Philomel watched the happenings with a smirk of amusement on her face. All around her people were moving, bustling to and fro as the party got into the full swing.

Though it was different to a mere party. 'Party' as a word had the air of celebration around it, this was more determined and formal. People wore their finest dresses, with Philomel herself clothed in gorgeous silks from abroad. It suited her well - this corseted, many-layered number, a thing she could twirl and pronounce herself in, giving much pleasure to eyes. Some of those eyes were, indeed, somewhat less friendly, but as Philomel moved around she found herself looking at people of more familiarity. An ambassdor, for instance, whom she herself had bribed once. A tall pair of strangely elegant sea-goign creatures whom she heard confess they were 'King and Queen of the Sea'. This latter description made her particular curious.

The entire sea? she thought, wondering with a rather large amount of astonishment, Or just a particular sea?

One that is close, and full of creatures like them, I suppose.

She glanced down and saw the lithe form of Veridian come skidding at her heel. With a soft smile she welcomed the return of the fox, after he had run off to find whath e described as 'fresh food'. A ring of red blood still scarred his maw.

Or perhaps I mis-heard, Philomel concluded. Maybe they specifically mentioned a sea.

Perhaps, the earth-spirit agreed, Now look there.

His nose pointed towards where a fantasically mustached and uniformed man interracted with the pair of sea-glories. He seemed confused, and then disgusted, and his look then went to shock as the two of them drifted off to dance to some elegant stringed music. Tilting her head, Philomel observed the pair, then the man who looked utterly broken and it made her laugh a little. Lightly.

What a dear shame, she said, her eyes resting on him for just a moment.

And then she was scanning the room again, looking for that elegant famous information-seeker. The very one who had greeted them at the door.

The detective.