JUSTIN: * Before Shane has a chance to answer her, the door swings sharply open to reveal the very man they've come to see. He gives them both a silent stare, face stern. Then, his face becomes distinctly bored, and he regards them with impatience. "Did you read the book I sent you?"

JENNA: * Jo matches his boredom with a stare of her own, and she waves a hand at Shane. "Well, he did. I listened, though." She appears to be making an effort, if minimal, to be polite to the man -- or at least not start a fight. "The pyramids are pretty well looted, though, so if it's down there, it's either hard to get to or it's not something of obvious value."

JUSTIN: * Shane simply keeps his mouth shut for the moment, at least until Jo's forced politeness fails. He does slink off to the side, however, to keep from becoming a focus of the tall, dark, unfriendly fellow in the doorway. Mackenzie doesn't pay him any attention anyway, turning and motioning with a finger for both to follow him. "What I'm looking for is more valuable than the things graverobbers prize. And I wouldn't send you if it wasn't there. I don't have the patience for wasted effort."

JENNA: "Then maybe you should have written your book in plain speak, instead of filling it up with language only you and about a dozen other people in the world understand." Jo folds her arms, frowning slightly. "As job offers go, it was a little tough to figure out." Her shoulders lift in a slight shrug. "I know the location pretty well.. my guild was based in Morroc."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie closes his eyes for a moment in weariness, wondering briefly if it was very wise of him to choose this particular pair for the job. It took a lot of self-convincing to make the decision in the first place, but it likely will take far less to realize its error. "To any intelligent, literate, learned individual, that is as 'plain' as one could hope for." He turns suddenly to face them -- Jo in particular -- and manages to keep a straight face when he'd rather show distaste. "Clearly I overestimated you comprehension skills. Now, whether you know the area well or not is of hardly any concern, as the entire point of these expeditions is to traverse grounds little travelled for thousands of years. If it was as simple as paying for the guided tour, there would be little point in hiring you." Returning to his previous route, he continues across the large, central hall toward the same door they passed through during their previous visit.

JENNA: * Jo makes a rather rude gesture at Mackenzie's back, and she ambles after him, smiling lazily. "If graverobbers had the same skill set as scholars, we wouldn't need scholars, would we?" She sticks her thumbs in the waistband of her trousers, pausing once he's back in sight. "And since scholars have better things to do than rob graves, that's what we're here for -- so you'll have to forgive us if we've been too busy to expand our vocabularies."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie seems little bothered by her argument, opening the door in front of him and passing through, leaving it ajar -- assumedly so they can follow after him. He pauses for a moment at the base of the staircase in wait for them, looking tired of the conversation already. "I'm sure I'd find your jests amusing, if they weren't ignorant and irrelevant." Once they've come through the doorway, he starts up the stairs with quick, even steps.

JENNA: * Jo rolls her eyes and follows. "Whatever you say, old goat," she growls under her breath, taking her time as she follows. She glances back at Shane with a weary smile. "Maybe we should have taken it and had Hester translate for us ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane chuckles quietly, turning a quick, wary glance up the stairs to make sure the scholar didn't hear. "That could have been illuminating, if you wanted to wait a month to get through it all." He tugs the back of her hair and grins. Mack, whether he heard or not, doesn't pay them any attention, continuing up the stairs until he reaches the door to the study it hides. He enters without waiting, once again leaving the door open behind him.

JENNA: "He'd at least be easier to deal with," Jo says sourly, following Mack into his study and pausing around the middle of it, folding her hands behind her back. As it is, she isn't completely certain what he wants -- whether it's to enlighten them on their objective or ridicule them some more.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie quickly crosses the room, circling around his desk to sit in the high-backed chair. He fetches a pair of small reading glasses from his the pocket of his overcoat and slips them on with a quiet sniff. He spends a moment flipping through various piles of papers and notebooks, filing many of them away in drawers before he finally looks back up at the pair. "My book, please." He holds a hand out toward Shane, motioning for him to come forward. Shane does as asked, stepping over to place the book in the man's hand. It's quickly snatched away and laid out on the desk's surface, pages flipped open to some section he apparently wants. Giving it only a momentary, quiet stare, he turns his attention back to the two. "Now, if you read the book as you said, then you recall the section about the ancient Morrocan tradition of worshiping the royal bloodline as incarnate gods. Correct?"

