I jolt out of bed, giggling uncontrollably at a plan coming to fruition. In celebration, I grab one of the snacks Tybalt brought and rip it open, munching into the sweet gooeyness. As I chew, I motion for Argyle to come and do my hair. In my exuberant mood, his clumsy ministrations actually feel soothing for once. I giggle again at my victory. Sorry J??k?skürden, but it looks like I get to keep my toy after all.

  Sarrah storms through the twisting tunnels, Allia and Allex rushing to keep close behind. “We’ll go to my parents. They have connections. J doesn’t have the only labs in the League.

  “Sarrah,” Allia says, clearly trying to not sound pleading. “I trust you, if you really think walking away from J is the best move, then I’ll do it. But I also don’t distrust her.”

  “She doesn’t know what she’s doing Allia!” Sarrah shouts.

  “And your parents’ friends will?” Allex interjects. “More than J whose been studying the device for a year now?”

  “…No,” Sarrah admits, struggling to not concede a point to her nemesis. “But I at least want a second opinion.”

  Allex rolls his eyes. “It’s a precursor artifact, not a cancer diagnosis, Sarrah. You can’t just shake any tree and have a dozen experts drop out each ready with their own established course of treatment.”

  “I’m sure we can find one… For matter, I’m sure your dad can help too. Ask him.”

  Allex shakes his head. “I can’t. Secrecy oath, remember?”

  “Find a loophole!” Sarrah shouts.

  Allex scoffs. “There are no loopholes, that’s the entire point! Every time someone somehow finds one, it immediately gets amended to close it.”

  “Yeah, well I bet they thought there weren’t any loopholes before the last time they had to change it, didn’t they?”

  “Probably, but I’m no legal expert. It’d take a trained mind to find something new.”

  “Then consult a solicitor!”

  “Consulting a solicitor for purpose of circumventing the oath is a violation of the oath!”

  “…Fine! But we’re not bound by it. Introduce us to your dad and we’ll ask him!” Sarrah shouts.

  “Well, I can’t now that you’ve explicitly stated your intentions. You’ll have to make your appointment without my help.”

  “Then tell us who we need to contact to make the appointment.”

  “Sarrah!” Allex snaps, emphasizing every word. “I cannot do anything to knowingly facilitate the spread of the restricted information.”

  “Yeah, but… who would know if you told us such a little thing? I won’t tell, and Allia certainly won’t.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t put it past you. But it doesn’t matter. If J starts an inquiry, and she will if the information spreads too far, then you have to show a detailed chain of causation leading you to my father that does not involve me. The only way you can be sure you have one that’s good enough to fool the inquisitor is to actually do it.”

  “All right… let’s try another approach then. What exactly is the restricted information? I mean, are you sure the orb is even covered? Didn’t she refuse to tell us anything, and only predicated the reveal on something unrelated to the oath?”

  Allex shakes no. “If there’s any doubt, the court is obligated to side with her. She might not have predicated the information on the oath, but I did make it. As to what it covers? Anything that she said until either she explicitly stopped its coverage, or we parted company, as well as anything that I learned from her later predicated on the knowledge.”

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “…That really doesn’t leave us a lot of room.”

  “It’s not meant to.”

  Sarrah slams her fist against the wall again, but instantly regrets it as this one is made of solid stone rather than flimsy drywall. She glares at Allex as rubs her hand as if he had somehow made her strike it. “Why’d you even make the stupid thing then if it’s so restrictive?”

  He shrugs. “I didn’t think she’d tell me anything otherwise, and I wanted to know.”

  “What’s the point of knowing if you can’t do anything with the knowledge?” Sarrah asks.

  Allex shakes his head. “I can do stuff with the knowledge, I just can’t do anything that will help spread it. So no arranging for experts myself, as any examination they might perform is certain to require restricted information.”

  “Then where are the limits? Not loopholes, but limits. Surely it’s not meant to be all encompassing?”

