At the town’s only other inn, they didn’t receive further information on the people they sought, but they found out that the next town was fifty miles away, too far to travel in one afternoon. They settled in for the night, rather than traveling farther and sleeping on the road. They would start bright and early the next morning.
Their strange mode of travel continued, becoming routine as the days passed. Storms hit every couple of days or so, minor enough that the roads were still passable, but with enough rain to wash away Narre’s scent. Tavi was aggravated by this, and by the number of inns, pubs, taverns, and shops they visited without gleaning any new information other than confirming that the men had been seen.
Tullen’s stride gift didn’t save as much time as they had hoped. While it helped them travel more quickly, most days they still only visited one town. They used their extra time to properly canvas each community, searching for more information.
The days ran together. In a small town that looked like every other small town, an innkeeper told them two men with an enclosed wagon had left the town three days earlier. He said they had stayed overnight at the inn’s carriage house.
The inn’s owner readily answered Misty’s questions with no need for Tavi to use her speech gift. However, he didn’t seem to know much. He gave them keys to their rooms, and they walked up the stairs. As they did so, they heard a woman enter the lobby, most likely the owner’s wife. He began updating her on his conversation with Misty.
Tavi activated her hearing gift as she continued toward her room. Glancing at Tullen, she saw he had done the same. This time it seemed Sava wanted them to overhear; they encountered no resistance.
“Of course I remember them,” Tavi heard the woman say. “Odd men, wanting to stay in their wagon when we have perfectly comfortable rooms here.”
“It seems our new guests are related to them. They need to find them to pass along an important message,” the owner said. “Do you remember anything they said?”
The woman’s voice was clear as crystal to Tavi’s glowing ears. “Yes—I overheard them when I walked to the carriage house to bring them dinner,” she said. “They were arguing about whether they should go to a farmhouse, or some other person’s house. I think it was Kale’s house, or—no, that wasn’t it. Konner’s house? Yes, that was it. The younger one said they should go to Konner’s house, and the older one insisted on the farmhouse. It seemed they’d never stop arguing, so I finally left. I brought them dinner an hour later.”
Tavi’s eyebrows raised, and she searched for a slip of paper while she listened to the rest of the conversation, which consisted of the woman saying that, no, they shouldn’t pass on this information to their new guests, who might be lying to them. Tavi laughed at this; the woman was astute. Finding a pencil in her pocket and a scrap of paper on the desk, Tavi wrote,
FARMHOUSE
KONNER’S HOUSE
She and Tullen repeated the overheard conversation to Misty and Sall. It wasn’t a lot to go on, but it was more than they’d had before. They exchanged quiet words of relief and celebration.
Three days later, they reached small foothills at the south end of a mountain range that spread north for countless miles. After thrilling, magically assisted runs up and down the hills, they stood at the top of a rise. Before them was a city far more vast than any of them had seen or imagined—a city that likely boasted dozens or hundreds of nearby farmhouses, and far too many men named Konner.
Filled with apprehension, Narre’s four friends walked toward Savala.
Chapter Forty-One
Whether our paths be right or wrong,
We all leave tracks for those behind us.
-From Proverbs of Savala
“It’s so tall,” Misty said.
Tavi, Misty, Sall, and Tullen stood across the street from the three-story Savala Bank and Trust. It was in fact significantly smaller than some of the edifices in the city. But none of the buildings in Oren or the Meadow had more than two stories. Ever since their arrival the previous day, all four travelers had been in awe at the size of the structures, the streets, and indeed the city itself. Even with a map, they still had trouble navigating the crowded, often-meandering roads.
The desk clerk at their small hotel (small by Savalan standards, but larger than any inn they’d seen prior to entering the city) had sold them the map and given them an address for the bank. They had fought their way through morning crowds, arriving at the correct street and number—where stood a haberdashery, rather than a bank. The woman behind the desk of the small shop had condescendingly informed them the bank was on East Central Street, rather than West. After walking four miles, they had at last arrived in front of the bank.
