Pyke and Victor, and hundreds of others who shared their political viewpoints, had been dragged in by the lictors for questioning and forced to take a special second administration of the loyalty test. Both men had passed, as had most of their friends, leading to critical articles in the activist newspapers that lambasted the Council with accusations of persecution and abuse of power.
As Victor had predicted, Alister's reduced sentence had drawn a storm of protest. Mobs had ringed the plaza when he'd been blinded and, two weeks later, most of the city had turned out to jeer at him as he'd taken his exile march across the city and out the gates.
Cristof, Taya, and Viera had attended both events. None of them had enjoyed the punishment, not even Viera, whose desire for vengeance had evaporated during the public blinding. In fact, she'd been instrumental in helping Taya draw Cristof out of the black mood that had engulfed him after Alister's mutilation and exile. Those weeks had been difficult, but somehow they'd persevered, and after Alister had been led down the mountain under an armed escort, they'd started to put their lives back together again.
Taya knew that Cristof had set up a secret — and illegal — account for his brother with a bank in Mareaux. She'd seen the paperwork when they'd established a fund for the families of the two lictors they'd killed. It was all they could do; neither family had wanted to see or talk to them. It hurt, but Taya understood. And she didn't blame Cristof for trying to make exile a little easier for his brother, either.
"Well, now, we've packed every last thing you own but your robes, haven't we, exalted?" her father said, walking into the shop and stamping snow off his boots. Katerin and her husband Tomas followed, pausing to watch Cristof as he tugged at the knots on his public robe.
"Thank you," Cristof said, glancing up.
The shop was empty. All of the exalted's clockwork and tools had been packed up to be taken to Primus. Taya had wanted Cristof to keep his business, but he'd protested that he wouldn't have time to make the trip back and forth between Tertius and Primus anymore. Instead, he planned to set up a small workshop in one of the spare rooms in Estate Forlore.
"May I? If you'll permit me, exalted?" Katerin moved forward and helped her sister untie the robe. Cristof stopped trying to do it himself and sighed, letting his arms fall.
"Pyke calls this ‘ostentatious incapacitation,'" Taya commented, as they worked.
"That's exactly what it is." Cristof squirmed as Ann lifted the wig from his head, leaving his short hair standing up in unkempt spikes. "I can't even scratch an itch while I'm wearing it."
"You'll have to suffer for another second or two," Taya said, unsympathetically. "We're almost done."
"Look, I'm an exalted, I am!" one of the boys shouted, holding Cristof's mask against his face.
"Put that down right now!" Ann cried out, horrified. The child flinched and dropped the mask on the table. She rushed over to examine it, her hands shaking. "Exalted, forgive him. There's no harm done it; no damage at all."
"Don't worry. The brat doesn't know how lucky he is that he doesn't have to wear that thing."
Taya and Katerin lifted the heavy robes off his shoulders, and Cristof sighed with relief, scratching his head. He was wearing his usual plain black suit beneath the robes. He'd only put on the outfit at Ann's insistence that he try out the new wig before packing it.
Taya folded the garments, placing the ivory mask in their center, and handed the bundle to Tomas. He carried it out to the last crate. A moment later she heard him nailing the lid into place.
"That's it, then." Cristof looked around, a little wistfully. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ann?"
The woman nodded. "I'll bring up the wig, then, and instructions for your servants."
"Good."
For a moment everyone stood in awkward silence, trying to figure out how to say goodbye across caste. Finally Taya stepped forward and shook the wigmaker's hand.
"Thank you for your help. I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow."
"Me, too, Taya. Good luck." Ann smiled at her, relieved, and herded her children out the door.
"Off we go, as well," Taya's father said. Taya hugged him.
"Thanks for helping, Dad."
"A pleasure, sweetness. Exalted, we're honored to see you again. Best of luck to you." Her father bowed, his palm on his forehead. "You'll be at our table for Ladysday the week next, now?"
"As promised," Cristof agreed, although he looked a little daunted by the prospect. Taya had warned him about their annual Ladysday dinner, where two-thirds of the neighborhood was invited, half the gifts that were exchanged were alcoholic, and the singing and dancing continued until midnight. It wasn't the kind of thing the reticent exalted would normally attend, but she thought the noise and merriment would be better for him than spending a quiet Ladysday on Primus.
"See you later, then," Katerin said, hugging her sister. She tapped the gold envoy feather that Taya wore pinned to her fur cloak. "Don't be flying off to any strange countries without telling us."
"They won't let me leave until spring," she replied, cheerfully. "Until then, it's back-to-back lessons." Katerin grinned as Taya turned to embrace her brother-in-law. With good-humored bows to Cristof, her family headed outside, pulling up their collars against the ash-colored snow.
At last Cristof locked up the shop. The wagon full of wooden crates was already on its way up to Primus, but Gregor's hack waited for them by the curb.
"Where to, exalted?" Gregor asked. He was bundled against the cold, but his voice was as cheerful as ever.
"Estate Octavus," Cristof said, as they climbed inside. Gregor saluted and the coach jerked forward.
"Have you already told Viera that we're going to Cabiel, or am I going to have to listen to you two argue about it all afternoon?" Taya asked, nestling comfortably against Cristof's side.
"I haven't told her yet." He shifted, searching inside a pocket of his greatcoat for something. The coach rattled and lurched around them.
"Oh, Lady." Taya groaned. "You know she thinks you ought to stay in Primus instead of playing traveling ambassador. I think that's the only part of the Council's plan she doesn't like."
"Well, she'll have all winter to complain about it," he said, sounding unconcerned. "But not this afternoon. Ah, here we go." He pulled out a small box and offered it to her. "I didn't let your family pack this away."
"What is it?" Taya took it from him. The box was heavy. She held it to her ear and smiled, hearing ticking. "Is it for me?"
"The ambassador's envoy deserves her own watch, don't you think?"
"But I like using yours," she protested, even though she eagerly lifted the lid.
Her smile widened as she lifted the watch out of the box. Cristof hadn't tried to make it small and delicate. Instead, like the timepieces he'd made for himself and his brother, it had a comfortable heft, a sense of solidity and presence. It was the kind of watch she wouldn't be afraid to slip into a leather flight suit pocket. As if to emphasize that it was meant to be carried while flying, its red gold case was engraved with an outswept bird's wing.
"It's beautiful," she said, delighted.
"I would have made the case out of ondium, but I couldn't get my hands on enough," Cristof apologized. "Red gold isn't as valuable, but…"