“Have at it,” he said.
Hefting a pry bar, she levered up the lid, and there inside was a set of muslin sacks. The scent was even stronger now, and Viv shivered in anticipation. Untying one, she dug a hand into it, and let the roasted brown beans sift through her fingers. She loved the quiet hiss they made as they fell back into the bag.
“Hm. You’re right. Not much like tea.”
Emerging from her reverie, Viv glanced up at him. “You can smell it though, can’t you? Like roasted nuts and fruit.”
Cal squinted at her. “Thought you said you drank it?”
Viv nibbled one experimentally, tasted the warm, bitter, dark flavor as it coated her tongue. She felt she needed to explain. “They grind it into powder and then run hot water through it, but there’s more to it than that. When the machine shows up, I’ll show you. Gods, the smell of it, Cal. This is just a ghost of it.”
She sat back on the flagstones and rolled the bean between her thumb and forefinger. “I told you I came across it in Azimuth, and I remember following the smell to the shop. They called it acafé. People just sat around drinking it from these little ceramic cups, and I had to try it, and… it was like drinking the feeling of being peaceful. Being peaceful in your mind. Well, not if you have too much, then it’s something else.”
“A lot of folks allow you feel peaceful after a beer.”
“It’s different. I don’t know if I can tell you how it is.”
“Well, all right then.” His look was not unkind. “In the int’rest of your new business, I guess I’ll say I hope folks have the same experience you did.”
“So do I.” She retied the sack, took his mallet, and started nailing the crate lid back down.
When she looked up again, Cal was emerging from the office area. He stopped in front of her and stared at the floor ruminatively for a moment, and she was content to wait for what he had to say.
“Figure you might need a sort of kitchen back there. Stove. Maybe a water barrel and some copper pipe. Hooks for pots an’ pans.”
“The water barrel’s not a bad idea. I should’ve thought of that, since I’ll need the water. But a kitchen? What do I need that for?”
“Well,” he said, looking apologetic. “If you find nobody wants any of the beans and water, at least you can feed ’em.”
* * *
As the day drew down,the rain stopped, and the city smelled, if not clean, then at least refreshed. It wasn’t quite dusk, but Viv took her lantern and her notes out to the tack box, which had cemented its role as her porch bench. Before she could settle in to re-examine them, she spied Laney across the way, wrapped in a shawl and blowing on a mug of tea.
Viv set the lantern on the box, tucked away her notes, and stepped over the drying puddles to join the woman on her porch.
“Evening,” she said.
“It is.” Laney nodded at the livery. “Seems you’ve been mighty busy,miss.” She grinned slyly when she said it.
“Oh, yeah. I suppose so.”
“Sleepin’ in there, are you? Hope you’re lockin’ up at night, dear. It’s close to the High Street, but I wouldn’t like to see you runnin’ afoul of sommat unsavory after dark.”
Viv couldn’t mask her surprise. As a rule, folk spared little thought for her physical well-being, herself included. She was touched.
“Don’t worry. Locked up tight. But, speaking of anyone unsavory….” Viv tried to sort out what she wanted to ask. “Had a visitor today. Big hat,” she held her hands out wide from her head. “Fancy shirt. Stone-fey, I think. You know him?”
Laney snorted and slurped her tea. She said nothing for a long moment, then sighed. “One of the Madrigal’s, I reckon.”
“The Madrigal, huh? Some kind of local kingpin?”
“A bunch of stray dogs,” spat Laney. “The Madrigal’s got the leash.” Her wrinkles bunched tight around her mouth. “But the Madrigal ain’t to be ignored. When they ask ya to pay….” She gazed sharply at Viv. “…and theywillask. You’d best bank your coals and pay.”
“I’m not sure I can bring myself to do that,” she replied mildly.
Laney patted Viv’s considerable forearm. “I know you may’nt have thought to ’til now. But seems to me you ain’t here to do what you’ve always done. Am I wrong?”
The old woman had startled her again.
