Kreet and Miss Tribi took a food wrapping for Kallid, and began the walk back to the cathedral.

"Now, it was a fictional book of sorts. Really a myth, but it said she was 'heavy' with her eggs and 'went to nest' for two days. Now I assume that means she holed up somewhere to deliver the eggs - not that it took two days to actually lay them. Just based on every other large egg-laying species it really shouldn't be difficult or take long at all."

"Okay. Anything else? Anything about how long before they hatch? Or, did she stay with them all the time till then?"

"Well, the bit about 'going to nest' for two days implies that she left after that. Of course, she would have returned, but she wasn't bound to the eggs. I think it's safe to assume you don't need to be there constantly to keep them warm or anything like that. Maybe if we were in winter or something, but you should be fine there. Now, as to the eggs themselves, there's an adventurer's chronicle that seems to be quite reliable. Of course, the outcome for the kobolds isn't so good, but we take what we can from all sources."

They stopped at the steps of the cathedral, but Kreet was fascinated. "Oh, let's sit on the steps and tell me more! Anything is valuable to me!"

"Yes, let's. So, these adventurers came across a kobold's nest. Two eggs. They're described in pretty good detail actually. Rubbery, not hard shelled like a chicken's egg. Of course that makes sense since they have to grow within you. Well these were quite taut. Presumably when the baby kobold pierces the shell with tooth, claw or horn it pretty much instantly snaps open. None of this chipping away at bits. Once the membrane is ruptured the child is truly born. In this case there were only two, mind you, so the size of your three may vary, but the chronicler says they were roughly the size of a large grapefruit. Oval in shape but malleable. And different shades. It turned out that the color of the egg matched the major color of the kobold inside."

Suddenly Kreet realized she didn't want to find out how this story ended. She stood up.

"I think that's enough," she said, and Miss Tribi nodded.

"Yes. It did not end well for the kobolds."

Kreet closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to get used to this, though it always hurt.

"Okay, let's go back," she said. "Anything at all on the length of time between laying and hatching?"

"Afraid not," Miss Tribi said, holding open the massive doors into the Narthex for Kreet. "Nothing definitive. It's possible the books I brought to Mr. Feltix might have something on that though. They're not exclusively about kobolds, but they do concentrate on the reproduction habits of various non-human races. In quite some detail I gather, given the illustrations!"

Kreet looked up at her as they began back down the circular stairs.

"You really don't get out much, do you Miss Tribi?"

Miss Tribi's face turned into a caricature of sadness.

"I know. I'm pathetic. I've gotten used to it. I've thought about running off to the Underdark, but I've read plenty about it. I don't want to become a slave, Kreet. I'd rather be a pathetic, sex starved fat kobold down here in the archives than that."

"Have you considered mingling with the humans? Just to get out I mean. They're not that bad really."

"I tried once. Years and years ago. I was a lot thinner then. Almost your size, though not as tall of course. I met some people and we started going out to places. But then... No. Sorry Kreet, I really don't want to talk about it. Let's just move on. Suffice it to say that I stopped going out."

"I'm sorry Miss Tribi. They can be cruel sometimes, I know. But so can we, when we're in the majority. Don't blame it on the race as a whole."

They continued downwards to the bottom.

"Oh, I don't. It's a lot better down here than being a slave though. And the clergy are fine people. But I really don't want to go out anymore. So I work the archives with Mr. Feltix. And read my romances."

Miss Tribi opened the door into the archives and held it open for Kreet. Inside Kallid and Mr. Feltix were sitting at the desk. Kallid had his head in his hands, obviously bored to tears while Mr. Feltix was working through reading one of the books Miss Tribi had brought. At the door's opening, Kallid looked up while Mr. Feltix continued his mumbling.

"You're back! I think he's found something."

Kreet held out the lunch packet for Kallid, who took it gratefully and sat against a wall, opening up an apparently edible treasure.

"Oh? Mr. Feltix? You have something?"

He looked up from his book momentarily. "In a minute. Please. Translation is difficult. Just leave me for a minute to finish this."

Miss Tribi shrugged. "He gets like that when he's studying something. He'll come out of it soon. Probably. Usually."

"I see. So, Kallid, what did you work out with the map?"

"Oh! Well, we counted 73 knots between the Royal City and where your monastery is. Now, it's 2 knots to the town of Rastic which is known to be about 20 miles from here."

"Oh! So how far is it then?!" Kreet asked, getting excited now.

"Well, of course as he said, the map isn't intended to be drawn to scale. It's more a relationship map. Still, those towns on it nearby the Royal City he says are fairly accurate. If that accuracy is maintained across the map..."

"Yes?"

"And if we take 73 knots..."

"And?"

"And have twenty miles roughly equivalent to 2 knots..."

"Kallid! Out with it! How far is it?"

"I have no idea."

Kreet plopped on the ground, exasperated. "Kallid!!!"

"I'm sorry Kreet! I don't do math either! I was hoping you would kind of finish it up for me."

Miss Tribi spoke up then, once again timidly glancing at Kallid. "It's seven hundred and thirty miles. It's not a difficult calculation. Two knots is twenty miles so one knot is ten miles. Seventy three knots is seven hundred thirty miles."

Suddenly Kreet thought about that number. Seven hundred thirty miles. That's a long trip. A very long trip. Months. But not impossible. Maybe someday. After the whelps are born and raised. When she can think about such things again. She should concentrate on her life here and now though. Still...

"I think it would be a good idea to write down the names of all the towns along the way from the Royal City to my old monastery. If I ever do get a chance to travel back there, I can use the list of towns as a guide. I sure can't carry this scroll even if you would let me have it."