JENNA: * Jo gives him what amounts to a very weary stare. "Yes, I remember something like that," she says sourly, though the details do escape her right at the moment. She glances at Shane, then shrugs and looks back at Mack. "What about it?" She hopes she isn't expected to recite it back to him.

JUSTIN: * Mack returns her weary stare with some impatience, clearly not in the mood for her stand-offish behavior. "It pertains to your job, and if you can't show even a modicum of interest, I can easily hire someone who has no problem with paying attention." Setting his hand down on the book, he takes a breath and calms himself before continuing. "In my years of research, I have learned a good many things about ancient Morroc. Due to the instability of many of the sites, and the rampant thievery, it is time-consuming, and often fruitless work. However, there are still things to be found that are of use to me, and hopefully undamaged. One such thing is the tomb of one of Morroc's earliest rulers."

JENNA: * Jo gives him a very impatient look, biting down on an annoyed and probably counterproductive. "Anything we can take out with us?" she asks, keeping most of her irritation from her tone. "Or are we going to be copying things off the walls?" The second option strikes her as terribly inconvenient, and thus probably the one he's going to go with.

JUSTIN: "I see you're not entirely ignorant." Mackenzie says drily, though it's clear he thinks her ignorant enough for that not to be considered a compliment. "There's nothing in that tomb but precious metals and gems, and a corpse that's decayed even beyond the help of its embalming. Clearly I have no need for any of them." He gets to his feet then, and walks pointedly to a set of drawers nestled between two tall bookcases. "Forgotten knowledge, however, is far more valuable. There is a chance that there are scrolls which have managed to avoid complete decay, but I would not trust you to transport them without destroying them in the process. They would be far too fragile." He pulls a large, flat box from one of the drawers and returns to the desk, setting it down on the side closest to them. "Glyphs on the wall should be intact, however. You can use this kit to make rubbings of them."

JENNA: * Jo looks at the kit grimly for a moment, praying it's self-explanatory, because she's damned if she's going to ask him how to use it. She folds her arms. "And if we do find scrolls or whatever do you want to know about them?" she asks mildly, much as she doubts they'll be intact.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie gives Jo a somewhat bland look, not sure why she would even suggest something that could be construed as generous or helpful. Not that it would be her choice, either way. "I expect a full report of everything you see in the pyramid. If there are any significant changes since the last time I've been there, I need to update my files." He leans over to grab something leaning against his desk, and comes up with a pair of map tubes, both complete with endcap and shoulder strap. "These are from my previous expeditions. They can't account for recent caveins or other oddities, but they will get you to the lower levels. Beyond there, all I have are notes and hearsay. I was unable to explore those levels myself."

JENNA: * Jo takes the tubes, slinging them over her shoulder without comment, though she does feel a strong urge to ask exactly why he never finished the job. "Not many people go there anymore," she says, mostly to Shane. "There are a couple of guild factions that have bases there, but they're not hard to avoid."

JUSTIN: * Shane nods his head slightly, snapping out of his silent reverie. "Oh... well, we can probably do something to keep ourselves from getting recognized, just in case. Better that rumors don't get spread, or it won't be the guilds in the pyramid we have to worry about." He steps forward and takes the boxed kit from the desk, while Mackenzie occupies himself with finishing up a business contract that he'd obviously started before their arrival.

JENNA: "I assume we're dismissed," Jo says drily, shouldering the maps and half turning toward the door. She certainly hopes they are. staying in the same room with Mackenzie is becoming increasingly intolerable. She glances at Shane once again and shrugs.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie holds up a hand, forming it into a pointing finger. "The girl can go." He turns it toward Shane and motions for him to come to the desk. "You, I need a signature from." Shane glances back at Jo, then grimaces slightly and does as he's told, stepping back to the desk and accepting the pen offered to him. Taking only a moment to skim over the contract, he finally scribbles their names out and turns to leave. With the paper signed, Mack seems to completely forget their presence, turning back to his work without another word.

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, impatient to be going, but she waits until Shane joins her before she makes her way out of the building, reserving her commends until they're both well on the road. She glances over her shoulder as they walk out the door, only disappointed by the fact they have to return there when the job's done.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie waits until he hears the front door close, then leans back in his chair and removes his spectacles to rub his eyes, letting out a long sigh. He spends several minutes like this, trying to will away a headache, before finally getting up from his chair and heading for the stairs. His slow, even steps carry him to a small watercloset nearby at the bottom of the stairway, where he begins to fish around for some asprin.

