The elevator in the Resource Bureau spat him out onto the ground floor and the first thing James did was duck into the single-occupant bathroom off the lobby. Ko. It bent a little as he gripped it in one hand. He'd expected a wire transfer or an official check. But the woman from Legal had made him sign three different forms in triplicate and then handed him an envelope like he'd won a radio contest.
There was no one in the hall. No security, no press, not even the usual crop of guild leeches scanning the crowd for easy marks. The Bureau had walked him out under a privacy clause so strong the receptionist didn't even register his exit. He stuffed the envelope into the inside pocket of his jacket, zipped it shut, and kept his hand there all the way home.
