“You’re saying that Darkworth had a plan for the blank cores?” Maddie asked. “That he’d discovered some way to use them and was producing them for himself? That’s why you think he had the spiders?”

“I do,” Cal said. “The thing is, I’ve discovered a way to use blank cores in my work. I’ve been experimenting with them since I got my shop. I’ve been using them to modify enchantments. The potential is pretty extensive, and my thinking is that if I can work that out then so can Darkworth.”

“But it’s illegal, right?”

“Not exactly,” Cal said. He laughed, remembering how much of a cliche this was becoming. “As Max and I often say, it’s a bit of a gray area. The Pedantus Guild want to regulate how enchanting is done, but they can only regulate based on what’s actually included in law, and though they have influence, they don’t get to make the law. There’s not a law against doing new magic, not exactly. It would be illegal to make and sell the stuff, and I think I could probably get into trouble for not registering new products once I’ve perfected the techniques involved, but overall, it’s not actually illegal.”

“But it sounds like that doesn’t really matter either, eh?” Maddie said. “Technically illegal or not, you could get into trouble.”

“I could,” Cal said, “but probably not too much trouble. I wouldn’t get barred from doing enchanting - those kinds of punishments are reserved for people who break specific laws, or who do real damage with intent. That kind of thing is really rare these days.”

Maddie nodded thoughtfully and drank off the last of her coffee. “I guess you’ve done some things that you could get in trouble for though, eh? Some things that are technically illegal?”

Cal thought about the use of high level cores. That was pushing the boundaries, no doubt. If he’d gotten Lord Hefton hit by a stray enchantment, for example, or caused an explosion that had damaged things in the street around the Emporium, there could have been more serious trouble, even if it hadn’t been intentional. Cal couldn’t have convinced anyone that he hadn’t known he was taking a risk.

“As I said before,” Maddie went on when Cal didn’t answer, “I don’t have a problem with what you do to get your progress, Cal, but I want to get things safeguarded for you – and for me, too. We’re going into business together, and that means we need to make sure we’re not going to end up having some kind of problem further down the line. I think the most important thing is to get the local guild representative on your side. Have you met him yet?”

Cal rolled his eyes and told Maddie the story of his adventure with Jara Nexon. As Cal spoke, Maddie scowled, put the kettle on, and made another pot of coffee. She came back to the table as he finished his story. She huffed out a sigh of dissatisfaction as she sat down with the coffee and a plate of ginger biscuits, which she pushed toward him.

“Oh, thanks,” said Cal, who was getting peckish. He ate two of the biscuits and drank some more coffee while she sat scowling in silent thought.

“I’m not happy with this situation with the guildsman,” Maddie said eventually. “I remember you mentioned this issue with the guild man before, in relation to the issue with the Heftons. You’re going to need to take some action to resolve this issue with the Pedantus Guild. You can’t go on hoping that this Nexon character will leave you alone, particularly not after the trouble with the Heftons, and crazy Lady Hefton saying that she’d report you to him. That’s too risky; this man Jara is a ticking clock - sooner or later he’s going to cause you trouble.”

“I think you’re right about that,” Cal said gloomily. “Though I hope the Heftons will leave us alone after you saw the husband off, I’m not certain we’ve seen the last of them.”

“Aye,” Maddie said. “Folks like that get a chip on their shoulder about you and it can be bad. They’re not used to being defied, and they have just enough influence to think that they can get away with causing trouble for people further down the social ladder. We need to move on this and protect ourselves before anything more happens. You need to get the monsters registered with the Pedantus Guild, and that means I need to get the fabric down to the Clothmakers Guild so that they can start exerting some influence. We’ll need to get everything in place quickly, then move all at once. The timing will be important. We want you starting the process of registering with the Pedantus Guild a day or two after I get the samples to the clothmaker’s guild - no less. When I’m ready, I’ll tell you, and in the meantime, you get yourself ready to begin the process of registration. I’ll leave my niece in charge of my shop for the next day or so while I work on the fabric samples, and I’ll let you know how I get on. I’m going to try a few different things with the cloth, getting a few weaving styles that will show the fabric to its best advantage.”

