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((The 17 pages of St. Patrick's Day + Triple Saturday -- Page 16 of 20))
Everyone just listened, and Hector wondered where this was going. Despite what Royo had just admitted to--or perhaps even because of it--Hector didn’t get the sense that Royo was going to attack them.

“I am indebted to you all,” said Royo. Then he pointed at Manuel Delaguna. “Especially to you. And I do not take my debts lightly. Know that they will be repaid, in time. And know that I do not think of you as my enemies or wish harm upon any of you.”

And there was silence again.

Everyone, presumably, was trying to process everything that they had just heard.

Malast broke the quietude with a yawn. “Oh. Hey.” He walked over to Hector and handed the items he’d dropped earlier back to him. “Here.”

It was quite a collection, Hector realized as he started taking them. The Scarf of Amordiin, the Shifting Spear of Logante, that weird orb on a tuning fork, and the Shard.

Wait, where was the Egg of Prosperity? Where was his one million troa? It hadn’t gotten destroyed in the fight with the worm, had it?

Or, hold on. Did he even pick the Egg up in the first place?

...Had he really forgotten to grab it? Even after Garovel pointed it out to him?

Well, fuck.

He wondered if this was how Asad felt all the time.

When it came around to returning the Shard, Hector’s hand grabbed it, but Malast didn’t let go.

“What is this thing, by the way?” said Malast. “It seems a little different to the others.”

And Hector locked gazes with the God of the Underworld. Silently, he again considered telling Malast that the item he was holding contained the very same Rasalased that he had expressed an interest in earlier.

He considered it. And then, he decided to actually do it. “This is a Shard of the Dry God,” said Hector. “Rasalased is inside it.”

‘Hector, what the fuck?!’ said Garovel privately.

Malast’s eyes widened. The perpetually glazed look on his face went away.

Hector didn’t let go of his end of the Shard, though. “...Actually, I just talked to him again. He said he wouldn’t mind meeting you, but he didn’t seem to know how to make contact.”

“...Huh,” said Malast. “Interesting.”

And to Hector’s surprise, Malast let go of the Shard.

“I guess I’ll have to look into that later,” said the Idle God. Then that glazed look returned. “Agh. That’s gonna suck. I hate having to learn new things.”

Hector returned the Shard to its previous place inside his armor.

‘Did you really just talk to Rasalased?’ said Garovel, still privately.

‘Yep.’ A beat passed, and then he added, ‘I think. I guess I could’ve been dreaming or something.’

‘Hector--!’

Royo’s words cut him off. “Perhaps I can do something for you, right now.” He held up something in his hand. Some kind of orb? “I do not think this will make up for my debt, but as I understand it, you are all trying to return to the surface, no?”

When did he learn that, Hector wondered? Did someone tell him?