“Me?” He seemed surprised she engaged him.
“Who else?” Florence put on a brave grin, trying to imagine how the city might look to someone who didn’t have the same history with it that she did.
“It’s quite unlike Nov—anything I’ve ever seen before.” He caught himself mid-sentence, giving a quick glance to the crowded walk around them. “Why is it so different from Dortam? Or Ter.5.2?”
“Every territory has evolved to fit the needs of its guild. Dortam and Ter.5 have much more condensed cities, usually protected by mountains, to make use of flatter land for explosive testing.” Talking about Ter.5 and the Revolvers, even for a moment, made her feel worlds better. “Whereas Ter.4 is the home of the Ravens. The ground is reserved for experimental vehicles. Trains run above. Airship platforms are up top. There are also the walkways we’re on now that kind of weave between all of them.”
“And the Underground?”
“Shh,” Florence hissed. She glanced at the group of vested men who had walked by. Only one glanced back at them. “You don’t speak about it.”
“Why?” Cvareh obliged, but seemed honestly confused.
“Because of what happens there.” Florence gave him a small grin. “Because it’s difficult to regulate and that means that we don’t want Dragons to know about it.”
Cvareh snorted in amusement.
Arianna led them to a quieter section of town. The closest station was far enough away that the train whistle had to echo to get to them. The alleyways below were too narrow for even a trike. It was purely residential, which meant that most people weren’t milling about during normal working hours.
Florence knew they’d arrived the moment she saw the lock on the door. It was handedly Arianna’s craft, though it was less sophisticated than the turning locks she was used to from her teacher. This had a series of dials in which Ari entered a four-digit pass code.
She couldn’t help but notice that Ari entered the code with them both watching. The woman didn’t rest herself against the wall between them, or quickly turn the tumblers to prevent her or Cvareh from seeing. 1-0-7-4. Florence remembered the number. Ari either placed little value in the abode, or she wanted Florence and Cvareh to feel as though they had the ability to come and go easily. It was a notable shift from the Arianna Florence had first met, who had made her earn the ability to know the key into their flat in Dortam.
The flat was small—one room with a heavy layer of dust atop everything. The air was stale and the curtains had been shot through by time, small holes in the threadbare fabric letting in winks of light from the outside.
There was one large daybed, pushed against the far wall. A drafting table was squeezed in at its foot. Schematics done in Arianna’s hand had been pinned up all around. To the right, by the small galley kitchen and only separated room—the bathroom—was a long workbench. Empty shelves lined the wall above it. The wood grain showed remnants of chemical burns and stains.
Ari’s eyes went there first, and time seemed to stop for the woman. Cvareh poked his nose around, curiously drawn to the faded schematics and blueprints. Florence remained by her teacher.
“You never told me you had a place in Ter.4.2.” She closed the door gently behind her.
“There wasn’t a need. I never thought I’d be returning to it.” Arianna shrugged half-heartedly.
Florence took in the one-room flat again. It wasn’t much, certainly. But owning property—any property—in the major cities of Loom wasn’t easy. You had to be a graduate of a guild, at least, and usually preference was given to masters. Of which Ari was one, Florence reminded herself. But the woman was young, unmarked, and had to have achieved her mastery after the Five Guilds fell to the Dragons—meaning there hadn’t been much time for her to secure her own living arrangements on the merits of her guild rank.
“We’ll only be here briefly.” Florence didn’t know who Arianna was struggling so hard to convince. “By tomorrow nightfall, we’ll be moving again. By the dawn we’ll be gone.”
“How do you expect to break into the floating prison?” Florence crossed over to the bed and flopped down on it. Stale smelling and worn, it was far more comfortable than her bunk on the ship, and she instantly felt tired.
Cvareh wandered to the opposite side of the room, running his hand along the workbench. Ari turned and Florence expected a thrashing, given her look. But she kept it to herself, letting Cvareh continue to explore. The self-restraint was new.
“I’ll go to the port tonight, find a boat worth stealing. I imagine the guards of the prison do leave it now and then. If they go anywhere, it’s likely they’ll haunt the bars and parlors dockside, close enough to leave if they want to.”