. Of course Shar could have easily spun him any kind of tale for him to regurgitate later since the whole point is he's disposable and expected to end up in this situation, but it still provides context.

[Anastasia]

"Speak," The Lord of the Seventh commands, those perfect words chipped and cracked to your ear.

"I have nothing to add, for no such thing was said to me," Penae explains.

[Ebiris]

"That's it? You were stripped of your position with no explanation? When?" Alicia presses on that, annoyed at having to take part in a joint interrogation with a devil.

[Anastasia]

A tap by the Lord of the Seventh on Penae's head. She immediately stiffens and comes to attention. It's barely a touch, a mere moment of his finger against her flesh.

"Lady Shar decided I would work best without her direct blessing on this matter," she says at last. "Her word is beyond questioning."

[Ebiris]

"Well it's clear she expected to lose Penae over this. The only question is what she expected to gain by the trade," Alicia concludes. "The scheme on the surface was a fool's errand."

[Anastasia]

"Layers and layers," Syala seconds, drumming her fingers on her bare knee. "A distraction, it has to be. From what I don't know, but I can't puzzle out anything that makes sense otherwise. Can you, Alicia?"