All That Glitters (Alchemy's Heirs) by McCoy Elizabeth

Author:McCoy, Elizabeth [McCoy, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2012-09-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter XX

Iontho fancied that if he stayed in the nest much longer, the place would be swept clean, and the littles lined up to sing their letters every day. Well, briefly, anyway.

Turs had wandered by, yawning, and assured the small girls that reading and ciphering had their place, so Iontho supposed he was doing a good enough job that the fagin thought it'd be too much effort to dangle him out a window. Nea had skulked around for a time, along with most of the older roof-rats, but after a while, they'd gone out or to early-morning naps.

The littles sought naps themselves, after a bit of letter-learning, and boredom drove Iontho to go wash his tunic in the half-way clean water that was left in Jani's room; he couldn't wear it anyway, while his hair dried, unless he wanted the back and sides all brown-speckled. Then he had a fit of alchemical need, and washed and dyed his socks in the remainder of the hair-dye.

The Aeston Weavers' Guild would've had a fit, no doubt, to have a journeyman alchemist treading upon the sacred Weaver's territory of dying something.

So he was barefoot and shirtless when Jani got back, his new-cropped, newly-dark hair swinging oddly in the sides of his vision as he swept through the window-entry room and idly looked for more crannies that might be useful for hiding small vials, packets, or coins.

Jani's grin, when she swung in and saw him, was gratifyingly focused on him. Iontho grinned back, and would've leaned on the broom if it'd been sturdier. He remembered to ask, "Any luck?"

Her expression went sour. "No. An' I think I did somethin' stupid, too. You could've done it, I'd wager!"

"Oh?" He leaned toward her, hopefully.

She took a step so she could murmur to his neck, just below his ear. Her hat-brim brushed his bare skin. "I thought, why not ask th' alchemists themselves? Spun a story of a mayhap-master wooin' m' clerk-brother as an apprentice, said what th' man looked like. But th' secretary, he wanted t' tell Master Jo– Joban?"

Master Faro Jobaenen, Father's proxy Guild Master, Iontho thought. A true syndic, for our guild. He made an encouraging noise.

"Aye, well, it seemed too fast, that someone'd want t' send it t' someone right then. An' want me to wait. I said I'd be back tomorrow, an' got away. I think someone may've tried t' follow me, but . . ." She sniffed disdainfully.

If the secretary'd had only apprentices to call upon to follow Jani . . . Iontho shared her opinion of their likely lack of skill in trailing an expert roof-rat. He chuckled. "Did it sound like he knew the man you described? Or only that he wanted you?"

Jani breathed out, thinking. It tickled his chest. "I think," she said, "mostly me. But . . . Hm. He wrote down what I said, I think? Like it weren't just for show."

"If they're looking for, ah, 'someone' as well, then a story of a perhaps-rogue alchemist? They'd not ignore that.

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