Notes
There was suddenly a knock at the door outside, and everyone's conversation came to a halt. Hesta poked her head in from behind the door. "Victoria, could you come out for a moment?"
Victoria rose to her feet, casually dusted herself off, then turned back to Ende and Zoe. "Don't stay up too late."
After the two left, Qizhen looked at Tulan. "Did this friend of yours come to District 12 and open a farm after retiring?"
Before Tulan could answer, Ligo planted her hands on her hips. "I might retire before she does—she's District 12's inspector now."
"An official?" Qizhen looked somewhat surprised. "But she looks so young."
"Jane is young to begin with," Tulan said. "She's even a year younger than Ligo."
Qizhen turned to Tulan. "What exactly does she inspect? Laws? Taxes? Or research related to Chelated Disease—"
"Anything that happens in District 12 and falls under AHgAs's responsibilities theoretically requires her approval," Tulan replied. "Broadly speaking—"
"She oversees everything?" Qizhen asked softly.
"Remember that terrorist attack in Emangria?" Tulan lifted both feet off the floor and sat cross-legged on the bed. "She was the one who decided on the immediate retaliation against the District 12 Freedom Party in the south."
Qizhen's eyes widened slightly. Just as she was about to ask more, Ende suddenly exclaimed, "Are these all your notes?"
Qizhen turned around and realized that the suitcase she had casually propped against the wall had somehow fallen over. Many old leather-bound notebooks peeked out from beneath the thick canvas cover. When Ende tried to set the suitcase upright, even more old notebooks slipped out.
Qizhen hurried off the bed, laid the suitcase flat again, and neatly arranged the thirty-odd notebooks.
"They belonged to my teacher—field notes she left behind over the years," Qizhen explained