"I am." He had the rounded accent of a Englishman who went to the better sort of schools. "I was brought here just recently by a very elegant and formidable woman. I'm still learning my way around."

He held out his hand, which was covered with a brown leather strap, the only part of his outfit that wasn't black, from boots to jacket.

"Niles Pottinger. You're from the slavic region, right? I was stationed in Prague for a little while during the Pale Wars."