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The boy bites his lip as he considers me. Then he gives a tentative nod. “There’s so much that gets done there. It was very impressive.”
Something about his answer sounds rehearsed, but then, I wouldn’t put it past Ster. Torstem to insist on a certain way of talking about the college regardless of his reasons for taking the kids there.
“I suppose you’ll be having your dedication ceremony soon,” I say.
The boy brightens up immediately, so much that I can’t doubt his enthusiasm now. “Oh, yes. I hope that Sabrelle will welcome my sacrifice with a great gift in return.”
Well, I can’t call him unambitious. He doesn’t appear to be traumatized or unhinged. Just… quiet, which is far from a crime.
I try another angle. “What did you think of Ster. Torstem?”
“He’s very generous. It was good to see… good to see where he comes from.”
The boy gets a bit of an odd look, as if he’s worried he’s offended me. I scramble for another question. “I trust there wasn’t anything frightening that happened during your visit?”
And gods above, let him tell me if there was.
The boy twists his hands in front of him. His next words come out a little too fast. “Oh, there’s nothing to be scared of. It’s people like Torstem who are making sure everything will be all right.”
His face pales a little more, and he makes that hasty protective gesture over his chest like I saw on the campus. “I should help in the kitchen,” he announces before I can say anything else, and darts past me out the door.
The whole conversation leaves me uneasy, but in such a vague way I can’t say anything was actually wrong. It’s odd that the boy referred to Torstem informally—but outer-ward kids aren’t used to professional honorifics.
What did he mean about making sure things would be all right, though? That sounded strangely ominous even though it was phrased to be reassuring.
My nerves itch all the way back to Casimir, who’s just closing the last of the records books. At the sound of the manager’s voice traveling up the stairs, I duck inside and lean against the wall as if I never left.
When he hands the books back to the woman, Casimir gives her an emphatic thank you before we head outside. He tucks the paper he wrote his notes on into his breast pocket.
I have to wait until we’re back on our horses and a few streets away from the orphanage before he tells me anything he learned. “If the records are correct, then all the children Ster. Torstem has tapped for college visits are serving at temples as she said.”
“We’ll just have to look them up at those temples and see if there’s anything odd about their situation now. I spoke with the boy I saw earlier this week… He couldn’t tell me much, but I got the sense he was still nervous about the situation.”
Casimir rubs his chin. “I suppose it’s difficult to judge based on that. I’d imagine a visit to the college would be intimidating to any child not raised near it.”
The comment sets of a niggle of curiosity I decide to give in to. “Do—doyouhave any children? I mean…”
I flush. It’s got to be obvious what I mean without my spelling it out.
“Not as yet,” Casimir says in his usual easy tone. “Those of us in my trade who are trained at the college are supplied with mirewort. You’ve heard of it?”
I’ve taken it. “It prevents pregnancy. But it isn’t infallible.”
I’ve overheard more than one story of girls ushered into motherhood faster than they’d have preferred despite the herb.
“No, but it nearly is when you can get it pure. It’s difficult to grow and harvest, so supply is limited, and most purveyors mix it with various other herbs so it’ll go farther.” The courtesan’s mouth slants downward. “Few outside the inner wards have access to a fully effective option.”
My stomach sinks. And they wouldn’t be able to afford the pure stuff even if they had access.
I drag my attention away from that uncomfortable subject to the task we just completed. “Well, we now have a lot more information on Ster. Torstem’s activities than we did before. It was lucky you got your hands on those books.”
I glance sideways at him. “Or not about luck. Did you use your gift to convince her to let you at the books?”
I’ve never asked before what he traded his now-bejeweled teeth for.
The gleam in Casimir’s eyes confirms my suspicion. “It does come in handy for a variety of purposes.”
I hesitate and then push onward. “Am I allowed to ask what itis?”
