Nemecene: The Epoch of Redress (32 page)

She honors her vow to attend to Mashrin's body in the proper manner and forgoes the search for the slice. As she resets the storage areas to their original state, repositioning the items she disturbed in the process, she creates a mental inventory of the objects that were under protection, but interrupts the procedure upon discovering an unexpected piece. Her coveting fingertips quiver as she caresses the contours of the polished reddish shard. Desires that she has been forcibly burying resurface. She has touched this peculiar stone before, but what is its significance in Elize's effects? Worrisome speculation could consume the bulk of her energy and would undoubtedly spawn even more provocative questions, such as who else knows its heritage. She subdues her curiosity, rapidly tidies the outstanding disarray, cleans the DNA residues that could incriminate her, and flies out of the attic. Steady and on track, she bears in the direction of the GHU transition wing.

Day 34: Early Morning

N
ot again. How am I going to explain this one. I haven't left the room. Enough of that too. I'm running out of cream. Crap. Keet's here.

"Hey lo, Eli. You won't believe what... Have you slept at all?"

"Hush." Grab the journals. "Walk with me." I hope Stitch found something useful. Keep up, Keet.

"Ease a bit. What's the rush?"

Tap, tap, tap. Are we stopping on every floor? Predictable. This lighting is... Eek. I'm a mess! And you over there, yeah, you. Stop staring. Good. On level five. Let's clip across the link. Oops.

"Sorry, Keet, forgot you have no secure band." Zap.

"Juicy. Another one of Stitch's toys?"

"Works on the sentinels every time. Here. Use the thrower on the next one." Almost at Stitch's.

"Hang for a sec. Eli!" What now?

"So your girlfriend left you another love note? You can share that with us in just—"

"No. She brought my shirt back."

"Lucky you. She does laundry too." Hehehe.

"It's her. The beautiful stranger. She was waiting for me when I got back last night."

Was that another one of my voices? Did I hear him say the stalker was in his crypt? Give it a shake. "She what?" We're here.

"She…"

"Keet, bud, you've got yourself a mole. Hey lo, chum." Don't look at him and he won't notice. I hope. "Grab a seat."

Right. Crabseat? I don't think so. "I'll take the floor." Oh, sorry. Did I offend you? "Ouch!" The nasty little thing. "Fine! I'll sit then. Behave." Yes. They
are
amused.

"What's a mole?"

"A rodent, dear brother. Kind of like your protector." Hehehe. Now where did he learn that snare face from, I wonder.

"Operative term for someone on the inside. The handwriting, see?" I thought he couldn't find any images? Does Odwin have a dust filter? "I used the flash I took of your love note." He grins and pokes Keet. "And this is what came up. The image has dust sprinkled all over it, that's why I couldn't find it using the frame Eli had."

I knew it! Brrr. My energy must be low. I'm going to have trouble staying awake today.

"Perk. She's no shadow in the mist."

Good. So now maybe they won't look at me like I'm bent. What's with Stitch? Has he gone VLine?

"Are you going to an Inner Council meeting or something? What happened to the squirmy guys? I was starting to get used to them, but this look is sooooooooo sophisticated." Actually, the cut brings out the twinkle when he smiles. He doesn't look half-bad, but I'm not going to tell him that of course.

"Not enough sleep?" They're ganging up on me again.

"I've never seen you as a blonde. Ooo. Your shoes are so shiny. Where did you build the credit for those? Is that silk? Eek! You sold your soul to the devil." Gasp for effect. He does have all the makings of a high official with that outfit. And they are still frowning. Keet touches my forehead. Stop that. Something's not right here. They're looking very concerned. Am I the only one seeing this?

"Maybe you should flip a pass on your classes today, eh?"

"Ya fig? I agree. I don't want to say it but…" But what? Say it, dweeb. Big yawn. Try not to drift. "Right. Let me give you the highlights then. You trip, chum?" Nod. "Her name is Nathruyu. She works for the GHU in catering."

"That's it? There has to be more." Keet looks disappointed, as if he half expected she had a more sinister biography.

