“Never mind. Evanton’s really cranky in the morning, you know that?”
“I thought you believed he was always cranky.”
“Only at me.”
Chapter 16
The good news for the morning was that the Emperor’s decision to deny the remand had not quite reached the Aerian Caste Court in time for them to really martial their forces of assassination. This meant the walk to work was theoretically as safe as yesterday’s. A remand to the Imperial Courts would probably change that, but Kaylin wasn’t certain how.
It did make her uneasy.
The bad news for the morning was that Evanton wasnotawake by the time Moran had marched them to his front door. Grethan was, poor sod, but he greeted the guests with both respect and bleary-eyed affection. Well, the affection part was mostly aimed at the familiar, who, as usual, leapt off Kaylin’s shoulder at the first opportunity to land on the apprentice, chattering away in his happy squawk, as opposed to his outraged one.
“Evanton’s asleep?” Kaylin asked, perhaps a shade too eagerly.
Teela and Tain had shown up at the house, as had Severn. They all understood that they were the unspoken bodyguard while Moran traveled to—and from—the Halls. Evanton’s doorway was therefore crowded with Bellusdeo, the Barrani, the Aerian and the two human Hawks. It was practically a racial congress; all they needed was a Leontine, given Grethan was Tha’alani.
“Not anymore,” Grethan replied apologetically. “Normally I’d let him sleep—but he seemed to be expecting someone this morning, and made sure I knew to wake him up.”
Kaylin’s wince was genuine. “I don’t envy you.”
“It’s all right,” was the surprisingly cheerful reply. “I’m not the person he’s going to be annoyed at.”
* * *
Grethan didn’t usher them into Evanton’s unofficial office—the kitchen—because there wasn’t enough room. He left them in the second half of the storefront. It was about as clean as it had been the first time she’d been ushered into Evanton’s presence—some of the cobwebs were old friends. They hadn’t, as far as she could see, accrued more dust over time, but they certainly hadn’t shed any of it, either.
Evanton could be heard clumping his way down the stairs. Which meant he was using a cane. He didn’t always require one, but said he found them useful to maintain his balance when he’d had a particularly trying day—which generally meant he’d been arguing with the wild elements in his garden.
He paused in the doorway. His face, always lined and imprinted with age, was pinched. “I see,” he said, clinging to his cane as if it would help him hold on to his temper. “It’s a busy morning.” He glared at Kaylin. Of course he did. “What have I told you about me and mornings?”
“I’ve come here in the morning before.”
“Notbeforeyou start work. This is practically assault, and you’re a Hawk.” To Teela he added, just as sourly, “You, at least, should know better.”
Teela’s smile was genuine; she was amused. Then again, the Barrani didn’t technically require sleep, which made them enormously smug around races that did.
Evanton’s crankiness bounced right off Teela, and hit Kaylin in the side of the figurative head. “You’re not a morning person, yourself.”
She really wasn’t. “It wasn’t my idea.”
“Imagine how much that comforts a tired, exhausted old man.”
“Her imagination is not that good,” Teela told Evanton. “I believe you’re acquainted with everyone currently in the room.”
“You are incorrect,” Evanton snapped. He reallywasin a mood. Grethan had—as he so often did when Evanton was like this—vanished. He’d taken small and squawky with him.
Kaylin exhaled. “Evanton, this is Moran. Moran, Evanton.”
Moran was staring at the old man, her mouth half-open. She hadn’t spoken a single word since she’d entered his shop. In and of itself, this wasn’t unusual; Moran wasn’t big with words and used them sparingly—unless she was angry, in which case she could curse like a Hawk. She wasn’t angry now.
“Moran? Moran dar Carafel?” Evanton asked. He was good, Kaylin thought. If she hadn’t known better, she would have said he hadn’t actually recognized her.
Moran stiffened at the use of her flight name—no surprise there. “It was my idea to come this early in the morning; please don’t be angry with Kaylin or Teela.”
“I am not angry; I am merely annoyed. And underslept. Kaylin is not notable for her observational skills if there has been no technical crime, or if the crime itself is largely social in nature.” He offered Moran a formal bow, which was a surprise.“Illumen praevolo.”
* * *