96

"Somehow not the first thing on my mind just now, Jun," Isidora grumbles.

Before she's even gotten particularly far up the still-deserted street, Min leans in close to your ear and murmurs, "When Mayor Thorley told me her assistant was ill during my last visit, she was lying."

"What?" You frown at them. "Why wouldn't the mayor want you to see her assistant?"

"She might not have known she was lying. The assistant could have lied to her first, and she passed it along." Min shrugs. "I sense falsehoods, not the intent behind them. This strikes me as a delicate conversation, Jun. Are you certain you want to have it so near certain ears?"

They mean Evander, who's been hanging back near the corner of the mayor's mansion. Isidora seemed to take no more note of him than she did of everyone in your party. You don't suppose Evander leaves the Academy often enough to be recognizable far outside of it and Archa. Particularly since he's wearing ordinary mage's robes rather than any kind of royal regalia, and Alvis's might be finer than his.

You take a few tentative steps toward Evander to discover what's caught his attention. Someone's posted an engraved plaque on the corner of the house, and as you draw closer, you realize it's thanking you, Alvis, and Letha for your service to the town.

Next

"This is rather understated, don't you think?" Evander says, gesturing at the plaque with a laugh. "I'd like to look around more in town, actually. I'd love to hear what the people here think of you, if I can find them." He doesn't seem to have been paying enough attention to your conversation with Isidora to notice what one particular person thinks of you, at least. "You don't mind speaking to the mayor without me, do you?"

"I'd prefer to stay in town as well, if you don't mind," Min says. "I'm curious about this matter with the mayor, but not as much as I am about how quiet it is here. They were reserved before, certainly, but they hadn't shut themselves all away. There must be somewhere in town people are talking, and that's a better way to learn what's happening than talking to politicians, if I can track them down."

With one final survey of the plaque, Evander falls into step beside Min, chatting happily, and the two of them proceed up the street. You and Alvis are left standing in front of the mansion.

"So, the mayor lied to avoid talking to Min?" Alvis says, examining a floral design engraved around the plaque. "I'm jealous. I lie to Min all the time, and it's never gotten me out of talking to them."