“Sister Gates, I believe it is time to look for an assistant to Otis.”

Sister Gates considered the ethereal message sent by Eldest Sister.  Otis had been the ministry housekeeper for as long as she had been there.  Although he looked old, he performed all the work, which was often dangerous and physically challenging.  Perhaps Eldest Sister was premature, but because she was not to be challenged Sister Gates began to consider the process of selection

The Sisters of Eternal Assiduousness had more than likely started when Neverwhere established itself or maybe before, but that was so far back that there were no records to speak of, but it hardly mattered.  The sisters remained rooted in the present and that’s why Otis’ assistant and possible replacement was a challenge.  The future was murky and potentially unimportant compared to the now.  

As Sister Gates knew Otis well, she knew his stories as well.  The Sister Gates before her somehow identified factors in him that she felt would be good within their organization.  As a ministry that cherished female sexual power and how to transfer that into power having a male on the grounds would be disruptive, but somehow Otis had managed to straddle that and had been there for a generation.  She thought that the candidate would need to be young and therefore pliable to their environment based on Otis' history.

As the Gates, she was the single person at the convent that could have interaction with people outside.  Her small building at the gate was nondescript and foreboding at the same time.  This was designed that way to scare off the casual curiosity of passersby while allowing limited trade and other professional transactions.  All the more important things were done in other non-secular ways.

Sister Gates began loitering when she had chores outside the gates.  Loitering could be dangerous, but absolutely no one gave the Sisters any problems.  Physically any sister past the novitiate level was physically intimidating and trained to kill in a variety of ways.  They did not subdue or warn.  Death was the only response.  However, the other powers that walked or flew over the street had to be minded by all.  The sisters had wrestled with demons and angels at one time or another and were respected even if they didn’t come out unscathed.  

After several weeks of watching the street traffic, Gates noticed a boy that was very good at not being noticed running between two buildings.  Shabby, but mostly clean, his stab into adolescence was starting to show.  He clearly wanted to hide this and stooped and bent his knees.  Clever and painful.  She waited for two more weeks to see if his longevity was earned or simply luck.  He continued his work on her street for even more time.  The schedule changed, but she realized he was sticking to the shortest route between two places because there was no other way.

She wandered across the street dodging carts and animal droppings and loitered in his eventual path.  She idly moved her rosary beads rhythmically between her thumb and finger quietly speaking in a dead tongue. Her patience was rewarded as she noticed Adam’s figure slinking from shade to shade or hiding behind someone larger than he.

She swung out in front of him giving him no time to correct and clamped one of her hands on his shoulder with enough vigor to know there would be more effort if he tried to escape.  

“Boy, calm yourself.  I need to ask you a question.”  

Adam froze only for a moment while he calculated his odds.  A quick dash and run would possibly be effective, but he had yet to deliver the message for the boss.  That would be asking for death, but the nun did not appear to be ready for instant violence, so something else was in the cards.  He looked up into her face where the white part of her headscarf was drawn down over her eyes.  She didn’t look at him directly, giving the moment a surreal feeling.  

“Hello Sister, how can I be of assistance?” he asked with the most neutral voice he could manage.  He found fear and tension in the air that was beyond what he normally felt.  

She continued to look beyond him and said nothing. The silence in their part of the street made his anxiety raise even further.  In a place of constant danger, a silent nun was a bright signal for a clear threat.

“Un, Sister, you were going to ask me something?  A service perhaps?”

“Very good boy, you mastered your fear in a complex situation.  I want to find out what it costs to move a message from one place to another.  It would appear that you are very good at it".

“Sister, I don't want to brag, but I am very good at it, but I am working for important people at the moment and time is a very important commodity”.

“Child, you speak like a person older than yourself.  When you have time knock at the gatehouse of our nunnery.  Do you know it”?

“Yes Sister, I’m familiar.  I just can’t say when”.

“Just come to the gate in the early morning or evening.  I should be there.  If not, knock the next day until I’m there”. 

Sister Gates let go of his shoulder and Adam thought about sprinting away but sensed that would show weakness somehow and casually stooped down and got moving again.  The sister watched as the boy went about his business until she lost sight of him.