“I think I saw through his eyes,” Wax said. “Once, years ago. Is he still alive? The Survivor?”
“Alive?” Marsh asked. “It depends, I suppose, on your definition. He’s close to alive. How is that?”
“You mean … he’s a ghost?” Wayne asked.
“After a fashion,” Marsh replied. “He’s less alive than I am, but perhaps more than other ghosts? It’s hard to say. Three of us remain from that original crew. After all this time. Only three. Legs to a tripod, balancing one another. And without one … I do not know what would happen.”
Wax didn’t know what to make of that. Still, it felt good to strap his guns back on, and they had a lead now. A name and, it appeared, permission to leave this office without being chased. He’d take it, even if Death himself was …
“I will stay here,” VenDell said as they gathered at the door. “I will ensure that Lord Ironeyes is cared for, and look after the constables in the hospital. I … do not think I will be of further value to your investigation.”
“As you wish,” Wax said.
“Just remember what you know, Lord Ladrian,” VenDell said. “What you said earlier. Harmony puts people where they need to be, but then they must act. It is his way.”
Wax nodded. “Wayne, Marasi — are you ready?”
“I am,” Marasi said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
They looked to Wayne, who put his hands on his hips. “Did either of you know that ghosts was real?”
“Does it matter?” Marasi asked.
“Does it matter if ghosts are real?” Wayne said. “I think it matters, Marasi. I think it rusting does!”
“I’m told it is better to refer to them as Cognitive Shadows,” Marsh mumbled.
“Wayne,” Wax said, “can we please focus?”
“Fine, fine,” he said, sliding his dueling canes into their loops on his belt. “Seems unfair to grouse at a man for getting discombobulated by definitive proof of an afterlife. Dark gods. Death himself dyin’. Rusting ghosts. Guess we gotta keep goin’, but after this, I don’t wanna see anyone complainin’ when I’ve traded for someone’s favorite shoes or whatnot. Hear me?”
Together they marched out through the quiet constabulary office and into the sunlight.
29
Right, Marasi thought, trying to pull her emotions together. Conversation with Death. Just another everyday conversation with Death himself …
She couldn’t blame Wayne for feeling out of sorts. But they had to stay focused. Unfortunately, she and the others hadn’t even reached the bottom of the constabulary office steps before someone came running down after them. Flushed from exertion — and perhaps stress — Blantach looked a great deal less sure of herself now than she had earlier.
Marasi stepped forward to meet Blantach. “Yes?”
“He’s going to send people after you,” she said. “As soon as he gets over the shock of what happened in there with … you-know-who. I know Lord Entrone. He takes a great deal of pride in how ‘modern’ and ‘forward thinking’ he is. He’ll decide you tricked him, and will send constables to arrest you.”
Wax groaned softly, stepping up behind them. “We don’t have time to dodge patrols.”
“Look,” Blantach said, “I … have no idea what’s going on in this city. I thought I did. Until…” She glanced at the office building and shivered. “I had my illusions shattered quite violently. Something dangerous is going on here.”
“More than dangerous, Blantach,” Marasi said. “Catastrophic.”
“Right. Right,” Blantach said. “Was that really … you know…?”
“Yes,” Marasi said. “I’ve met him before.”
“Rusts…” Blantach took a deep breath and turned to face them again. “I think I can keep Entrone off your back if you let me send an officer with you.”
“Out of the question,” Wax said.
Blantach stepped closer and met his eyes. “Listen. This is my city. I don’t know what — or who — you’re afraid of, but I’m not part of it. I want to help, and this is the only thing I can think of. If you have a Bilming officer with you, I can persuade Entrone I’ve got someone watching you.”
She turned, gesturing, and a figure came scrambling down the steps, nearly tripping at the end. The slender woman pushed her overly large spectacles up on her face, but that nearly made her drop the three ledgers she was trying to carry. Shoulder-length black hair fell around her face as she struggled to keep the ledgers in hand. She pushed it back and grinned sheepishly — through lips with bright red lipstick.
It was Moonlight.
“She says she knows you,” Blantach said, “and that you might be willing to trust her? Kim is one of our researchers — she’s not a field agent, but she knows her way around Bilming and can help you work in the city.”
Moonlight … “Kim” … thrust out her hand to shake — which almost caused her to drop her ledgers again. She scrambled to catch them.
“She looks fun,” Wayne said.
“You’re just imagining tying her shoelaces together,” Wax said, his arms folded. “Marasi, do you know this person?”
“I … do,” Marasi said.
“From where?” he asked.
Sharing the truth with Blantach didn’t seem like a good idea. “We worked on a project together a while ago — she came to Elendel to further some research she was doing.”
Wax narrowed his eyes, obviously trying to decide if that made Kim more or less suspicious. Marasi, though, felt maybe she could trust the woman. A little. After all, Marsh had said that people with the interlocking diamond tattoos would be on their side.
Moonlight saluted Wax. “I promise to be of use, sir, and not get in your way.” She grimaced. “Except maybe by accident.”
“I think we should bring her,” Marasi said.
Wax nodded. “You’re on the team then, Kim. Let’s see if you can be of use. A man named Tobal Copper vanished in this city recently. I want to track down where he lived and interrogate anyone who might have known him.”
“Oh!” Moonlight said. “I don’t have that kind of information on me, of course. I just carry around the city maps and details! But I can get you into the records office! We should be able to find answers there.”
“Which will let them know what we’re doing,” Wax said. “The Set is sure to have agents in such an important place.”
“I doubt there’s another way to get this information,” Marasi said. “We’ll just have to move quickly, to stay ahead of them.”
“Agreed,” Wax said after a moment’s thought. “Lead on, Kim. Captain Blantach, anything you could do to keep the lord mayor off our backs would be most appreciated.”
* * *
The Bilming City Records and Research Building was a huge improvement over the similar offices in Elendel. Marasi had been forced to spend many an hour in closets, searching through thick ledgers of names or broadsheet archives.
This building, however, was a sleek silvery structure, each side more window than wall. Blantach led them inside herself, and a flash of her constable’s credentials got them assigned a flock of junior researchers before she bade the group farewell.
In minutes, Marasi and the others were sitting in comfortable chairs in a glass-walled meeting room, sipping tea while waiting for the results. All but Wax, who paced like a caged animal.