Two and a half thousand gil was a lot less than a million, but it still didn't feel right. "Should we let him do this?" Daina asked Ashe in a low voice.

"We have little other choice," Ashe answered. She sighed, her brows creased in worry.

Daina silently appealed to Basch, but he shook his head. Ashe was right. They were strangers in a strange land, as the saying went.

Vaan's last gil clinked in Jules's palm.

"Why, any upstanding citizen of the Empire carries a chop," the streetear said at once. "It's a mark of status sometimes, a writ of transit others. If you were aiming to go to Central, where the gentry lives, I'd think you'd need nine chops."

"How do you get them?"

"Like I've said, the key is knowledge, boy. You do your part here on the street, talk to the right people, you'll earn your chops in no time."

Vaan scrubbed a hand through his hair. "That doesn't sound so bad."

"Oh, the people in Archades love doing good deeds," Jules said with an affected laugh. "Why, if they're helping you out, it must mean they're superior. Understand, boy?"

"Uh . . . Not sure I do, but I'll give it a try." Vaan grinned. "Thanks, Jules!"

He ran over to the princess and her knights. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"I don't think this is a job suited for Her Majesty," Daina said. Frankly, she couldn't see herself doing it, either. Diving into a rumor mill, fishing out information, and then relaying it to these empty sheep in the hopes one would tip her with a meaningless block of wood as if she were an orphan in need of food – she shuddered.

"That's okay," Vaan said, undaunted. "Me and Penelo can go. Right Penelo?"

"Of course," Penelo said immediately. The two ran off, excitedly discussing how best to tackle their chore.

Daina sighed. The stench of the slums did not reach here, but she couldn't help agreeing with Balthier's earlier assessment: Something was rotten in the Empire's capital city. The sooner they got to Draklor and destroyed the Dusk Shard, the better. She could not bear the thought of Rabanastre adopting this veneer of wealth and happiness, which barely concealed the strain the citizens constantly lived under. She turned with solicitude to Ashe. "My lady, shall we find somewhere to wait for them?"

"Yes," Ashe said. She was pale. She turned to go, but her step faltered. Basch offered her an arm to lean on, which she took.

She must not be feeling well, Daina thought, watching them head toward one of Molberry district's sidewalk cafés. Then, remembering that there was one more in their little party, she turned to look for Fran.

The viera was standing near the streetear. Jules complacently watched Vaan and Penelo join the throng of ardents, but Fran . . .

The viera's reddish eyes narrowed, staring a hole through Jules's head, her pouting lips pursed. Jules coughed once but did not acknowledge her. With a flick of her ponytail, Fran marched away. Though she drew many admiring glances after her, she returned none of them, her head high, her heels striking brick.

"Fran, what's wrong?" Uneasy, Daina looked for Jules, but the streetear was already gone. She hurried after Fran to join Ashe and Basch at the café.

Daina, after paying 5g for a cup of tea, sat in the café without appetite, watching the crowds go by. The four of them tried several subjects, mainly centered on Balthier's mysterious errand, the state of Archades, and their plan for discovering and eradicating the three Shards, but none of them met with success. Ashe had nothing to say beyond one murmur about Balthier, and Fran even less, which left Daina and Basch to carry the conversation.

Daina wondered what had gone through his head when he'd watched her take control of the battle with the ahriman. Had she proved that she wasn't interested in a caretaker or did he see her as reckless – headstrong – childish? She could not forget the weight of his stare after the battle. He did not seem angry any longer, but he was cooler than before. At the beginning of this journey, Daina would have been glad for this indifference. Now, it twisted her heart inside a noose. She longed to apologize for what she'd said on the beach. Unfortunately, cramped around the spindly table with Ashe and Fran, she could not. She stared gloomily into her teacup.

It took the two Dalmascan teens over an hour to appropriate enough chops for them all. By then, Daina was thoroughly sick of their server coming by every five minutes to hint that they should order more food or leave.

"So this is a chop," Vaan said, turning the rectangular pine card over in his hands. Fire marks listed the name of the guild that had cut it, and there were notches on the side, like key teeth, that would line up with the master chop for authentication.

"Nine for each of us," Penelo added proudly.

Now classed among proper paying customers, they got in line at the station. An oblong, rounded taxi swooped out of the flow of air traffic and glissaded to a precise stop at the curb, the glossair rings in its flat bottom sending out pulses of energy as the driver adjusted the altitude. When the door unsealed with a hiss of air, the passengers inside were able to step from the cab to the curb without risk of falling through a gap in between.

The ride went a little better than tea, although the hovercraft did not have any kind of window, which made Daina feel claustrophobic for the first time in her life. Fortunately, the ride was short, and Balthier was waiting for them when they debarked in the Tsenoble district.

"Ah, so pleased you could join me," he said, sauntering up to them. "Jules had a morsel for us: A light airship used by Draklor researchers is just up ahead. We'll take that and go in through the service entrance. Let's make haste, shall we?"

He seemed more agitated than ever. Basch walked beside him, and Daina could see them talking while they led the way northeast. Or, Basch was talking. Balthier seemed to be turning aside his questions with his usual sarcastic flair.

At the appearance of some Imperial soldiers on the quick-march, everyone backed against the side of a building to let them pass. Except for Ashe. She jogged forward to stand with Basch. And Daina, who followed Ashe like her shadow. The soldiers stopped and saluted a lower judge.

"The complices of the Senate have been quelled, Your Honor," one of the soldiers reported. "Our forces sustained but light casualties."

"You have leave to withdraw. One detachment will remain here to guard Draklor."

The soldiers saluted once more and then departed, while the judge reentered the building.

Guard Draklor! Daina stared at the now-closed door. How were they to get in?

Vaan frowned, peeling himself off the wall. "Do you think they're on to us?"

"It would seem not," Basch said, "though this will make our task more difficult still."

Ashe clenched her fists and strode boldly up to the lone soldier guarding the service entrance. He rebuffed her, sternly announcing that no one was allowed into Central at this time. Defeated, Ashe returned to them.

"Certainly took your time getting here, didn't you," Balthier grumbled as they meandered back toward the taxi station. "Off seeing the sights, perhaps?"

"Not likely," Vaan snorted. "Do you know how long it took to get the chops to get up here?"

Balthier blinked. "What's that? But I gave Jules some chops."

"Jules!" Vaan spat the name like he meant to say something a lot worse.

As though summoned, Jules arrived. Though he looked like he belonged face-down in the gutter, the streetear swaggered comfortably among the gentry. Ashe frowned. She stood by Balthier's side with Fran, Daina and Vaan to their right, Penelo partly hiding behind Basch on the left, presenting a unified front against the streetear.