"I don't know if I can get it down to a hundred without some other breakthrough in there. Even if I worked in tin. It wants so much precision and I can't have people ready to do it after a six week crash course."

Nodnodnod. "- could you work in tin? The aesthetics don't matter?"

"Well, I'd make aesthetic things in tin. It doesn't seem to mind zircon instead of diamonds, though."

"Huh! I'm surprised I didn't know that. Well, people will get richer and wedding presents will get nicer and we'll get there someday one way or another."

"Amen."

"So you've been in Sothis ten years?"

"Thereabouts, yes."

"Are you happy here?"

"Oh, yes," he grins.

He beams at him. "Oh, good. If anything comes up - or if you think of anything we should be doing - write me, all right? I want to see where this goes."

"Do I just - what, drop a note care of the temple?"

"Or of the palace, yes. Someone obviously sorts it but they know who I've spoken with."

"All right then. Maybe the next time I crank out one of the little things I can make of a morning somebody with theories about magic'll care to watch. I assume if these people are wizards they're not likely to copy, if they can make three times as much selling spells."

"I can connect you with someone I'd trust."

"Sure. I suppose you probably do other things and don't have four hours to watch me fiddle with jump rings."

"I'm tempted, actually. But I don't think I'd get as much out of it, I have only an introductory education in arcana."

"Me, on the other hand, I'm an archmage."

With some effort he restrains a giggle. "You've won me over. When's a good time?"

"In four days by the schedule I'm doing two of those hairpins that nudges you if you're about to do something illegal. Well, not illegal, unLawful, I suppose that's not exactly the same, but there isn't magic for detecting whether something's legal, far as I know. They do all the other bits too but unless someone looks foreign that's not how I advertise them."

"We've funded research in that direction! It has so many contingencies it ends up being nearly unworkable. I guess some would argue that means we need to simplify the laws. I can make that." He nods to one of his attendants.

"One after breakfast and one after lunch, whichever you like but get the girl at the till to tell you if it's a good time to walk in or not."

"You must hire unusually useful people if she'll actually answer that for me. I am frequently misled about whether it's a good time for me to walk in."

"I suppose I didn't screen them for keeping their heads while they're kneeling, did I. I'll get a sign for the door."

Less-suppressed smile. "I'll see you then."

Isam smiles back. Glances at Merenre when the waiter drops the bill on their table.