predicts how poisoner snuck in

“We have more than we think,” said Ana. “I believe I have one solid
idea, at least. We’ve been wondering how Jolgalgan snuck poison into the
halls of the Hazas, yes? Well---what if she secreted herself in with it? For I
suspect it’s very likely that she infiltrated the Haza grounds and buried
herself in that little hole for a day, or two, or more, waiting for the party.”
There was a short, stunned silence.

“Truly?” said Miljin.

My eyes fluttered as I summoned the image of the little hole up in my
mind. “That could work…” I whispered. “It was large enough, yes. Then
when she heard the music and talking, she could just stand up, slip out,
brush herself off, and join the crowd.”

“And when the party was done,” said Ana, pleased, “she’d just leave
with them.”

“But how could she navigate the servants’ passageways up to the roof?”
asked Miljin. “They were close, cramped, and dark.”

“Well, Jolgalgan is an Apoth,” said Ana. “And we know Apoths have a
fondness for self-alteration. When Nusis went to go look at Suberek’s
corpse, remember, you asked if she needed a lantern.”
Again, my eyes fluttered as I remembered the moment. “But Nusis said
she could see perfectly well in the dark,” I said.

“Yes,” said Ana. “Admirably simple, isn’t it?”

“It’s… interesting,” said Miljin. “But not watertight. Still don’t know
how Jolgalgan got on the grounds in the first place, ma’am.”

“We don’t!” Ana said chipperly. “But I have a theory, though it will
need researching. That’s where you come in, Captain. Would you please go
about getting a list of recent Talagray Legion personnel, please? I would
like especially for you to focus on enhanced individuals. Enhanced for
strength, specifically---much like yourself.”

- The Tainted Cup, Chapter 30 pgs. 270-271

---

“Oh, but we are,” sighed Ana. She returned to parsing through the
papers before her. “I just have one last bit of information to figure out…”

I eyed the papers. “And you’ll find it in lists of Legionnaires augmented
for strength, ma’am?”

“Naturally. Have neither of you arrived at it? Captain Miljin here ought
to know, at least,” she said, grinning. “Being as it was his damned interview
that tipped me off. Don’t you recall?”

Miljin stared at her blankly. “No…?”

“When you went to the medikkers’ bay and did your interrogations,”
she said, “you were told the dead Captain Kilem Terez had been worried
someone very unusual had been following him.”

“Why…yes,” said Miljin, startled. “A…a crackler. That was what he’d
said.”

“And you thought the idea mad at the time—but what if it wasn’t?”
asked Ana.

My mouth opened in surprise—yet Miljin remained unmoved. “A man
ten span tall was following this Engineer,” he said. “Around the streets of
Talagray. We are to take this seriously?”

“It’s very simple,” said Ana. “Jolgalgan got onto the grounds, made a
hole, and secreted herself away until the party. But how did she get past the
walls? Well, Din’s reports, and our interviews with our witnesses, have
forced me to conclude that the only way our poisoner got onto the estate
grounds was through the sluice gates.”

I nodded as I began to understand. “But the sluice gates are heavy…”
“Right! Yet someone very, very strong might have lifted the sluice gate
just enough to allow Jolgalgan inside. And, Miljin, you were told that Terez
said he’d been seeing a rather suspicious crackler about—one with yellow
hair. And who else has yellow hair?”

“Jolgalgan,” I said. “She has pale yellow hair…”

“She does!” said Ana. “Because she is from Oypat. As is, I think we can
now assume, this mysterious crackler who helped her break in. Two
Oypatis, taking apart the Empire from within Talagray…The theory that
Jolgalgan is out for some kind of bloody revenge for the death of her canton
grows ever stronger!” She turned a page. “And thus, I now look through the
list of all the folk in Talagray augmented for strength. We find an Oypati
crackler, then we find Jolgalgan.” She paused, very briefly. “Along with
any other collaborator she might be working with. I just need a name. Just
one name to hunt down…”

- The Tainted Cup, Chapter 32 pgs. 289-290