Alfred gets over the mild shock accompanying the realization that Lucas has so readily consumed half of a Sicilian Palm. He picks up the stem from the table and tosses it into an inactive furnace nearby. Then he turns to Lucas. In that moment, the look on the hunter’s face speaks. Alfred has little skill in reading expressions, but even he is able to parse meaning from the look in his eyes.

“My best guess is that it depends on the consumer.” He answers Lucas while folding the papers on the desk and placing them back into the chest. “But the best course of action would be for you to remain here until your Prism clearly manifests. It should take no longer than three hours.”

“Right now, I need to see the state of the port. No waiting.” Lucas’s response is without compromise. He starts looking around the room for his satchel and finds it lying next to what looks like the door leading outside. He walks over and picks it up.

Despite seeing that Lucas has made up his mind, Alfred attempts to convince him. “If your Prism goes off before you learn to control it, you’re going to draw attention.”

“Then you come with me.” Lucas answers just as he comes back from retrieving his satchel. “If you notice anything strange, we duck into an alley and get it under control. It’s risky, but better than making no progress.”

Lucas finds Alfred’s expression difficult to read as the alchemist thinks over this proposition. After a moment, Alfred turns to Wren.

“I’m going with Lucas. I assume you’ll stay here with the Smiths?” He asks as he begins moving about the room gathering different items in preparation to depart. Wren nods when he looks at her after finishing the question. “My mentor is out of the city right now and she won’t be back any time soon, so I’m not expecting anyone to come knocking. Of course, act like you aren’t here if anyone does.” He then approaches her, hands her a key, and displays a second one in his right hand. “I’ll lock the door behind me.”

[Alfred agrees to this proposition because he guesses that he can’t keep Lucas from leaving. Going with him is the path of least resistance while having some ability to keep Lucas safe.]

She addresses Lucas. “I’m sure you’ve considered this, but I’m not in a comfortable position with regards to our assignment. Be quick so we can start planning and get this over with.”

Lucas nods almost apologetically, struggling with the remorse of having been comatose for the past two days. Alfred approaches the door, turns the handle, and pushes it out into the city, drawing Lucas’s attention to the world beyond.

As Alfred steps out of the building, Lucas turns back to Wren. He reaches into his satchel and pulls out the silver pendant gifted to him not long ago. It rests in his hand for a moment before he picks it up by its chain and brings it towards his head. His eyes meet Wren, who watches in anticipation. The chain is brought to drape around his neck so that the pendant rests at his chest. His look is one of reassurance.

No more time is wasted before he turns and leaves the laboratory. Alfred closes the door and locks it as Lucas stands and takes in the scene. The street is as swamped with people as the rest of the city. He finds himself stepping back and tip-toeing closer to the building behind him in an effort to avoid standing in the way of pedestrians passing by.

“Follow me to the docks.”

Lucas turns towards the sound of Alfred’s voice and manages to find his bearings. He stands still as people flow around him. Something about this experience reminds Lucas of his father teaching him to swim. While the water always seemed as though it would swallow him up, his father introduced him to the feeling of letting the body rest within it.

Lucas’s attention returns to the moment. He takes a step towards Alfred, who then turns to proceed down the sidewalk as they continue side-by-side. They reach the end of the laboratory to their right and Lucas peers down the alley that follows. He recalls the brick work and recognizes the passage as the location of his scuffle with Homer. An image is conjured in his mind, one of Alfred and Wren carrying him through the side-door of the building for treatment. He addresses Alfred.

“Why did you save me?” This question might come off as blunt or ungrateful to anyone else. In contrast, Alfred takes it as nothing more than that: a question. He answers it accordingly.

“I’ve recently learned how to tell if a person is afflicted with neurotoxin. When I found you showing those symptoms, I just happened to be returning to the lab with the right medicinal materials to treat you.” Alfred’s answer, while matter-of-fact and accurate, is not what Lucas was asking for. There is a short silence. Lucas contemplates asking more specifically, but stops when Alfred starts up again. “The answer you’re looking for is that I saw the Sicilian palms in Homer’s bag. I was stunned to find them in such random circumstances. No chance like that was going to show itself again, I thought.”

