“What was this used for, and why was it closed up?” Mai asked Eliar.

“This warehouse is owned by the House of the Embers Moon. Thirteen years ago they fell into a dispute with the Greater Houses. I need not tell you that the Greater Houses went out of their way to ruin the house’s fortunes and destroy its reputation. In the end, the last adult member of the house made public what the gullible thought was a wild accusation: that the Greater Houses were involved in a conspiracy, that they’d allied with unnamed villains out of the north.”

“Which is true.”

Eliar snorted, flashed a grin, then sobered. “Yes, all too true, which I tried to tell everyone a thousand times for all the good it did. When he vanished, some said he’d been arrested by the militia and sent to the assizes prison. Others said he’d been murdered.”

“He’s the one Captain Beron murdered, isn’t that right? Master Feden ordered the murder done on behalf of the Greater Houses. And then the temple ordered Captain Beron’s murder when they discovered he’d carried out an assassination without their imprimatur. Are the politics of Olossi always this convoluted?”

Eliar heaved a passionate sigh. “Olossi got off easy. Thanks to Captain Anji. And to you.”

He smiled his charming, flirtatious smile. Chief Tuvi eyed him skeptically. As if Tuvi could possibly think an untested youth like Eliar compared to Anji!

“Anyway,” Mai said, waving Priya and O’eki forward for a look, “what’s that sad tale to do with this warehouse?”

Eliar’s gesture, indicating the echoing space, made the silver bracelets on his forearms jingle. “With no adults remaining to stand in authority over the house, the business was shut down by order of the Greater Houses. All their stock and their contracts and slaves and real estate were placed in administrative hold until the case be resolved.”

“There are child heirs? No adults at all?”

“Eight under-age children. No adults except for hirelings under contract and debt slaves. Many of the hirelings were naturally released from their contracts, and of the slaves, some were sold to pay for maintenance expenses.” Frowning, he glanced at Priya and O’eki.

“Hu! That’s one way to rid yourself of business competition. What merchandise did the House of the Embers Moon deal in?”

“Oil, of course. For as the moon wanes, you’ve more need of lamps, do you not?”

She smiled. She liked Eliar. He had a mind like hers in many ways, he treated her with a respect she’d never experienced in the house where she had grown up, and of course his clan had shown her nothing but gracious generosity. Most importantly, he was Miravia’s beloved brother.

And he was still talking. “Cooking oils, spiced oils.”

“Rose oil? Other perfumed oils?”

“I suppose so.”

“Oil of naya?”

“They would have had access to the trade route, since seeps lie in the western Barrens beyond the Olo’o Sea.”

“Nut oils? Thatch-tree oil? Mu oil?”

He smiled. “Oil is not my specialty, so I don’t know. This particular warehouse is set up to store their stock in storerooms depending on type and grade.”