“The deal was that you fudge the records to get me in, and help me in my search,” Isis replied. “I haven’t seen much help, now have I?”

“Ha!” Ari laughed. “Listen to you, negotiating like you’re Cyrus Ember himself with a wandworks to run. Haven’t helped you? You’re here, aren’t you? Hasn’t my girl in the records office fudged it up right and proper? Didn’t my friend in the principal’s office play along with your little crow earlier? And aren’t I here, now, not turning you over to that same Mr. Ember for infiltrating his precious exclusive little school with malice aforethought?”

Isis bit her lip. “I guess you’re right,” she muttered. “But I could use more help.”

“Aye, couldn’t we all?” said Ari. “But if Ember or Maxine or any one of them suspects I’m aiding you, I’ll be out of a job and perhaps banished from the material plane. You’re already asking a lot, and it’s gonna cost you to get more.”

Isis pulled out the gold coin and gave it to Air. “Here,” she said. “This should tide you over until you get your real payment.”

The brownie bit the coin, nodded, and tucked it into a fold of his vest. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

“But when the actual gold comes, you owe me an extra favor. As you said, extra pay for extra work.”

“Did I, now?” said Ari. “Well, we’ll see about that when the payment actually gets here.”

“But we’re good for now?” said Isis.

“Yeah,” Ari said, after a pause. “We’re good for now. You’re lucky the idea of pulling a fast one on those stuffed-shirt slavedrivers is so hilarious.”

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