one of ten clerks and handed two disks to him. “I’d like to update the balance in these accounts, please, and get a printout of it.”
The clerk smiled at Trae’s formal tone in his attempt to seem older than he was. But his smile faded when the accounts came up on his screen. “I’ll need proof of access. Thumbprint, please.” The clerk pushed a identity pad across the counter, and Trae pressed his right thumb onto a small transparent square of plastic there.
“It’ll be a moment. Is there anything else?” The clerk looked very serious, now.
“Yes. I need access to this box.” Trae handed him the third disk. The clerk seemed distracted. He was looking at his screen, and his eyes seemed quite large. “Of—of course. Ah, the printout is ready.” He handed Trae a small sheet of paper. Trae only glanced at it, and put it in his pocket. The clerk gaped at him.
“The box. More proof of identity? My name?” His heart was pounding.
“We use no names here, sir, and the box is listed under your accounts. Any business you do here is safe with us, sir. Here is your access card, box twelve-sixty-nine.” He pointed to his left. “The vault clerk will let you in. And thank you for your business with League Bank of Lycrus.”
I should think so , thought Trae, still considering the numbers he’d seen in a glance at the accounts printout.
A young woman scanned his access card and opened the vault for him. Petyr waited outside. Inside was like an entire floor of another building, box drawers floor to ceiling, and cubicles with closed doors and partitions the height of a tall man, all of it in silver metal. The woman used her card and his to open box twelve-sixty-nine. Trae slid the box out. It was light. The woman showed him to a cubicle and closed the door behind him as he put the box on a table and opened it.
It was nearly empty. There was a sealed envelope addressed to “Ruler of All Galena, May The Source Sustain Him,” and signed “Leonid Zylak” in elaborate script. A single sheet of paper, folded in half. A vial of yellowish liquid with a pressurized enhaler attached.
Trae unfolded the paper and read: “My son. A bit more mystery, and you’re on your way. The letter is for the Emperor of Galena. I assume it’s Rasim Siddique; I knew his father and he was a good man, his family among the faithful. It’s vital the letter reaches him unopened after you leave the planet. You will go to Elderon. Everything you need to know is in the vial of liquid I’ve left here. Take all of it, both nostrils, before you sleep tonight, and destroy the vial. Destroy this note. I promise you’ll be full of answers to your questions in the morning. We love you. Father.”
Trae put the vial in a breast pocket, the crumpled up note in his pants’ pocket, and closed the box. Trae. Trae. He shivered. We’re waiting. Soon, now.
He returned the box to its place in the wall and the clerk let him out of the vault when he rang for her. Petyr looked anxious.
“Well?”
“There’s this, and a note. We’re going to Elderon.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. Ask me in the morning. I have to see Nicolus again right away. He has the contacts in the palace, and this letter has to be delivered privately to Emperor Siddique.”
“What’s in it?”
“I don’t know, but it’s vital he receives it after we’ve left.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Trae!”
“Tomorrow, Petyr, please be patient with me. I don’t understand what’s happening either.” He patted his breast pocket. “There’s something I have to take tonight. A drug of some kind. Maybe all this will make sense in the morning.”
“A liquid?” asked Petyr.
“Yes. I inhale it.”
“Ah, hah. Well, let’s get to Nicolus again, and put you to bed. I expect to be enlightened in the morning. I’m not just along for the ride, you know.”
Something was left unsaid, something Petyr understood, but not Trae. Petyr seemed anxious to get moving
The clerk smiled at Trae’s formal tone in his attempt to seem older than he was. But his smile faded when the accounts came up on his screen. “I’ll need proof of access. Thumbprint, please.” The clerk pushed a identity pad across the counter, and Trae pressed his right thumb onto a small transparent square of plastic there.
“It’ll be a moment. Is there anything else?” The clerk looked very serious, now.
“Yes. I need access to this box.” Trae handed him the third disk. The clerk seemed distracted. He was looking at his screen, and his eyes seemed quite large. “Of—of course. Ah, the printout is ready.” He handed Trae a small sheet of paper. Trae only glanced at it, and put it in his pocket. The clerk gaped at him.
“The box. More proof of identity? My name?” His heart was pounding.
“We use no names here, sir, and the box is listed under your accounts. Any business you do here is safe with us, sir. Here is your access card, box twelve-sixty-nine.” He pointed to his left. “The vault clerk will let you in. And thank you for your business with League Bank of Lycrus.”
I should think so , thought Trae, still considering the numbers he’d seen in a glance at the accounts printout.
A young woman scanned his access card and opened the vault for him. Petyr waited outside. Inside was like an entire floor of another building, box drawers floor to ceiling, and cubicles with closed doors and partitions the height of a tall man, all of it in silver metal. The woman used her card and his to open box twelve-sixty-nine. Trae slid the box out. It was light. The woman showed him to a cubicle and closed the door behind him as he put the box on a table and opened it.
It was nearly empty. There was a sealed envelope addressed to “Ruler of All Galena, May The Source Sustain Him,” and signed “Leonid Zylak” in elaborate script. A single sheet of paper, folded in half. A vial of yellowish liquid with a pressurized enhaler attached.
Trae unfolded the paper and read: “My son. A bit more mystery, and you’re on your way. The letter is for the Emperor of Galena. I assume it’s Rasim Siddique; I knew his father and he was a good man, his family among the faithful. It’s vital the letter reaches him unopened after you leave the planet. You will go to Elderon. Everything you need to know is in the vial of liquid I’ve left here. Take all of it, both nostrils, before you sleep tonight, and destroy the vial. Destroy this note. I promise you’ll be full of answers to your questions in the morning. We love you. Father.”
Trae put the vial in a breast pocket, the crumpled up note in his pants’ pocket, and closed the box. Trae. Trae. He shivered. We’re waiting. Soon, now.
He returned the box to its place in the wall and the clerk let him out of the vault when he rang for her. Petyr looked anxious.
“Well?”
“There’s this, and a note. We’re going to Elderon.”
“When?”
“I don’t know. Ask me in the morning. I have to see Nicolus again right away. He has the contacts in the palace, and this letter has to be delivered privately to Emperor Siddique.”
“What’s in it?”
“I don’t know, but it’s vital he receives it after we’ve left.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Trae!”
“Tomorrow, Petyr, please be patient with me. I don’t understand what’s happening either.” He patted his breast pocket. “There’s something I have to take tonight. A drug of some kind. Maybe all this will make sense in the morning.”
“A liquid?” asked Petyr.
“Yes. I inhale it.”
“Ah, hah. Well, let’s get to Nicolus again, and put you to bed. I expect to be enlightened in the morning. I’m not just along for the ride, you know.”
Something was left unsaid, something Petyr understood, but not Trae. Petyr seemed anxious to get moving
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