Captain Ryn read the order twice before she accepted its existence. Magistrate Oren's seal was intact at the bottom, and the language retained a deliberate restraint--increase patrols at the yards, gates, and Free boarding districts, take intake reports, confirm recent arrivals, no raids, no posted notices at the walls, no speeches, and if questioned, the inspection excuse would suffice. Ryn set the paper down and studied her two shift leads. "You heard the tone. Dull inquiries. Neat notes. If a Free becomes prickly, you don't prod the story from them. If a house runner tails you back along the street, you mark them but don't stop."
The more senior of her leads, Matthis, frowned as he took the document. "This is more paperwork than we usually take in."
"Correct," Ryn said, "Upper Walk is predicting visitors. Visitors who want records. Therefore, we provide records, and we keep the under streets distracted."
"Visitors?" The younger of her leads asked.
