5
MIKANDRA TOOK off her apron, found her cloak and left the building through the draughty foyer with its unending stream of patients. The main desk would close at night, except for the worst of emergencies, but some people would wait here until morning. They had nowhere else to go.
Out in the street, she turned up the hill in the direction of the Foundation Square. The air was cold and wet and shards of mist floated low over the city roofs. This morning’s snow had melted and the paving stones were cold and wet enough to be slippery. Judging by the way the city’s lights reflected in the clouds, there would be more snow tonight.
On each side of the street, shopkeepers were shutting doors and pulling down blinds. The baker’s assistant carried a basket with bread outside and put it in the p
