Page 9 of A Tower of Half-Truths
Emma frowned. “No, but I would advise against it. You’ll just find yourself right back in this bed.”
She was right. The two paces between the bed and the chair had been enough to wear Mavery out. She felt a familiar twinge of pain from her knee. Well, since she was already here…
“My right knee has been bothering me for some time. It’s not related to the gunshot, but could you take a look?”
“Lie down,” Emma sighed.
She removed the tray, then pulled back the blanket and touched Mavery’s knee. A clean, herbal scent filled the air. Emma’s magic gently, but not painfully, probed the joint and tendons. A moment later, she removed her hands and shook her head.
“You’ve got a lot of scar tissue. Much like that mark on your nose, it’s a very old wound, and even magic has its limits. Best I can do is prescribe you a poultice to ease any pain you’re feeling.”
“No, thanks.” Mavery was disappointed but unsurprised. Inthe years since she’d injured that knee—she could no longer remember what, exactly, had caused it—she’d tried an entire apothecary’s stock of poultices, ointments, and serums. All to no avail.
Before Mavery could make any additional requests, Emma snatched up the tray and left.
Mavery reached in her pack and pulled out the book she’d stolen from the baron’s library:The Modern Gentleman’s Field Guide to Mushroom Foraging.She quickly learned why “the modern gentleman” was its target audience. The majority of the guide was devoted to mushrooms with aphrodisiac properties. She came across a detailed diagram of the most phallic-looking fungus she’d ever seen—one purported to “increase virility tenfold.” This book wasn’t a good fit for her Compendium, but it gave her a good laugh.
Unfortunately, her laughter caused a sharp pain in the pit of her stomach, in the very spot where Neldren’s bullet had lodged itself. Once again, Emma was right: she still needed to rest. At least that gave her some time to plan her next move.
She put the mushroom book aside and turned to the newspaper,The Burnslee Herald.The current date was the second of Germinal. She’d turned thirty-seven two days ago, while she’d been unconscious. That realization deepened the ache in her stomach. Upon seeing the front page headline, her pain flared even more.
PROVINCIAL POLICE INVESTIGATING BREAK-IN AT ROVEN MANOR: HOUSE FALLSTAD STILL TO BLAME
If the job had garnered that much attention, she didn’t want to linger in this village longer than necessary. It wouldn’t be long before someone made a connection between the robbery at the manor and the stranger in the infirmary only a mile away. But her options were even more limited than they’d been the other night. Even if she lived as frugally as possible, her savings wouldn’t last her a fortnight.
If she was serious about making a careerchange—one that involved more honest work—the “help wanted” section was the best place to start. She flipped to the back of the newspaper and was greeted, front and center, by an enormous ad in elegant, bold lettering. A filigree border framed it on all sides:
WANTED: ABLE-BODIED MEN & WOMEN
Wincoff & Sons Rail Co. seeks laborers for Tanarim’s first cross-country railroad. Arare opportunityto become part of history! Daily wages & meals.Signing bonusesfor all menders. Write to Wincoff & Sons, 155 West High Street, Durnatel.
“Rare opportunity” or not, the thought of hard labor made her knee ache all over again. If only she were ten years younger, it would be somewhat tempting. She shifted slightly, which aggravated a twinge in her lower back. On second thought, maybe if she werefifteenyears younger…
She continued reading.
GRAVEDIGGER NEEDED
Talk to Sexton Jerrod at Burnslee Cemetery.
NO vagrants. NO criminals.
Mavery rolled her eyes. Yes, she was both a vagrant and a criminal, and one who hadindirectlystolen valuables from the dead. But she’d always drawn the line at looting corpses. She had standards.
Her eyes glazed over the long list of calls for menial, unskilled labor. Most were offering a pittance, and nearly all of them made it clear they had no use for a not-so-hale, not-so-youthful woman with a dubious work history.
She was about to give up hope altogether when an ad near the bottom of the page caught her eye. Whoever had placed this one hadn’t requested a larger space. The verbose copy had been squeezed into a two-inch square. Mavery had to squint to read it.
Esteemed Wizard & Professor
Seeks Assistant
Duties include, but are not limited to, facilitating arcane research & experiments. Ideal candidate must be a mage Gifted in the School of Gardemancy. Other desirable qualities include: exceptional organizational skills, university-level literacy, excellent penmanship, a cheerful disposition, & a willingness to tolerate obstinacy. Pay is negotiable, based on qualifications. Inquire at Steelforge Towers,
Riverside District, City of Leyport.
Mavery reached the end of the ad with a raised eyebrow and a heaping measure of skepticism. She read it again to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. From what little she knew of wizards, they typically plucked their assistants from the pools of recent university graduates. To see one advertise such a position in the newspaper was unusual, to say the least. And the village of Burnslee was about fifty miles from the city of Leyport, so he was searching far and wide.
She assumed “he” because the vast majority of wizards were male. She also assumed he had to be desperate, and perhaps a tad insane. This ad was practically a public invitation to visit his tower. No,towers. Whoever he was, he must have been distinguished enough to own more than one, which further intrigued her. She couldn’t recall seeing any wizard towers the last time she was in the city—apart from the ones that comprised the University of Leyport—but a lot could change in nearly twenty years.