“All right, I’m going to try and get the spiders under control,” Cal said. “They’re in their egg-laying season, and it’s actually been causing me some issues.”

Maddie’s eyes gleamed with interest, so Cal told her the story about the baker, and about the advice that Loruk had given him and the action they’d taken.

“Sounds like you’ve got some good advice from that old orc,” Maddie said. “I like the sound of him. I used to know an orc or two back in the old days - good people. But you’ll need some more space if you’re going to have more spiders…”

Cal smiled. “I’m glad you mentioned that. I’ve been meaning to ask you about this for ages, but it keeps slipping my mind, and now I think I’ve found an answer to my questions myself.”

“Oh, aye?” Maddie said, her interest sparking again. “What’s this?”

“Well, we were talking about expanding. You’re right, I will need more room, and I had my eye on… Well, you know the old vacant lot next door to my shop on Sandweaver Street?”

“Vacant lot?” Maddie asked. “I don’t know what you mean. Isn’t your place between Alyn’s Bakery on the right and that little herb shop on the left? No, wait, I’m forgetting, there is an empty lot between you and the herb shop. That was old man Sark’s place, wasn’t it? Why, it’s been empty so long I’d completely overlooked it. Yes, I know the place you mean. Odd that it’s been empty so long and no one’s done anything about it, now I come to think of it. Strange, wouldn’t you say?”

Stolen novel; please report.

Cal raised an eyebrow at her. “That,” he said, “is what everyone says. Odd that it’s been left for so long, and odd that everyone has overlooked it. The truth is that the premises has been occupied by Sark’s ghost for many years.”

“His ghost?”

“That’s right. His unsettled spirit has been bound to the location for a long time, and I think that there’s been some kind of spell on the place that’s stopped people from noticing the shop. I don’t know if it’s Sark’s spell or if it comes from somewhere else, but I didn’t notice the shop until Loruk pointed it out, and Alyn, Max, and everyone else I’ve ever spoken to about the vacant has seemed to have completely overlooked it.”

“Even me,” Maddie said thoughtfully.

“Anyway,” Cal went on, “Sark’s ghost has been occupying the place, trapped there, but I… well, with the help of a friend of mine, I managed to free the ghost from its bond to the building.”

Maddie’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean you’re able to do…?” She couldn’t bring herself to say the word necromancy.

Cal shook his head. “Nothing like that,” he said. “I’m not into that kind of magic, but the ghost needed a bit of help and me and someone I know were able to help him. That’s all there is to it. I think it’s best if I don’t say anymore.”

“No, no, I think that’s the right choice to not say more,” Maddie said. “Definitely. But what about the shop? You say you’ve freed the ghost and it’s no longer occupying the premises, but what now? You haven’t bought the shop from the ghost or something, have you?”

“No such luck,” Cal said. “And to be honest I don’t think I’d be in a position to do so anyway, not unless Sark’s ghost would have accepted an enchantment or two instead of gold. My shop has been doing well, but it’s early days yet and I’m not at the point of being able to buy another building. But I do need to expand, particularly if there’s going to be spider farming happening at any scale. Sark’s shop is the ideal spot, and if I can find out what the status of Sark’s shop is, and if it can be for sale, then I might be able to raise the funds.”

“Really? How?” Maddie asked.

“Well, I have a friend who is quite wealthy and is known for investing in promising new businesses. You probably know of him; Lord Mephisterion.”

“By all the gods!” Maddie said. “You’re friends with him?”

“Yes, actually. He’s helped me out quite a bit, and I’ve helped him too. He’s actually a very pleasant fellow if you can get past his looks.”