"Good idea!" Kallid said. "Have you got something to write with Miss Tribi?"

Miss Tribi jumped when Kallid suddenly turned towards her. "What! Oh! Certainly. One moment. I'll get something."

As she left to get writing materials from the storeroom, Kallid pulled down the scroll again and began to lay it out, kneeling on it to keep it open.

"What's her deal?" Kallid asked Kreet who was holding open the other side of the large scroll.

"Shhh. She's lonely. Never seen a male kobold before. You make her... nervous."

"Me?" he smiled. "Really?"

"Yes Kallid. She's hot for you. Get over it and let's get this done!"

"Hot for me. Huh. Weird world," he said, then scanned the scroll.

"Okay. Here's the Royal City..."

Miss Tribi dropped the writing implements when she rounded the table and saw Kallid on his hands and knees. She apologized crudely.

"Now, I'll read off the names of the major cities along the way and you write them down, okay Miss Tribi?" Kreet asked.

"MISS TRIBI?" she repeated.

"Oh! Sorry. Yes. Distracted. You read the names of the cities. I'll write... Got it."

*************

This continued as they worked their way through the scroll, though Kreet was happy that Miss Tribi did get less and less distracted as they moved across the floor. When finally they finished she was acting almost normal.

"Okay," Kreet said, standing up at last while Kallid rolled up the scroll. "That's it. With that list, I should be able to find my way back to my old home. Thank you very, very much Miss Tribi!"

"Oh, no problem. But you have the whole day. Surely there might be something else we could help you with!"

"NOT A DAMN THING!" Mr. Feltix suddenly declared, causing all three of the kobolds to jump.

"I've read every damn word on kobolds in this book, and there's nothing at all about their birthing, hatching or egg laying! What kind of worthless author would do such a thing? It's pointless! He goes on and on and on about mating habits, breeding specifics. Even breaks down erogenous zones on both male and female! All about getting the pregnancy going, not a damned word on how it progresses or ends! Oh. Sorry female kobold #1. I get upset sometimes when authors don't tell the whole picture though!"

"Oh, it's okay Mr. Feltix."

"It's like he's so damned fascinated by copulation, and couldn't give a fig about the results! I just don't understand such people!"

"I do," Miss Tribi whispered.

Apparently she had forgotten how keen other kobold's ears are compared to the old gnome. Kreet glanced at Kallid, who smiled back at her. But neither looked back at Miss Tribi, ignoring the comment to spare her the embarrassment.

"You know," Kreet said as she stashed the list of cities away. "There is something else you might be able to help me with.

"Ah, what is it female kobold #1?" Mr. Feltix said, sliding the book away in disgust.

"Kreet," she repeated. "But anyway... I have to tell you the story first, so you'll know what sort of thing I'm looking for. When I got here - to the slums where I'm staying that is - the sewers were all clogged up. In fact, they were purposely blocked. A wall had been erected long ago - probably around thirty years ago - deep inside the sewer to intentionally block them."

"Ah! Fascinating! Go on!" the Archivist said, his eyes lighting up now. Not literally, just figuratively.

"Well, we broke down the wall and the sewers are working again. I have no idea why they were blocked up, or by who though. But the wall was well built. It wasn't thrown up haphazardly to last thirty years. I feel like somewhere, somebody had to know about it. Maybe something was documented?"

Mr. Feltix looked at Miss Tribi.

"Sewer records? City planning? Building permits maybe?"

"Might have come from a Royal decree. If masons were down in the sewers for days, it wouldn't go unnoticed by the regular sewer workers."

"Yes. You look for secret decrees. I'll check the planning records. Oh, now this is a hunt worthy of us!"

"But Mr. Feltix... the decrees. They're royal decrees."

"Oh balderdash. She's been given the run of the whole archives didn't the Bishop say?"

"But... ROYAL?"

"Well if you find anything, we'll report it. Good enough? This is knowledge we're in pursuit of now Miss Tribi! KNOWLEDGE! We'll not let some privacy issue stand in the way shall we?"

Miss Tribi stood up straight, almost as if in a military lineup. "Certainly not Mr. Feltix!" she said, winking at Kreet.

"Then off with you! Come, you two. You can help carry if we find anything. Male kobold #1, you go with Miss Tribi. Female kobold #1, you come with me."

Three pairs of eyes expanded within their kobold skulls.

"Um... Mr. Feltix," Kreet began.

But Miss Tribi shook her head. "It's okay. I promise. I promise everything will be alright. I need to get over it. I'll be good."

"Kallid?"

"You've been teaching me martial arts. I can use them if I need them!" he laughed.

Miss Tribi looked at Kallid. "You know?"

"I know," he said, smiling at her. "We'll be good Kreet."

"Okay," she said, realizing that it was the first time she'd even momentarily questioned Kallid's fidelity. It bothered her intensely that the thought had even flitted through her mind.

She followed Mr. Feltix into the corridors of shelves and into the depths of the archives, losing sight of Kallid and Miss Tribi almost instantly. As they walked, she occasionally ducked low to see under some books to see if she could catch sight of them, but she caught only a glimpse of Miss Tribi's massive tail once near the entrance, and then they were gone down a perpendicular aisle.

She realized she wasn't being a good wife. She trusted Kallid, didn't she? She didn't know Miss Tribi well obviously, but despite thoughts that were obviously in the woman's head, she wasn't the type to actually... do anything. Was she?

"One minute please, Mr. Feltix. I need just a minute."

The archivist grumbled, but stopped and Kreet sat on the ground, pulled her legs under her and closed her eyes, breathing deeply and searching for the peace and tranquility she'd found so many years ago in the monastery.