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about the height of two people. But the gate they could see in the wall stood wide open and no sentries stood guard over the students and other citizens wandering in and out. The city buildings facing the wall across the open area were bright, clean and tall, instead of the crumbling ruins which had menaced the university in Marandur, and crowds of people went about their business under the gaze of assorted Imperial police and officials.
    Alain was looking around, too. “It is strange to see here how the other place once was.”
    “Isn’t it?” Mari looked up, seeing the buildings rising above the top of the wall and easily picking out the mirror images of the offices where she had spoken to the masters of the university in Marandur, the structure where she and Alain had been given rooms, and the top of the big building which contained the steam boiler which provided heat to the university buildings. “It’s like seeing a very old person you knew who has suddenly become young again. It really brings home what was lost. I hated that city, the way it felt haunted, but now I just feel like crying over the waste of it all. We…Alain, we have to stop that from happening here, and in other cities.” She took a deep breath. “But we can’t gawk at this or we’ll be noticed. How should we lose this cop who’s following us?”
    Alain indicated an area where buildings housing sellers of food and drink had attracted a large gathering of students and other city dwellers. “We go there, enter a crowded place, and try to mislead the officer when we leave.”
    “And maybe we’ll get something to eat while we’re at it? All right.”
    Mari aimed for a bar which appeared to defy the laws of physics by having more people inside than could actually fit. Once inside, she slid sideways instead of moving toward the counter, pulling Alain with her as she hugged the wall. Mari caught glimpses of the officer as he entered, shook his head, then faded back out the door. “So much for that idea. He’s going to wait outside and pick us up when we leave.” She scanned the crowd. “But this is Palandur. Imperial codes say that any business has to have two exits. Where is the other one?”
    Tugging Alain along with her, Mari wedged herself through the crowd, unable to spot the fire exit. “Hey!” another girl protested as Mari accidentally bumped her. “Wait your turn!”
    “We’re just trying to find the other exit,” Mari said, hoping a real local would know.
    “Why?”
    “Uh…this guy…he’s not my boyfriend…and there’s someone outside and…you know.”
    The girl grinned. “Yeah, I know. Guys get possessive. The back door is through there, past that set of shelves. Make sure you go left when you leave or you’ll end up back on the same street as the front entrance.”
    “Thanks!”
    Mari edged in that direction until they reached the shelves, finding a door with a faded “emergencies only” sign painted next to it. Judging by the wear and tear on the door it had been used fairly frequently for “emergencies.”
    The alley outside featured the usual stacks of trash and garbage, leaving a path leading both left and right. Mari took Alain left until they reached another street occupied by many pedestrians. “And, that, my Mage, is how people who aren’t Mages hide themselves from other people.”
    Alain nodded. “You created the illusion of one deceiving her friend.”
    “Yeah. It was kind of embarrassing,” Mari admitted. “I’ve never actually done that. I mean, cheat on a boyfriend.”
    “You have had boyfriends?”
    “I…hey, what kind of question is that?” She smiled at him. “In every way that matters, there was no one before you. Now that we’ve lost that Imperial, we need to leave the city as soon as we can, through the west gate. There are horse-drawn trolleys everywhere, so we’ll grab one and — ” She stopped speaking. Alain was staring at her. “What does that look mean? This better not