Nicaise recognized how the elevator affected her. It had unsettled him, too, the first time he'd ridden in one, especially the way it made his stomach swoop when it first moved. He should have warned her, but, though it seemed impossible, the elevator had become routine for him now. Living on such a high level, he and Laurent never used the staircase. "The soldiers of my world used them, too. We didn't have cars, only horses and carts to carry us places," he added.

He stepped out of the elevator and gave her question some thought. "I don't know," he said honestly, unlocking the door and letting them in, unclipping Toulouse's leash and setting him on the floor. "If he disapproves we can come up with another plan. Or I could make you a bed in my closet and you could hide there."