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First his mother, and now his best friend Mission wondered what the Pact said about volunteering to clean in one’s stead If it said anything at all A that he could live under the rules of a document that he’d never read He just assue, and that they were operating by its contents fairly

On fifty-eight, a porter’s ’chief tied to the downbound railing caught his attention It was the same blue pattern as the ‘chief worn around his neck, but with a bright red hts that were spiraling nowhere Mission unknotted the ‘chief and searched the fabric for the merchant’s staht loads and lighter pay, normally But at least it was downbound, unless Drexel had been careless again hich rail he tied it to

Mission was dying to get to Central where a shower and a change of clothes awaited, but if anyone spotted hinal ‘chief, he’d hear it froan and the others He hurried inside to Drexel’s, praying it wasn’t a round of s turned to rubber just thinking about it

Drexel was at the counter as Mission pushed open the apothecary’s squeaky door A largeof a fixture in the h Mission wasn’t sure how sound a choice that was Often, though, it was the ot the chits, not the one who made people better And besides, the very worst cases rarely complained If they did, only the roots heard

The usual handful of sick people sat on Drexel’s benches in the waiting rooe to cover his mouth with his ‘chief Instead, he innocuously held his breath and waited while Drexel filled a s it neatly like oneThe woman slid a few chits across the counter When she walked away, Mission tossed the signal ‘chief on top of thefit as a fiddle" Drexel s out fro whiskers

"Sa for me?"

"I do One sec"

Drexel disappeared behind a wall of shelves cra room wailed The apothecary reappeared with a small sack "Meds for down below," he said

"I can take them as far as Central and have Dispatch send the up a shift"

Drexel frowned and rubbed his beard "I suppose that’ll do And Dispatch’ll bill me?"

Mission held out a palm "If you tip," he said

"Aye, a tip But only if you solve a riddle" Drexel leaned on the counter, which seehers waiting on theirMission wanted to hear was another of the old et paid Always an excuse with Drexel to keep a chit on his side of the counter

"Okay," the apothecary began, tugging on his whiskers "Which one weighsfull of seventy-eight pounds of rocks?"

Mission didn’t hesitate with his answer "The bag of feathers," he declared He’d heard this one before It was a riddle h between the levels to come up with his own answer, one different froer "It isn’t the rocks--" His face dimmed "Wait Did you say the feathers?" He shook his head "No, boy, they weigh the sah the sa of feathers would have to be bigger You said they were both full, which hshis beard for a ly, he took two coins from the lady’s pay and placed them in Mission’s hand Mission accepted the it up tight

"The bigger bag--" Drexelhis breath again as he went, the pills rattling in his sack

The apothecary’s annoyance orth far more than the tip, but Mission appreciated both The enjoyh a tense silo There was a fear invisible but still sensed like the rising suns, trying to cal into a shop on forty-tere broken and covered with a sheet of plastic Mission was pretty sure that was recent And down he went, the stairway trerammatical troubles of as yet to come

He arrived at Central Dispatch to find it eerily quiet Marko passed him in the hall The older porter had a black eye, and Mission had a good idea of where it came from He nodded, and Marko nodded back, a bit of respect froht before Mission felt sad for the things he could inoble way to earn it

Heroo delivery and went straight to the e and pick out his next job before changing and showering Katelyn orking the counter There were no other porters queued up Off licking their wounds, perhaps Orthis recent spate of violence

"Hey, Katelyn"

"Mish" She shed and touched his nose, which was still sore "Thanks"