“I told you, she’s Hagia Sessamin.”
&n
bsp; “And that means she doesn’t need an address?”
“Ah,” she said. “Apparently your father omitted any explanations about Sessamoto politics. Which makes sense, come to think of it. If you get out of Fall Ford alive, get to Aressa Sessamo and ask for the house of ‘the Sessamin.’ Ask anyone at all.”
“I’m some kind of royalty?”
“You’re a male,” said Nox. “That means you could fart royal blood out of your ears and it wouldn’t matter. It was an empire ruled by women, which was a very good plan while it lasted. Not that most cities and nations and empires aren’t ruled by women, one way or another.” She stopped and studied his face. “I’m trying to figure out what you’re not saying to me.”
Rigg said the first thing that came to mind. “I have no money for the journey. The furs were all I had.”
“And you come begging an old housekeeper for a few coins from her stash?”
“No,” said Rigg. “Nothing, if you can’t spare it. If you have a little, I’ll borrow it, though I don’t know when or if ever it’s going to be possible for me to repay you.”
“Well, I’m not going to advance you anything, or lend it, or even give it. Though I might ask you for a loan.”
“A loan? When I have nothing?”
“Your father left you a little something.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
“I just told you.” She pushed a stepladder into place against one of the sets of rough shelves and started to climb. Then she stopped.
“If you try to look up my skirt, I’ll poke needles into your eyes right through your eyelids while you’re asleep.”
“I’m looking for help, you give me nightmares, thank you so much.”
She was on the top step now, reaching up for a bin marked dry beans. Rigg looked up her skirt mostly because she told him not to, and saw nothing at all of interest. He could never understand why Nox and other women, too, were always so sure men wanted to see whatever it is they concealed under their clothes.
She came down with a small bag. “Wasn’t this nice of your father? To leave this behind for you?”
She opened the little bag and poured its contents into her palm. Nineteen jewels, large ones, of more colors than Rigg had imagined jewels could have, and no two alike.
“What am I supposed to do with these?”
“Sell them,” she said. “They’re worth a fortune.”
“I’m thirteen,” Rigg reminded her. “Everyone will assume I stole these from my mommy. Or a stranger. Nobody will imagine that I have them by right.”
Out of the bag Nox took a folded sheet of paper. Rigg took it, looked at it. “It’s addressed to a banker in Aressa Sessamo.”
“Yes,” she said. “I can read.”
Rigg scanned it. “Father taught me about letters of credit.”
“I’m glad to hear that, since he never taught me any such thing.”
“It says my name is Rigg Sessamekesh.”
“Then I suppose that’s what your name is,” said Nox.
“This is worthless until I get to Aressa Sessamo,” said Rigg.
“So live off the land, the way you and your father always do.”