Instead, she filled Mojag in on the new mission. “I need you to find out how much platinum has been sold recently, and if the deacons bullied a family to give up their baby.”

“What are you going to do?” Mojag asked.

“I’m going to see if the vagrant network knows where Aphra or Banqui are.” And Rendor.

Glancing at Jayden, Mojag said, “We could do that for you.”

“I know, but if they know where they are, then I need to talk to them both.” And talk to him…well, after she slugged the big brute.

The rest of the trip was quiet—unusual for Mojag, but the boy must have sensed Jayden’s foul mood and had enough self-preservation instincts to tone down his normally chatty personality. They joined the flow of people heading back into the city after tending to the velbloud flocks and gamelu herds.

Jayden led them to Orla’s commune on level thirty-nine. She had planned to scan all the people they passed, searching for Rendor, but, due to Jayden’s knowledge of the city’s twists and turns, they only encountered a few citizens. Frustrating and impressive. It was obvious the Invisible Sword needed Jayden. Was she risking alienating him by chasing after Rendor? No. She needed them both.

Orla welcomed them. The older woman fussed over Mojag, sending him to get something decent to eat—a kind and cutting gesture at the same time. Though maybe Shyla was just feeling guilty for not providing fresh food for her members.

“Oh my goodness, no,” Orla said when they asked her about a missing baby. “I haven’t heard anything about that. The deacons have done some questionable and downright horrific things over the circuits, but that’s a new low.” She paused. “I’d hate to think this of my fellow Zirdains, but there is a possibility that the babe was…donated by either a devout mother or a desperate one. We get many young mothers here who can no longer afford to pay taxes and tithes for two.”

In that case, the mother would be harder to find and probably wouldn’t want the baby returned to her. And that was another sad state of affairs that needed to be rectified. Children under the age of two circuits should be exempt from paying taxes and tithes. More guilt pressed on her shoulders as she wondered whether she was wasting time chasing after Rendor.

“Have you heard anything about large shipments of platinum?” Jayden asked.

Orla’s gray eyes gleamed. “We’ve heard rumors from Petula. She said a single platinum ring sold for fifteen osees.”

“Petula lives in my commune,” Jayden said. “I’ll go talk to her.”

Shyla noted that he still considered the commune on level sixty-two as his. Was that due to a lack of community within the Invisible Sword?

“What about Aphra or Banqui? Any word?” she asked Orla.