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Source: collected/025-soulbinder-episode-2-raw.mp3
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00:00:00.100 Speaker 1 Soul
00:00:50.020 Speaker 1 Binder.
00:00:52.640 Speaker 1 Two.
00:00:54.460 Speaker 1 Dire.
00:00:56.800 Speaker 1 Spokesman's Journal, December seventh. There's a locked equipment shed by the
00:01:02.800 Speaker 1 lumber yard. No one knows who it belongs to, and nobody seems to have the key.
00:01:09.180 Speaker 1 Every time I try to bring it up, people change the topic. Like most of the town's
00:01:14.360 Speaker 1 mysteries so far, this one is probably nothing. Once I finally get it
00:01:20.340 Speaker 1 open, it'll turn out to contain rusted tools or some other such revelation. Then
00:01:26.440 Speaker 1 I will continue to look the fool, and the revealer will slap me on the back and
00:01:31.520 Speaker 1 laugh at my expense. I keep telling myself that. But what if
00:01:37.360 Speaker 1 I'm wrong? Or, no,
00:01:41.880 Speaker 1 am I just losing it? I don't like to think about that. Winter has only
00:01:47.820 Speaker 1 just begun.
00:01:51.540 Speaker 1 Ravi Specht, spokesman of the town of Dire, wondered when he would get to be
00:01:57.520 Speaker 1 useful. He was their leader, in a sense. He was also completely,
00:02:04.100 Speaker 1 utterly redundant. He waved at Mr. Streamwise, and the man waved back from
00:02:10.000 Speaker 1 his front door, then closed the door behind him before Ravi could even speak. No,
00:02:16.320 Speaker 1 no, he didn't need anything today. It would be nice if they would at least let him
00:02:20.960 Speaker 1 ask. So Ravi continued making his evening rounds, smiling at people,
00:02:27.060 Speaker 1 waving at people, looking the part of the dedicated spokesman, checking in on his
00:02:32.580 Speaker 1 people. Were they his people? He'd been in Dire just four months,
00:02:38.200 Speaker 1 arriving before the first chill was even in the air. In that time, it seemed like
00:02:43.540 Speaker 1 nobody had really let him in. He felt like a stranger. That was probably
00:02:49.600 Speaker 1 just how small towns worked. He'd figure it out. He'd find his place in this
00:02:54.560 Speaker 1 community. When they were ready, they'd let him in. Ravi sat down
00:03:00.520 Speaker 1 on a stump outside the trading post and pulled out his canteen. He had seven jackets
00:03:06.180 Speaker 1 on. It made him look very large. Yes, yes, it was the jackets that made
00:03:12.140 Speaker 1 him look large. A man came out of the trading post and walked right past Ravi.
00:03:17.980 Speaker 1 Ravi scrambled to put away his canteen and ended up just throwing it on the ground
00:03:22.020 Speaker 1 when he couldn't get the top on. His name, what was his name? Nap.
00:03:28.400 Speaker 1 Nerp. Nape? No, definitely not Nape. That wasn't a real name. So he settled
00:03:34.420 Speaker 1 for, Hey, um. The man turned and nodded his head in
00:03:40.040 Speaker 1 greeting but didn't stop walking. It's Nate. Nate.
00:03:46.240 Speaker 1 Nate, do you need Nope. All squared away, spokesman. Go
00:03:51.720 Speaker 1 relax. It's your first winter. We'll take care of things while you learn the ropes.
00:03:58.200 Speaker 1 Ravi tried to respond, but the man had simply kept walking, waving a goodbye over
00:04:03.480 Speaker 1 his shoulder. So Ravi sat back down and picked up his canteen. It was empty.
00:04:10.040 Speaker 1 There were only forty-six people living in Dire. He was determined to, if not
00:04:15.040 Speaker 1 befriend, at least gain the respect of each of them in time. But how could he do
00:04:20.600 Speaker 1 that if they wouldn't even talk to him? A crunch in the snow snapped him away from
00:04:25.940 Speaker 1 his brooding thoughts. A disheveled-looking woman stood outside the trading post,
00:04:31.960 Speaker 1 staring at the door. She looked like something an oxbane had chewed up and spit out.
00:04:38.860 Speaker 1 There were forty-six people living in Dire, and this was not one of them.
00:04:44.960 Speaker 1 She turned to look at him. Her eyes ran up and down his body as if searching for
00:04:49.920 Speaker 1 something. Then she turned away and entered the trading post, a look of disinterest
00:04:54.920 Speaker 1 on her face. Another dismissal. Ravi set his jaw and
00:05:00.920 Speaker 1 stood up. That was enough. Greeting visitors was
00:05:06.340 Speaker 1 squarely in his job description. Especially dangerous-looking
00:05:11.920 Speaker 1 visitors. He would make sure this drifter wasn't up to something. Yes,
00:05:17.760 Speaker 1 he'd send her on her way. It was his town now, after all.
