I bob my head and eat some more of my egg sandwich and toast. The Narvidians eventually leave the courtyard, and every now and then the Dell Washer flits down from his tree, pecks at the grass, and flits up again. It’s fascinating. I’ve never seen a bird up close except in pictures and videos in Secondary.

“I heard you’re going to Ellaciss City today?” Captain Blitner says after he finishes his croissant.

“Lieutenant Hofhen agreed to take us.”

He perks his eyes. “Interesting.”

“I know. Glacia and I want to see what’s going on. I saw a bit of the desert in Subari, but it didn’t feel…bad.”

Captain Blitner brushes some crumbs from his fingers. “I wouldn’t expect it to, especially not to an Undilaen. But these people…they’ve always known wet grass and cold summer winds. The Embassy is safe enough for now. I don’t expect the desert will reach it for many years, or ever, if the Faustocine works properly.”

He looks me over, then reaches for his mug of Wickberry Cider.

“Do be careful in Ellaciss. It’s nothing like Undil.”

“We will.”

We sip our drinks. The Brangleberry Tea releases unexpected bursts of tart flavors. The seeds roll over my tongue and between my teeth, causing me to shudder. This will take some getting used to. I can definitely see why Father enjoyed this. He always liked exotic drinks. After a few more careful sips, a tingling sensation flows through my arms and chest and head: a spike of energy.

“So you come here every morning?” I ask.

“I do.”

“He’s always my first cust-oh-mer!” Barimus shouts from the side counter, where he’s mixing more drinks.

Captain Blitner cranes his neck to look at the time, then sweeps crumbs onto his plate.

“We should go,” he says. “These old legs need time to walk.”

“We can take a bus if it’d be easier,” I offer.

“No, no. I prefer walking.”

We stand up—he with much more effort than I—and walk to the counter. Barimus starts to fill a cup of water, but Captain Blitner stops him.

“I don’t need it today.”

Barimus gives him a curious look, but drains the water anyway. “Will I see both of you tomorrow?”

“I plan on it,” I tell him.

“Well I look forward to it.” He shakes my hand again. “Have a good day, gents.”

I open the door and follow Captain Blitner out. A hovercraft hums above us, so he waits until the roar fades before saying, “As much as I enjoy some quiet in the morning, it was good to have you as company, Arman.”

“Thanks for taking me. It was good.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Nice change of routine.” He wheezes out another laugh. “Hopefully it was enough to get us to lunch.”

“Ha, hopefully.”