114. Guess Who?

Patches and Braum reunite two families.

***"Sometimes they quit because the situation at the table has become… intolerable."***

In The Spark, Patches and Braum commiserate over a drink: the battle with Broken Flight was hard-fought, but mostly won. Mazer is still at large, and no one knows where Zistor is either; the two promise to go out and hunt for him the next day, even without Sophia. The two are interrupted by Malcolm, who looks quite shocked, implying that while he was assisting Dr. Sayley, she did something disturbing… and fascinating. Patches rolls her eyes at her father, but when he presses her about her dinner "date" with Duke Granville, she claps back, telling him they should stay out of each other's private business. She leaves, and Braum offers to take the enchanted mortal out to dinner himself, hoping to get to know him better.

The next day, Patches and Braum visit Talus. They present him with the bit of Mazer's horn hoping that he can scry it for them. Talus agrees to try, but he's skeptical that it will work: Mazer is smart enough to hide away, for a time. Talus also doesn't really have any leads on Zistor: he never wanted to know about his husband's private life, anxious that it might be troubling. As Patches heads down to the dungeon, Braum messages Countess Weyer to check in on his sons. She's in China with them, headed soon to Poland, and informs Braum that Aidan has shown great promise for Naming, and Gus for Dreaming!

Down in the dungeon, Patches confronts Boli, letting the cantrip fall that made him think he had lost his hearing. The boggan is injured but still belligerent: "I am doing what is necessary!" he snaps when Patches tries to berate him for torturing and Rhapsodizing mortals. "And I'm doing the same to save my friends!" she roars back. Boli is cowed, admitting that their plan was to force High Queen Lenore to step down and have to "make her claim" again, and that the inner circle of Broken Flight consisted of exactly five Kithain: himself, Mazer, and the three who were killed by Sophia and Kyoko. When Patches tells him that one of their number tried to assassinate the "High Queen", Boli sinks lower; when Braum arrives and informs him of Mazer's confession of only undertaking the mission for selfish reasons, Boli is utterly heartbroken. Giving Boli a radio tuned to a classical radio station, the weeping boggan releases Halleah from her oath to him, freeing her.

Braum and Patches head upstairs to the troll, informing her of the end of her oath. She's suspicious, but as she realizes that they're telling the truth, she's overwhelmed with emotion. Her first priority is to uphold her oath to Cog, and reunite him with his mother. She sends Braum and Patches to an emergency dental office in Griffintown, where they are greeted by the chill of Banality. The man at the front desk is almost robotic in his manner, and unfazed by Braum's attempts to strongarm information out of him. When Patches names Cog's mother, he reminds her of the "payment they agreed to," and goes to fetch her. It becomes clear that the man runs a butcher's, a clinic where people can get medical attention, no questions asked. They are able to return Cog's mother to her home, and return to the Spark to get the young nocker.

Cog is overjoyed to hear that his mother is safe, but Braum discovers that he has a small gun! He claims it's to "defend his family," but Patches unloads it, telling him they'll work on making the design more safe. He also wants to drop out of school, but Patches puts a pin in it, telling him that he's exhausted from having polished Queen Laurel's armour all night. Braum and Patches, along with Halleah, reunite Cog with his mom, suggesting that he return to the Spark soon to be with his other family. Braum and Patches then bring Halleah back to the Spark, where she finds her brother Parris, embracing him. "It's always winter without you," she tells him.

Hoping to continue the happy reunions, Braum approaches Incisor to unfreeze Claude. Since Halleah's been freed from her oaths to Broken Flight, there's no reason for husband and wife to be in conflict! Incisor snaps back at the troll, telling him that Claude's problems aren't the least bit over. Halleah still needs to answer for her crimes, even if under oath, and Claude will have to bring her to Tara Nar. "You got rocks in your brain?" This is the last straw for Braum, and he asks Incisor if she wants to fight him. Patches manages to step between the two scrappers, telling Braum to fuck off and get ready to go and find Zistor. While he goes out to the garden to cool off, Patches takes a moment to apologize to Incisor on his behalf. "His heart's in the right place," she grudgingly admits.

Out in the garden, Talus approaches Braum with some news: Caer Frost has been reclaimed! Lord MacAllistar and Lady Helena led the charge and managed to recapture the freehold. Braum is happy to hear it, but seems distracted. He asks Talus point-blank why Incisor doesn't seem to like him; the satyr suggests that maybe Incisor feels that he embodies the Seelie Court so effortlessly, which might piss her off. Braum ponders this insight while getting ready to go out and continue the hunt for Zistor Flexx….