[Galadria]

"Careful, Sefa," Chorania said with an evil chuckle, as she ran to cover the girl with her cloak. "I, personally, wouldn't want any of his foul skin under my nails. We shall have to clean them carefully when we get you home." Sefa submitted to being dressed, but she continued to glare at her erstwhile captor.
Bandicut frantically tried to cast a spell, but Galadria dispelled the magical energy. Correctly identifying the dweamor, she smiled to herself. "Going somewhere, Bandicut? No, I don't think so. Back to the House of the Dome for us all, but you'll be sleeping cold tonight." She cast a spell that took them back home, and put the wizard in a locked room in which wards prevented any magic being cast.

The next day, Attalus came and took Bandicut out of his cell and led him, hands bound to prevent mischief, to Galadria's study, where he was bound to an ensorceled chair.
The mage herself then came in, followed by Noemi, her pregnancy shielded by a gown, and Sefa, still bearing a few marks form her torture, despite Chorania's healing magic. Attalus sat down on a chair by the door, and after a few minutes, Odo came in and sat with him. Cythera was nowhere in evidence, but she had hardly registered on the frightened wizard, so he did not miss her. He did, however, wonder briefly where the drow woman was.
Galadria began. "Bandicut, Wizard of the Mages of Halruua, tell me why I should not just kill you for spying on me and torturing my beloved apprentice. Speak well, for if you do not answer well, she and my drow friend have plans for you."
Actually, the good-natured Chorania would never have tortured anyone, but, not for the first time, the drow elves' sinister reputation worked to her Mistress' benefit. A cold sweat broke out on Bandicut's disfigured face. "Lady Galadria," he spoke rapidly, "I am an adept, as you have guessed. of the Mages of Halruua. My researches and scries showed me that there was an object of great power here in Baldur's Gate, and I was assigned the rask of obtaining it by my superiors." Even in his present straits, the man felt his gorge rise at acknowleging anyone his superior. He went on, "On my arrival here, I was able to pinpoint the object's location as your house, and I tried to hire a thief to steal it, but all failed." His eye sparked a bit. "Allow me to congratulate you on the completeness of your protections, here at your home."
Galadria was not flattered. "Better men than you have tried my house, little man. Say on."
Bandicut continued. "My failure made me frantic. I began to spy on you through my crystal, seeking some weakness, but detecting none. Then, I paid those urchins to tell me when you ventured forth, thinking that perhaps I could discover something in your absence. But, I was caught. I regret torturing your apprentice, but I like being spied upon as little as you appararently do. Well, that is my tale. Do as you will."
"Do not compare yourself with me, Mage of Halruua," Galadria snapped. "I have tormented no innocent to get at you. Those about me want to kill you, but that to me seems insuffficient. Besides being a waste, it will only be a matter of time before someone else comes seeking this treasure of mine and , maybe less clumsy or more powerful, succeeds. So, I have devised an alternative that will make me more secure, not less."
She gestured, and Cythera and Chorania came into the room, bearing a wand and a collar. The collar was placed by the drow about Bandicut's neck, and Cythera waved the wand in several mystical passes. She spoke a charm, then smiled at Galadria. "All done, Gal," she said brightly and sat down near her friend, looking with anticipation at the wizard's ugly face.
"All right, my little wizard," said Galadria with satisfaction, "you are now cursed with a geas, and I will describe how you must act, or it will kill you, messily. This is my sister, Lady Noemi." she indicated the glowering redhead at her side. "She hates you, if you would like to know, because she hates torture, and you tortured her friend. She was quite adamant that we strangle you, so I devised this amusing alternative. Simply put, if anything happens to Noemi, you die; if she is hurt, you shall be hurt, but worse. And, you are not going to be able to do it from here, because another part of the geas is that you must depart this house and Baldur's Gate and never set foot here again, or you die, then, all the same. So," she gestured and the chair freed him, "you are now free to go. Depart this town within the hour, or you'll never molest another boy. But, if you would live, study the situation. Ferret out plots and foil them. Have ears all around. Because, if you don't." she smiled an unpleasant smile, "you will discover that I was not idly threatening. Go now, shoo."
Hardly believing his luck, Bandicut stood, shakily. He looked at Noemi, who was staring at him with unbridled disgust, and he glared back. Instantly, the collar tightened, cutting off his wind, then relaxing. Galadria, who had not taken his eyes off of him, smiled with mock concern. "Oops. Must have had a hard thought about Noemi. Can't do that, Bandicut. Just think what would happen if she were injured. Noemi, dear, give me your hand."
Unhesitatingly, the little redhead laid her hand on her sister's lap. Galadria took a slender, very sharp needle off of her table and pricked Noemi's finger. Bandicut's collar tightened teriffically and he blacked out. When he woke up, they were all standing around him with obvious amusement. Attalus hauled him to his feet without any apparant effort. Galadria looked at her hourglass significantly. "My goodness, Bandicut. Now you have wasted twenty minutes of your hour. Better hurry. Out of here, and may I never see you again."