‘You don’t have to be sorry.’ She turned back to him and found that he’d laid his arm along the back of the bench and leaned a little toward her. ‘I asked you to find out the truth, didn’t I? Well, you did. And I’ve got to have a mother somewhere.’ She attempted a smile. ‘The laws don’t let you grow babies in tanks any more.’
‘Yeah, that’s true. Maybe she was from another old family, a woman who loved your father but couldn’t get a permit.’
‘That’s a nice thought, but if she was rich and powerful, why couldn’t she hide me, maybe take me out to her estate and pass me off as the daughter of one of her servants? That’s what happens in the holonovels all the time.’
‘Maybe she didn’t read as many holonovels as you do.’
Vida made a face at him.
‘The thing is,’ Rico went on, ‘she must have had some reason for hiding you. You were born before the war even started, so it wasn’t because of your father’s - well, the way he was accused of treason. All I can think of is no birth permit.’
‘Me, too. No matter what, I’m still Unauthorized. Just a little cull, that’s me.’
‘Vida, don’t!’ Rico laid his hand on her shoulder. ‘Don’t call yourself that.’
For a moment Vida was afraid that she would weep. She’d built up such a satisfying story about Lin Smid, seen her as a heroine in her way, risking everything to have the child of the man she loved against all odds, only to have the child snatched from her. Lin would have been so happy to have found her daughter again, or at least, to have seen her on the vidscreens and known that she was safe and well. But there was no Lin, no story, no happy reunion ahead.
‘Hey,’ Rico said, and his voice had turned soft. ‘Whoever had this done risked a lot for you. She must have really loved you and been trying to find a way to keep you with her. I guess something went wrong, and she couldn’t do it. But she risked a lot to say-’
Vida felt herself turn cold. The very thought of tears vanished, frozen by sudden insight.
‘Wait a minute,’ she said. ‘What do you mean, tried to keep me with her?’
‘Well, she must have had some reason to hire a cybe and go to all of this trouble. Unless she was a cybe herself, of course. That’s a real possibility.’
‘No, it’s not. I mean, I think you’re right. I think that keeping me is exactly what she was doing.’ Vida’s heart was pounding. ‘Tell me something, Rico. You’re Cyberguild. You must know Ri Tal Molos.’
‘Well, I know about him, like everyone does - he’s a real genius. He’s a friend of my uncle’s, but I’ve never met him. He’s been on Souk for the last fourteen years or something, hasn’t he?
What does he have to do with - oh. He’s kind of a friend of yours, isn’t he?’
‘He’s gone out of his way to be one, like he had some reason to be interested in me. Do you think he could do what you’re talking about? Insert those records?’
‘As easy as rustling his crest. Do you think he’ll tell you if he did?’
‘I bet I can make him tell me.’ She felt her voice shaking in her throat. ‘Rico, thank you. If you want to see Calios, sure, any time later, but I can’t right now. I’ve got to think about this.’
‘Okay, yeah. Can my uncle come too? Vida, this is important.’
‘Of course, sure, whatever you want.’ She stood and saw Jak springing to his feet in answer. ‘Thanks. Have your factor call mine or something.’
Vida strode off, leaving him on the bench behind her. As Jak joined her on the walkway she glanced back to see the two Marines falling into position.
‘Se Vida, what’s wrong?’ Jak said. ‘Has young Rico distressed you?’
‘No. He’s just done me a favour.’ Vida forced out a smile. ‘I’m fine, Jak. Really. But I need to get back right now.’
Only after they’d reached East Tower, when they were in the lift booth, in fact, gliding up to her floor, did Vida remember her magazine, lying on the bench. She hoped that Rico would realize what a splendid excuse returning it to her would make, then forgot about it completely. When they reached her suite, Jak lingered in the hall to dismiss the two Marines. Vida rushed inside.
‘Samante, Samante!’
‘I’m right here.’ Samante came hurrying into the gather. ‘What’s wrong?’
‘I need to talk to your friend Molos. As soon as possible. Do you think you can find him?’
‘Well, I’ll try, certainly. Vida-’
‘I’ll tell you why later. Okay?’
‘Well, of course. Here. You sit down. Vida, you’re shaking.’
Vida held out one hand and realized that Samante was right. She took a deep breath and forced herself calm while Samante watched with sincere concern.
‘I shouldn’t be in too much of hurry,’ Vida said. ‘It’s going to look really strange if I am.’
‘Too much of a hurry to do what? Talk with Molos?’