00:05:27.240 Speaker 1 Estes dropped her pack by the door and walked up to the trading counter. A
00:05:31.880 Speaker 1 ropy-looking girl stood behind the counter, wringing her hands, watching her in
00:05:36.880 Speaker 1 quick glances. There wasn't a proper bar in the trading post, but there was a bar.
00:05:43.080 Speaker 1 It was four stools in front of a counter where bags of grain and jugs of heating oil
00:05:47.920 Speaker 1 sat. Every town had a bar. What else was there to do but drink this far north?
00:05:54.300 Speaker 1 Estes took a seat and moved a sack of grain so she could put her elbows up. She
00:05:58.960 Speaker 1 scanned the room for exits, people, and weapons. Then she turned her silent
00:06:05.032 Speaker 1 gaze to the girl behind the counter. The girl took in a sharp breath and then
00:06:09.292 Speaker 1 slipped away into a back room. Estes could hear soft murmuring between two people,
00:06:14.892 Speaker 1 but couldn't make out the words. The front door opened again and Estes turned to
00:06:20.012 Speaker 1 look. This must be the town tough, come to tell her not to make trouble.
00:06:25.992 Speaker 1 Pretty fast work getting here so soon. She'd only just sat down. She wondered if she
00:06:31.052 Speaker 1 would have to do this routine in every town. A fat young man with the brown skin
00:06:37.032 Speaker 1 suggestive of southern heritage waddled into the trading post. He tried to close the
00:06:42.752 Speaker 1 door, but fumbled with the lock and it blew back open. He scrambled to close the
00:06:47.392 Speaker 1 door and after a few more attempts finally got the lock to catch. Then he started
00:06:52.292 Speaker 1 walking toward her with his arms straight out in front of him like a scarecrow
00:06:56.372 Speaker 1 coming in for a handshake. Welcome to Dyer. I'm Ravi Specht.
00:07:03.592 Speaker 1 Estes took the hand and gave it a proper handshake, planting her feet just in case
00:07:08.892 Speaker 1 he tried to use the arm as leverage in a surprise fight. The young man let out a
00:07:14.072 Speaker 1 little grunt, released her hand, then opened and closed his hand, wincing. What
00:07:20.092 Speaker 1 brings you here?
00:07:23.072 Speaker 1 Business. Oh? He took a seat on the stool next to her.
00:07:29.552 Speaker 1 They both politely ignored the tortured cracking sounds his chair made.
00:07:35.772 Speaker 1 What kind of business?
00:07:39.132 Speaker 1 Oh, just setting up some contracts for next year. Hopefully.
00:07:45.152 Speaker 1 She deliberately stowed her glyph pouches in her pack. They would give away that she
00:07:50.492 Speaker 1 was a binder. If word got out that a binder was in town, her quarry would flee.
00:07:56.512 Speaker 1 At the same time, she needed to learn everything she could, and that meant poking
00:08:01.392 Speaker 1 her nose around a little. The man next to her looked more like an obstacle than a
00:08:06.252 Speaker 1 lead, though. It would be best to be rid of him quickly.
00:08:11.751 Speaker 1 Looks like you scared off Cecilia. I'll keep you company until she gets back.
00:08:17.812 Speaker 1 That's not necessary. Instead of accepting the dismissal, he smiled
00:08:23.392 Speaker 1 warmly. The warm smile of a bureaucrat who had no intention of listening.
00:08:31.872 Speaker 1 That a military uniform? Estes stiffened. The
00:08:37.772 Speaker 1 young man kept smiling, though.
00:08:41.612 Speaker 1 I don't see any rank or branch medals, though. So, you on
00:08:47.412 Speaker 1 leave or something?
00:08:51.532 Speaker 1 Yes. Not the kind of place most people go on leave.
00:08:58.212 Speaker 1 I'm not most people. And like I said, business.
00:09:05.072 Speaker 1 Mm-hmm. Business with who, exactly? I know everyone in this town.
00:09:11.792 Speaker 1 Estes had no glyph pouches, but she'd taken the time to sew some glyphs into her
00:09:17.432 Speaker 1 clothes before coming into Dyer. It wasn't a true arsenal. She didn't have the time
00:09:23.032 Speaker 1 or materials to prepare anything beyond some creative distractions and makeshift
00:09:28.452 Speaker 1 weapons. But it was enough to cook this guy if it came to it. Not a good way to
00:09:33.972 Speaker 1 start her covert investigation, though. She let a hand slip behind her back to palm
00:09:39.872 Speaker 1 the composite smoke and light glyph she'd tucked in her waistband.