JENNA: * It's some fifteen minutes after Shane and Jo are well on their way that a small, timid knock comes at the front door, easily lost in the expansive foyer. There's a patient pause, and the knock repeats itself, very slightly louder.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie ignores the quiet noise in the background, fully knowing what it is and not feeling the least bit inclined to go investigate. He finally leaves the bathroom and makes his way through the central hall once more, heading toward one of his smaller studies at the other end of the large house.

JENNA: * The pause after the second knock is longer than the first, but it ends somewhat more loudly. Whoever it is at the door, he or she appears to have found the doorbell, and, clearly thinking it will be more effective than knocking, given it a couple of quick tugs.

JUSTIN: * Mack slams a hand against the frame of his office door, and turns sharply on his heel to march back across the hall in the direction of the front door. Reaching it, he takes a hold of the doorknob and yanks it roughly open to see who could possibly be here without his express invitation.

JENNA: * At the door is a young woman, apparently barely into her twenties, if that, dressed in the garb of the church. She takes a startled step backward, taken aback by the door's violent opening, and clutches what appears to be a stack of leaflets to her chest. "H-hello," she manages after a moment, peering at him warily. "I.." Then she pauses, apparently remembering her script. "My name is Kalaani .. I'm from a branch of the Holy Church in Juno ..." She smiles. "At the church, we acolytes are assigned sections of the city to minister to and.. you're on my route -- even if you are a little out of the way."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie can't quite believe what he's seeing and hearing. He thought he scared the church off of him months ago, not having received a visit since then. The throbbing in his head picks up suddenly and his face hardens like stone with a layer of ice. "You have ten seconds to get off my property, Kalaani of the Holy Church in Juno, before I remove you myself."

JENNA: * For a moment, Kalaani only stares at him, completely taken aback, mouth partly open as if to deliver a second part of her speech. She closes it a second later, body lurching backward in belated reaction to this spray of venom. "I.. I b-beg your pardon, sir. I -- I only came to offer prayer and fellowship," she stammers weakly.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie stands up straighter -- his already imposing presence gaining what seems like numerous inches in height -- as he stares down at the poor child with a fearsome visage. "Are you deaf, acolyte? Or do they only teach rudeness and disrespect at convents these days?"

JENNA: * Kalaani takes another stumbling step back, hands clutching almost convulsively at her leaflets. "I.. I am s-sorry I disturbed you," she squeaks out, but she does hold her ground long enough to extend one of the papers toward him. "If you'd like to take our flyer .. a-and let us know if you change your mind ..."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie snaps his fingers loudly in front of him, and the small pamphlet flashes with a sudden burst of flame. It's consumed in an instant, nothing but specks of drifting ash, yet leaves her hand unharmed -- if a little warm. "Your predecessors were less stupid, girl. They left with the first warning. Do not make me repeat myself again."

JENNA: * Kalaani is now absolutely stunned, and a measure of hurt creeps into her expression. "I.. I'm sorry to have bothered you," she says very softly, bobbing in a slight curtsey, then turns and starts quickly down the steps.

JUSTIN: * The sage waits only a moment to make sure she's leaving with best haste, then quickly slams the door shut. He practically bristles with agitation, stomping across the carpeted entranceway and marble tiled central hall, for a moment forgetting where he's even headed. "The audacity. How many generations of priests must I outlive before they cease placing idiots in charge?"

JENNA: * Kalaani manages to get most of the way back down the walk before she pauses, lifting one hand to scrub at her eyes with a very faint sniffle. Following this, however, her back straightens, and she walks quickly away, forcing herself to maintain her composure all the way back to Juno.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie eventually manages to compose himself again, for the most part, and finds his way to his smaller office to engage in some reading. With the hopes of taking his mind off the day's events -- especially the people behind them -- he fully intends to spend the rest of the day in intense study, breaking only for unfortunate necessities such as food and the use of the washroom.

