I leaned against the metal railing of the walkway next to Inmadra, watching Elethenn carefully pick his way across the apartment through the open doorway."I would offer you tea," I tried in abayan, "but my kitchen is –" I searched for a word like a disaster, "– very bad."
"A mess," Inmadra supplied thoughtlessly, staring hard at Elethenn in the apartment, her features tight with some expression I couldn’t read yet.She half-turned to me, continuing in abayan."I should make an introduction.Sashen of Creche Thiel, this is Thodin."She gestured to the tall and muscular abaya, as if I wouldn't know that's who she meant."He is Thodin," she repeated in Standard, so I'd know how to refer to him.
I smiled up at him."It is my pleasure to meet you."It had always been Celravi accompanying Inmadra before – I'd been hoping to see her so I could ask if she was the artist whose work we'd just seen – so I tried something that might put Thodin, clearly uncomfortable, more at ease."You must have heard that I always serve good dumplings.I'll pack some to go to Celravi if I can convince Elethenn to sell me extras."
Thodin's black stare flicked up to me for a second, head still ducked, before he looked at Inmadra, features pinched with misery.
A line of tension tightened in my neck."Wait, is Celravi okay?"I asked.Had something happened?
Inmadra was scowling now, glaring into the air as if she didn't know where else to direct her anger."She has been arrested.She attended a public event – Itoldher it was not wise, but she was most insistent on hearing our ancient stories as told by this particular speaker.As she could not pay the misdemeanour fine, she has been detained."
Next to Inmadra, Thodin looked even more miserable, a whine of distress rattling in his throat."Celravi would not do anything wrong," he said, voice whisper-quiet and hoarse, as if it didn't get much use."She only wanted to listen."
I looked back inside the apartment to Elethenn, whose hands were tucked behind his back as he surveyed the room carefully, stepping over the detritus of my little life, his eyes bright and thoughtful.
"What happens if she can't pay the fine?"I asked.
Inmadra stiffened."That is not your concern," she said."We will address it.We will both take additional shifts."
I looked at Thodin, whose shoulders drew up, inch by inch."But what happens?"
The look he shot Inmadra was desperate, so she sighed, hard, and answered me."If a fine is not paid by its maturation date, crecheless abaya are sent to labour camps and worksites operated by various creches.But this will not be the case for our Celravi.We have time enough to pay her fine.You are kind to think of her, but you are not paying me to discuss a problem beneath your notice."
Celravi wasn't beneath my notice.I latched on to deadline, because I knew what it felt like to be under the gun in that particular way."It has to be paid by a specific time?"
She ignored me and turned to look out at the square, which was answer enough."There is a small tea shop nearby.We could go there for your lesson."
I shook my head, resolved.I knew what it was like to have nothing and for your debts to catch up with you, and I liked Celravi and I had credits to spare.It was an easy decision."No, I don't want to just go ahead with our lesson like normal.I want to go to the ward guard station."
Inmadra's features flashed with something like disappointment before settling back into a neutral expression."You wish to file a report?"
I shook my head again."No, we're going to get Celravi out."
* * *
Inmadra tried to argue with me, but – despite having known me for a couple of weeks now – she didn't realize just how stubborn and difficult I could be when I wanted to dig my heels in.
"Ihavecredits," I'd said, firm."And if you watched the Tournament, you know that I'm not used to having them.The only reason I was there was because of some incredibly stupid fines, so if I can fix this by using some of the conglomerate’s credits, then I'm going to do it."
Thodin, shy, had risked a smile at me on the walk to the station while Elethenn continued his inspection of the apartment, promising to close up when he left and to call the landlord on my behalf.When I'd protested that, he had merely smiled and said, "You tend to other business.It is my pleasure to help you in this way."
I insisted we stop in at Tam's on the way, because some things were easier to explain in person.When I ducked in, he took one long look at me and the two abaya who were accompanying me – his yellow stare lingering appreciatively on Thodin, who seemed unable to look anywhere but the ground no matter where we went – and his tail flicked in amusement."You cancelling on me?"he asked as he dumped a handful of resistance bands into an overflowing box meant for cleaning.It was always overflowing.I suspected Tam preferred using equipment to cleaning it.Any passing cleanliness was, I knew, because of Dreyko, who I'd heard grousing more than once about the state of the gym's towels (just because you can't see dirt doesn't mean it's not there, Tamcer!).
"Maybe," I said."I'll still pay you."
He rolled his eyes, which was something he'd learned from me."Not why I'm asking.Everything okay?"
Oh."Someone broke into my apartment," I explained, "and now I've got to go get a friend out of the ward detention centre.Those are, uh, unrelated."
He laughed, shaking his red head, his ear spines flexing with amusement."You know how to have a good time, pal.Although –" His eyes narrowed for a second, and he frowned."You said someone broke in?Might not be related, but I've had a few inquiries about you, just so you know.People reaching out wanting to know what you're doing here, looking for any interesting, uh, revelations."
My stomach dropped."Oh.Did –"
"I didn'ttellthe fuckers anything, of course," Tam continued merrily, swinging a towel up over one broad shoulder."It's not anyone's fucking business.But if someone broke into your place, could be they were snooping."
I chewed on the inside of my cheek."When did this happen?"I knew Vivith had been spying on me.I would have assumed it could have been Vivith who'd broken in, except that they were at that big meeting in Central Ward with Ai'lun Industries.And most damningly for that admittedly tantalizing theory: Vivith would never leave a mess."And do you know anything about the people who were nosing about?"
"All through the datasphere," Tam said."So it could be anyone.Had a little burst in the past couple of days.I don't know how they figure you're here, unless there are eyes on you.I didn't put your name on the books officially."At my surprise look, he snorted."I thought you'd want a little privacy.I was neverTournamentfamous, but I made a name for myself on Zebbiri.Sometimes you just want to be left the fuck alone, right?"
