Sparrow was dead. Shade wanted to respect his final wish and let the story of the "Gray-headed Eagle" end unknown at 6 Saint Derain Square. Therefore, he would not take that job, even if it meant 2,000 pounds—a vast sum that ninety-nine percent of people in this world would never earn in their entire lives.
With nothing else to do on Thursday, Shade took the cat out for lunch at noon, then brought his formalwear to a tailor shop on Silver Cross Avenue to have it cleaned, arranging to pick it up early the next morning.
Rather than heading straight home afterward, he went to the Seer Association, also on Silver Cross Avenue. He had not seen Luvia for half a week and wanted to invite her out to dinner that evening. If they had time, they could even go see an opera.
Tomorrow was the opening ceremony of the "1853 Great City Player Rhodes Cards Tournament," and the entire Seer Association had been redecorated. Banners had been hung, the interior had been cleaned again, and new oil paintings and promotional boards were piled in the first-floor lobby, awaiting installation.
Everyone here was extremely busy. In preparation for tomorrow's opening ceremony, the Association was only handling Rhodes Cards appraisal services today, with all other business temporarily suspended.
Since the Association was not conducting divinations today, Shade could not use "I want to have my cat's fortune told" as an excuse to see Luvia. But because he had come so often and had specifically requested Luvia Annette every time, people knew that the rumored "Duchess's lover" kept appearing at the Association for a person, not a cat.
The receptionists on the 1st Floor smilingly fetched Luvia for Shade, but after hearing his invitation, the Girl with Purple Eyes regretfully shook her