One Through Ten

>Wait, you guys have the hivemind, but can you still talk like...normal? Like...you don't have mouths...or ears....or any features. How do you hear? Or speak? Or eat? ...How do ou BREATHE!?

>Be Nine. Be very embarrassed.

"Ok, so. We can't waste any time on frivolities, such as pondering how our anatomy functions."
"Uh...what?"

> Oh no, oh no, oh no, everyone is BONED now. There's no backup lawyer is there?

"There's no one else who can handle this, right? It's just us?"
"No, The Will was clear on that part- it can only be carried out by The Lawyer, with assistance from us."
"...But that means that we're allowed to work on it too, right? It's just now that we're assisting with... everything. Cuz he's dead."
"I...guess it could be interpreted that way, yes."
"Well let's HOPE it can be interpreted that way, or else the whole kingdom is screwed."
"...On second thought, it can ABSOLUTELY be interpreted that way."

>If you let anyone know about this then things will get complicated and you will most likely be decommissioned. You can't let that happen, not before you know who is behind this!

alright, one thing is clear: nobody can ever know about this. from now on, as far as people are concerned, the lawyer is a hermit and too busy to see anyone. we have to take over all of his duties amongst ourselves. the potential cost is too great. get a couple of you on discrete body disposal, or alternatively puppet taxidermy. and unless we have reason to believe the murderer is going to strike again, there's no reason to panic or waste energy trying to figure out who did it. it was probably an assassination, so they would have no interest in us.

"We...shouldn't tell anyone about this, should we?"
"Hell no. Heeeellll noooo."
"...I have to agree. While there might be certain benefits to honesty, our lives are on the line right now, too."
"Ughhh. I'd much rather kick in everyone's doors to find out who did it, but that'd cause more problems, wouldn't it."
"I don't really care either way, I just want to...find some sort of solution."
"...I don't know what to do..."

"...Regardless, we're going to have to do SOMETHING about his body, soon. It isn't respectful to leave it there."

> Save the papers!

> 2: Did you see anything suspicious while preparing breakfast?

"Two, when making breakfast this morning, did anything seem...weird to you? An odd feeling in the air? A strange smell? Someone dumping poison all over The Lawyer's breakfast while you watched?"
"No, nothing like that! It was just a normal morning!"

Meanwhile, One's instinctual love of paperwork drives her to rescue them from the puddle of blood.

"Oh gracious..."



"You guys might want to hear this."



"My dear children.

I feel very ill. At first, I thought it a cold, but it has become clear that something is very wrong. I believe I have been poisoned. My body moves slowly; there's no telling how long this toxin has been destroying me without any of us noticing. And indeed, it would take me far too long to seek any sort of help, and so I will spend my last few hours writing this.

First; whoever did this either has no regard for the future of the empire and the chaos this will throw it into, or is very confident in their abilities to manipulate the situation. Be wary.

Second; be brave. Be honest. Be confident. My duties are up to you all, now. I do not envy your task; The Lords will not be happy about this, but you must be strong and assert yourself against them; the consequences for not doing so will surely be worse..

Third; I have left The Will with Stumpus. I have been corresponding with Stumpus for some time, having them send me small portions of it to work on, and destroying them after I finished executing them, for added security. I do not know if the assassin knew about this.

Fourth; I am so sorry to leave you all in this situation. Please, look after each other and know that I love you all dea-"

After that, there is only speckles of blood and splashes of ink.

Five and Eight zip over.



"It WAS murder. I knew it."
"And no wonder Two didn't notice anything off- he could have been poisoned WEEKS ago!"
"Can you do. Science things. To the blood."
"CAN I? Oh man, someone find me a cup, I'm going to analyze the SHIT out of this blood."
"Can I punch the poison once you get it out of the blood."
"I will make the poison punchable, just for you."

> Also what's he glowing gem on the table?

One hands the note off to the pair; they'll make better use of it than she will. Her eye does drift however, toward the Signal Stone on the table. It's entirely ceremonial- The Lawyer is (...was) meant to touch it, thereby activating it on the completion of The Will, thus summoning the attentions of all the The Lords, as it meant that the new ruler of the land was going to be announced. The Lords could then contact the castle with the Answer Stones set up around the back of this very room. What with how slow The Lawyer was, it would be pretty impossible for him to accidentally activate the Signal Stone...





Unless, you know, he happened to flop onto it while he died. Because that is just the perfect addition to this situation.

...

One is somehow not surprised in the slightest.