Alice looked at Petunia.
"He said that I'm to ask you to help me find the apothecary shop tomorrow."
"I thought you were probably related to the Carys in town," she said. "You go on up with Lyric. Sleep until you are done -- no need to get up early. There is something to eat here in the tavern all day, so no schedule.' She stood and gave Lyric a hug and a kiss. "Good work tonight, Lyric. I'm very proud of you. Very good night. Now both of you get off to bed." Alice laughed. Petunia sounded like her mother again. Lyric kissed her brother's cheek, and Alice felt oddly jealous.
"Good night," Ashe said, but seemed distracted somehow. Alice felt terribly disappointed. She followed Lyric through the green curtain. This time, they passed the restroom and Lyric turned at a door next to the one Ashe had emerged from. A set of very old stone stairs led upward; the stones were worn away in the center from what Alice guessed were centuries of feet ascending and descending.
"Lyric, I don't have any money," Alice said, following Lyric up the stairs.
"Don't worry about it," Lyric told her. "We don't deal with actual money a lot. What we do deal in is a lot more convenient, but would take time to explain." Lyric waved that question aside. "How old are you?"
"I just turned eighteen," she said.
"I turned eighteen last spring," Lyric told her. "That's when I got my clan ring." At the top of the steps, Lyric turned left. "I think you'll like this room. It's a real favorite." She unlocked the door to a room with an ornate iron 12 attached to the door. "Ashe's work," Lyric smiled, indicating the number. "He tends to be more artistic than Dad with his iron work." She pushed on the wall just inside the door and the room was filled with warm, mild lighting.
"The necessary is through here," Lyric told her, indicating a door to their right. Alice gave her a look and said, "Very funny." Lyric laughed.
"Seriously, it's a full bath. We keep the baths pretty well stocked with towels, toiletries, things of that sort. Look around while I go get you some extra clothes and let me know if you need anything when I get back. The laundry chute is in about the same place it was downstairs. Feel free to put your clothes from today in there. They will be done by morning."
"What service does laundry in the middle of the night?" Alice wanted to know.
"Another of those complicated things," she said. "There's a race of humanoids who are nocturnal. While they're in school, they take all sorts of jobs. Their prices are reasonable, and Mom uses their services." She led the way further into the room. A very comfortable-looking bed was opposite the door. What really drew Alice's attention, though, were the windows. The walls on the left and right both had two windows.
"Wait," Alice said, puzzled. "How is that geometrically possible?" Lyric laughed and led her to one of the windows. She pulled the curtain back to reveal a casement window. Alice looked out and her eyes widened at her first real look at Heartford. Like the pub, the village seemed impossibly old, but still vital and obviously much loved. Beneath them was a narrow cobblestone road.
"That's the door to the pub," Lyric pointed to the heavy wooden door to their left. Above the door was a sculpture of a cherub. A small, barrel-shaped sign next to the door listed The Blushing Angel's name.
"That's my dad's shop, where Ashe works," Lyric said while pointing to a door on the right side of the road. The door had a horseshoe above it and a small round window slightly higher than street level.
"We live above my dad's shop," Lyric told her. "It's common, like those tunnels. A lot of houses attach together in various ways. That's my room across the way, for instance. It's primarily attached to our house rather than to the Inn like this one. Well, Ashe technically has his own place, but in the winter he tends to stay in town more often than not. He's been renovating his place, and that's more easily done in the warmer months. Let me go and get you some clothing. Oh -- before I do. Mom set the heat where she thought you'd be comfortable, but if you're too warm or chilly or need anything at all, that's what this is for." She picked up what looked like an electronic tablet from one of the nightstands. "Like the laundry, we have staff that are nocturnal. Feel free to send a request at any time." She showed Alice how to do that.
"I've never seen anything like these bridges between buildings," Alice told her.
"They're common in the colder climates. When winter can be severe, you adapt above-ground ways of getting around in addition to the tunnels. Tomorrow when we go to the apothecary, you'll see how common it is here. I'll be back soon." She put the key down on a credenza in the room and left. Alice wandered around, exploring the room. While Lyric was gone, Alice went to the other set of windows on the other side of the room. There was a similar view -- another bridge-room above the street and two doors. The one next door to the blacksmith shop went into a bakery, from the sign above the door and the window display. On the other side of the street, another door next to The Blushing Angel led into a place that looked like it sold books. What she could see of Heartford looked like a beautiful town. Above it all was a sky like she'd never seen before; more stars than she thought possible and a sliver of moon. She went back over to the first side and saw a light go off in the room that Lyric had said was hers. Shortly after that there was a knock on the door of her room and Lyric slipped in.
"I brought a nightgown," she said. "I figured there were better odds it would fit. Pajama pants can sometimes be tricky and difficult."
"What about regular clothes? Will I look out of place tomorrow?"
"For one thing," Lyric told her, "most people have started heading to their Big House for the holiday, so there aren't a lot of people around. For another, anything goes, pretty much, as long as you're comfortable."
"Big House?"
Lyric smiled and handed her the nightgown and some underwear.
"I'll explain tomorrow -- or someone will. Good night, Alice. Welcome." She slipped out of the door. Alice changed into the nightgown, then had a moment of dread before kicking off her shoes. If she was in a structure that was a bridge in the wintertime, the floor would have to be cold. To her surprise, it wasn't; in fact, it was very warm. She climbed into the bed and sighed. Soft flannel sheets and a very comfortable mattress. She was asleep almost immediately after turning off the lights.