He began to walk, going down the aisle away from the center of the market. After a few steps, golden mist rose from the ground and flowed away from him, showing him where to go. The mist slipped between two booths, one selling woven rugs, placemats, and clothing, the other selling dishes and utensils of metal and porcelain. Devon casually passed between them, not drawing attention to himself by glancing about or sneaking.
When he emerged from between the wooden stalls, he was in a much wider aisle, correspondingly filled with more people. The map lore was unaffected by people walking through it, so Devon had to pay fairly close attention to follow the path while not colliding with any of the rushing throng. He walked past merchants hawking flags, musical instruments, dresses, shoes, and countless other goods. He glanced up now and again to see the upper tiers, two balconies that circled the entire building and promised more expensive, more exclusive services. He didn’t need to go upstairs, but he very much enjoyed the upper levels when he was able to shop.
Eventually, he reached the office he sought. It was entirely separate from the bazaar, a building within a building. He entered, and was immediately impressed. The small lobby area had a wonderfully thick carpet, and paintings adorned every wall, depicting scenes of travel and bounty. A small desk guarded the only other door in the room, and a woman clad in the same uniform as those at the information booth sat, looking at Devon with patience. He walked up to the desk, and the woman smiled coolly.
“Welcome to the main office of the House of Acuity. How may I help you?” she asked, managing to sound interested and engaging despite the mundanity of her words.
“I need to speak with Joseph Jameson,” Devon replied. “I’m here to pick up a delivery.”
The woman nodded, and rose from her chair. “Give me one moment, please,” she said before going through the door she had been defending. Devon, surprised by a secretary that did something other than sit and stare at him, took a moment to diffuse his map lore, leaving it on but untargeted. When the lore had a goal, it manifested visibly, but also gave him a feeling of direction and momentum, like he was going to the most important place in the world. When he turned it all the way off, the lack of that feeling was disorienting and made him very nervous, so he liked to leave it going but unfocused. It was like having a thick, fluffy blanket wrapped around his psyche.
Before he could ruminate any further, and possibly do irreparable damage to the common metaphor, the secretary emerged from the door holding a large brown envelope.
"Please deliver this to the Chief Registrar's Office," she said, handing him the envelope. Devon took it, and slid it into his satchel. "It needs to be delivered by close of business today. Is that possible?"
Devon nodded. "Certainly. Is there anything else?"
The secretary shook her head, her short-cut black hair shimmering. "That will be all. Here is your payment." She handed him a small purse, which Devon took and dropped into a different pocket on his satchel. "Thank you for your assistance. The House of Acuity wishes you a pleasant day." She gave him a cool smile, shook his hand, and slid back into her desk chair. Devon inclined his head to her, and left the small building.
The Chief Registrar's office was in a building that overlooked the harbor. It was on the far west side of the city, nearly on the cliffs that fell into the ocean. As he walked, Devon calculated the best route to get there. The House of Acuity was close to the center of the city, and he still had two more pickups to make. He whistled jauntily as he left the marketplace.
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