fomase had never been ones for clutter. The gathering room had a low-table with a rather withered hpakrik growing—or dying—in it. There were a couple of stools, a flame-globe for light, and that was it—not even storage drawers under the low-table. There were also no decorations, though that was not uncommon. After travelling in Arnor for the last couple years, Jorvanultumn had gotten used to the human propensity to decorate everything.


    Pundritta,” Jorvanultumn said. “And I do not know for sure they took Meleng, but it is a possibility.”


    diare’s notes on each of the four currently practised disciplines, one crate for each discipline. Naturally, Davorultumn and I have updated them with what little additional information we’ve accrued over the years. The remaining crate contains what she had on the other six disciplines. You can probably ignore that one for now, but I said I’d bring you everything.”


    Pundritta is becoming active, you know everyone will soon have to know.” He switched to Arnorgue as he lifted the lid off the crate. “We will start with mentalism.”


    “Ooh, what’s this?” Sinit?a reached into the crate and fumbled around, apparently trying to reach through the space between the folders and the side of the crate. After a few moments, she pulled something out and held it up. “It’s like those decawhatsits of yours!”


    diare worked. I forgot it was in there.”


    Pundritta. Since they were all past, long-dead members, he could safely ignore those folders for now. They weren’t likely to contain much immediately useful. The second folder, however, was more interesting. According to the catalogue, it contained general details about the mentalism branch of the Pundritta. He reached for the second folder.


    Pundritta. “You can play with the toy later. I need you to look at some things with me.”


    Pundritta—”


    huh? What’s too much? I saw Felit?a meditating on the ship to and from Scovese and it looked really boring, so anything would be too much in my opinion.”


    Pundritta.


    Pundritta must have a symbol on them somewhere. It must be visible and cannot be hidden, but does not have to be obvious. It can be included as part of another bigger design, for example, or it can be very small and hard to notice.”


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    Pundritta,” he explained. “My family has apparently been searching for them for many generations.”


    Pundritta?”


    diare compiled many notes on the organization and we—”


    Pundritta implies an Isyar group.” She looked at the crates on the table and the floor beside it. “There are no Isyar Darkness Worshippers.”


    “Yes, but a whole organization? The name implies a council like the Lamdritta or the Lordritta ruling over or running a group of others.”


    “Yes, but even in secret, an organisation that has been around for generations? There would be rumours, legends. I’ve never heard anything. And if your family has been hunting them, why have they never told anyone else?”


    “All right, fine,” Chiansamorkin said. “Let’s look at these files. I see you’ve opened one of these boxes. Mentalism by the looks of it.”


    “We were looking at signs that help identify members of the Pundritta.”


    Sinit?a fumbled for the folder they had been looking at and held up the picture of the mentalism symbol. “But they have symbols! See? We can look for these.”


    Chiansamorkin looked at the picture. “Okay, that’s something a little more tangible. So we need to look for someone wearing this symbol?”


    “Then let’s go do that.” Chiansamorkin jumped to her feet.


    “There are other symbols to learn. We started with mentalism, but we should learn the others too. Whoever took Meleng may not be acting alone. We should learn the other signs too. They may not be very helpful, but they might provide us with...something.”


    “If it is like the mentalism crate, the first folder will be a catalogue. You want the second folder.”


    Chiansamorkin eyed him, dropped the first folder, and pulled out the second. She opened it with a very exaggerated motion.


    “Yes.” He took only the second folder out this time and opened it, glancing briefly at the signs. “The individual considers themself cleverer than everyone else,” he read aloud.


    “That’s not what I was laughing at.” Chiansamorkin slapped her folder down on the table. “These so-called signs. Willing to disregard tradition is the first one. That would be fine if it was a rare thing, but it’s not. I told you before, Jorvanultumn, about how young people today think a lot of our traditions are outdated and should be changed. Then there’s the next one: extroverted and outgoing. Again, not rare! Hell, I’m extroverted.”


    “Let us just stick to the symbols.” As he said that, Jorvanultumn flipped the page over to the enchantment symbol: two vertical lines, the one on the right having a hook on the top, and a solid circle between the two.


    “Ah, right, of course.” Chiansamorkin stepped back from the crate and the table.


    Jorvanultumn turned his attention back to the elementalism crate. He removed the lid and lifted the first folder out of the way to get the second.


    “Jorvan?”


    Sinit?a pointed, her finger shaking. “It’s the symbol in her eye.”