"That's going to be a problem, Ikaris," I say. Ikaris looks at me as I continue, "Ships in Bruis aren't permitted to leave until after dark. Even then, they have to check with the Garrison Commander to ask permission to go to sea."
He gives me an inquisitive look. "How do you know this?"
"I've worked near sailors for years. And one thing you'd learn after interacting with them for a while is that they always complain."
Ikaris turns toward the harbor, his coat flapping in the sea wind. "Then we'll need to move fast."
We slip down the seawall stairs. The closer we get to the docks, the more chaotic it gets. Ikaris pays no mind to any of it.
I know Ikaris said people can't see him, but it's more than that. It's more like he doesn't exist on the same plane, as if he were one of the Somata.
Ikaris passes through a sailor as if he were air. The sailor stops in his tracks, feeling his presence. He glances around his surroundings, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
Ikaris keeps moving like the phantom he is, leaving me behind as he passes through body after body.
I have to move faster just to keep pace.
I lower my head, staring at the floor just enough to avoid crashing into someone. "Where are we going?" I ask.
"To find a ship that doesn't care about Bruis's laws."
"That would be all of them," I mutter. "But only the truly desperate or stupid would sail before nightfall, and there aren't many of those. No one wants to attract the Inquisition."
Ikaris stops. "The Inquisition? I thought you said they don't have a strong hold in Bruis?"
"I know," I reply. "This duchy didn't make the law. The Inquisition created it to increase its influence. And no duke in the Seven Duchies will go against them."
Ikaris grunts. "Then let's hope we can find someone truly desperate or stupid. Or both."