"It's pica Tess, bud. It's a great cover. She gets to eavesdrop on all sorts of conversations and socialize with pretty much everyone in a non-threatening way. She's just a servant for the elite."

Keet turns to me, puzzled, and whispers. "Who's Tess?"

Shrug. "I think he means genius."

"Whatever murmurs are floating around at meal time, her ears are twitching. And here, it says she also delivers."

Hmmm. I bet she does. "Well, Keet. Does she deliver?" Aw. He's embarrassed. Hehehe.

Stitch liked that one, but his turn for confusion. "Share. Another note?"

Can't help myself. "A date. And did you know she does laundry too?"

"Ha ha. Let it ride, Eli." Nice tonsils there, Stitch. "She says she is the one. We had a nice chat. That picture really doesn't do her justice. It doesn't capture her eyes…and her smile…and her hair. It's like velvet. And…"

Oh, get a grip, boy.

"You
are
a puddle of mush! She can't be trusted. We don't even know her motive."

"Odwin seems to suggest she is connected to the network somehow. Maybe she's underground."

"But why is she following me? And how did she get in Father's flashes?" Oh, honestly, Keet.

"She's playing with your mind. All these vague statements, these psycho riddles. What exactly is she reading in your journal anyway?" She could be a double-mole and feeding the GHU a little more than just food.

"Shakes! Maybe she watched it all. That night, with Mashrin."

The wrigglers are back?

"She's no double-mole, Eli." Did I say that out loud? "She has a crystal, just like this one. It's a sign."

Sure. Right. Keet's bent. I always knew he was a little off in the spook department. What a pair we make.

"Swish! She's the... Creeps! Not good." Stitch is getting very serious now. "Bud, maybe you need to slack on this new girl of yours." That makes sense to me.

"For the last time, you two. She is
not
—"

"Got it. We're done with that. Right, Stitch?" He's trip with that, and I know what he's thinking. It's in my gut as well. I remember her hanging over me, and the tinted shine. And the voices. They were quiet, almost too quiet, like they were hiding, afraid. It's all coming back, and the words. So confused. I don't understand. Sleepy. Crap. Stay awake.

"Triple-mole maybe. I knew I saw a crystal before. On the dark figure, in the arcade." Stitch can't handle this one. It's not safe.

"You blanked out, Stitch, remember? Besides, lots of people wear jewelry. It could have been anything. It was blacker than black out there. Keet's the one who saw it best. So is it her?" Come on. Help me out here.

"No. Nathruyu is Snow White. She's doesn't murder children." That's a take-charge attitude. The world doesn't only have two crystals anyway.

Good. Stitch is backing off. "Truce, bud. I fly wild sometimes." Chumbuds greeting.

"She said the holding area is like a lab. They have special equipment for the dead."

"I saw the equipment. Does she know what they're for?"

"Something about brain waves. As long as they keep the bodies warm."

"Creeps, yeah?" Stitch's hair is shuddering.

"Does Dr. Tenille know?"

"Didn't ask. I faked a bathroom break and snuck in. But nothing in his notes. Lots of medical jargon I don't understand yet. Mother's entries don't have any real insights either. He calls it an altered state of consciousness. Her previous medic Dr. Kzavier, on the other hand, had all sorts of bent theories. I mean, ghoulish." Boo!

"Jenny's grandfather maybe?" Good whip, Keet. Her and her soul suckers.

"Wouldn't surprise me. But too young. His last entry is just a big blotch of ink. I think he scared himself to death." Hehehe. "Not bedtime reading material for the easily rattled." I guess that's me. The nightmares just wouldn't stop last night. I felt like someone was watching me again.

"Well, the worm in the blue goo was grody enough, yeah? Did it jump out and possess you? I mean, you do look like the walking dead." Snare. "Just a rib, lass." A poke and a grin.

"Ta, dweeb."

More tonsils. Poke back. Keet's rolling.

"We have to fig what to do with the slice. We should hand it to Odwin; it's too risky for you to keep it." That would be a problem.

"Is it still...um swimming?"

Here it goes. Just spit it out. "Well...not exactly." They're waiting. "It's gone." And here it comes.

