Surface Detail

Two more silvery ellipsoids came and went, revealing two tall, pan-human but most certainly not Sichultian people: a man and an androgynous figure that looked slightly more female than male. The man was bald, and dressed in severe-looking dark clothes. Lededje recognised him, though he looked more alien than the last time they’d met. The other person wore a sort of suit, even more formal-looking, in grey.

“Prebeign-Frultesa Yime Leutze Nsokyi dam Volsh,” the drone announced, “and Av Himerance, of the ex-LOU Me, I’m Counting.”

“Ms. Y’breq,” Himerance said softly, bowing to her. “Good to see you again. Do you remember me?”

Lededje swallowed, wished she’d had time to dry her eyes, and did her best to smile. “I do. Good to see you, too.”

Himerance and Demeisen exchanged looks, then nods.

Demeisen stared at Yime Nsokyi, gaze flicking over her from boot sole to high collar. “You know,” he said, “I’m sure I’ve seen somebody else in Quietus wearing exactly the same clothes as you’re wearing now.”

“It’s called a uniform, Av Demeisen,” Yime told him patiently. “It is what we wear in Quietus.”

“No!”

“We feel it shows respect for those on whose behalf we work.”

“Really?” Demeisen looked thunderstruck. “Fuck me, I had no idea the dead could be so demanding.”

Yime Nsokyi smiled the tolerant smile of those long-used to such remarks and executed a sort of nodding-bow to Lededje. “Ms. Y’breq. I have come a long way to meet with you. Are you well?”

Lededje shook her head. “Not great.”

Demeisen clapped his hands. “Well, riotous fun though this is, I really need to be putting some heliopauses between me and here. See you all around. Ambassador.”

Huen held up one hand, delaying Demeisen, to his obvious annoyance. “Do you think Veppers told the truth earlier?” she asked. “When he implied he had yet to reveal the targets for this second wave of ships?”

“Of course not. Can I go now? I mean, I’m going to go, but may I with your permission, given we seem to be observing excruciatingly correct protocol?”

Huen smiled and gave a small nod.

There was just about a delay between Huen nodding and the silvery ellipsoid forming and collapsing. The popping noise was more of a bang this time. Huen saw Lededje’s shoulders relax again.

The girl shook her head, muttered, “Excuse me,” and went back to looking out of the window.

“Are we clear, Olf?” Huen asked the drone.

“We are, ma’am,” the machine told her.

“Ms. Nsokyi, Av Himerance,” the ambassador said. “To what do we owe the honour?”

“I have been sent by Quietus to check on Ms. Y’breq, as she is a recent reventee,” Yime Nsokyi said.

“And I promised to bring Ms. Nsokyi here,” Himerance said. “Though I also thought it would be pleasant to pay my respects to Ms. Y’breq.”

There was an anguished noise from near the window, where Lededje was staring at her reflection, her nose almost pressing against the glass, while the fingers of her right hand stabbed at the skin on the inside of her left wrist. They all looked.

She whirled round. “Now the fucking tat’s stopped working!” She looked round all of them, meeting mostly blank looks.

Huen sighed, looked at the drone. “Olfes, would you?”

“Calling.”

Demeisen’s image appeared, translucent, on the polished wooden floor, just bright enough to throw a reflection.

“Now what?” the image said, waving its arms, gaze directed at Lededje. “I thought you couldn’t wait to get rid of me?”

“What’s happened to my tat?” she demanded.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s stopped working!”

The image appeared to squint, staring at her. “Hmm,” it said. “See what you mean. Looks like it’s frozen. Well, that will happen. Probably from when I had to half-stun you to stop you ripping Veppers’ throat out; collateral damage. Sorry. My apologies.”

“Well, fix it!”

“Can’t. Heading fast for Tsung. Have to Displace you and the tat and I’m already too far away and getting further away too quickly. Ask the drone.”

“Beyond my ken,” Olfes-Hresh said. “I’ve had a quick look. I can’t even see how it works.”

“Come back!” Lededje wailed. “Fix it! It’s stuck the way it was!”

The image nodded. “Okay. Will do. Not right now though. Day or two. Later.”

The image had disappeared by the time the word “later” reached Lededje’s ears. She buried her face in her hands and roared.

Huen looked at the drone, which made a shaking motion. “Not picking up,” it said quietly.

“Is there anything I can do… we can do?” Yime said.

Lededje collapsed onto her haunches, face still hidden in her hands.

Huen looked thoughtfully at her, then raised her gaze to the Quietus agent and the avatar. “Perhaps,” she said, “there is. Let me explain the situation.”

“Before you do that,” Demeisen’s voice said from Huen’s desk. “May I add something?”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Lededje breathed, taking her hands away from her face and rolling backwards to lie on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. “Is there no getting away from this fucking machine?”

Huen was frowning at the drone. “I thought we were clear?” she said.