[The camera pans over a cluttered desk.]
“Ah, yes, well, we do try to be organised. Unfortunately, sometimes we… aren’t.”
[Cut to footage of Antonio Sorini and Valerio Diite examining a dossier together, in heated conversation. Behind them, numerous coloured threads connect a plethora of scraps of parchment, miniature portraits, and family trees. A voiceover begins.]
“The Agli case was quite a challenge. However, the breakthrough came when we realised that if he had indeed stolen the jewels, then he wouldn’t have physically been able to stash them anywhere other than his mansion. Then it was simply a matter of infiltrating the place, finding the stuff, and leading the guards on a raid the very next morning.”
“What would you say to those who criticise your tendency for infiltration without an official warrant?”
“I’d tell them to bugger off.”
[A meaningful look from Valerio.]
“I mean, uh, I’d say that we only do what we do in the best interest of Esharia’s citizens. Can we cut that?”
– From a Signal documentary on the Sorini-Diite Investigation Agency
“A group of protestors, led by Antonio Sorini, have blockaded the site where the mining is planned to take place. They argue that such a move from the Esharian government would displace or disrupt many people’s lives, and is the result of shameless profiteering. Sorini in particular, who played a prominent role in the turbulent years following the Fleet’s arrival, compares their actions to the Sepulchre. A bold claim indeed. My message to these protesters is this: calm down and stop overreacting. I see no slippery slope to baseless, nihilistic malice…”
– A speech from a Wetlands businessman, soon interrupted by a flurry of rotten tomatoes
“The portrait features Antonio and Lisabetta di Sopra Toqare, two thirds of the marriage that rejuvenated the Plains. The two lived a long and happy life together. But more than that, both did vital work for Esharia. As you can see, Lisabetta’s hair is decorated by black and white feathers. This, alongside documents obtained from the office of Zotto Tarqel, is some of the best proof we have that Antonio Sorini was, in fact, the notorious Magpie. It’s thought that Lisabetta wore these feathers in tribute to him, and that she was among the only people who knew of Sorini’s secret.”
– A tour-guide in the Hashat Portrait Gallery