The World Which Is

Chapter 35

"Are any of them here?" I scan the large room for anyone looking nasty enough to be who Brandon means.

"No. Xander has a strict 'no hired help in the club' rule."

"He makes the rules here?" That's going to be a problem.

Brandon laughs. "He wishes. This place belongs to Marygold. She's the only one who can interface with the node. So only she makes the rules. Xander simply thinks that unless someone has the explorer class, they don't belong in here."

"So, not everyone here is an explorer?"

"Everyone here is an explorer," Brandon says. "They just don't all have that as their class."

I look around again. This time trying to determine who has or doesn't have explorer as a class. I want to class anyone muscular as not it, but Brandon fits that description and he has the class.

"Then how does it work? How does Marygold know who to let in?"

"You mean other than whoever she feels like it?"

I look at the tabletop, ignoring my burning cheeks.

"She mainly accepts those referred by another explorer. Then, there's bringing some sort of relic. That's how I got in. I figure you're in on account of your armor. She recognized it, just like Xander did. So she—where are you going?"

I step away from the table. "To explain things to her."

He grabs my arm. "Sit down."

"I'm not going to let her think I'm Aaron's son."

"She's probably going to revoke your membership."

"Then she revokes it. It's not like I'm looking to go around exploring places."

"Then why—" he shakes his head. "Just sit down, Dennis. I have to explain a few things. If you feel you need to out yourself after that—"

"I am not hiding anything. It's not my fault she made an assumption, and all I want to do is correct her, so she can decide properly."

Brandon plasters on a smile. "We're fine," he calls. Marygold is watching us. He lowers his voice. "Please sit down."

I consider wrenching my arm out of his hand. He's not holding me that tightly, but there's an edge of worry to his voice. Like he said. Once he's done, I can go explain it to her, so I sit down.

"Look." He keeps his voice low, and I feel Marygold's eyes on us. "We're going to Kansas city, right? That's quite a way from here. Clubs like this aren't just for putting up relics and bragging about the latest ruin you found. I'm talking generalities, not you specifically. Each club is a place you can get equipment at reasonable prices, instead of getting gouged by the shops once they realize what you do for a living. They're places you can sleep and not worry about waking up with half your stuff missing. You can get food that isn't going to leave you sick hours later. The clubs are a lifeline for people like you and me."

"But I'm not a member of those other clubs," I reply, voice also low, not that I know why. "So I don't see what the big deal's going to be."

"But you are. The instant Marygold added you to the membership list here, it got updated at all the other clubs."

"They can talk to each other? I thought only cities could, and only if—"

"It's not talking. She can't send messages through the club. The list is in the system, and every club is linked to it. Don't ask me how. It's one thing I have no interest in researching. When a club meets the criteria for being an explorer's club, they can see the list and update it."