  He exhales sharply, holding his chin with one hand and tapping his fingers against his leg with the other. “I can provide security and a facility to secure yourself. A bunker in the hills outside of town. There’s a lab in it that you can use yourselves, and I can buy any equipment that you think you need. However, only you can use it, or anyone you manage to inform without my help.”

  Sarrah stares at him for a moment, then nods very slightly in gratitude. “Thanks. That’ll have to do… And don’t worry about the experts – we can find them.”

  He exhales sharply then nods back. “Good, good. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, Allia. You have to understand, it’s not just my inheritance at stake, but honour and other consequences. If I were to be found breaking one of the standard oaths, I would be barred from making any more in the future, and they’re rather useful. Possibly vital. But know this: If I were convinced that your life was in peril and that breaking the oath would help you, I would break it.”

  “How self-sacrificing,” Sarrah says sardonically.

  Allia raises a pacifying hand to her friend who rolls her eyes. “Thank Allex, that does mean a lot, and I do understand… I think.”

  Allex flashes a charming smile and exhales in relief. “Good, good… and I do want to say that you shouldn’t talk to my father. This is technically a grey area, but since it’s encouraging inaction rather than action it’s not really enforceable as you could just claim that it didn’t occur to you. But if I talked with my father, then I’m sure I could get whatever you needed. But since I can’t, he would probably still help, but would require considerations from you. He would have to in order to not seem like he was doing it on my behalf, which could be seen as a violation.”

  “Thanks for the warnings,” Allia smiles, then pauses in thought. “Wait, if the issue is that your father will ask stuff from us without your help, couldn’t we just get Emil to help? I mean… if we’re willing to spread the knowledge, why not to a friend first?”

  Allex, very methodically, closes his eyes, turns away and plugs his ears.

  Sarrah, staring at this strange behaviour, chuckles. “I’m going to take that as you thinking it’s a good idea.”

  “You most certainly will not!” Allex says, opening one eye to glare at her then stepping away out of his modified earshot.”

  The girls glance at each other and laugh. “Well,” Allia starts, “regardless of what Allex may or may not think, of which we have no way of knowing… or not knowing? No, wait… Anyways. I think it’s our best course of action is to talk to Emil… You’ll be able to talk with him about it after we tell him, right?” She shouts the last bit.

  “…Yes.” Allex shouts back after consideration.

  “Great, let’s go get him. He should respond quickly if you send a sprite,” Allia says to Sarrah.

  “Me?” Sarrah asks. “Why not you?”

  “I thought you had a thing…?”

  Sarrah grimaces questioningly. “No, not really. I mean, I guess he has that sort of ephemeral look that can cause a few idle thoughts, but his personality… Look, I just think it’ll be better if you sent the sprite.”

  “Oh really?” Allia says with a mischievous grin. “You sure? I wouldn’t want to deprive you of your chance to connect.”

  “Ha, coming from you that’s… whatever. You do it. Have him meet us at the ‘Arbiter’ … if the statue is even still there.”

  “Let’s hope so. It was one of my favourites.”

  “Yeah… mine too.” Sarrah says then goes quiet before turning and shouting back to Allex. “You coming? I don’t want to spend another minute in these dreary tunnels!”

  “Yes, yes!” Allex shouts back as he rushes to catch up. “Oh, we can stop by the café while we wait.”

  Sarrah side eyes him. “I though you weren’t listening?”

  “Good. Keep thinking that.” Allex says, causing her to scowl and him to laugh. “Anyways. I’ll wait off to the side until you tell him. You can call me in after that.”

  “And telling us this isn’t against your special club rules?” Sarrah says sarcastically.

  “Nah. Just barely though, since you’ve already declared your intent to tell him. He should tell you that himself, but knowing him he might think it’d be funny not to.”

  “Yeah,” Sarrah chuckles, “exactly what I mean t earlier.”

  “Oh?” Allex says in faux pout. “I’m certain he’ll be heartbroken to hear that from you.”

  Sarrah rolls her eyes. “Why does everybody…? Never mind. Let’s just do this and get it over with.”