"Did that work?" Vlad asked skeptically. He'd seated himself on the table, next to the spirit who had their feet up.

"Nooo, not at all," the red-headed spirit responded simply. "He got nowhere. Fiaqra d'Escala even implied that the trade was good for getting offworlders off the streets."

Liya had half-tuned out--she'd become aware that sitting on Yoshi's other side was another spirit. This one was all pale grey skin and hair like Vlad, and they wore a pair of leather-and-metal goggles. They were hunched over what looked like a cell phone with the back removed, and they appeared to be etching glowing symbols onto the circuit board with a metal-tipped pen-like object.

"Wow," Vlad said bitterly. "Bet she wouldn't say that if she knew people could hear her."

Liya leaned forward. "Hey," she said, to get the goggle-wearing spirit's attention. "What are you doing?"

The spirit lifted the goggles and peered at her; they had thick eyebrows and yellow eyes with deep lines under them, and as they turned Liya could see a nose ring attached to a small chain that ran from their nostril to their earlobe.

"Ei?" they mumbled in response, seeming taken off guard. "Ehm, I am to make cell phone work wit no cell phone towers." They turned the phone over to show her the front, which still looked like that of a totally normal flip phone. "Is harder to track than magic constructs."

Liya stared at them, and at the phone, for a moment. "Hm," was all she said, suspiciously.

"So that's it? We're no closer to the RIT coalition?"

"I would not be so sure. That was not the end of the hearing."

"No?"

"No." The pregnant spirit stood straighter and flipped their hair in their fingers, in an apparent imitation of the Cynn. "Just as everyone is preparing to leave, the Cynn stands up and says--"

< By-the-by, > Cynn Numair said, leaning on one elbow against the podium, his free hand brushing his wavy hair back from his face casually. < I'm expanding the visa program. >