"I'll have someone waiting out front to direct you."

"That's not going to work for me. I need to be able to scope the place out for foul play and the contract for matching what we agreed."

"Then across the street? There's a nice little french place."

"Yes, that's fine. Lay out all the pages so I could read them from inside the restaurant or through the window."

"As you wish dear."

"See you soon."

"Looking forward to it."

Click.

[Okay, so, if she's there in person I'm just going to kill her without signing anything, but if she's not, I'll sign, and when she comes to collect I'll intersect something with her and let it go. I want you nearby enough that I can go get you for guiding after but not so near that I'm worried about her champion taking you out or anything, like, two blocks out in a random direction.]

[Okay. ...I don't love that you have to go in alone against her but I see the logic.]

[Yeah. I can't make you invisible.]

Hugs.

[And if she's got a lot of eyes I want to be dropped off a ways away, in an Uber, and then get there on foot, not letting anybody see me.] She books the car.

[Should I wait a bit to follow so I don't hear where the Uber drops you off?]

[...I was planning for you to be in the Uber with me, is there a reason I'm missing you shouldn't be?]

[If you didn't want Sakir to be able to use my eyes to see where the Uber drops you off?]

[It's harder for her to use you than to use the Uber driver and the Uber driver needs to see somebody get in the car or they'll be confused and won't drive where I want. You could close your eyes, in case she can't get a bead on the driver and is trying for you.]

[Okay.]

They can make their way to where the Uber will pick them up, May leading Lianelle if she wants to close her eyes to prevent Sakir seeing who the Uber driver is or the license plate.

They ride into town and are dropped off several blocks from the studio.

May's picking up backlash the whole time, and lets go of Lianelle only reluctantly. [I'm going to be chatty, until and unless I can't be, sorry.]

[Yeah, that's very okay. Be safe.]

She starts walking. Nobody can see her, nobody can hear her, she's doing a lot of work to make sure nobody bumps into her because that's a lot more expensive to cover. [I hope the French place is obvious.]

It is!

There are a few customers, including one trembling man at a window sheet with three pages in front of him, each spelling out terms in golden ink. The first is for what Sakir will do once the contract starts, the second is for the conditions placed on the various parties until May gets the Spring, and the third binds May to use the Spring to resurrect Sakir as agreed upon. There's a space for signatures on the final page, Sakir's already present.

No sign of Sakir in person on the scene?

Nope!

May forces herself through the whole contract by reading it to Lianelle. It is, at least, written with May in mind; she makes it to the end. It matches her recollection.

She tailgates into the cafe.

There's a pen on the table.