00:09:45.472 Speaker 1 They didn't give me their name. I don't know who I'm meeting. The man's smile
00:09:50.952 Speaker 1 finally fell from his face. Is that so? He leaned
00:09:56.912 Speaker 1 forward, eyes narrowing. I think you should conduct your
00:10:02.892 Speaker 1 business quickly and in the open.
00:10:08.572 Speaker 1 She wanted very much to bounce this man's head off the counter. He was clearly
00:10:14.652 Speaker 1 a stooge. Either a complete nobody or the lapdog to someone more important.
00:10:21.291 Speaker 1 The girl, Cecilia, returned then with an older man. The way she stood
00:10:27.092 Speaker 1 just behind him indicated trust. Her father, maybe? The man wiped his hands off
00:10:33.112 Speaker 1 on a rag and tossed it aside, stepping up to the other side of the counter. Evening,
00:10:38.812 Speaker 1 spokesman. Then he nodded at Estes. Evening. Sorry about that.
00:10:45.472 Speaker 1 Cecilia's not used to visitors. It's usually not a problem here. As you might
00:10:51.292 Speaker 1 imagine. The name's Gust. Estes replied with a shallow nod.
00:10:57.592 Speaker 1 Estes. Nice to meet you. How can I help? Dry rations.
00:11:03.832 Speaker 1 Something I can carry. And a drink. If you please. Oh, and some steel
00:11:09.632 Speaker 1 weapons if you have them. The brown man next to her perked up at that.
00:11:15.552 Speaker 1 He was the spokesman? It seemed like an odd choice.
00:11:22.412 Speaker 1 Expecting trouble? I hope not. Something big caught my trail about
00:11:28.132 Speaker 1 halfway here from Green Hollow. The man nodded slowly.
00:11:34.512 Speaker 1 No weapons to spare, unfortunately. But the rations and drinks I can manage.
00:11:41.412 Speaker 1 What did the beast look like, if you caught it? Hard to say. It kept its
00:11:47.012 Speaker 1 distance. Gust poured her a drink and then started gathering supplies from around
00:11:52.432 Speaker 1 the trading post as they spoke.
00:11:55.852 Speaker 1 Well, it could have been that same oxbane that's been giving us so much trouble.
00:12:01.612 Speaker 1 It's a real thorn. We've lost a dozen livestock already. It must have had pups if
00:12:06.872 Speaker 1 it's eating that much, though. They don't usually bother people. Oxbane?
00:12:13.728 Speaker 1 Oh, sorry, spokesman, I forgot you were here. Yeah, an oxbane is, it's like a
00:12:19.488 Speaker 1 wolf, but bigger, much bigger. Normally, wolves will give you more trouble than an
00:12:24.928 Speaker 1 oxbane. Still, I can't say I'd like to have one following me home. I know what
00:12:30.928 Speaker 1 an oxbane is. Sure, sure. And don't get that look on me, spokesman.
00:12:37.168 Speaker 1 Don't worry about it. We'll take care of it. Dennis and his nephew are trying to
00:12:42.928 Speaker 1 trap it. Like I keep saying, it's your first winter. We don't expect you to do
00:12:48.268 Speaker 1 everything. Estes sipped her drink and watched the exchange. She
00:12:54.128 Speaker 1 needed some excuse to be here. Gust finished stuffing food and
00:12:59.868 Speaker 1 basic supplies into the burlap sack, then dropped the sack on the counter. That'll
00:13:05.288 Speaker 1 be five pieces. Estes' eyebrows went up. Five?
00:13:11.868 Speaker 1 We don't get by turning visitors into enemies. You'll get a fair deal here. It was
00:13:17.808 Speaker 1 more than a fair deal. The first half dozen things he'd stuffed into that bag were
00:13:23.148 Speaker 1 worth more than 20 pieces, easy. And they were worth more than 20 pieces in a
00:13:28.488 Speaker 1 town much closer to where goods were actually produced. How
00:13:33.868 Speaker 1 exactly did people make a living this far north? So she paid the man.
00:13:40.908 Speaker 1 Estes here was just telling me about the contracts she's here for.
00:13:47.128 Speaker 1 Contracts? What contracts? She covered her grimace with another sip of
00:13:53.108 Speaker 1 alcohol. How to play this? Pelton would know. What she would
00:13:59.148 Speaker 1 give to have the detective's help in this. But that was impossible. Pelton was more
00:14:04.868 Speaker 1 likely to put her in chains than help her at this point. Military contracts.