"Gone? You mean it
did
jump out?" They're both aghast.

"No. The vessel's gone too. It must have happened in-between nightmares. When you commed this morning, Keet, I was semi-asleep, and after we assalammed, I went looking for it."

"How ya fig? Your room is a fortress. In an abnormal way." Stitch is right, but still they must have... Hang a sec. Oh crap. The ceiling. Hick. Keet beat me to it.

"The ceiling. They came through the roof. We need to fix this. That must be how the jewel disappeared too."

Yeah. And where's my apology? "But my privyshelf. It's sharp."

"They're trip, but not perfect." Stitch should know.

"And the secret recorder? Won't my face be on it?"

"I'll check with Odwin. See what he suggests. Don't crack yet." What if the killer came and took it back? That means... Heartbeat, slow down. "I'm on it, chum."

I know his smile is supposed to reassure me. Just breathe. Yawn. Stay awake. Don't need an episode. Speaking of which...

"...my mother. You find anything on the hack?"

"I can't be sure, but it looks like your mother was an orphan. She was just found one day, a kid wandering the hills not too far from here. Her biochip wasn't working either."

That's before she got sick. Even before we were born.

"Any mention of our father?" I can feel Keet's hand tensing against my thigh.

"It's sparse. A sage master took her in and was grooming her for service, then she just left. She was seventeen. Not a single packet on your man."

"A commit order? Nothing?" Keet is incensed.

Stitch shakes his head and sighs. "No surprise, yeah? He's more slippery than the Pramam's advisor. Maybe her mentor has a history." He hesitates. "There's more, isn't there, Eli, in the logs?"

He found it too. It's stuck in my throat. Out.

"Yeah." I don't have to say it. We all know it. She had the mark. Just like Mashrin. Just like Keet and I. What do I say if he asks? Please. Don't ask. Hold back those tears.

"Lie low, yeah? I'll sketch a bit more before class. Trip?"

Nod.

"And I'll see if I can find out why the Ministry is monopolizing the archives again today. Sweet sleep."

"Thanks both." Yawn. "Chumbuds!" Hands out. Punch him, then slap.

Yawn. Brain dead. Am I there yet? Even my voices are lying low. Whoa. Yawn. Won't miss much in psych. Know all about that from experience. Anatomy? Saw a piece of brain up close too. Yawn...

"What are you doing here?"

Is that music?

"Way! Eli! Hey lo! What are you doing here?"

Caroline? Wake up, girl. I'm in my room sleeping, right? But it's a loud one. Am I at the club? How did I get here?

"You shouldn't be here."

It's her! Nathruyu! In the corner. Quick. Grab Caroline and head for the bar. How
did
I get here? Crap. She's looking for answers and I have none. I should let go now.

"Um. Just bored." That worked. Not sure I'm ready for this. What logic did I use to come here? Can she see me from the corner? No. Good.

"Well, if he finds out... Didn't your cousin tell you?"

My cousin? Oh right. She means Keet. "No worries. I won't tell."

"I'll be in deep." Who is she kidding.

"Not any more than you already are." Shut up. Why did I say that?

"What do you mean?" I don't like that tone. She's not looking very charming right now.

"Where's your special friend? Shouldn't you be riding it with him on the private?" I'm not sure I like that mischievous smirk.

"Why? You interested in joining us?" What an attitude! She has absolutely no propriety. She's leaning over. "I won't tell." And giggling. She's taunting me. How cocky. Hands off. And guys fall for you? "Ease, pretty. Why not have some fun while you're here." She's looking over at two guys around the counter. "You can start small and work your way up."

What does that mean? Does all that hair twirling really work? Ugh. Apparently so. Ok. I'll play along. But first she'll need to talk.

"So, what else do you service the Pramam's advisor with?"

"Who have you been talking to? What I do in private is none of your business." I have her now.

"He's an amateur holographer, did you know?" Oh crap. She didn't. Loosen the grip! Wait. Girl's room.

"Spill it or I spill you." Not good. I'm trapped. Just calm down. Think. She's just upset, eh? Big breath in. And out. "Well?"