JENNA: * Mackenzie's life goes uninterrupted for perhaps a week -- perhaps a little more -- before a solitary, female figure can be seen making a return trip. Her back is straight and her shoulders squared, but that doesn't stop unease from showing in her face as she starts up the steps to the intimidating building. This time, instead of papers, she bears a basket hanging over one arm, and apparently a relatively heavy one. She hesitates, then steels herself and reaches over to tug the doorbell firmly.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie's head snaps up from the papers he's concentrating on, and he stares at the far wall with a grim expression. Snatching the spectacles from his nose and stuffing them in his coat pocket, he gets to his feet with what might be a snarl, slamming his pen down on the desk before making for the door. It doesn't take him terribly long to reach the foyer, and he opens the door with a barely-contained sigh -- then immediately regrets doing so.

JENNA: * Kalaani's face goes slightly pink when he appears, though whether it's from terror or embarrassment is difficult to say. "Hello," she manages after a moment, also attempting a very shy smile. "I.. I came by last week," she says, though she doubts he's forgotten it.

JUSTIN: "Then I should only need to tell you once to leave this time. Now /leave/." Mackenzie shuts the door hard, cussing quietly under his breath. There's an anger that only the imbecilic, thick-skulled servants of the so-called church can bring on, and it's a special hatred he reserves just for them. Unfortunately, he realizes, they continue to throw their fodder at his estate regardless.

JENNA: * Kalaani's jaw sets in an expression one could almost call stubborn, and she reaches over to ring the doorbell once again. He hasn't yet resorted to flinging personal insults, so she feels there's a possibility he might open it again, however slim. Her hand clenches around the handle, and she forces her expression to smooth into something more neutral.

JUSTIN: * For a good moment, Mackenzie simply stands there with his back to the door, feeling very much like walking away and leaving the idiotic acolyte to figure things out for herself. However, he surmises that if the girl was stupid enough to come back to his estate a second time, she may just be stupid enough to continue ringing his doorbell until he shows his face again. He turns around with a distinctly cross look on his face, and opens the door again to face down the brat outside. "What it is it about the concept of private property that you don't understand?"

JENNA: * Kalaani draws in a deep breath, apparently summoning what courage she can find, then carefully unhooks the basket from her arm and extends it to him. "I just.. wanted to bring you this," she says very quietly. "It.. it hasn't anything to do with the church. I just.. wanted to." She glances at him very hestitantly, looking as if she thinks his gaze itself will burn her.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie glares at her with clear disinterest, not caring a whit whether she's here for herself, the church, or the royal family. "If you hope to buy my pardon, you will find it is very expensive indeed. Far too rich for the likes of you." He is particularly tempted to simply swat the basket into the nearby bushes, but then he'd have to wait for her to finish picking up the spilled contents. But he is loath to accept it.

JENNA: "I -- I'm not here to buy anything," Kalaani protests, jaw taking on a stubborn set. Her arm is beginning to ache, but she refuses to lower it, keeping the basket extended toward him. "I'm only doing.. what I think I should do." She does not intend to go anywhere until he takes the basket from her or sends her on her way.

JUSTIN: "If you wanted to appease me, you would have stayed off my property." He makes no move for the basket, nor does he acknowledge its outstretched presence with even so much as a look. Rather, he continues to stare into her eyes with blatant disapproval, waiting for her to tire of the pointless affair -- as he already has -- and leave.

JENNA: * Kalaani's arm is beginning to tremble with the effort of keeping the basket stretched toward him, but she doesn't waver in the least. She's paid penance worse than this, she's certain. "I am not," she repeats, "trying to buy your favor. Or appease you."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie's patience is beyond wearing thin, now, and he takes a step forward from the shadow of the doorway. "Then get off of my property!" He practically yells, eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint. "Now, and take your... /basket/ with you. I will /not/ tell you again."

JENNA: * At this, her arm finally lowers, though her expression doesn't change, and she denies any ache in her muscles by refusing to switch the basket to the other arm. She bobs once in a fairly stiff curtsey, then turns and starts to walk away. Only once she is past the gate does she permit her shoulders to slump in something resembling weariness and defeat.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie shuts the door again and holds his hand to his forehead, attempting to will away a threatening headache. There are no words he can think of to describe his frustration, and the most he can do is hope the message got through this time. He wearily retreats to his bed chambers, feeling entirely too drained to continue his work without a nap.

JENNA: * The game between the two, such as it is, continues in that fashion for several more weeks, and it becomes apparent that neither side is planning to give an inch. Kalaani appears to be limiting herself to weekly visits, but she is quite punctual about them. It's on one of these occasions that she comes running up the walk, her usual composure completely forgotten, and rings the doorbell with uncustomary force.

