Page 25 of The Study of Fire
“Pay what you can,” he said and left.
Adrik and Trevar each placed five coppers onto the table.
“Obviously we can afford more, but it would look suspicious,” Trevar said.
Valek set a silver coin next to theirs. As a curious messenger, he could afford more. Besides, the simple meal had been delicious.
* * *
Valek returned to the castle and headed straight to the Commander’s office to explain his absence.
“Come in,” the Commander said when he knocked.
He entered.
“Oh look, you’re not dead,” the Commander said dryly. “The kitchen staff will be disappointed. Many of them bet you were.”
The sarcasm was unexpected. Valek decided the best course of action was to ignore it. “Sorry for missing our meeting.” He reported what he’d learned. “I’m planning on patrolling the Garden District for the next couple of nights, as well.”
“Make sure you let Brede know. He was quite upset by your absence.”
Ah, the reason for the Commander’s snark. He’d have to have a word with his housekeeper. “I will.”
“Good.” The Commander stood. “Come with me.”
Surprised, Valek followed his boss. When they mounted the spiral stairs in the northeast tower, Valek knew they were going to the war room. And for the life of him, Valek had no idea why. His lack of sleep must be catching up with him.
But the Commander stopped the floor below and unlocked the door, entering the map room. It was the same size and shape as the war room, except there were no stained-glass windows or oversized conference table. Instead, there were racks filled with maps of Ixia. All types, from mining maps to detailed maps of each military district.
The Commander scanned the labels and pulled out a map. He spread it on the table. It depicted Castletown. Sort of. Valek peered at it, trying to decipher it. There were no buildings, but there were named streets and strange lines marked with numbers. Then he saw the district labels and was able to get his bearings.
“Where did the incidents start?” the Commander asked.
Valek pointed to the Steel District in the northeast section of the city.
“And where does the wave go?”
He swept his hand over the areas, ending right before the Garden District.
The Commander studied the map for a few minutes, then straightened. “This is a groundwater map. See this circle?” He tapped the map. “It’s a well. And see these lines? That’s the elevation of the ground. And these numbers record the depth of the groundwater. As you can see, the water flows from the northeast to the southwest.” He pointed out more circles. “These are the other wells in town.”
The water also flowed along the colored wave on Valek’s map. “Are you suggesting someone could have put a drug in the Steel District’s well to cause those incidents, and it flowed to the other wells?” He considered the problem. “But wouldn’t it be diluted?”
“Not if it’s insoluble.”
“How long does it take the water to flow through the city?”
“It depends on the amount of rain. The more rain, the faster the water.” The Commander paused. “All I’m suggesting is that it is a possibility.”
“I should collect water from the wells in the Garden District and test it.” But who would volunteer to drink it? Valek huffed a laugh as the answer sparked. “And I know the perfect person to taste the water.”
The Commander smiled. “Yet another reason for Star to hate you.”
“It might break her out of her sulk.” Valek studied the map. “Can I borrow this to compare it to the map at the patrol house?”
“As long as you return it in good condition.”
“I will.” As Valek rolled it up, he asked, “Do you have groundwater maps for the other cities in Ixia?”
