Xaviers!

"I wonder why," Tereza frowns, her touch on the ground leaving an icy patch. "I mean, not that I object to whoever helping, but gifts from the fey usually have strings wrapped around them like mummy wrappings."

"That's why I said a bribe. Either there's an agreement already, or those lot just agreed to something without realizing."

"That's how my country cousins operate."

"So let me get this straight. A magical being just made those unwitting sods their slaves? What's the bloody purpose of that? How does it even know they'll be efficient workers?"

There was a tinge of jealousy to his observation, but it was probably hunger induced.

"It may not care," Tereza says, "Whatever it was, it's gone now. Let's get moving. If we run across it again, we can see what's going on then."

Basil nodded, and went back to his silence, more than content to continue his following for the moment.