The outdated doors to the newly arrived tram rattled open with a pneumatic hiss. Arcturus balked as two bulky looking Humans stepped out. They were burgundy stickers, not particularly expensive looking but also not the rags one could pick up from a roadside vendor, thick corduroy trousers and a pair of heavy boots each. Their goods were up but Arcturus doubted that it was to keep the rain off of their faces. His eyes were drawn first to the coat of arms on their breasts: An hourglass on a red & gold shield. Then he flicked down to the poorly concealed shapes of weapons at their belt.
What were Van-Buren company goons doing in Down-side? They certainly didn't look like recruiters, too ugly. He wouldn't trust these two with anything intellectual. That meant they were here as muscle, probably for a deal. If he weren't already working a case Arcturus probably would have followed them. Maybe he still should. After all, following up on a murder didn't get him any closer to his ultimate goal. The company was almost certainly bringing another shipment of firearms up from the riverside, which meant that busting the deal would give him a lead. Unfortunately there isn't actually anything technically illegal about what he expected them to be doing.
The recruit next to him sensed his unease, looking up from the paperwork for a fraction of a second. She caught onto his gaze, following it to the two enforcers.she glanced at him, questioningly, but he gave a subtle shake of the head. She seemed… surprised. Maybe the tales she'd heard about the legendary Arturus Allwood made her think he'd recklessly chase after anyone associated with the Van-Buren trading company but he knew better than to out himself. If he went off after them he'd almost certainly be recognised.
The brutes bulled through the crowd, coming on a collision course towards the two officers. His hand went instinctively to his pistol. Had they seen him here after all? He lowered his head, tipping the brim of his hat to obscure his features. The recruit got the message and buried herself in her papers. False alarm. The men passed by dangerously close but seemed to pay him no mind. Good. If word of his whereabouts got back to Raife then his days here would be numbered. He didn't much fancy picking up and moving to a different district again, even if the office was an Albatross around his neck.
He signaled Lystring amd the two of them dipped through the throngs of people moving onto the River side line. Like fish swimming against the current they made their way up the platform, getting to the newly arrived Up-side tram. Stepping aboard they found they shared the compartment with only a pair of city inspectors, doubtless returning to their high offices after a short term stint working in the slums. Arcturus kicked his feet up, closed his eyes and settled in for the twenty minute ride to the top.
If you asked an artist to draw you a picture of the polar opposite of Down-side it would be the higher reaches. Magically Inert stone, waxed wood and sealed paint made up the buildings of Up-side, despite the fact that the rain, fat and heavy with Negative energy as the clouds were, mostly fell on the lower slopes.
People swanned about the wide streets in expensive coats, totally oblivious or wilfully ignorant of the suffering taking place below them. Lystring dogged his heels, her face a picture of wonder. He doubted the country girl had ever had any reason to travel to Up-side and other than passing through Edhel's Rest this might be her first visit to a 'proper city'.
"Where are we going?" She asked him.
"The Bureau of Magical Affairs. I'm hoping I can call in a favor from an old contact; see if we can't make a break in this case."
"The B.M.A? Isn't that for… you know, Mages only?" She quibbles. "Normal officers aren't supposed to have access?"
"Then it's a good thing I'm not an ordinary officer and you, dear girl, are a Deputy Justiciar." The recruit gasps in shock as he says that. "Don't get your hopes up girl. I'm not giving you any powers. You're only a Deputy as much as it gets you into the Basilica."
"Even still it's an honor sir." She replies shyly.
"Well then, try being honored quietly" Arcturus suggested. He was beginning to regret bringing the fresh face along, his patience for her genuflection starting to wear thin. She showed a little surprise, but quickly pursed her lips and nodded. Doubtless she was worried about the ramifications of continuing to draw his ire. The two of them trooped down the side of the road, his shabby coat and her Down-side Watch uniform putting them aggressively out of place.
They approached the Basalt Basilica, the home of the Bureau of Magical affairs. The Basilica was an old building, older than Orthond and possibly older than the First Man himself. Towering walls of black stone, bookends with spiraling colonnades and flanked by the towering statues of the Mage and the Official.
"More bureaucracy," He bemoaned. "Stay quiet and stick close. If you get lost you'll be accused of treason faster than I can find you wandering the halls alone." Her only response was another pursed lipped smile and a furtive glance towards the dome of St. Gregory. Of course a farm girl like her would look to him for comfort. Arcturus gathered his courage, the Basilica always gave him the willies, and moved past the queues of dithering, dilettante officials and into the cold black halls of the Basalt Basilica.