‘Yeah. But I - well, look. Why don’t you see if you can find him? If you can’t, I won’t be able to talk with him anyway, and so there’s no use in getting upset now.’
While Samante worked at her comm unit, Vida flung herself down on the green brocade sofa. Breathe, she told herself. Remember what you learned in self-defence class. Breathe and slow down, breathe and calm down. She stared up at the featureless expanse of ivory-coloured ceiling and let herself relax, one muscle at a time. By the time she’d stopped trembling, Samante had finished her calls.
‘Molos’s factor told me he’s here in Government House. He’ll contact him and ask him to stop by.’
‘Thanks.’ Vida sat up. ‘I’m sorry I was so upset.’
‘It’s all right. I need to confirm something with you about the wedding. Cardinal Roha called while you were out. He wants you to solemnize the contract in the cathedral. It means a lot of work and fuss, but the gesture would really please him.’
‘Of course. After all the help he’s given me, it’s the least I can do.’
Vida felt her calm petrify to a cold inertia. She really was going to marry Wan, and soon. There was no getting out of it now, not after they’d made the contract public. All at once she brightened.
‘If we’re going to do the signing in the Cathedral, it’ll take time to plan the ceremony, won’t it?’
‘That’s what I was just telling you.’ Samante looked briefly severe. ‘We’ve got to reserve a date for the Gaze, for one thing, and then we need to put the media contract out for bids. I’m sure we can sell an exclusive on this easily.’
‘All right. Do we have to consult with Wan about this?’
‘Yes, unfortunately. Oh by God’s Eye! I’m going to have to work with Leni.’
‘Just keep him drunk, and he’ll agree to anything you say.’ They shared a mirthless laugh. Molos arrived an hour later. Samante ushered him into the gather, then left on the excuse of supervising Greenie while it put together some refreshments. Molos settled himself on his favourite chair and lifted his crest.
‘Kind of you to invite me, my dear,’ he said. ‘I’m surprised that your most holy benefactor hasn’t warned you off me by now.’
Vida winced.
‘Ah,’ Molos said. ‘I see he has.’
‘Well, it’s not like I listened to him.’ Vida hesitated, then realized she had the opening she needed. ‘Aleen raised me to treat all sapients as equals, you know. I don’t see any reason to change now.’
‘Your guardian is an amazing woman, yes.’
‘You’ve been friends with her for years, haven’t you? I’ve been trying to remember, and I think I must have met you when I was just a little kid, before you left for Souk, that is.’
‘I do remember that, yes. Once or twice, I believe, Aleen presented you to me.’
‘That was sort of odd of her, wasn’t it? I mean, I was just a cull dumped on her by the Protectors.’
‘Vida, please! Even I remember you as a charming child, and as I’m sure you know, the men of my race have very little interest in anyone’s offspring, even our own.’ Molos gently waved his crest. ‘I think Aleen was sincerely fond of you.’
‘I’ve got some reasons for thinking the same thing, actually.’
For the barest moment Molos tensed.
‘Indeed?’ His voice stayed level.
‘Se Molos.’ Vida leaned forward and put on her best charming smile. ‘Everyone knows what a splendid cybermaster you were, before that awful ban got passed, I mean. Rico Hernanes y Jons tells me that you’re a genius.’
Molos’s mouth opened, and his jaw dropped, on the verge of springing loose in the Lep gesture of utter surprise. He swallowed heavily and snapped it back into place.
‘It would have been awfully easy for you to add those files,’ Vida went on. ‘The ones in the Protectors’ database.’
‘My dear Vida.’ Molos’s voice had turned feeble. ‘I’m not sure what you’re implying, but um
... well, my dear Vida.’
‘Who thought up Lin Smid? You or my mother?’
Molos raised a quick hand and laid it on the underside of his jaw. Vida waited, perched on the edge of the sofa.
‘Aleen,’ he said at last. ‘I’d like to know how you found out.’
‘I was only guessing. You just told me.’
Molos’s crest snapped up and waved.
‘I outsmarted the Peronida’s negotiating team on Souk, but you’ve just got the better of me.’ He shook his head. ‘You’re very much like your mother, Vida.’
‘Am I?’ Vida rose and walked to the window. Although the view gave out in the general direction of Pleasure, the Sect lay too far away for even the Carillon Tower to be visible over the sea of roofs and trees of Government House. ‘I don’t want her to know I know. Not yet, anyway. I want to be able to tell her myself some day.’ She turned and looked at the Lep.
‘Does that make sense?’
‘Oh yes. I imagine you need time to assimilate this.’
