Rohan hated that she was right.
He leaned both hands on the wall edge and looked down at the ash beyond.
"Dependency is the real chain."
"Yes."
"What about passage requests?"
Maerin was silent for a moment.
Then she said, "Bryan calculated your reserves again."
Rohan looked at her sharply.
"And?"
"You are closer than anyone expected."
"That is not an answer."
"No," Maerin admitted. "It is the gentlest beginning to a bad answer."
His hope tightened painfully.
Maerin faced him fully.
"With the glassmaw materials, the storm-silver shares, the salvage credit from the maintenance cache discovery, and the external value of your accumulated hunt portions, Bryan believes you can present a serious passage offer."
A serious passage offer.
For a heartbeat, Rohan felt the world open.
Then Maerin continued.
"You cannot present an offer they are likely to accept."
The opening closed again.
Rohan laughed once, bitterly.
