VIII
THE HIEROPHANT
“What will we tell our children who weren’t alive
to witness what we did? Will you tell them what
terrible things you’ve done? Will anyone?”
Shade. “The Last Mizer Is Dead.”
The Treasonist’s Tribunal
7 Jan YOR 4
ENNE
The office ofThe Crimes & The Timeswas located in a historic building in the Financial District, famous for its unusual architecture, with a sloping roof and exposed piping. Enne scowled at the paperboy outside, waving copies of today’s edition at passersby. A photograph of Levi dressed in a smart, navy suit dominated the front page with a headlineYoung Reformed Criminal Negotiates Pardon for the North Side. She’d bought him that suit, if she remembered correctly.
“Funny,” Enne muttered from the passenger seat of her Houssen. “Ihaven’t been pardoned.”
“The North Side isn’t on lockdown anymore,” Roy said from the backseat. “That must count for—”
“Did you even see the ruckus on Tropps Street this morning?” Grace cut in. “They’re almost ready to throw a parade in Pup’s honor, as if the lockdown wasn’thisfault to begin with.”
It was true—the drive through the Casino District to reach the South Side had been chaotic. To celebrate the lifting of the curfew, people had begun a twenty-four-hour party that spilled out into the middle of traffic. There had been shouting, dancing, and an overwhelming amount of litter. Enne had felt on edge just driving by it, reading the article in the backseat.
Talks between Levi Glaisyer, future Representative
Augustine, and the Chancellor amounted to an end on the state of emergency in the North Side...
Glaisyer promises to continue working to help the North Side get back on its feet...
Our sources confirmed that Séance was not involved in these negotiations...
Everyone was getting exactly what they wanted, but meanwhile, Enne’s life was still on the line.
As if on cue, Levi appeared in the doorway of the office building, wearing yet another suit Enne had bought him. When she tried to decide why that bothered her, the only thing she could come up with was that it looked good on him.
“If your plan doesn’t work,” Grace whispered, “there’s still option two. He’s clumsy. A wrist lock would easily—”
Levi opened Enne’s door. “Thank you for coming,” he told her, sounding sincere.
Even if there were no reporters to glimpse them yet, the show began right here. Enne flashed her best finishing school smile and took his offered hand to help her out. She stood up on the sidewalk, straightening out the wrinkles of her blush-pink blouse.
“Thanks,” she said. Then she reached into her purse and made a show of fiddling with her two tokens, a show of appearing anxious. She looked up at the building with wide eyes. “If I’m going to do this like you want,” she murmured, “I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
Levi narrowed his eyes briefly, then switched his expression to his usual smirk of a smile. “What might that be?”
“Could you sit next to me, during the interview?” she asked. “I’m nervous.”
He hesitated. “It’s supposed to be a feature onyou. I’m not sure—”
“I’d just feel more at ease if you were beside me. If I felt like...” She swallowed. “We were in this together.”
His face softened. “I’ll mention it to Owain.”
Enne came very close to feeling sorry. But really, she fumed. Grace had dug up the most feminine outfit from her wardrobe, one with an obscene amount of pastel and lace and frills. She felt like a caricature of herself.Do I look like a missy enough for your plan?Enne wanted to ask Levi snidely.
