"You are..."
The man in black robes recognized Shade even through the mask.
He looked to be in terrible condition. Though he had no obvious external injuries, Shade could sense that his mental state was extremely unstable. Either he had been affected by a powerful relic, or he had taken a mental attack like Mind Blast head-on.
"What's one plus one?"
Shade asked quietly.
"Two."
"What's thirty-nine times three?"
Shade continued, but the man actually began to retch. Using simple arithmetic to determine whether someone's mind had been damaged was a widely favored contemporary method of mental assessment. Of course, Shade was certain that the man could answer such questions in a normal state. Ring Arcanists needed extensive knowledge of grammar, history, and mathematics. A Ring Arcanist who did not understand mathematics was not a normal Ring Arcanist.
"Get me into the city. Once we're safe, I can pay you 50 pounds."
Supported by Shade, the man staggered into the Great Fog outside the cemetery, gasping heavily. The moment he spoke, he named a sum Shade could not refuse. Though Shade would rather have proposed a trade for the stone slabs, he did not know what position this man held in the Apna Library, and this was clearly not the place for business. So he first pulled the man up and asked:
"I'm not doing this for your money. You need to believe that. Address?"
"University District, in the city. 21 Ikem Street."
The man spoke in a weak voice, panting as though he might die at any moment. Of course, Shade, who was supporting him, knew that he was physically healthy. His mental exhaustion was simply too severe.
"What attacked you?"
Shade asked softly, catching a strong smell of ink from him at close range.
"A divine art of