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Although every day that Jon and Sasha remained in Highkington posed a risk to their safety, the travellers decided that two weeks was a minimum for putting their affairs in order in preparation for a lengthy absence. So they agreed to gather at the Creeping Vine in two weeks’ time and leave from there, arriving separately to delay watchers’ realisation that Jon and Sasha had left the city.
Maud and Sheldrake were important, high-profile members of the Carradorian court, and they had many matters that had to be either postponed, deputized, or finalized before they left. Jon, as Minister for Transport, could not just walk away, much as he would have liked to, especially from Crabtree, and he needed time to make arrangements with the most trusted of his refugees. At Gavin’s request, Argy
