cakes for her.
“Last time I had to renew my pass it took me half the day,” the older woman muttered. “You want to get some food in you before you go.”
Gavin lifted the small chest they’d carried in the center of the wagon for the entire trip, placing it precisely at the edge of the table.
When he flipped open the lid, she nearly dropped her oat cake.
“We’ve been carrying that around with us?” She managed to say, despite her strangled voice, shock still running through her.
Gavin tossed one of the money sacks into the air, caught it again. “Apparently, the Council here is quite serious about it being difficult to pay for a residence permit in the inner rings. Well, maybe not difficult, just expensive.”
Esme took the small bag from him, hefted it and estimated how much gold must be inside.
Each bag probably more than her clan saw in a year of traveling.
“Do I even want to know why we have this much money?” she asked.
“Lucky for us, Ship doesn’t really care how it arranges elements,” Gavin answered. “Coins, food, cloth, it’s all the same.”
Declan closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair as he took a long draft from his mug. “While we’re saving her family, could you please not wreck the local economy? I feel I have a vested interest in that.”
“I’ll do my best,” Gavin winked at Esme. “But you know, priorities.”
“We shouldn’t need all of that for the registration fee,” Gavin explained as he sat down to finish a second plate of Mistress Beaton’s cooking. “But it sounds like being prepared to pay a few bribes wouldn’t be a bad plan either.”
“Good planning,” Esme said, nodding briskly. “We’ve somebody to vouch for us, we’ve got the money to pay for our stake.” She stood up, brushed the crumbs from her fingers. “Let’s get this done and keep up with the search. How long can it take?”
Early afternoon came and went and still they coiled their way from one official in the Office of the Registry to the next, ushered from each room by gray clad assistants so unremarkable she couldn’t tell if they’d changed throughout the day or not.
“It’s like the endless troubles in Tancred’s Lament,” Esme muttered, the veil that had been freshly starched that morning now laying limp and crumpled on her shoulders.
“Only one more stop,” Declan said, raising an eyebrow. “It will be worth it to move around freely, won’t it?”
Finally, they were ushered in to meet with one last official, a thin man who seemed to have been drawn up, stretched out so that he barely filled his flowing orange robe of rank, the rich color clashing garishly against the row of tall plants with bright fuchsia blossoms behind him.
“Everything looks in order,” he said, but Esme barely heard his world.
The flowers… they reminded her of something. Something important.
It had only been a few days since they’d begun the mission, and so many things had happened, but still, she needed to remember.
A faded bloom fell to the floor, and Esme suddenly saw Rhela’s quick fingers, heard her voice...
“The Archive!” she blurted.
Both men stared at her, but the official just nodded.
“Yes yes, there is a lovely Archive here in the city. I’m not surprised word of its importance has spread even as far north as,” he glanced at their paperwork, “your little town.”
Great. It was important, and this man was a pompous jerk.
Whatever.
It didn’t matter, she just needed to be able to get there.
“With these papers, can we visit the Archive?”
That got the official’s attention.
He peered down his nose at her. “My dear child, the Archive is for serious scholars and researchers. While your enthusiasm speaks well for you, it is not a place for idle sightseeing.” He gathered their papers, tapped the edge of the stack neatly on his desk. “If you wish to request consideration for a research slot, I would be happy to direct you to the correct office.”
“How long would it take to apply?” Esme asked, voice brave against the officials’ disdain.
“Weeks.’’ He stamped the final papers and yet another gray clad subordinate ushered them out of the office.
“What’s this about the Archive?” Gavin asked. “Why do you want to go there?”
Declan shook his head quickly. “We’ve almost got your residential pass. Please let whatever else is going on wait until we’re out of here, alright?”
23
“So, you see,” Esme continued excitedly as they walked down the busy thoroughfare, “Rhela thought maybe there was a hidden passage that could be