I sat down at the table, feeling almost like I could blend in. I could scarcely remember the last time I'd gone anywhere in Amber out of uniform. There's so much to do, and it seemed like I needed to be official wherever I went in order to get people to do anything. Castor seemed to have thoroughly regimented the people. Times had been lean since we went off to war, but I still missed the old city with its night life, variety of people, and meandering streets you could wander for hours enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. Many of those streets had been abandoned. The gardens were overgrown, and the few flowers remaining haunted a crumbling silence.
I sipped my wine and waited. I'd only seen Lydia briefly. She'd been working, which was something of a shock. At least it made her easier to find. So many people had been displaced, and it's not like there was a thriving job market for courtesans any more. About ten minutes after her shift ended she came into the club. Her utilitarian trench coat still looked out of place to me. She walked up to the table and smiled at me.
"General," she began.
"Detective," I responded, "have a seat. Or don't Crown Investigators drink any more?"
She slid into the chair opposite me. "Oh, we do when we're off duty. Of course we don't hold our liquor as well as the royal family can." She poured herself a glass of wine. "So, what's new your highness?"
"They're all children. I only pray they can be taught."
"That well, eh? Now that you're in charge or our defenses I'm sure we'll do fine."
"I'm only in charge of our outer defenses, and frankly, others more experienced have failed before me. It's nice that I get to start from scratch and try to build a totally separate military. Hopefully I'll be able to find a way to avoid just throwing lives away."
"Take me with you."
"I don't think so. You're sharp but you're not a soldier. I'd like having you around but I don't want your blood on my hands."
"You'll need women..."
"So you're just looking for a few good men?"
"You can't support that kind of military force from Amber. I know you. You're going to build more, especially if you don't want to just throw your men away. You'll need more than soldiers. You'll need a whole economy. More than we've got here. I can help. I want to help."
"Oh all right..."