Konisit had quickly become a popular zone once it had been found out. Seven connections, three to tier five zones, four to tier four ones. And what’s more, all within two hours walking of the middle Gate.

As a result, Konisit Post had started with people moving the central Plaza Recall stone, and grown steadily. It wasn’t going to rival the General Meadow in tier one next to the Gate to Manhattan, but it had most of everything. Including regular markets, a post office, and semi-permanent lodgings for a variety of teams, such as Sylvia Underwood’s.

Right now, said Precise Ancillary Underwood was rolling a message into a ball and throwing it into the wall in rage.

Dear Miss Underwood,

I am sorry to be unable to help at this time.

I did, indeed, deal with trophy orbs, but the market has been recently very good, and I am now out of stock.

The Hamleys branch of the London store has apparently found British collectors particularly fond of the globes from the Labyrinth, thinking them very pleasant, and offered good prices for all of my supply.

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I would have pointed you to Markand and Sons, who deal in various curios, but I do not think they have any right now.

Should I happen to get new stock, I will, of course, notify you and we can discuss a price. These novelties have always had a limited interest, but with the British Isles entering the market, that might be changing.

Yours sincerely,

Elazaro Peres.

Collectors and pleasant items, bah. Sylvia could smell the cowshit from across an ocean and nine zones away.

Markand and Sons were also out of stock. She had asked recently, and the two they had had for over a year in front of the store she’d passed every so often in Manhattan were gone. Purchased by “a British gentleman”.

The damned British had found something. Almost certainly with that boy’s damned descriptor vision. She had been right that day. There was something about the orbs that didn’t immediately come out. And now, the English Professionals knew about it, and they were trying to capitalize on it before the world came aflame with the news or something.

She’d moved slowly on her own. The prices, as implied, had been good. Such an artefact from the Labyrinth fetched collector prices, indeed, of over forty silver dollar apiece. She’d purchased on her own funds four of those after she’d grabbed the Feathered Serpent one her team had handed her.

She might not know what they were good for, but now, she was certain at last that they were good for something.

All that remained was to find out what.

She grabbed a paper and quill and sat at the team’s main table.

Now… how to make him divulge what secrets he was keeping close. He’d been eager to speak about his new chest descriptors, but would he be willing to tell her about this new development? She sighed. So… how to formulate it.

Honesty? Would it even work?