[Anguirel]

Alright. I'm back, though to be honest I was so excited I did the Horace at rather high speed.

Glad to see that the Hawk has made himself known now. What, he hasn't? You don't know the half of it, buddy.

I am the answer, as it happens, to all the riddles, as my honourable friend the Duck-whom I suspect is a professional hypocrite known in the area as mormegil-knows well.

On the second night, I refused to let my most learned friend Philomela protect me. Until she put forward some convincing arguments. And I remembered I was Papageno, a coward and a buffoon. So I accepted.

That was fortuitous as it turned out, for the Ducks of the Night had trained their bills on me. I in turn had my curved beak aimed at mormegil. If I'm right, had I insisted on being unprotected the Night could have been one of valiant death, not simple relief, and the whole course of events would have been different. But I don't begrudge Philomela her solicitude. It turned out well enough for me.

Before Spawn was lynched, I had her too down for a shot, of which I am rather proud.

Last Night Philomela and I disagreed, in the politest possible way, about the Owls. She backed Glirdan, I backed Mith. So she decided to guard Glirdan, an unexpected bonus, you'll be thinking. Yes, indeed, Mith can be guarded toNight.

As for me, I hunted Valier. Dashed lucky I wasn't killed, particularly as the chump of a Duck knew I wouldn't be guarded. It should have struck then. Instead poor luckless Lalaith fell victim to their beak. I'm not sure why but I suspect she was erroneously assumed to be Philomela.

But I survived, still convinced Mith was right, and Glirdan has pretty much admitted as much.

Philomela, you know who you are and where you are. Thankyou for the excellent job. I couldn't have hoped for a better fellow warrior. Keep watch over Mith tonight.

And now I am newly convinced of the justice of my original scheme by Saucie, I shall get down to doing what I do best.

Bird-catching! Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja!

++MORMEGIL

There, Saucie, did I fulfill the bird-lime plan correctly?

By the way, duck, Philomela's femininity is a poetic concept, not necessarily a fact. If you survive, you've got the lads to choose from too...