Rather than looking for a hired carriage at the street corner, Miss Louisa led Shade down two streets before suddenly turning into an inconspicuous alley by the roadside. After walking some distance into the alley, she actually took out a key and opened the door to one of the houses there.
"Shade, we can't possibly have only one hiding place, can we?"
As she pushed open the door, she smiled at Shade and said:
"I'd wager Annette, Priest Augustus, and the Doctor all have similar second hiding places, where they can usually stash sensitive items they don't often use."
This Safe House-like house was not rented; Miss Louisa had purchased it cheaply through her family connections. Though the price had been reasonable, the living conditions here were terrible. Miss Louisa did not consider it her home, merely a temporary warehouse.
According to her, aside from herself, Shade was the second person to know of this location.
"Should I feel honored?"
After entering the low-ceilinged house, Shade asked as he examined the furnishings, which had been disguised to resemble those of an ordinary impoverished family. Miss Louisa had already entered the small basement beneath the house through a trapdoor under the bed. Apart from the trapdoor, the basement had a tiny opening through which one could crawl into the city's sewer pipes, though she would not use it lightly.
It was not because she feared the Secret Passage would be discovered, but because the stench there was simply unbearable.
Her voice from underground was somewhat muffled:
"You not only told me your secret, you even lent me the valuable Youthful Immortality Leaf. What could I possibly not tell you? So far, aside from Leisha, Shade, you are the person I trust most."
As she spoke, she climbed out from beneath the