The alcove had been prepared with unusual care.
Severin inspected it before the interview. Its window faced a quiet inner court. The chair could be adjusted for sitting or reclining. A low table held water, a covered dish, and a bell that summoned an attendant instead of announcing a maintenance interval.
The younger adviser stood beside the appointment papers.
“We should begin with the residence and stipend. The training provision follows naturally.”
“Have the attachment available.”
“Of course. If he asks.”
Severin checked the instruction schedule. The appointment would provide Vance with qualified teachers, access to records otherwise restricted to maintainers, and material support for the household’s legitimate work. The protection was substantial. So was the opportunity to make a growing cultivator’s responsibilities predictable before a genuine emergency made negotiation impossible.
He initialed a correction to the workshop allowance.
