The lieutenant eyed Rezkin sideways. He was on unstable ground, here. On the one hand, even if he delayed a few days, so long as he delivered the letter, he would still be following orders. On the other, if he did not deliver the missive immediately, and something happened to the general as a result of Rezkin’s actions while he was staying in the man’s home, the lieutenant would be in hot water.

Jimson did not believe the warrior held any ill intent toward the general, but was he seriously willing to trust his career, may be his life, to those beliefs? Still, he owed the man his life at least twice over. Another thought occurred to him. Rezkin was a sword bearer of unspecified authority. Rezkin could order him not to deliver the message, and no one could legally question the lieutenant in his compliance.

Lieutenant Jimson nodded. “Very well. I will deliver the letter to him the day after tomorrow. If he asks why the delay, I will tell him I was acting on your orders,” he said with an uncharacteristic cheeky grin.

Entering the city was not a problem. With the lieutenant’s credentials, the traveling companions were admitted without delay. True to the lieutenant’s word, the city was immeasurably more impressive on the inside. Most of the structures were built of stone, but many were constructed of wood. Wide avenues paved with smooth, flat cobblestones, crisscrossed and wound around clean walkways and trimmed hedges. At each of the major crossways was a circular intersection, in the center of which stood a statue, fountain, or topiary.

The main market street did not have the cluttered stalls with shouting merchants that Rezkin had experienced in the other cities. Instead, the path was lined with shops residing in stone buildings that had large glass windows along the fronts to display their wares. The lieutenant assured them that the regular merchant stands could still be found in other parts of the city, but the area along the main thoroughfare was reserved for the more affluent.

Lieutenant Jimson guided the travelers through the twists and turns of the upper-class district. The companions gawked at the splendor, breaking their silence with the occasional “ooh” and “ah” or “look at that!” Gardens and courtyards abounded, and tall spires peeked over the rooftops. The people in this area were dressed in fine silks and lace, and the women carried parasols and rode in fancy two-wheeled carts pulled by running servants. The lieutenant called the carts rickshaws.