Robert woke up from his sleep, surprised he didn't get any nightmares. He speculated that he only had nightmares when some superior force wanted to communicate something to him. He also guessed that there must be a portal or bridge which the force intercepted to bring Robert to it. The bridge connected the dreams, dimensions, and the world he was currently in. As the annoying click of the alarm clock rang, he turned it off and looked at it.
The short hand was on three, the long hand on one, and the second hand slowly moved clockwise. He yawned and silenced the ringing.
He got up, put on his coat, checked himself in the mirror, adjusted his hair, dusted his clothes, and wore a brown half-hat and his dark green coat as he left.
Stepping out of his house, he began walking along the footpath and stopped at the public carriage stop. A two-floored public carriage approached, and he raised his hand to stop it.
After a while, the carriage stopped, and Robert asked, "How much is the price for Tan Street?"
The conductor, standing at the edge of the carriage gate, replied, "One penny, sir."
Robert searched his pocket, pulled out a coin, and gave it to the conductor. The conductor dropped it into the box beside him, then took a small printing device with an endermite attached to it and printed out a receipt. As it came out, the conductor tore it from the device and handed it to Robert.
The conductor stepped aside, letting Robert in. The interior was bland, with many seats neatly arranged in rows of two, each next to a window, and all painted in bright red. The seats had poor cushioning but were still comfortable.
He looked at the ticket and noticed there were no assigned seats, so he chose the last seat on the right.
As he gazed out the window, the carriage began to move again. He saw old-fashioned buildings and shops with slanted roofs. Looking up at the sky, he noticed airships floating above—some grand and large, others small.
Robert looked at the seat in front of him and noticed a newspaper in the back pocket. He picked it up and glanced at the headline:
"Leading Airship Builder Criticizes New Airplane Technology, Calling It 'Soulless and Inferior'; His Statement Sparks Tensions in the Aviation Industry, Potentially Causing a Rift Between the Two Technologies."
I think this is scripted. The whole thing is just a stunt—the rift between these new technologies is probably created to generate hype and boost sales from loyal followers of each side. Still, I believe airships are more grand.
He looked out the window again and saw Tan Street approaching. He stepped off the carriage and tossed the ticket into a dustbin in front of a coffeehouse. As he walked in, he noticed people engaged in various conversations—two men in black coats whispering at one table.
At another table, a couple smiled and held hands as they chatted.
Scanning the room for Angelina, he spotted her sitting alone, checking her wristwatch, tapping her foot on the floor, patiently waiting.
Robert approached with a smile and said, "Thank you for waiting for me, Miss Angelina."
She looked up and nodded. "You're welcome, Mister Robert."
Robert took a seat across from her and glanced at the menu. "I'll have a regular coffee."
"Yeah, I will too," she said. Without waiting for his response, she added, "You want to see my father, huh?"
"Yes, I want to discuss something important with him," he answered.
Angelina nodded. "I've talked to him. He agreed to meet you and called you 'an interesting fellow.'"
She then took a note out of her purse and placed it on the table. "There's a code in this. Come to Topez Mansion at 3 p.m., the day after tomorrow."
Robert nodded and reached out to take the note, but Angelina quickly pulled it back.
"But you have to do one task for me first."
She continued without waiting for Robert's reaction. "There's a shipment arriving at Cosford Port at the 4th Den dock. At 2 a.m., a ship named '3B' will deliver a package. Look for a box with a big red cross on it. You must secretly retrieve it and deliver it to the Cecil Mansion."
That place is close to where Austich Trading Co. is located.
Robert sighed and nodded. "Free labor, huh?"
"A heiress knows her ways," Angelina replied with a smile. "After the delivery, meet me at our classes at 2 p.m. I'll give you the note then."
"Fine," Robert said, knowing he couldn't reject the offer.
"Very well," Angelina said as she stood up and left. As she did, several other people rose as well—the suited men, the lovebirds, even the waiters and waitresses—all silently followed her out.
Robert's eyes widened. "I was being watched?!"
He looked around. The building was empty now, as if it had never been filled with people. He stood up quickly and stormed outside.
She had disappeared, along with all those people.)
He rushed to the Magic Classes building and looked at the lady sitting at the counter, the same spot where Angelina usually waited when Robert arrived for class.
This was all planned from the start.