Spies and Bloodkin

"Oh!"

Shade was far too strong physically, so it was the other man who was knocked over. The stranger Shade had bumped into cried out in pain and would have truly fallen to the ground if someone had not caught him. It was not that the man was trying to scam Shade; he was simply very old.

"Sorry."

Shade raised his head slightly to apologize, while the elderly gentleman he had bumped into shook his head and said it was nothing.

Shade's pupils contracted slightly. This old gentleman, who seemed intent on avoiding attention, was actually someone he knew—Professor Rul Higgins, the Kassenric linguist living on the Fourth Floor of the Sikar Inn, whom Shade had thought of only an hour ago.

Without revealing his surprise, Shade helped Professor Higgins pick up his fallen hat and continued onward.

Aren't you curious?

"Of course I am."

Though he said so, Shade still did not turn around.

"Take a look for me. Has he stopped at the entrance of Warehouse Number 18?"

No, he kept walking.

"As cautious as expected."

Shade turned right into an alley connected to Punjab Avenue. He stood in the alley and counted to thirty. When he emerged, Professor Higgins was nowhere to be seen on the street.

He called over a young newspaper boy and bought a copy of that morning's Sikar Morning Post. Then he entered a tobacco shop facing the street, intending to buy some pipe tobacco for Priest Augustus as thanks for the Thaumaturgy he had provided. While he was at it, he could arrange to meet Priest Augustus this Sunday.

This Sunday, Shade would accompany Sister Devlin to meet the boy who was said to see through death. After meeting Priest Augustus, he could have Luvia use two or three coins to divine