Maestro Janush's Diary

"Well, 15 slaves have just been delivered from Ustalav. I made an order for 40. More than a half died on the way, and the rest came with some sort of disease. I've sent them to the lab — they weren't good for anything else anyway. --- We had to change barracks to get rid of the disease. Burned the old one to the ground, along with the slaves that remained there. I doubled my order for new ones. Delivery is expected to arrive by spring. --- Worthless, stupid dreams. Again, the same wench as before. All night long, promising me a crown and a throne in exchange for some piece of garbage from the Stolen Lands. The throne's location and the kind of crown, she never mentioned. I need to prepare some magical protections. --- The agents have dragged back the slaves who fled two days ago. I've made an example of them — whipped them to death in front of the others. Now to change the locks and shackles. --- That fey keeps bargaining. Now she's offering me all the secrets of the First World in exchange for some artifact. So, she wants me to go all the way to the middle of nowhere to search for no-one-knows-what? Just who does she think I am? I'm tired. Not a single night passes without her coming. But I'm intrigued. Maybe I'll have a use for this wench after all. --- Now Nyrissa comes even during my midday naps. She's so impatient. Regongar and Octavia have found themselves a new owner. I should have guessed it would end like that. So many years and so much effort — wasted. I have to do everything myself. --- I'm going crazy. Nyrissa keeps hiding her face from me, for the third night in a row! I'm trying to sleep both at night and during the day. I need some sign to know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to! It's dusty here, hard to breathe, but that doesn't matter. There's been no Technic League hideout in history as useful as this one! I was lucky that some of our people had previously arranged for a safe spot within the Stolen Lands. There could be no better place for us to set an ambush! It should be easy to lure this baron out. --- My dream was short, but I got what I'd been craving. A light touch from mistress Nyrissa was all I needed. She gave me a chance! My head won't touch pillow again until I kill the baron! That filth will pay for all he's done, or my life is over. I will not disappoint my mistress."