Riftwatch agents Yevdokiya and Tony are a half week into their stay at the Menton estate when, over breakfast, Doki turns to Tony and says, "My brother will be visiting."

They don't share breakfasts exactly. There are a lot of places in the estate where you could be eating breakfast, but only one big dining table, and so sometimes they have found themselves with coinciding mealtimes, taking their food at the same big long table, sitting on opposite ends like a feuding couple in a story--maybe like Lord and Lady Menton themselves?--and then conversation happens.

They found the antler and chair leg sculptures on the first day. The burned and hollow library. The left-behind treasures, the unbroken glass in the windows, the larders still somewhat stocked and the wine cellar only half raided. The trophy room stripped, the games table scarred but still, you could play cards on it, ignoring where the carving was done. The big wardrobe in the dressing room, stuffed full of gowns. Doki is wearing one of the gowns this morning, which she carefully laced up on her own. It is slightly too large in places, and too small in others. A fetching blue, to bring out her tattoos nicely. She licks runny egg off her fork, rubs the fork on the dress, and looks at it. Silver.

"You will like him," she promises Tony. "He is very helpful and very nice."