Alfred stops there, glancing at Lucas to gauge his reaction as well as he can. His reluctant expectation is that Lucas will be put off by such selfish motivations. He can imagine: ‘you cared more about fruit than saving a human life’ with scoffing and the like. Alfred sees no such reaction, not because he’s failing to read subtle facial changes, but because Lucas has already accepted his answer. Alfred sees fit to finish his response.

“That was certainly a driving force. But I would have run in to help you regardless. Anyone would go out of their way to save a life.”

Lucas cracks a slight grin. “I don’t remember seeing anyone behind you.”

“Right.” A mirror grin crosses Alfred’s face. “That was meant to be sarcastic.”

The two continue, now quite a distance away from the laboratory. The density of people has been falling gradually until now. There’s enough space to walk unabated and Lucas’s shoulders relax. Meanwhile, Alfred’s hands have been in his pockets and his demeanor has been calm for the entirety of their journey. The two walk in silence for the next fifteen minutes, until Lucas sees a tower not far ahead. Its foundation is hidden behind closer buildings, but its top is clearly visible. Two figures can be seen through the large window, and they appear to be looking out into the distance away from the street.

“That’s one of the lighthouses. The soldiers inside use flag signals to communicate with ships approaching the dock.” Alfred’s explanation comes just as he stops walking. Just before them is an intersection of the street, beyond which is a wall about half the height of nearby buildings. Alfred scans the scene with careful eyes. After a moment, he turns to his right and approaches a door two meters away. While he fiddles with it, Lucas takes his former place and tries to discern what he was looking for.

“So the port is just beyond this wall?” He asks, turning to Alfred just as he opens the door. Rather than enter, he holds it open for Lucas.

“It is. Enter.” Alfred scans the area again as Lucas walks through the doorway. He follows and closes the door behind him. Inside, the building’s structure is similar to the laboratory, differing in furniture and general living-room objects.

“Do you live here?” Lucas asks. He approaches the closest window facing the docks and peers through it. Alfred answers while gently pulling the curtains closer to Lucas’s face as though to hide him.

“No, I live above the laboratory. A friend of mine lives here, though he’s away with my mentor at the moment.” He moves through the room, approaching the stairs that lead to the second floor. “Follow me, we’re going to look over the wall.”

Lucas moves away from the window after fully closing the curtains. He follows just as Alfred is partway up the steps, meeting up with him at the top. A short hallway lies before them, one door on either side. Lucas follows Alfred through the one to their right. They enter a nearly empty room save for a table and two chairs. Light shines in from a window at the end of the room, which Lucas approaches and carefully looks through. From this higher vantage point, it is possible to gaze over the wall and see the entirety of the docks. Even Lucas can tell that its activity is lacking. Every ship is stagnant, only moving up and down slightly with the waves. Only soldiers walk across the stone-paved shore, a mass of them practically swarming at the gates leading into the city.

“Since moving here, I’ve never seen so many soldiers in one place.” Alfred sits at the table waiting for Lucas to take in his fill of the sights. “I can only imagine what Patras told the Assembly to make them mobilize forces like this.”

Lucas looks up at the lighthouse, already trying to devise some plan. He squints and places a hand over his brow in an attempt to block out the glare of the sun and get a look at the apparatus used for signaling. The light difference makes seeing inside the upper room difficult from a distance. Even so, he can make out the two figures seen before.

Suddenly, a soft green light flares, just long enough for Lucas to notice. It emanates from one of the figures in the lighthouse, evoking the same feeling as a predator’s glare. Lucas’s involuntary reaction is to swipe the curtains closed and take a step back from the window. His quick movement causes Alfred to shuffle out of his chair and place a hand on his right pocket.

The scene settles and Lucas turns to Alfred. “I’m fine.” He assures him. Alfred looks him over before letting his hands rest at his sides.

“What was that?” He asks, sitting back down. He places his hands on the table, a signal that he is no longer on edge.

Lucas approaches the table and takes a seat, rubbing his eyebrows and sighing. “A complication.”