JUSTIN: * By now Mackenzie has come to memorize the time and the day that Kalaani will usually make her weekly attempt, yet it causes him no less amount of aggravation. Standing abruptly from his desk, he tucks his glasses away with a long, hissing sigh, and makes his way down the winding staircase to approach the front door. He seems as much bored as annoyed when he lazily pulls the door open, ready to give the same speech he gives every week.

JENNA: * Kalaani is dishevelled and out of breath, her clothing dirty and her hair disordered. Clutched in her arms is what appears to be a half-grown wolf, and it also appears to be unconscious, as well as bleeding. "D-do you have anything -- bandages -- something I can clean him up with a little?" she says without preamble, face strained. "H-he got attacked --"

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie's eyebrow arches ever so slightly, curious as to why she would come to him for help -- and why he should care. "I do not keep my medical supplies to heal the wounded beasts of the forest. What good reason is there that I should start now?"

JENNA: * Kalaani looks at him desperately for a moment, as if she's only just realizing who she's dealing with. "Surely you can spare some water and bandages for one injured wolf," she says weakly. "Please -- this was the closest place. Or just water -- I won't ask for anything else."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie turns his scrutinizing gaze to the injured animal, looking none too sympathetic. "Likely stuck its nose where it didn't belong. In a badger's den, or worse." His eyes snap up to Kalaani's face, looking suddenly more disgruntled. "It's nature taking its course. Animals hunt, and animals are hunted. You should have left it alone."

JENNA: "I can't just leave someone alone when they need help!" Kalaani snaps, fighting down on the urge to hold the animal tighter -- as that would clearly not aid it in any way. "Even if it is an animal -- or nature taking its course. If you won't even give me something to wash his wounds then at least let me borrow your porch!" She turns away from him sharply and kneels to lay the wolf down without waiting for a response. Its breathing is shallow, and it appears to have two fairly ugly gashes along its ribs.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie lets out a harsh sigh, setting his fingers against his forehead in a clear display of agitation. "If it will get you off my property faster." He shuts the door solidly and stalks toward the bathroom, head shaking as he mutters under his breath. Reaching the medicine cabinet, he quickly yanks out a small first-aid kit, and on his way back fetches a bowl of water from the kitchen. When he appears at the front door again, he sets the items down with clear disinterest, nearly spilling the water in the process. "You will clean the area of any blood and gore you leave behind due to your... 'errand of mercy'. Do I make myself clear?"

JENNA: * Kalaani doesn't respond, except to take the first aid kit and scoot the water closer, setting about cleaning the animal's wounds. She murmurs what sounds like a quiet prayer as she moves along the gashes, and it isn't long before they emit a faint light that glows once, then fades. Once this process is complete, some of her urgency fades, and she leans back to drag the back of her arm along her forehead. "Thank you," she says after a moment, turning only to pick up some bandages.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie brushes at a damp spot on his coat, where water from the bowl splashed on him, and he gives the girl a rather disgusted glare. "Save your words of gratitude, I wasn't doing you a favor." He gives the coat a firmer swat, and as his hand leaves, the wet spot looks far closer to being dry. "If you want to repay me, you can stop coming to my house."

JENNA: * Kalaani gives a slight shrug as she begins to bandage the wounds, turning to the kit for a moment as if to see whether there's anything else useful there. "Do you have a mop?" she asks, ignoring his comments almost entirely as she wraps the bandages around the unconscious wolf.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie makes a quiet, exasperated noise, but he turns and disappears into the house again. A minute later he returns, mop and bucket in hand, and drops them roughly onto the porch. "If you have any /further/ requests, I suggest you make them now before I lose my patience entirely."

JENNA: * Kalaani looks back at him, expression puzzled. "You said you wanted me to clean the porch," she points out, though the statement comes out almost like a question. She turns back to finish bandaging the wolf, then scoops it carefully up -- it remains blessedly unconscious -- to move it into the grass.

JUSTIN: "And again, I gave you aid for my own benefit. It would take too long for you to clean my steps with a bowl of water and strips of cloth." He gives her a distinct glare, highly annoyed that she seems oblivious to the fact she's still a trespasser on his property. And he does so hate trespassers. "My willingness to abide your continued presence is highly limited. See to it that you finish in a timely manner."

