The Grandmagister was so very strict, but even among the magi who remained in the Circle, most resented his rules and sought to subvert them at every turn. In the case of Fatima's master, he had a taste for wine, and not the weak, watered-down new wine they were rationed either. Whenever her would get a little money, usually after performing some under-the-table service for someone in the Emperor's court, he would send her to the market to fetch a bottle or two of his favorite label.

She always ran her errands early in the morning, arriving right when most of the shops were first opening up. There were fewer people out and about and a better chance of her master's wine of choice being in stock. If it was not in stock, then of course she could expect a beating, so she at least wanted to give herself the best possible chance of success.

She waited outside the wineseller's until the sign in the window turned from 'closed' to 'open'. She did not go in that exact moment as it would have been rude to do so and if her master found out, it would be yet another reason for a beating. When she did enter, the wineseller was still slowly plodding back to the counter.

When he heard the bell on the door ring, he turned to Fatima and said, "Welcome, welcome, little lady. Let me guess. You're here for more of the Martinet '73?"

Fatima nodded.

She held up two fingers.

He moved at a speed that would make a terrapin impatient, but Fatima had no other choice but to wait. She might be in for a beating if her master thought she took too long to get back, but if she had what he wanted, it would at least be a lighter beating.

As much as childish curiosity prompted her to snoop around while she waited, Fatima quietly stood out of the way of any other customers who might come in. Such impulses were quite literally beaten out of her in her first couple years as a novice. Her master was ill-tempered and harsh, but serving him was probably better than the fate of her sisters when they were sold off. Unlike her, none of them had the Gift, so all they had to offer was their bodies. It was not something she liked to think about, but whenever she got to feeling sorry for herself over her lot in life, a part of her would not let her forget how much better she had it than so many others.

Eventually the wineseller returned with two bottles in hand. Holding up the one in his right hand, he said, "Turns out this is my last bottle of the '73, but I got a cask of some '79 last month that I've been bottling. It's not as good as the '73, I admit, but I tell you what, I'll cut you a deal. Seven clovins even for the two of these. How does that sound?"

Fatima opened her coin purse and emptied the contents into her hand. She only had six fifty-seven. Just when she thought she might go above her master's expectations...

Seeing her disappointment, the wineseller said, "Oh, don't be making that face. I tell you what. I don't do this for everyone, but you give me what you have and I'll put the rest on your tab. Now, you be sure to pay what you owe the next time I see you or I'll have you work it off."

Fatima did not entirely understand what a tab was, but apparently it meant she did not have to pay the full amount right away. That being said, if she could simply work off what she owed, she would like to do that, but she could not keep her master waiting. Also, if he found out she was doing work for anyone else, he would surely beat her for it. She would have to figure something out, though. If any extra was missing from the allowance he gave her, he would think she spent it on something for herself and would—of course—beat her.

Still, for the time being, she might actually manage to do something to make her master happy, and for that, she was grateful.

The wineseller could not help but smile as he said, "Alright, alright. You only need to say it once. Let me bag these for you and you can be on your way."

He then put the bottles in brown paper bags and handed them over to Fatima.

Fatima could not very well curtsey will her hands full, so instead she settled for bowing her head before leaving the shop.

Fatima made her way to the nearest alley. Because the wine was forbidden by the Grandmagister, she would have to sneak it into the Unicorn Tower. She looked around to make sure there was no one around and then took off her robe, laying it down on a pile of rubbish slightly less dirty than the ground. After all, getting her robe dirty was one of the many grounds for a beating. She untied a cord around waist and tied it to the necks of the bottles, then hung the bottles from her own neck. She tugged on the bottles to check that they were secure and once she was reasonably sure the knots would hold, she picked up her robe and brushed it off before putting it back on.

As she was tying her cincture, the sky suddenly went dark. Cries erupted from the street and Fatima looked up to see a strange shape above her. She went out into the street to get a better look and saw the confused townsfolk pointing up. It was not just one strange shape but several. She had never seen anything like it and, from what she could gather from the scattered mutterings of the other onlookers, neither had anyone else.

Fatima had never heard of the Starmen before, but there was all manner of wild tales out there. What could she even liken the strange objects in the sky to? She could not even begin to guess, but she had a feeling that a petty matter such as a couple of bottles of wine smuggled into the Tower was going to be far from anyone's concern.