"Do you know Skori's codec number?" He said.
Sedriil nodded.
"Try searching for it now."
Sedriil took hold of the orb, and closed his eyes once again. The wait was about as long as the one that comprised his search for Mericlou, but in the end, he opened his eyes, with the same bewildered and defeated expression as before.
"It's not there!" He said. "I did the same thing, used the same processes as I did for Meri. The same thing happened."
"You see what I mean now?" Tescadji said with a slight edge of victory. "This magic that I use is a very obscure runic -the exact details about it are kind of hush-hush and all that rot, but the short of it is that it's a form of magic the search grid wasn't designed for … and therefore, can't penetrate. Aldrec may know some form of forgotten or obscure form of magic, and may be protecting your Meri as well."
"It sounds like him," Sedriil said with a faint grin. "And your explanation is quite logical."
"So you're basically saying that we need to wait, and she'll just show up?" Skori said, half in suspicion, half in near-incredulity.
"That's exactly what he is saying," Jenius said, accepting the orb that Sedriil had returned to him. "As a matter of fact, I have a feeling that you will be meeting her soon."
In the distance, there was a faint sound of an explosion. Even more faintly -though out of Tescadji and Garen's hearing range- could be heard the sounds of a crowd … or perhaps a riot gang. Noroa held fast to her husband's tunic, while Alaema gasped, and the two brothers glanced concernedly towards the outside window.
"It's begun," Jenius said dispassionately. "It'd be wise to finish preparing. I don't know if the police here in Rogart will be enough to stop the social fallout from that report."
The family continued their preparations in silence, amassing several very full suitcases and trunks before they were finished. By then, the sounds of rioting were much closer and well within human hearing range. Flecks of distant reds and oranges could be seen through the drapes, adding to the foreboding air. Jenius performed his transportation magic, moving the family, their belongings, and finally, he and Tescadji, through time and space to their destination. Noroa and Garen, the last of the family to leave, took only the briefest moment in order to mourn the sudden and violent passing of their formerly idyllic life. They wondered if it was something that they would ever have back again.