“Molina, I am busy.”

“Clearly.” Inspector Molina nodded as the captain sifted through a sea of papers on his desk.

“Whatever it is, make it quick.” He growled.

“You announced two months ago that the man Calhous Minusc was dead and his ship, The Alchemist, vanished along with the crew.”

“And?”

“I’ve got a man insisting that he works for Minusc. Meaning Minusc is working with the Snakes of Doom.”

“The man’s off his rocker. Are we done?”

“The man is not insane! Now tell me, is it possible that Minusc is out there right now in Machina, pulling strings from the shadows?”

He sighed, “Theoretically, yes. We never found a body. But the odds against it are astronomical.”

“They said that about women as police. Look who’s standing in front of you.”

“What do you want, Molina?”

“Give me permission to investigate this. I don’t want to keep interrogating people. Let me out in the field.”

“A more experienced officer-”

“Should use his time better than by chasing an improbable lead.”

“Ugh! Fine. Now get out.”