Burning Night: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 10, Part 2: Tabitha

Shallow Swan Cafe was a repurposed hole in the side of a building. Roughly four years ago, a train running on the line above their heads had fallen and smashed its way through the building. Although no one was injured, Civil Development offered, at costs to this day shouldered by that Bureau, to build a cafe and keep peace with the offended residents.

It also helped that the family who lost their home were hosted by the still current Bureau Chief in his own residence while the family's new home was built. There were times, few and far between, when people took providing recompense seriously.

"You're late, Tabby," Agrias Sunbane said, as Tabitha walked through the open entranceway.

Agrias' left arm was still in a sling, although Tabitha instantly noticed the absence of a hard cast. There was also bandages on the left side of her neck, hidden just beneath the open collar of the shadow's shirt. None of this made her less formidable.

"We're not nickname friendly, Agrias," Tabitha said, the malice in her voice more pronounced than she expected.

"Are you that friendly with anyone, Tabby?" Agrias asked.

"No," Tabitha admitted, as she sat down.

"Shame. You really need a hobby."

"I have a project. And a small mountain of imbeciles who wasted a lot of perfectly good paper. Why in the ash-covered abyss do I have the first year papers?"

"Because some idiot thinks you're a good teacher? Although with your attitude, Tabby, it's a wonder your apprentices survived to graduate," Agrias said, with a sneer.

"Okay sunshine. You have four coworkers in the cafe, and another four meandering in the street. All of them have more than just their daggers on them. I'm pretty sure the one making tea is actually aiming his crossbow through a hole in his desk. Do you have enough information to make your assessment now, or do yo need to slap me a few times without being burnt to a crisp?" Tabitha asked, her voice a harsh rasp as she finished.

Agrias waved her hand over her brow once, and the shadow behind the counter went back to pretending to tend the bar.

"No. I think we're okay. Apologies, Crafter a'Loria," Agrias said.

Tabitha breathed a slow, quiet sigh of relief, and leaned back in her chair. "I'll get over it. I probably left your bureau a little concerned with my mental state."

"Actually, they're terrified of your strength. You fought a Combat Crafter with the comfort some Crafters have dealing with a reject. Mathias described it as a soldier fighting a teenager with a knife. I'll be honest, the Chief wants you dead. Immediately," Agrias reported, grimly. "Lucky for you, the Chief is a coward."

"I didn't actually kill Nathaniel," Tabitha noted.

"No, you blew apart his defences, and left a cool zone in that heat that Mathias could run through. Frankly, that's scarier. Stats is projecting the loss of an entire district if we botch your death." Agrias rebutted, leaning forward and talking in a near whisper. "You're only alive right now because some reporter did an expose on the nannies, and mentioned that you're the one the nannies called when things went very wrong. It gave the Council the leverage we needed to insist that your value to the City outweighs the risk."

"So that's why I wasn't invited to a meeting recently. It also explains why I have the apprentice papers. You want another Coraline before you have to knock me off," Tabitha said, speculating.

"That would be nice, except she makes irritating requests to Parliament. Did you know she wants to set up residence in the Undercity?" Agrias asked.

"She wants to be a gang boss? She might improve things down there," Tabitha said.

"If she's as good as you say she is, she might put down every gang in the Undercity. Except that means Resources doesn't make its quotas," Agrias replied.

"I know. I read that Tributary op-Ed piece. Even Coraline won't make inroads there without help from the inside," Tabitha said.

"Believe me, Oversight would jump at the chance to get down there. Nearly every missing reject is because the Gangs down there offer gratuitous perks for enforcers. But honestly, Tabitha, the Privy Council wants you to take on a fourth apprentice because we're hoping it will keep you with us longer," Agrias paused uncomfortably and shifted in her seat.

Tabitha understood why. "I've been assigned my final evaluator."

"You have. I'm sorry, if that's any consolation."

Tabitha bit her lip, hoping the pain would keep the tears from her eyes. "I hope it's one of your nannies. I'd be insulted if it wasn't."

"You know it's Mathias. The Bureau Chief wants his head on a spike, because of that exposé. It makes her look like an obstructionist politician," Agrias said.

"She is," Tabitha said.

Tabitha smirked, as Agrias didn't argue the point.

"Not everyone enjoys looking in a mirror. But the idea is, if he kills you, the nannies look just as vile as the rest of the Bureau, and Oversight goes back to business as usual. If he botches the job, she has an excuse to disband the nannies. If he takes too long to kill you, it looks like he's going soft and he's forced into retirement."

"So I'm guaranteed six months to a year?" Tabitha asked.

In response, Agrias set a small slab of stone on the table. Tabitha turned it over, and quickly read through it.

"This is..."

"Not yours. This is Roenall Carrahe's execution order. The first date is when the tablet was commissioned, and the second date is added when this order is executed, at the sole discretion of the final evaluator. We never carve the executioner's name onto these, until the evaluator's death. But you have my word the Bureau will one day write 'Mathias Aranhall' right here," Agrias explained, pointing to an empty space near the bottom of the tablet.

"Burn me. This was made five years ago."

"Closer to six. My Chief's political gamesmanship plays into the Council's desires perfectly, and I'm fairly certain Mathias wouldn't be willing to let anyone else take you on as an assignment," Agrias said. Tabitha saw her smile, a surprisingly warm gesture, as she added, "after all, even for a Crafter, you're scary."

"Why does this play into my interests so well?" Tabitha asked.

"Mathias has been on final Evaluator duty for sixteen years. On average, final evaluation takes nine months. You will be his fourth Crafter."