“We should go in,” Tullen said.
“We don’t even know what we’re looking for.” Sall’s voice was low and tense.
“Anything useful,” Tavi said. “Anything at all. Stick to the plan. The worst they can do is throw us out.”
“Or kill us and let our bodies rot in the vault,” Tullen said cheerfully. No one laughed.
With a pessimistic huff, Sall stepped into the street, and his friends followed, carefully avoiding carriages, horses, horse droppings, and pedestrians. The bank’s oak doors looked even larger up close, soaring several feet taller than Tullen and Sall. Tullen opened the heavy door and held it for the others, following them in.
The outside of the bank had been impressive, but the inside was even more striking. Marble floors, polished to a perfect sheen, stretched across the large lobby. Columns supported the ceiling, which stood three stories tall near the doors. Beautiful artwork decorated the bright-white, plastered walls.
Four tellers waited behind a gleaming wooden countertop trimmed in brass. Misty and Sall approached the teller on the far right while Tavi and Tullen meandered toward a large painting on the left wall.
The painting was beautiful. It depicted Savala kneeling before his mother Kari, holding up his glowing hands with a look of awe on his face. There was a bloody axe next to Savala, and his trousers were torn, with blood on the edges of the fabric. The skin under the tear, however, was smooth and unmarred. The artist had taken license; Savala’s Collected Letters never mentioned him healing himself of an axe injury, nor did any of the histories. Tavi didn’t care though; the image was inspiring and exquisitely painted.
Tullen’s arm came around Tavi’s back, lightly resting on her shoulder. The touch jolted her back to the moment, and as she continued to gaze at the painting, she remembered to listen for Misty and Sall.
“It’s been such a difficult time, I’m sure you understand,” Misty was saying. “First our mother, and then our father—now I’m all that my brother has left!” The teller murmured what might have been bland words of comfort, and Misty continued. “I know our parents had money deposited here, and we need to withdraw it.”
Tavi picked up a few words of the teller’s response, including “sorry,” “letter,” “judge,” and “certificate.”
Misty’s voice grew louder. “I don’t have any of that yet! I need money to get all of those things; that’s why I’m coming to you! How do you expect me to get those things if you don’t give me the money?” She only let the clerk get in a few words, before she wailed, “You don’t understand how difficult this is! My mother and father, both dead, within three weeks of each other! I’m coming to you for help!”
As Misty’s pleas and cries continued, Tavi followed Tullen’s gaze to the three other tellers. Each of them watched Misty’s emotional collapse with great interest. Tullen quietly steered Tavi further down the left wall.
The tellers sat in what was essentially a large box within the lobby. The edges of the long, tall countertop behind which they sat ended in walls that extended to the back of the room. Only someone with a key could cross from the lobby into the tellers’ seating area, or approach the vault behind them. While the vault was secure, apparently no one was too concerned about customers taking the stairs at the ba
ck left corner of the room. They were only blocked off by a golden rope.
Once Tullen and Tavi were out of the tellers’ sight lines, they ran quickly and quietly up the stairs. As Tavi had said earlier, they didn’t know what to look for. They dreamed of finding a list of the bank’s customers. Perhaps they would find mention of someone named Konner. Seeing the size of the bank, however, Tavi was losing hope in the practicality of that plan. Surely they wouldn’t come across a long list of customers, sitting on an empty desk. Still, they had so few leads; they had no choice but to make the best of this one.
At the second floor, Tavi and Tullen encountered a long hallway with doors along either side. They walked down it with as little noise as possible. The first door on the right led to a large room, extending the whole length of the hallway. Several clerks sat inside. Some of their desks were mounded with papers; others were neat as a pin; but all the employees appeared hard at work. None looked up as Tavi and Tullen passed.
On the left, they passed three doors. Each had a nameplate reading “Lending Officer,” with a name below. Only the second door was open, and the man inside looked up with a hopeful smile. Tullen gave him a nod in return, but he and Tavi continued walking.
