Paj finally spoke, but his face was still like stone. “Two years ago.” He reached over me, moving the map. “This is the one that looks the most interesting.” He pointed to the specks of black in between two long peninsulas. “Pretty rich in chrysocolla, and it hasn’t been dredged for at least ten years.”

That was interesting. Chrysocolla was typically found in small caches, spread out over large stretches of water. Enough to be dredged over a period of ten years was unusual.

“Any others that look odd?”

“Not really. Holland’s been methodical, careful not to skip anything in between.”

But if this was the quadrant they were working when Isolde found it, it had to be there. Somewhere. I took the quill from his hand, marking through the areas that showed the least promise. In the end, we were left with the reefs set atop bedrocks of gneiss and greenschist.

“They’ve been over these reefs again and again,” West said, leaning onto the table with both hands.

“Not with a gem sage, they haven’t,” I said, almost to myself. “Oskar was gone long before Isolde found the midnight.”

“Oskar?”

“My grandfather.” The words sounded strange even to myself. “He was a gem sage. If Holland had another, she wouldn’t be so interested in the fact that I’m one too.” Any gem sage with a lick of sense would avoid a merchant like Holland. I turned to Paj. “You sure you can get around these waters?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Can you do it or not?” I said, harsher than I meant.

He gave me a good, long look of annoyance. “I can do it.”

“We have one week,” I muttered. Even with two weeks, it would be a nearly impossible dive.

“We need the course charted by sundown,” West said.

“Anything else?” Paj looked between us, a mocking smile plastered on his face.

“Yeah,” I said, annoyed. “Tell Hamish I need a gem lamp. And another belt of dredging tools.”

“My pleasure.” Paj pushed off the table and grabbed his jacket before he started for the doors.

They slammed shut as the barmaid set down a third pot of tea and I slid my cup over the maps so she could fill it.

“Another dredging belt,” Willa murmured. “What happened to yours?”

“What do you care?” West glared at her.

Willa shrugged. “Just curious what our coin’s being spent on.”

Her eyes cut to me and I bit the inside of my cheek. Willa was drawing a line. She was on one side, and she was clearly putting me on the other.

“Something to eat?” The barmaid wiped her hands on her apron.

Auster reached into the pocket of his vest. “Bread and cheese. Stew if you have it.” He set three coppers on the table.

“Aren’t you going to check with Fable first?” Willa sneered.