He presses his ring to it, leaves a magical mark, hands it back to the waitress.

"I don't carry money," he says sadly to Isam. " - I don't need to but I sometimes wish I did. I like money."

"Why don't you?"

"Because twelve years ago some idiot made an attempt on one of my second cousins' lives using change he passed him after a transaction. And my security found 'but I really like the feel of coins, see' an unpersuasive argument."

"Disgraceful. I suppose it's less fun if you never pay for anything with them?"

"I feel like a child on Masquerade Day, except I'm pretending to be a participant in commerce."

"You could let people keep the change."

"What, and go to Heaven? - I guess I would be doing it self-interestedly."

"I'm sure you could kick a puppy occasionally and make up for it."

"- this is probably petty, and self-indulgent, and fairly silly when actually said out loud, but - I don't want Pharasma to someday make a face and do math on her fingers while scrolling down a very long list. I want a list with one item on it. I made this country's economy work better and its people got rich."

"And she will say, ah yes, to Axis with you, where for several reasons no one will assassinate you with a cursed copper."

"And I'll get to use money for the rest of my life," he says contentedly.

"Is that what they call it, life?"

Shrug. "Old habits are hard to break. Have you been?"

"Nah. Maybe later when I'm more firmly established and can take a day off without having the plague."

"You'll have to let me know when the day arrives so I can escort you."

"What's it like?"

"Well-designed, attractive, crowded, well-utilized. Not - unobtainable. Kind of chilly. Maybe go in the summer."

"It's just chilly everywhere?"

"Not in all of Axis. Visitors are only encouraged in Aktun, Abadar's domain, there are thousands and thousands of other parts with different climates along with everything else but mortals might get the laws wrong, if we went wandering, and some of them would definitely commit crimes. Aktun, the day I visited, was a little chilly outside. I was pleased it was not strictly an improvement on home."

"Maybe it's meant to be welcoming to people from cold places."

"I imagine they need more selling on it than Osirians typically do."

"Yes, we rather hear about it all the time."

"Same problem as all other advertising, except with higher stakes - some people have to hear something a lot to start to feel familiar with it, and others start to feel condescended to."

"Oh, I know it's all with my best interests at heart."

"It really is beautiful. They sell so much there. Things I never even dreamed of. Moving pictures and watches with sixteen screens of information you might want tracked alongside the time and a thousand varieties of fruits and drinks and fried foods - stunning jewelry -"