Last, they came to a room on the left. The sign on the closed door read, “FILES.” Tavi gave a nervous gasp when Tullen tried the handle. However, the room was empty, save for a few tables and a long wall of polished wooden file cabinets along its length. Tullen closed the door. “I’ll take the left, you take the right,” he whispered. Tavi nodded and did as he’d asked.
They began looking through the drawers. “Each of these has a different address on it—no names,” Tavi said after glancing through all three drawers in the cabinet.
“Hmm. Those may be properties that the bank has issued loans for,” Tullen said. “Mine is full of names; why don’t you come over to this side? We’ll see if we can spot the name ‘Konner’ anywhere.”
Tavi agreed, and she and Tullen looked through the first two cabinets. Each drawer contained dozens of files, and it was slow work.
Several minutes later, they had found nothing useful. Tavi grabbed Tullen’s arm, putting one finger over her lips. He stilled, and they both listened. It took only a moment to confirm that footsteps were approaching.
Tullen’s eyes widened; then his expression shifted to determination. “Trust me,” he said. With one hand he pushed the file drawers closed, and with the other, he pulled Tavi to him by the waist.
When she realized he was about to kiss her, she quickly adapted, standing on tiptoes to reach him, and pressing her lips to his. They pulled apart when the door opened and a thin, middle-aged woman with a severe face stepped in.
Tavi didn’t have to feign embarrassment. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she said, stepping back.
Tullen laughed nervously. “We were looking for the privy—I think we went the wrong way.”
It came as a shock when the woman’s pinched face broke into a mischievous smile. “I went the wrong way a few times when I was your age too,” she said. “The privy is on the first floor.”
Tullen grinned at the woman as they passed. In the hallway, he leaned his head toward Tavi’s and whispered, “I’m glad you were the one that came upstairs with me. If it had been Misty or Sall, I’m not sure how they would have reacted when I kissed them.” Tavi barely kept herself from bursting into laughter. When they reached the stairs, she turned to go down, but Tullen grasped her hand, pointing up.
“You really want to risk being caught again?” Tavi asked, her voice low.
“Turned out pretty good last time,” Tullen responded with a grin. When Tavi didn’t budge, he grew serious. “We’re here, and we can’t leave without seeing if there’s something useful up there. We’ll try to make it fast.”
Tavi knew he was right. She shoved down her nerves, and they trotted up the stairs as quietly as they could.
At the top, they approached the first door, which was closed. The nameplate read, “QUINT RAWLEY, Vice President.” Tavi gave Tullen a panicked look. The executive offices!
Tullen’s ears started to glow, and he pointed at them, then at Tavi’s. She shook her head in confusion, and he pointed more urgently to her ears. Seeing his meaning, she activated her magic, sending it into her ears only. Then she heard Tullen. He was whispering incredibly softly, barely more than a breath, but her gifted ears picked it up.
“I have an idea,” he said. “You can walk down the hall and see if there’s anything useful. If someone stops you, enter their office and distract them as best you can. Then I’ll give it a try and see if I can go farther.”
“Let’s try it,” Tavi breathed. “Give me a moment to think of a story.” They both released their magic, and several seconds later, Tavi began walking, trying to look confident.
She didn’t get far. The second office door, belonging to Vice President Sessar Kehl, was open, and Mr. Kehl stood as she tried to pass. “Can I help you?” She turned and entered his office.
“I’m so glad you asked,” she said in an excited, shrill voice. “I’m writing an essay on this building, and—oh my, you have the loveliest view from your office!” She was at his window by then, placing one palm on the glass, and pointing out with the other.
Just as Tavi had hoped, the stuffy man turned to look at her. “Did someone give you permission to come up?” he asked.