00:14:11.588 Speaker 1 That was when the man behind the counter froze. Gust shot a quick glance
00:14:17.647 Speaker 1 at his spokesman, then forced a nervous smile. He took in her uniform.
00:14:24.068 Speaker 1 Who you meeting with? Estes shrugged. There was a trail here. It
00:14:29.888 Speaker 1 might not be the trail she was looking for, but at this point, she followed what was
00:14:34.728 Speaker 1 in front of her. She tried her best to look relaxed, just as confounded as he
00:14:40.568 Speaker 1 was. I didn't get a name. I was told they'd meet me when I
00:14:46.008 Speaker 1 arrived. Then the spokesman rose from his stool, that warm but
00:14:51.788 Speaker 1 indifferent smile back on his face again. You've got your supplies, but
00:14:57.208 Speaker 1 unfortunately, we don't have a place for you to stay. You must be in the wrong
00:15:02.288 Speaker 1 place. Gust put his hands out. Hold on. We're not sending
00:15:08.028 Speaker 1 anyone away before dark, especially if there's an oxbane hanging about. Then Gust
00:15:13.848 Speaker 1 met her eyes and all humor drained from his face. Besides,
00:15:20.088 Speaker 1 she can't leave yet. She just got here.
00:15:25.288 Speaker 1 If you'll excuse me, I have some barrels to clean. He gave them a sharp
00:15:30.788 Speaker 1 nod and left. The spokesman stared at her with undisguised suspicion.
00:15:37.728 Speaker 1 Why are you really here? It's like I said, spokesman.
00:15:43.588 Speaker 1 Business. He continued to stare.
00:15:48.348 Speaker 1 I'm permitted to carry a weapon. Estes snorted a little laugh,
00:15:53.968 Speaker 1 staring straight ahead instead of meeting his eyes. He didn't say he had a weapon.
00:16:00.868 Speaker 1 A moment later, Cecilia stepped up to the counter again. She'd never actually left,
00:16:06.328 Speaker 1 but as quiet as she was, they'd all forgotten her. You can stay with Miss Riselda.
00:16:13.568 Speaker 1 You can stay with Miss Riselda. We don't have an inn, but when visitors come, she
00:16:18.068 Speaker 1 lets them stay in her shed. It's nice. It's a nice shed.
00:16:23.788 Speaker 1 Estes polished off her drink and picked up the sack of dirt-cheap supplies.
00:16:28.648 Speaker 1 Hopefully they weren't poisoned. Sounds lovely. Will you take me there?
00:16:34.768 Speaker 1 I'll do it. Estes rolled her eyes. This one was like a
00:16:40.628 Speaker 1 dog on her shoe.
00:16:43.648 Speaker 1 Let's go then.
00:16:48.048 Speaker 1 The two of them walked in silence for a few minutes through the scattered buildings
00:16:52.228 Speaker 1 they called a town. The snowstorm from the day before did a lot to clean up the
00:16:57.108 Speaker 1 place just by burying it. Estes finally broke the silence herself. She
00:17:03.128 Speaker 1 had to. If this place didn't turn up any answers, she clutched at her chest.
00:17:09.268 Speaker 1 Her heart pounded. She needed answers.
00:17:14.788 Speaker 1 Spokesman, Ravi. This might sound like an odd question, but have you
00:17:20.768 Speaker 1 seen anyone new around here in the past few months? Besides you?
00:17:27.688 Speaker 1 Yes.
00:17:29.688 Speaker 1 No one. Her heart fell to the snow. That couldn't be right.
00:17:36.128 Speaker 1 There was nowhere else. Nothing farther north. It was
00:17:41.588 Speaker 1 dire and then the wastes. A frozen hellscape where nothing grew.
00:17:47.928 Speaker 1 No one really knew what was beyond the wastes because no one came back from those
00:17:52.708 Speaker 1 trips. Ravi stopped walking. Supposedly, they send off a
00:17:58.688 Speaker 1 couple dozen people per year who try to cross the wastes. Apparently that's where
00:18:03.768 Speaker 1 most this town makes its money. Outfitting idiots for their suicidal mission. He
00:18:09.788 Speaker 1 turned and watched her coolly. Of course, they all come in the
00:18:15.328 Speaker 1 spring. No one is crazy enough to come to dire in the winter. No
00:18:21.268 Speaker 1 one but you. He let his words hang on the quiet winter
00:18:26.908 Speaker 1 breeze. There was a long howling cry in the distance. Like
00:18:32.968 Speaker 1 a wolf but deeper. Sadder somehow. It was a lonely cry.
00:18:39.728 Speaker 1 Estes looked out into the darkening starless wilderness. And though she
00:18:45.408 Speaker 1 waited, no one answered that lonely cry.