“The esteemed Dr. Zafone could not be present for this Light-touched event, but his spirit is strong with us,” a voice said, their psychic tone resonant with authority. Lashra Damaal, flanked by Watcher Rakyra and another cop, all of them looking down at Eva with those expressionless dark eyes. The Firespeaker bot had also been released from its capsule and was standing attentively next to them, and Eva was exceedingly aware that it had a flamethrower in its mouth, while also hoping it couldn’t possibly be used with so many other people around.
“Would you please come with us for a moment, honored guest,” Watcher Rakyra said. It was not a question.
Chapter 19
Unbalanced
While Eva expected to be marched off to some back room for interrogation or similar, instead she and Vakar were escorted to another portion of the rooftop, near the elevator landing. Fewer guests lingered in the area, which was decorated with miniature versions of the vast home-trees, their roots wound around and through containers that were presumably designed to keep them fed. It was unnerving to see them so small, shrunken, their canopies trimmed back and decorated with lights that mimicked the buildings normally constructed among their branches. It felt like an expression of control, like even the home-trees would fit in the palm of Damaal’s hand if she willed it to be so.
“What can I do for you, Prime?” Eva asked politely. “Nice party, by the way.”
“Many thanks for your kind observation,” Damaal said, her pale fur gleaming in the dim light. “I am pleased to hear you have been enjoying the festivities. Your keen interest in our revolutionary technology has also brightened my spirit.”
Of course she’d been spying on Eva the whole time. The place was crawling with Watchers and their Attuned, or Pod Pals, or both.
“I also wished to discuss your unrestricted Attuned interaction at the Communal Center in Rilia,” Damaal said. Her tail rested on her shoulder, unmoving, and her psychic tone didn’t modulate in the slightest. “Watcher Rakyra, you were able to locate the responsible party?”
“Yes, Prime,” Watcher Rakyra said, his psychic emanation deferential. “She is being properly educated on the necessity of controlling her Attuned, as well as being reminded of her rights and privileges and all behavioral requirements to ensure they are not revoked. Her associates have also been recovered and are undergoing the same regimen.”
Mala gave a low growl and Eva rubbed her ear to calm her. Or maybe to calm herself.
“You didn’t have to do that,” Eva said. “It was an accident.”
“Accidents can have the most dangerous consequences,” Damaal said. “Have you not had similar experiences in the past?”
Eva had no response to that. Was Damaal messing with her? Was she referencing something specific? The Pod Pal in the recycler, maybe? What did she know, exactly?
Mala’s growling intensified. Eva glanced down at the cat, whose black-pupiled eyes were glaring at the Firespeaker robot next to Damaal. Was it doing something Eva couldn’t see?
“Your creature there is displeased,” Damaal said. “Does she require sustenance, or perhaps exercise?” She stared at Mala, who hissed back at her, and for a moment Damaal’s psychic emanations slid sideways like a window being cracked open—no, it was like when Mala would knock a cup off the table in the mess, to see what would happen. Whatever she was doing, Eva couldn’t get a sense of its content so much as its direction: it was pointed right at Mala.
Mala yowled, and for a moment Eva thought she was scared, but then the waves of anger came boiling off her like she was a pot of rice on a hot stove.
Next to Damaal, Watcher Rakyra flinched and took a step forward. “Control your Attuned, Gap-maker,” he said, his own psychic tone hard-edged with restrained aggression. Surprising given how carefully controlled he’d been until now.
Or maybe not so surprising. He was a cop, after all, in a city where they ran around disappearing folks for education. Maybe the surprising thing was how long it had taken for him to show his claws.
Eva stroked Mala’s head and tried to think soothing thoughts at her. Vakar stood quietly behind them, his posture shifting into a stance she knew for a defensive one, from the many times they’d sparred. They couldn’t cause more of an incident here than they already had, or he might be in enormous trouble.
But they still hadn’t gotten the third psychic imprint, and she was no closer to knowing where Josh was, except that he was definitely still here and working on the robots. If she didn’t bring the fully loaded device to the resistance, she’d have to keep fumbling around trying to find her own way in, and that meant more opportunities for creating problems.
((Robot activating,)) Vakar pinged her suddenly.
The Firespeaker hadn’t moved, but as Eva examined it out of the corner of her eye, the smallest psychic nudge touched her mind—not like it was trying to get her attention, more like a pickpocket who’d either fumbled the grab or was redirecting attention as a distraction.
Either way, Eva was sick of this shit, failed mission or not. They were literally up on a roof and it was a hell of a long way down.
“How is your parent, Captain?” Damaal asked suddenly. “I hope she is also finding our city to be a pleasant and diverting environment.”
Eva froze. Me cago en diez, she thought. Had she put her mom in danger now, after everything, after the Fridge arroz con mango and even the earlier years with her dad—was this when it would catch up, finally, and really fuck her innocent family over?
She’s with BOFA, fool, the voice in her head said. Damaal has probably been tracking her since she got to the planet, even if they couldn’t put her under direct surveillance. She can’t risk doing anything to the auditor working on the planet’s case. Hell, for all Eva knew, her mom had been doing some kind of auditing mierda when they were out shopping, and that’s why she kept zoning out in random corners of stores.
“My mother is fine,” Eva said. “She had a great time choosing this outfit for me, in fact. Why do you ask?” Mala was still bristling on her shoulders, and Eva realized she was angry, too, and totally failing to hide it.
“We are simply eager to ensure that her review is positive,” Damaal replied smoothly, her psychic emanations once again firmly controlled. “She is doing work that is vital for the ongoing progress of our planet and its people, and any delay or defect would be to our detriment.”
“Yeah, well, she’s good at her job,” Eva said. “And she’s not a liar, so don’t waste your time with bribes.” Cállate, comemierda, her inner voice said, but she was past listening.
“I have heard of the practice of bribery,” Damaal said, a ripple of disdain in her psychic tone. “It is not one that is typical for any of the cultures on our planet, though I have been told our practice of Light-gifts bears some similarities.”
“Yeah, funny how most people have something similar,” Eva retorted. “And they all seem to think it doesn’t count.”
Vakar laid a hand on the small of her back and she leaned forward, away from it. He wasn’t going to calm her down, and even though she knew he was right, she wasn’t here for it.
Damaal’s psychic emanations receded, but her eyes bored into Eva’s. “I must apologize, but I am needed elsewhere. It seems a resistance group has been located nearby, with weapons, and we fear they may be plotting some disturbance at this event.”