“Oh no, but I was sure you wouldn’t mind,” Tavi said. She leaned closer to the window and pressed her nose to it, doing her best to act even younger than she appeared to be. “I can see so far from here!” she said with a giggle. She pointed out several buildings, making inane statements like, “The red brick is so nice!”
She had the executive’s full attention. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “You must leave!” he said. “The tellers can give you whatever information you need on the building, but this office is no place for a school girl.”
Tavi pulled her face away but didn’t leave the window. “Do you know how old this building is?” she asked. Sessar Kehl’s patience had expired, however, and he grasped both her shoulders and walked her to the door.
“Don’t come up those stairs again,” he commanded.
Tavi laughed, making it as carefree as she could manage, and headed toward the stairs. Kehl was watching her, and she had no choice but to walk down.
Relief filled Tavi when she reached the bottom and found Tullen waiting for her. “I activated my hearing gift again,” he whispered, “and it sounds like Misty and Sall are outside.”
The two walked across the lobby, attracting no attention from the tellers. Once they were outside the bank, they gave a unison sigh of relief.
“There!” Tullen said, pointing down the street. Sall and Misty were waiting for them beside a tall street light. As they walked, Tullen said, “I found something.”
“You did? What?”
“I’ll tell all of you together.”
As soon as the four of them met again, they walked toward the hotel. Tullen said, “Tavi and I walked through the second and third floors. There wasn’t anything useful—until I saw the last door on the third floor.” He stopped talking, continuing to walk, not looking at any of his companions.
“If you don’t tell us soon, I may kill you in your sleep,” Sall said. Tavi raised her eyebrows; her friend’s tension had gone through the roof since they’d arrived in Savala.
“Noted,” Tullen replied dryly. “The last office belonged to the president of the bank—Konner Burrell.”
Chapter Forty-Two
It seems you do not understand. When I first found you, I also found myself.
-From Savala’s Collected Letters, Volume 1
“That will be seventy-two chips, three quads.”
Tavi tried not to appear as shocked as she felt. Misty had no such qualms. “Seventy-two and three?” she exclaimed. “Why, in Tinawe, I could get this for forty—and the hat would be higher-quality.” Misty had never been to Tinawe.
&nb
sp; The shopkeeper looked taken aback, but she conceded, “I could possibly go down to sixty-eight, but no lower. I won’t even make a profit at that price.” Misty huffed, and after another minute of bargaining, she paid sixty-one chips, two quads. The shopkeeper wrapped and boxed it all, and Misty and Tavi left the store.
Back at their hotel, Tavi tried on her new dress, which laced up the back, allowing Misty to fit it well on her small frame. To the dress, Tavi added the hat and stockings Misty had purchased, and she completed the look with heeled boots. All but the stockings were secondhand; the shop specialized in selling items that wealthy women had barely worn. Brand new clothing had proven to be prohibitively expensive.
The previous evening, Tavi and Misty had returned to East Central Street, waiting at a tea parlor across from the Savala Bank and Trust. When bank employees had begun leaving for the day, Tavi had spotted the woman who had caught her and Tullen. Thanks to Misty’s friendly ways and Tavi’s speech gift, the woman had readily told them where the bank’s president lived. “It’s on Silverstone Avenue—just look for the largest home. He’ll probably be there; he rarely comes into the office these days.”
When Tavi, Misty, Tullen, and Sall had found Silverstone Avenue the next morning, they had gawked at the home that must belong to Konner Burrell. It was stately and enormous. To Tavi, it looked like a cross between a castle and a spacious hotel. A safety officer patrolling the street had walked toward them, and rather than risk a confrontation, they had left. Later when they’d tried again, a different officer had been on patrol. He had run after them, demanding to know their business. Their excuse about sightseeing had not been well-received.
At lunch, Sall had been the one to suggest that one of them should get clothes that would draw less attention than their traveling garb, which had seen better days. Now, as Tavi looked at herself in the long mirror in her hotel room, she wasn’t sure she’d succeeded in drawing less attention to herself.
Facing the Sun Page 29