“Oh, indeed?” Maddie said, surprised. “Well, one mustn’t judge on looks, I suppose. I’ve heard tales about him that would make the blood run cold, but maybe that’s just tales and prejudice.”

“I think it probably is, Maddie,” Cal said. “Honestly, he’s been really kind to me, and there’s no doubt that he’s a generous philanthropist who goes out of his way to help people less fortunate than himself. He invests in small businesses, as well as running his own coffee shop chain. Actually, he was going to buy Darkworth’s old shop at the auction, but he wasn’t willing to pay much for the premises, so I was able to outbid him.”

“And he wasn’t mad at you?”

“Quite the opposite. He offered to help me, and later on he actually did come to my shop and order a bunch of warmth keys for his coffee shops. In fact, the whole problem with the Heftons is partly down to their dislike of him, but I’d be willing to bet anything that any stories about Mephisterion are just malicious gossip.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be too hard to believe, I’m sorry to say. If you can get some funds from a wealthy investor like him, that will be just the ticket. But you said you wanted to ask me about something about Sark’s shop?”

“At first I wanted to find out why it was empty, but I know that now. But do you have any idea where I might go to try and find out more about what the shop’s status is, that kind of thing? Is there someone who manages property on Sandweaver street? I don’t know much about buying and selling property, you see, and there are so many agents in the city it’d take a year to try and talk to them all.”

“I don’t know much about property either, Cal,” Maddie said, “It’s been that long since I’ve bought my own place that I barely remember the process. Things were a bit different back then. But listen, who did you buy your shop from?”

“Well, I bought it at auction, from Randall’s Auctioneer, up on Blinkset Street.”

“And where’d you pick up the deeds?”

“The sales agent who works for the auctioneer. He’s on Firecaster Row.”

“So, why not start there?”

“Hey, I hadn’t thought of that!” Cal exclaimed. “Of course, that makes a lot of sense! I don’t know how Darkworth’s shop came on the market, but there must have been a reason that it went to Randall’s rather than to some other auctioneer.”

“Seems like he’d be a good starting point. Frame the question as if you want to know more about your own place, and try to get him talking about Sark’s shop naturally.”

“I do want to know a bit more about my own place,” Cal said, “so that should be easy enough. There are a few questions about the shop, and about Darkworth, that the auctioneer might be able to help me with.”

“And if he doesn’t know,” Maddie added, “he’ll know someone who does. Start your search with him and then expand outwards, that’s what I’d do.”

“Thanks, Maddie,” Cal said. “That’s a good idea. I can’t believe I hadn’t thought of that myself!”

“Sometimes all it takes is talking it over with a friend,” she said with a grin. Then she stood up. “Come with me,” she said. “You should take some of the cloth away with you.”

Cal had finished his coffee. He put the dirty cup by the sink and followed Maddie through the living room and into a smaller room that was lit by a single tall window and was full of all kinds of tools and gear that might be used in Maddie’s trade.

There was too much here for Cal to take in, and most of it was specialist equipment that he had no name for, but he recognised a spinning wheel and a loom, and he caught a glimpse of many wicker baskets all overflowing with dyed unspun wool in many different colors.

“The lab is through there,” Maddie said, indicating a smaller door that led off the main workroom. The roll of spider cloth was on a cluttered workbench, and she grabbed up a huge pair of gleaming shears and snipped a length off the fabric, then cut that into five squares. Three of these she handed to Cal.

“Take these away,” she said. “Don’t go showing them to everyone, but I think it’s time you let a few people into your confidence. Max knows already, of course, but tell a few others who you trust. Tell them what we’re doing and show them the samples. When we let the news of this fabric out, we want to be ready to take full advantage of the stir it’s going to make.”

“Got you,” Cal said grinning. He slipped the soft fabric samples into his coat pocket. “Who’d have thought an enchanter would end up disrupting the fabric trade?”

“It’s not in the bag yet,” Maddie cautioned. “There’s a lot of potential here, but before we can take advantage of it, we have work to do.”