JENNA: * Kalaani doesn't appear to acknowledge his last statement, walking back and bending to pick up the mop and bucket. "I didn't think you would want me going in your house," she says, letting the mop drop into the bucket for a moment, then wringing it and applying it to what blood and dirt have gotten on the porch. "So I thought you would rather get them for me."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie supresses a low growl, taking his glasses from his pocket and polishing them to keep himself from smacking the girl upside the head -- at least this time. "If you hadn't brought that filthy beast onto my property, my step would not need cleaning in the first place."

JENNA: * Kalaani doesn't appear bothered by this, content to mop the porch clean. "I'm sorry, but I really couldn't ..." She turns back to the bucket with a faint smile, dropping the mop in and wringing it once again. "I wouldn't have brought him, but this was the nearest place."

JENNA: (Kalaani is gradually developing an immunity to him.)

JUSTIN: "If you had even the slightest amount of respect for my wishes, then this place should not have even been an option." Mackenzie says, rather bitingly. "As far as you should be concerned, this estate does not exist. But you neither listen nor learn." He finds both traits to be highly undesirable in a person.

JENNA: * Kalaani smiles and shakes her head, pausing to scrub at a particularly stubborn patch of blood. "I see," she says simply, her serenity evidently completely recovered now that the animal is out of danger. "I'm sorry to have taken you from your studies," she says, turning to him with a smile. "I'm almost finished.. you can go back if you prefer."

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie seems almost offended by her smile, not-quite-scowling at her and her stubborn good mood. "I will stay to make sure you finish the job, and to collect my things. And if you were /sorry/, then you would stop /coming/ here."

JENNA: * The smile persists, however, as she turns away. "Maybe so," she acknowledges, applying herself to the mop again. She's close to finished, and it doesn't take her long to clear away the last spots. With that accomplished, she turns to take the bucket and empty it in the grass.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie sighs audibly, stuffing his glasses away and holding a hand to his forehead. "What does it take to make you comprehend such simple instructions?" He takes a step forward and snatches the bucket quickly from her hands. "I told you to clean the mess, not transfer it. I do not want... /bloody/ water all over my lawn. This should be flushed down the sink."

JENNA: * Kalaani glances back at him in surprise, but she keeps moving forward, pausing only when she reaches the grass next to the walk. "You can't even see the blood once it's in the grass," she points out. "It won't hurt anything, will it?" She looks down at the water, then turns back to Mackenzie. "But if you'd really rather dump it out yourself ..."

JUSTIN: "Of course I would, or I wouldn't have said it. Don't question me in my own house." Mackenzie grips tighter at the bucket's handle, reaching over to grab the mop from her as well. "Take your pathetic animal and get out of my yard. You've worn out your welcome." Before she can answer, he turns and stalks back into the house.

JENNA: * Kalaani watches him go, gaze falling to the water and bandages still on the porch. "Ah.." she almost calls after him, then thinks better of it and turns away to carefully scoop the still-unconscious wolf from the grass. She honestly isn't entirely certain what she's going to do with him once she gets back to Juno, either, but he'll probably get a better reception at the church than he will here.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie heads immediately to the bathroom to dump the dirty water and clean out the bucket and mop, muttering to himself in agitation -- an uncommon thing that is quickly becoming a habit. He does almost forget about the items he left behind, and for a brief moment he considers simply leaving them there until he's in the mood to approach the front door again. This strikes him as a silly, pointless delay and lacking in self-discipline, so he grudgingly returns to the front porch to retrieve them.

JENNA: * Kalaani has disappeared from Mack's front yard, but only barely. The animal she carries is much heavier than the burdens she's used to dealing with, but it doesn't stop her from humming cheerfully as she goes. Eventually, she also breaks out in song, and her voice can be heard echoing from around the bend, though it becomes more faint as she continues on her way.

JUSTIN: * Mackenzie makes a slight face, repulsed by the sheer, unrestrained cheerfulness of his departed "guest". He cannot begin to fathom what could possibly make anyone in his company happy -- a fact that might bother him, if he didn't find it abundantly convenient for keeping imbeciles and barbarians away. Giving a faint snort, he stoops to collect the bowl and bandages, and disappears into the quiet sanctuary of his mansion once again.