“That is true,” Alain agreed. “For your Guild. Mine taught me that they did not even exist and so were not even worth contempt.”
“I don’t know what we’ll find at this tower, what answers it might hold, but when I meet people like that I already know in my heart that neither Mechanics nor Mages are some sort of superior beings. They are taught to look down upon the common folk, and I think an unquestioned sense of entitlement and superiority is more likely to make someone inferior in spirit. No one should be certain that they are better than everyone else.”
“Not all commons are good.”
“No. Of course not.” Mari took a look at the map, her lips spreading in a broad smile. “Do you think we’ll ever be like that? Finishing each other’s sentences? As comfortable together as a pair of trees which have grown into each other’s embrace?”
“I hope so,” Alain said.
“Me too. I’m going to keep this map safe all of my life, as a memento to remind me of them.” She looked around. The number of people, horses and wagons on the streets of Altis had diminished, and shadows were filling the streets as the sun fell low. “It’s late, and according to this we’ve got at least a few days’ walk to get to that tower. Tonight we’ll get some food, wine and water for the trip, but there’s no sense in trying to start until morning.”
The mapmaker’s shop was on the edge of town, so they had to backtrack into the city to find some accommodations for the night, then a little farther yet to get something to eat. Mari looked up the street as they finally located an eatery and was startled to see that they had come far too close for comfort to the Mechanics Guild Hall. Several long blocks still separated them from the open plaza around the Guild Hall, but that wasn’t far enough for her peace of mind. “Let’s get something and get out of here,” she muttered to Alain as they walked into the restaurant. She stood checking the list of items on the menu. “Good. They sell things we can wrap up and take on our hike.” Mari looked at Alain. “Do you—? What?”
Alain used one hand to gesture toward a female Mechanic who must have come in behind them and was now alone at a corner table and staring in their direction. Mari felt a momentary stab of panic, then recognized who was sitting there. “Alli! What’s she doing here on Altis? Alain, I know her. She’s my best friend.”
“You have spoken of Alli.”
“Yes.” Mari looked around, running her hands nervously through her hair, grateful to see that no other Mechanics were in the café at the moment. “You’d better keep an eye out while I talk to her.” Mari walked toward Alli’s table.
As she got closer Alli’s eyes widened and she waved Mari over. “Mari?” Alli breathed. “It is you. I couldn’t believe it when I saw you walk in here. Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?”
Mari sat down, shrugging. “Well, I know there’s an arrest order out on me.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“Of course it bothers me. It also bothers me that the Guild intends to kill me after it questions me.”
Alli stared at her. “Who told you that?”
“A very experienced professor, and a Senior Mechanic confirmed it when she thought I was safely under arrest.” Mari smiled apologetically. “But I got away.”
“Mari, you used to be sort of a rebel, but this…” Alli shook her head. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Have you heard from Calu?”
“Yeah. He sent me a letter using a commons courier service instead of the Guild’s postal system. I got the impression he still couldn’t say much, though. I could barely work out between the lines that he’d met you and that there was some kind of big trouble.”
“Really big trouble,” Mari agreed, then gave Alli a curious look. “What are you doing in Altis? Why did you leave Danalee?”
Alli looked cross. “I left because I was ordered to leave. I’ve been internally exiled by the Guild. That’s thanks to a certain Master Mechanic with an arrest order out for her.”
“Oh, no. Alli, are you serious?”
“Not really.” Alli dropped her annoyed look and smiled ruefully. “I mean, I did get sent here under a dark cloud, but it’s not really your fault. Not completely, anyway. I kept digging into old designs. None of them were supposed to be off limits, none of them were restricted, but the Senior Mechanics kept complaining anyway about me trying to build things. None of them were new, but a lot of it hadn’t been worked with for a while. I kept getting told I was innovating! Heavens forbid I should innovate, right? Like those weapons I gave you. I think that was the last straw that got me exiled here. What did you do with them, anyway? The way I got interrogated about them made me think you’d tried to blow up a Guild Hall or something.”
“I never used them against the Guild,” Mari denied. “I only used one, actually, and that was because I had to kill a dragon.”
“What?” Taken aback, Alli peered at Mari. “You had to kill a what?”
“A dragon. And Alli, it worked great. It was a huge dragon and it never stood a chance. Your weapon nailed it with one hit.”
Alli smiled proudly, then remembered what they were talking about. “You’re serious? Please tell me you’re not joking. Or crazy. There’s been some talk about… you know.”
“No.” Mari shook her head. “I don’t know. Do you mean that I’m supposedly irrational because I got hit on the head in Ringhmon?”
“Partly, yeah. The Senior Mechanics are oh-so-worried about poor Mari,” Alli said with broad sarcasm.
“I told you about Ringhmon, but I’ve found out a little more since the last time we talked. I was set up by the Guild. Nice, huh? The Senior Mechanics wanted me dead, and they wanted to be able to pin it on commons.”
“Who told you this?” Alli demanded.
“Mechanics who knew it for a fact.”
“Why didn’t Calu say something about that?”
“Are you kidding?” Mari asked. “How could he hide something that explosive in a letter without some snoop spotting it? Besides, I didn’t find out the details until after I’d seen him.”
Alli exhaled heavily, looking at the tabletop. “That’s just sick. I’ve been more and more unhappy with the Senior Mechanics, but this… Mari, I can tell you’re not whacked out. But there’s another reason being given for why you need help. There’s supposed to be some guy that you’re traveling with,” she paused and looked to where Alain was standing against a wall some distance from them, “who’s controlling you with drugs or something.”
Mari couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, yeah. I’ve heard that, too. Don’t they think I can behave badly on my own?”
Alli grinned. “They certainly ought to know that by now. But I think they’re trying to get your friends to help catch you by making us think that we’re helping you.”
“Well, it’s ridiculous. Nobody’s controlling me.”
“Nobody ever could,” Alli agreed. “But then what’s going on? Who is he?” Alli rested her chin on the palm of one hand, gazing at Alain. “He’s not half-bad looking…”
“Hey, back off! He’s mine.”
“Yours?” Alli raised both of her eyebrows and smiled slyly. “That sounds interesting. What’s up with you two? Just working partners, or… ?”
“Or,” Mari said, smiling back.
“Where’s he from? What’s his specialty? Where did he apprentice?” Alli demanded.
“He’s not a Mechanic, Alli.”
“He’s not? But the Guild thinks…” Alli studied Alain again. “You took up with a common?”
“No…”
“Mari, if he’s not a Mechanic and he’s not a common, what is he? He’s not a Mage.”
Mari hesitated for only a moment. “Um, yes, he is.”