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“Tris, look,” said Glaki impatient, bouncing in the older girl’s lap.
“I’m looking,” Tris replied. “Don’t do that, I might break.”
Glaki pointed to a dish on the table. It rose, shakily, three full inches, then settled again.
“Very good,” Tris said. She hesitated, then kissed Glaki on the cheek. “Your mother and aunt would have been proud.”
Keth had continued to work at Touchstone Glass while Tris slept, with Dema to keep him enclosed with protective magic. A week after Tris got out of bed, she rejoined Keth at the shop, along with Glaki, Little Bear, and Chime. They said hello to Antonou on their arrival, then retired to the workshop.
The slip into their old routine was as easy as Tris’s slip into sleep. The three of them meditated. Glaki settled into her corner to play with her dolls as Tris drew her protective circle around the shop. Watching Keth work, she thought that she would dispense with the barrier after today. He kept his power firmly in hand as he created the small, sparking globes that Antonou could sell.
Comfortable with Keth’s skills, Tris let herself out through her barrier, to practice scrying the winds. Her bit of success in pursuit of the Ghost had given her confidence. She could master this in time, and who knew? Unlike her other magics, she might be able to make a living with this.
She only had the strength for less than a half hour of work. Sweating, she lowered her barrier on the workshop and left it down. As she sat on a bench, watching Keth, she realized that his eye was on her.
“What are your plans?” she asked. “Niko says they’re going to move the conference to an island off the coast. I should go with him.” She smiled wickedly. “It seems our fellow mages don’t find Tharios, with all the garbage piling up, much fun as a place to write their text on visionary magics.”
“I’m going with you,” Keth says. “There are glassmakers on the island related to Antonou. They’ll take the work they can sell to him, and he’ll pay them for my supplies. Later …” He gouged at the floor with his foot.
“Later …?” Tris nudged.
Keth looked at her. “I want to study investigators’ magics. While you slept, Dema shielded me while I made two more globes with crimes in them. It’s not something I want to do constantly, understand, but if I can help, I’d like to.”
Tris nodded encouragement. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. I wouldn’t want you to give up your glassmaking, but even a little help from time to time would make a difference, it seems to me.”
Keth grinned at her. “I figured you’d approve. And Tris, I had another thought.” She raised her eyebrows. Keth said, “How would you like to learn how to work glass?”
Tris blinked. “You mean, learn to work it like an ordinary craftsman does.”
“Exactly.” Keth sat next to her. “You won’t get further than journeyman, probably. You don’t have the time to spend just on glass, for one thing. But you could learn to mold and pull glass. I’ve seen how you admire the work.”
Tris looked at the ground to hide her blush of pleasure. “I’d love to.”
Keth laughed. “Oh, I have you now!” he said, rubbing his hands together. “A little repayment for your hours of torture —” He went into the shop and took down two leather aprons.
“I did not torture you,” Tris retorted. She accepted one apron and tied it over her gown. “No more than you deserved, anyway. And I’m still your teacher, so mind your step.
“I am going to enjoy this,” Keth said. “Come here. We’ll start with the basic mix of materials you need to melt down.” As Glaki invented stories for her dolls, Keth proceeded to instruct his young teacher on the mysteries of glass.
They were cleaning up for the day, or rather, Keth and Glaki cleaned up while Tris sat on a bench and sweated, when Dema walked into the courtyard. Little Bear greeted him with earsplitting barks as Chime flew around his head. “You look terrible,” Dema informed Tris. “Are you even ready to be out of bed?”
“Nice to see you, too,” she mumbled.
“Slumming, or moving to a more respectable arurimat?” asked Keth, grinning at Dema.
“Neither.” When Keth and Tris stared at him, Dema coughed into his fist. “I’m, ah, staying at Elya Street,” he confessed. “I, well …” He looked at them and shrugged. “I like it down here. I asked the Keepers to promote one of my sisters instead.” When Keth and Tris continued to stare at him, Dema flushed under his brown skin. “They need me more down here than they do farther up the hill. And after catching the Ghost, the, yaskedasi are talking to me. I’ve been able to solve three old crimes since that night.” He sighed. “The Keepers rewarded me anyway. At least, they said it was a reward. I’m also assigned to the Hodenekes and Noskemiou arurimati. I guess they think if I like the lowlife, I ought to get a belly full of it.” He looked at Tris. “Which reminds me — who tipped the prathmuni off, do you suppose? Let them know to flee the city?”
Tris knew that sooner or later someone would think to ask. Though she was not generally in favor of lying, she saw no reason why anyone should know the truth. She looked Dema in the eye and said, “For all you know, there were prathmuni everywhere on that street. They’re not stupid, Dema.”
“No, they’re not,” he said grimly. “They’re negotiating a contract with Tharios right now from hiding. They won’t return until the Assembly grants certain concessions, like pay for their work, and better living conditions.”
Keth and Tris exchanged grins. “What a shame,” Keth remarked.
“I feel for you,” said Tris, innocent and earnest. “I feel for all Tharios.”
“Me too,” said Glaki, hugging Dema around the knees.
Dema lifted her up and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad someone around here feels sorry for me.” To Tris he said, “We can’t change overnight. Not Tharios.”
“But a little change won’t kill you,” replied Tris as Chime began to purr in her lap. “It might even help Tharios to stand another thousand years.”
