It poured heavily through the late autumn night. A man wearing a black raincoat stood beside a carriage and opened the door for Andrew.
Andrew paused and nodded. "Apologies for keeping you waiting, Gavin."
"It's my duty, sir." Gavin smiled.
When the door closed, the carriage charged into the rain and toward the uptown district. In the silent carriage, Andrew placed the long cone on his knee and slowly loosened his grip. He had held it too tightly. His whitened knuckles cracked like stones scraping as he opened his fist.
"You can take care of the docking work with the Research Institute," he suddenly said. "Assemble four-hundred within nine days."
Gavin nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Thank you." Andrew closed his eyes. "It's late. Let the driver take you home. I'm tired too. We can discuss the Musician Division tomorrow."
"Yes, sir," Gavin replied. He did not have any complaints.