Page 37 of The City of Stardust

A man and a woman stumble past, almost knocking Violet over. The woman sighs. “This is supposed to be a meeting of the great minds of Fidelis. A chance to showcase our talents to our more illustrious colleagues. What lofty ambitions I had.”

“It’s a very impressive party,” Violet admits.

“Well, I have certainly tried my best. Tell me, what did you make of my asteria, Violet Everly?”

“I think—”

She freezes. No one is supposed to know who she is.

The woman very carefully sets down her glass on a sideboard. “You’d better come with me.”

Violet hesitates. It would be so easy to be spirited away down one of these labyrinthine halls, never to be seen again. An interloper, quietly disposed of.

The woman tilts her head in the direction of two men in hefty suits. “I assure you that Hector and Eli are very good at their jobs, and they can remove you rather swiftly. But not, I fear, before making quite the scene.” She raises one careful eyebrow. “And howinterestedour guests would be to know that an Everly is here amongst them.”

Violet’s gaze turns steely-eyed. “If you know my name, then you know what I’m looking for. You’re Yulan Liu, aren’t you?” she says, and the woman bows her head in acknowledgement. “I was told you could help me, so—”

A group of people enter from the auction room, noisy in their victories or losses. Several of them recognise Yulan and start towards her.

“This is a conversation best had elsewhere,” Yulan says. “Of course, it is entirely your choice as to how we get there.”

Violet glances at the bouncers again. That’s not a fight she’s going to win. So she allows Yulan to lead her to a small office in the back,through a door that Violet had passed earlier and mistaken for a cupboard. Inside, Yulan props herself on the edge of the desk and folds her arms.

“I commend you for your intrigue, but I can’t imagine what made you think it was a good idea to gatecrash my evening,” she says.

“I contacted you about a map last week,” Violet says. “I’d like to buy it.”

She tries not to sound too interested, like it’s something as small as a lost earring, rather than a very literal lifeline. But her tone slips at the last minute, betraying her. Inwardly, she curses.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. The daughter of Marianne Everly,” Yulan says curiously. “The resemblance is… remarkable.”

For a second, her gaze slides over Violet and she has the uncomfortable sensation of being studied. It isn’t the first time, but Violet always wonders what they must see, what parts of her mother have been reassembled into this secondary version.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint,” Yulan says, “but the map isn’t available.”

Violet’s prepared for this, too. She pulls out a chequebook from an inner pocket. Another of Gabriel’s teachings:cash is easily stolen; a cheque suggests there is more money to come.It worked well enough in Novosibirsk, when she’d had to buy her way into the gathering of scholars there. And look what it had brought her: Caspian’s allyship. Sometimes good old-fashioned bribery is all it takes.

“Ah, you misunderstand me.” Yulan gestures to the closed door, where the sound of the party drifts through. “I don’t need more money.”

“If it’s information you’re after—”

“I sold the map yesterday. There was another interested party.” She shrugs. “They simply moved faster than you.”

Violet’s stomach plummets. Of course they did.

“As I understood it, no one was supposed to know about the map,” she says carefully.

She’d been sure of it. It was a closed deal, and the map would have gone on auction tonight as a finale of sorts. To the scholars,it’s just one more trinket, one more expensive artefact to put on display.

“News travels,” Yulan says. “They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

Violet’s hands tighten on her wallet. “I couldn’t persuade you to reveal the buyer, could I?”

“And risk the scholars finding out?” Yulan arches an eyebrow. “I have a good reputation for a reason. Besides, you’ll find the Everly name carries a high price. Too high for either of us, I’m afraid.”

“But—”

“I must return to my guests. You’ll find an exit through the back door. I suggest you use it.” Yulan smooths down her dress. “And Violet?”

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