[Joshua steps through the door with a grateful nod and then out into the sidewalk, where he once again falls into step besides Clive. He sips away at his drink, eyes darting to and fro as he takes in their surroundings. His pace starts to quicken.]

If sugar is the common denominator, then there must be a cheap way to process it. Mayhap through automatons… but that would imply that there is a plentiful reserve from which to source. Honeybees would be out of the question as a single source, especially given the relative lack of space to house them. Unless they were to put them inside one of the larger buildings?

No, that can’t be right, they require opportunities to forage. That would leave import as the primary option, but from where? Unless there is a nearby place such as Dhalmekia that specializes in spice trade?

[The caffeine might be starting to kick in.]