Page 90 of The Only Way Out Is Up

“Because of the unsettled status of your father’s estate. I know you do not have access to any of his accounts. So I…” He coughs again. “There is the matter of the entry fee. I am forced to ask…”

“If I have the money.” Ky’s smile gets even more shark-like. “Which is a horribly impolite thing to say to any leading family, let alone a Council member, but here we are.”

“Here we are,” Nurow says, relieved.

There’s a strangled moment of silence.

“Well?” the bureaucrat ventures.

“Well what?” Ky says, still sweet.

Nurow’s face reddens, but he is determined to persevere. “Do you have the money?”

“Of course. It’s in an account of my own.” She rattles off a string of numbers. “Do we need to go to the bank and check?”

“No, no,” Nurow says hastily. “That won’t be necessary.” He takes a deep breath, relieved to be through the awkward part of the conversation, and turns to regard me and Star again. “I take it this is your master and his runic?”

“He is.”

“What is his name?” Nurow sounds like someone examining an unpleasant specimen in a jar.

“He is fully capable of answering questions for himself.”

Reluctantly, the old man looks at me. Looks down at me; most of the Hod residents are taller than almost everybody in the Heap, and I’m not tall for a Heaper. Even this bent-backed old man tops me by ten centimeters.

“What is your name?” he asks, enunciating clearly as though I might be deaf.

I draw myself up. “Taj.”

He scratches a character on his board. “Family name?”

I see Ky wince, and I try to stand even straighter. “Haven’t got one.”

“Haven’t got—” Nurow sighs and looks back at Ky. “Really, Miss Tranto, it’s one thing to employ a Yesodean or even a well-behaved Malkuthite, but this—”

“Put Fara if it makes you feel better,” I interrupt.

Ky only stares. Nurow sighs even louder.

“Taj Fara,” he says. “Fine. Age?”

“Twenty.”

He looks like he’s not sure he believes that, but he writes it down anyway. “And this is your runic, Taj?”

I nod. “His name’s Star.”

“It appears… unfinished,” Nurow says.

“There’s a little bit of work to do,” I admit. “But we have four days, right?”

“Indeed.” Nurow’s lips purse in disapproval, and he leans closer to me. “Very well. You have a sponsor and a runic, so I cannot deny you entrance. But are you certain you know what you are doing, boy? Your life will be on the line.” He glances at Ky. “If you are being compelled by threats, know that the Arbiters can—”

“I’m doing this for me.” And Somi, and Spike. And Ky.

A final sigh. “As you wish.” He presents the clipboard to Ky, and she scans it and scrawls a signature. “Present yourself at Central Square at ten o’clock in the morning in four days’ time. Rules will be explained to all contestants then.”

“Thank you, Master Nurow,” Ky says. At a slight nod of her head, Bradley appears to lead the old man away.