Allburn’s docks stand grey and rigid under a flat winter light. The Harbor Master watches cargo hauled in neat, joyless ranks, one paw resting on the seal that has haunted Arnold’s trail.
Captain Arnold Runner
That seal. Who stamps it?
The Harbor Master turns slowly. Around him, clerks freeze mid-count, as if laughter itself has been outlawed by statute.
The Harbor Master
A practical mark. It directs goods to the true buyer, and keeps fools from asking after names.
He opens a ledger beside the seal. A route chain is visible in cramped columns, with Arnold’s recent harbors listed like stepping stones toward a hidden destination.
Captain Arnold Runner
Then point me to the destination, before I grow polite.
The Harbor Master
You are already standing on its trail. The seal is not mine. It belongs to the office above mine, and they buy through intermediaries who dislike being named.
The Harbor Master’s paw tightens on the seal. Now Arnold sees it clearly, the mark is not payment, but a summons leading upward to the powerful hand behind the trap.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get the harbor master to name his superior