Feir said, “All we have to do is find Ezra’s secret entrance to Black Barrow, find Ezra’s workshop and his gold tools, find seven broken mistarille swords, rediscover a forging technique every present-day Maker says is a myth, find one giant ruby, and avoid detection by a couple of hundred Vürdmeisters plotting gods know what.”

“Oh,” Antoninus said, waggling his great, single kohled eyebrow, “here I thought it was going to take all winter.”

40

A knock sounded on Vi’s door hours later. “It’s Sister Ariel. May I come in?”

“I can’t stop you. There’s no lock on the door,” Vi said.

Sister Ariel came in. She said nothing for a time, staring around the bare room with apparent nostalgia.

“What do you want?” Vi asked.

“A bit nervous about going to the lecture, huh? Or was it your meeting with Elene that’s got you acting more like a tyrant than a tyro?” Sister Ariel said.

“I fucked up,” Vi said, sulking, knowing it, hating it, and sulking anyway. “Now they hate me, like always.”

“They’re twelve years old. They don’t dare hate you.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I’m not terribly concerned about your feelings, Vi. However, given the difficulties of your case and that I discovered you, and most of all because I couldn’t come up with an excuse quickly enough, I’ve been put in charge of your tutelage.”

Vi groaned.

“My feelings exactly. First of all, this room is entirely inappropriate for you.”

“I get a better room?”

“You get to share a room. You were given a single in deference to your age. That was a mistake. You’re isolated enough as is. As of this afternoon, you’ll have a roommate. In case you’re curious, the room will be only slightly larger than this one.” Vi pitched back onto the bed. “Now, since you are my responsibility, you’ll go to lecture. Now. Elene will have to wait until later.”

Vi didn’t move.

“Do we need to repeat certain lessons we learned on the trail?” Ariel asked.

Vi stood quickly.

“And by the by, lest you being put under my care be seen as a reward, all the punishments that your unfortunate floor monitor imposed will be carried out, as well as a few of my own. Follow.” Ariel left, and Vi had no choice but to follow her like a whipped dog.