Vida nodded, remembering her life at The Close. She’d always had her own little room, when most culls shared a dormitory. She’d had the best schooling, too, that the Map could provide, while Aleen had taught her all the other things she needed to know: how to dress, how to charm, how to handle the finances of a big establishment like The Close - or those of an aristocrat.
‘Vida?’ Molos said. ‘She was afraid to tell you, afraid you’d let something slip if you knew. She couldn’t bear to lose you.’
‘I can see that.’ Vida found herself on the edge of tears. ‘I’m just remembering how she sent me away.’
‘It was the hardest thing she’s ever done. She told me that.’
Tears spilled. Irritably Vida wiped them away with the back of her hand.
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘There’s no need to cry over this.’
‘Very much like your mother.’
‘I’m glad.’ Vida managed a smile. ‘But Molos, you won’t tell her I know? Please don’t?’
‘Of course, my dear. I’ll keep your secret.’ He waved his crest again. ‘I hardly want her knowing how easily you got the better of me.’
* * *
Humans were, all in all, a sloppy race of sapients, but Kata was finding those on Palace to be the sloppiest of the lot. First the various guilds went to great expense to clothe their members in distinctive uniforms; then they left those uniforms lying around where anyone could steal them. His first day on the job, Kata was just leaving the Floating Amphitheatre by the employees’ entrance when a donkeybot chugged by, its hopper filled with soiled Power Guild coveralls. He glanced around, saw no-one, trotted alongside the bot just long enough to grab a pair in extra large and stuff them into his wrap jacket. On his way back to Zir’s, Kata stopped at a launderette and tossed them into a hypersound cleaner. They came out good as new.
The cleaning service issued its employees dark grey coveralls, which they had to keep up themselves, unlike the higher status sapients in Power Guild. After dinner that evening, sitting cross-legged on Zir’s floor, Kata turned the grey set inside out, then eased the scarlet pair over them, right-side out. Up in her bedsling Zir rustled her crest at him.
‘What are you doing?’
‘I’m going to sew the red coveralls onto the grey ones. Very carefully - you have to match the seams for this to work. To change my profession, I simply peel off this ugly human garment, making sure I’m turning it all the way inside out, and then I step into it again. It takes just a few seconds, if you practise, and the cleaner disappears like magic’
‘That’s wonderful! And your pass to the generator area will be pinned on the red coveralls, right?’
‘Right. So I walk right up to the generator, plant my device, then walk away again. In the lift booth - more magic. The cleaner’s back when I step off on the top floor.’
‘Perfect! Although ...’ She let her voice die away.
‘Although what? Still worrying about that plastique?’
‘Do you blame me? Any compound that old is bound to be unstable.’
‘It’s the best I’m going to find on this planet of herd animals. I can’t believe the restrictions these people put up with! This is illegal, and that’s illegal; no guns here, no explosives there. Huh! They think one of their damned Protectors with a stunstick is something fierce and frightening.’
Zir merely considered him through slitted red eyes.
‘Well, I’m not going to fix a conventional fuse to it,’ Kata said at last. ‘That will lower the risk considerably.’
‘Good.’
‘In fact, I have a little job for you. Have you ever heard of a frequency activator? A specified sound opens a circuit and allows a pulse of electricity through its switch?’
‘I learned how to put one of those together on the School Map.’
‘Splendid! One of the speakers at this rally is Wilso of the Power Guild. He has a pretty distinctive voice, way up in his ugly little human nose. And I’ve got a recording of one of his other speeches. There’s a certain high note that he hits which should work just fine.’
‘I like that. One bigot blasting the others into Eternity. It’s fitting, somehow.’
* * *
Before Rico went out to the Spaceport, he picked up a sheaf of security passes from Dukayn’s office. A bored and blonde young woman took his thumbprint, then handed him a set of chits and a picture-badge to wear at all times. Since Barra and her new ward Damo were travelling in the Peronida limousine, Rico took the wiretrain out alone. When he got off at Port Station, he found the first security checkpoint at the doors leading to the movebelt. A chit got him past the long line of passengers at the temporary blockade, all of them fuming and demanding explanations while silent Garang in Peronida uniforms searched their luggage. He handed over another chit at the far end of the movebelt to another Garang post and gained entry to the shuttle terminal. In the huge domed room, human Protectors armed with stunsticks stood at regular intervals. Up on the mezzanine gleamed more red uniforms. Rico took a lift booth up to the third floor and the Newsgrid Lounge; Garang met him when the doors opened at a marble foyer. Rico surrendered still another chit to the sergeant in charge.