The corridor sloped downward, leading deeper into the building.
"I was impressed," Fors said conversationally, "when you negotiated with Knight-Captain Aldric. Leveraging your near-death experience for concrete benefits. That took nerve and intelligence."
He glanced at Finn.
"But I never would have thought you'd squander such an opportunity by asking for benefits solely for the girl."
Finn shrugged, making the chains on his wrists clink softly.
"There's nothing House Flumen can give me."
Fors actually scoffed at that.
"Nothing? House Flumen's roots run deeper than any family in Astoria. Their libraries alone contain centuries of accumulated magical knowledge. Their wealth could fund entire expeditions. Their influence—" He shook his head. "You just lack imagination, boy."
"They can't satisfy my imagination," Finn countered flatly.
Fors's eyebrow rose.
