We stood before the gates of Boston. The return journey from Kansas had gone without event.

Jacob had indeed been thrilled with the pieces of the Golem. I had inspected them myself, driven by deep curiosity. There was little I could discern. It seemed part fiend in some ways—the distorted shape of its body, the alien proportions, the ichor-like fluids that still oozed from the wounds. In other ways, it reminded me of nothing more than a Griid-suit. Jacob became instantly enamored, summoning hordes of porters from the Tower to carry the pieces inside.

Balthazar had been well pleased to hear of our success, and Olaf's, during the battle. The Shield of Boston had risen to level 19 with the defeat of the Golem. I myself had climbed another notch toward the yearned-for level 40 and an additional skill. Balthazar was no less troubled by the nature of the Golem and the motive for its attack than we had been, but his satisfaction at the recounting of Olaf's performance clearly settled something in him. He suggested Olaf accompany me on one more route, a short one, before he take on his own trains.

Enki was ominously and shockingly silent. Once the fight with the Golem ended, his presence fled from me, and I had not noticed it since. It was perfectly plausible he had flitted in and out of my head without drawing my attention, but he had not lingered, had not spoken since Dodge.

During the two days I spent in my city, I rested, healed my suit in the wake of the battle with the Golem, and spread my roots a little deeper. I visited the record keeps in the Tower, viewing what histories I could find of the destruction of Cleveland. I pieced together what I could of the story, trying to validate or disprove Joel's assertions.

Joel Montagnion, Sword of the City of Angels, had disappeared in the year 721, leaving his Griid-suit behind along with nothing but unanswerable questions. Cleveland was visited by the terrible storm that tore it asunder, ruining even its Tower—something even Griidlords or Talismans had never achieved—in the year 761, forty years later. What perplexed me was Joel's assertion that Danefer had been present. The Miami Sword had shunned his suit and disappeared from his homeland only twenty years ago. If he had been present with Joel on that day, conspiring with him as Joel implied, then he had been there as a Griidlord, with the eyes of Enki looking through his helm.

Speaking with a clerk, I realized that my next step on this journey of verification was not to Cleveland. When the city had been destroyed, the survivors had wandered the wilds, eventually stumbling upon the newly risen Tower of Baltimore, making that their home and claiming the Tower. The clerk told me that if I sought histories from old Cleveland, it would be in the libraries of Baltimore they would be found.

So I claimed the task of guiding the next Griid-train to Baltimore. The journey was not much more than six or seven hours. If we left early and intended to stay in the city overnight, I could have long hours in the city to search for truths.

And so it was that I stood before the gates of Boston, dozens of wagons arranging themselves in a column, the spring dew still clinging to the blades of grass in the faint grey tones of early morning light. I stood there, looking down at a document in my hands.

"A proxy form?" I asked.

Lauren stood beside me, staring intently at the sheet of paper. Katya lingered in the background, aloof and disinterested, vibrating a spider's web with her toe, watching intently as the spheres of dew cascaded through the woven maze of threads with each prod.

Beside Lauren, an uncomfortable-looking Felix. Lauren had explained that he had come with her as a witness. Felix could not hold my eye. He was of House Magneblade, the nephew of my compatriot. I could not tell if his inability to look at me was born of disgust at my elevation, shame at his failure, or jealousy. It saddened me to see that a gulf still lay between me and those that had been my peers. I wondered how many of the other nobles who now lay platitudes at my feet turned their eyes from my back with distaste when I wasn't looking.

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I said, "And… why are you giving this to me?"

Lauren said, "You're a Lord now, Ti. You have a vote that counts as much as any other head of a house. I will have that vote."

I smirked. "So sure? I haven't taken the time to inspect the policies of your competitors. How can I be confident that you will represent me well as Speaker? I would be failing in my duties as a Lord of the land if I were to cast my vote so flippantly."

She slapped my shoulder. She didn't hold back. It would probably have hurt a mortal.

I said, "Why a proxy vote? Don't you want to stand in the chamber and vote for yourself there?"

She said, "The vote is tomorrow. If you're detained in Baltimore, then I would lose your support. I'm walking a razor's edge as it stands. I might, just might, have the votes to take the seat. But it will be close-run."

I said, "Why so close? Oakcrest is a major house. I'd have thought your path would be easier."

She said, "It's my age. Too many feel I'm too young to take the seat. Especially now with Balthazar securing so much control. Those who support him disdain me for my criticisms of him. Those who oppose him don't want to be tied to a weak Speaker for the next four years."

Katya scoffed in the background, "Weak speaker."

A smile plucked at Lauren's lips. I thought I saw Felix suppress a snigger. Any who thought Lauren would be easily cowed or silenced simply because of her age were sure to be quickly dissuaded.

Lauren said, "The vote is tomorrow afternoon. You'll be unlikely to be back in time. Sign the form, Ti, give me your vote by proxy, just to be safe. If I win, there will be a party in the castle tomorrow night. You'll be home in plenty of time for that. Come as soon as you get back. We could have some drinks before the rest of them gather. I'd like that."

Katya murmured, still playing god with the craftsmanship of the forlorn spider with her toe, "Me too."

I said, "Okay. I'll come direct. I'll leave the train when we pass through your land, Olaf will be able to guide the train the rest of the way back. And no more of this if you win business. You will win."

She said, "How can you be so sure?"

I said, "I just know it."

She held my eye for a moment. I saw the tempest of emotions swirling behind her gaze. She smiled at me, a smile conveying appreciation, hope, doubt. She was so utterly beautiful, so impossibly beautiful. I had once thought myself in love with her. I had once thought to make her my wife. Those feelings may have been infatuation seasoned generously with understandable lust, but I could see how one could fall for her. She was statuesquely gorgeous, almost too perfect in every proportion. But more than that, her power was awesome and captivating. The honesty of her expression, the sincerity, the sheer drive. She awed me.

Very quietly she said, "Thank you, Tiberius. I hope you're right."

I said, "I don't worry about Balthazar as you do. But I don't think the city would be hurt by a Speaker who can temper him, reign him in. You are the best person for the task. I trust you, Lauren. Even if you didn't ask it, even if you weren't my friend, you'd have this vote."

I made my mark on the page. I passed it back to her and she handed it to Felix. He made his mark as well and the deed was done. My vote was cast. If only the outcomes of the other lords could be so swiftly determined.

The merchants had arranged their wagons, two neat rows arrayed beyond us. Olaf appeared through the gate, moving hurriedly. I thought to ask what the source of his tardiness was. I thought better of it. I didn't want to force him to lie in front of the others. I knew he had been between the sheets with Tara and had clearly lingered.

We said our farewells, Felix's exceptionally stiff and formal and unnatural.

As we gathered the strings of the Footfield around us, Olaf asked, "Any fiends to fight on the way? I'm only one level to go, it would be nice to get that other skill."

"No," I lied. "No fiends worth fighting between here and there."

I lied, of course. Jacob had furnished me with options. But I would waste no time this day grinding against fiends. I wanted every moment I could gather for the libraries in Baltimore. I could feel the danger of what I was doing. Joel had tempted me with a mystery and I could not suppress my hunger for it.

But I was being drawn into the appetites of a madman. The lusts of a lunatic.

And that way, only madness lay.

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