Swamped

Lou's birthday gift: a fancy raincloak.

That doesn't make any sense. You can't just sew a raincloak, it requires specialized machinery to make it waterproof. So that suggests somebody hid a raincloak for six months just to give it to someone on his birthday.

But it's clearly rained well before then. You think you remember someone here complaining about it raining earlier today, even. Which means it would be a lot more practical to hand the cloak over early, rather than wait six whole months.

Well, maybe Resk thought it was weird too, since he put it on the list. But why talk to the wizard about it?

He suddenly stares at you.

"I thought the flames were supposed to be because of the barrier," he says. "But Wiz said he couldn't keep it going while the ship's bouncing around. And he's not keeping it up right now anyways."

You shrug.

"I'll ask him about it later, I guess. Besides, aren't we here to ask questions to somebody else?"

His expression doesn't change.

"I have to give the captain a report. You start questioning Ms. Bertha, I'll be listening so I can add anything I need to afterwards."

Well. Figures you'd get the hard part.

Resk starts turning to the captain, and you address First Mate Bertha.

"Pardon me, sir. Those children I brought in earlier... It seems they were sleeping in your room, unsupervised."

Bertha looks baffled.

"But they're the carpenter's children. Cammie and I weren't supposed to take care of them tonight, that wasn't until tomorrow. You're sure it was my room?"

"Mr. Resk there said it was. I only have that to go on."

"Hmm, he's not likely to get that wrong. I suppose the carpenter might have gotten confused about the day. It's easy to lose track all the way out here. But then again, leaving the children in our room without checking if either of us was there... Nails isn't usually that careless."

Just what you needed, more damn questions.

"I don't suppose you have any idea about the strange magic symbol on the floor there, either."

"Actually, I do have a thought about that."

Now that's not an answer you were expecting.