from them to give their wings more clearance.
'We've met,' Pyke said, nodding to Victor.
'Taya was asking about a bar in Slagside.' Victor paused. 'If we're heading down there, I thought Scuro might be useful.'
'You're friends with him?'
'We've had a few drinks together.'
'I'd like to get to know him better. He's got interesting things to say about technological colonization.'
'Did you hear him last week?'
'You mean his talk about the Cabisi?'
'Oh, Lady save us, they're conspirators,' Cassi groaned. 'If you two are going to talk spook stuff, do it outside.'
'I'm so glad somebody else thinks that stuff is way outside normal operating parameters,' Isobel said, reaching across the table and offering her hand. 'If you get Victor started on politics, he'll rant for hours.'
'Pyke's the same way,' Cassi said, shaking hands with her.
'Pyke!' Taya said. 'There's a hack outside, driven by a man named Gregor. He can take you and Victor on my tab, if you've got a long way to go.'
Pyke nodded, deep in conversation with the dour programmer.
'I wonder where they're off to,' Emelie said as they walked off together. 'We don't need any more political trouble.'
'Politics is always trouble,' Lars muttered, with his chin on his fist.
Cassi waved to the bartender for another pitcher. Meanwhile, Taya tethered her floating armature to a table leg and inspected her flight suit. The physicians had exacerbated the damage Cristof had started, slicing the suit's leg open to help her out of it the day before.
'Do you think this can be fixed?' she asked, fingering the tear.
'Probably not.' Cassi poured her a beer. 'But as long as you aren't going airborne, a torn leg won't matter.'
'I guess not.' Taya sighed, running a hand over the oiled leather. 'I liked this suit, though.'
'Get the top cut into a jacket.' Cassi grinned and stroked the fur draped over the back of Taya's chair. 'Then I can borrow this.'
'So, why are you here, anyway?' Emelie asked, in a challenging tone.
'Taya said we might be able to help you find the you-know-what,' Cassi replied. 'And I've never been in here before. It never hurts to try out a new bar.'
'They carry an interesting liquor from Tizier,' Isobel volunteered. 'None of these other wretches will drink it. It's a kind of a spicy, anise-flavored rum.'
'Wow.' Cassi made a face. 'Is it as bad as it sounds?'
'Worse.'
'How much does it cost?'
'I don't understand why Kyle hasn't shown up yet,' Lars sighed. Taya turned to him as Cassi and Isobel continued talking. 'Do you think Vic was right? Could he have been working with the thieves?'
'All Victor said was that Kyle was a suspect,' Taya corrected him. She wanted to tell him about Amcathra's suggestion, but she forced herself to stay silent. 'Kyle struck me as an honest, responsible man. I don't think he is a spy.'
'No, but I would have said that about Alister, too. I was thinking….'
'What?'
'What if Kyle got there before me and ran into them? Maybe they did something to him.'
Taya tightened her hands around her metal tankard until her knuckles were white.
'If they did,' she said, choosing her words with care, 'he'd be too valuable to hurt. Anyone who wants an engine will want a programmer.'
'Yeah, that's true.' The big man looked thoughtful. 'And Kyle's smart enough to let them know that, too. So if the lictors find the engine—'
'They might find Kyle, too. If the thieves have him. But he could be someplace else, couldn't he? Visiting family, or a girlfriend or something?' Taya echoed Cristof's words.
'Nah, Izzy asked at his brother's house. They haven't seen him.'
'And the only person Kyle likes is you, Lars,' Emelie said, standing. Isobel glared at her, but Lars just stared at his drink. 'This is too depressing. I'm leaving.'
'Are you sure?' Taya asked. 'Cris — Exalted Forlore said he'd stop by tonight, if he can, to tell us how the investigation is going.'
Emelie vacillated for a few seconds, then shrugged.
'Maybe I'll stop by later. But I can't stand sitting around here doing nothing.'
'We'll send a message to your flat if anything changes,' Isobel said. Emelie nodded and walked off, buttoning her coat. The tall blonde turned and patted Lars on the shoulder. 'Cheer up. It'll be all right. A lot of people are looking for him.'
'Let's order that anise drink,' Cassi suggested. 'Sounds like we could all use something stronger than beer, and if it tastes bad, it'll take our minds off our worries.'
They sat around drinking and talking for another hour. Taya excused herself for a few minutes and went into a back room to change into her flight suit. She felt better wearing it, even if one leg flapped. By the time the city clocks struck six, Victor and Pyke had returned, looking satisfied and paying for Gregor's delayed meal. The coachman sat at a table by the door, keeping an eye on his hack, while the two men rejoined them.
'Where's Em?' Victor asked, dropping into a chair. Isobel slid the squat bottle of greenish-black liquor over to him. He helped himself to Lars’ small glass and poured.
'She went home,' Isobel said. 'She said she might be back later.'
'Sure.' The bearded man made a face and drank, then shuddered and refilled the glass, handing it to Pyke.
'Did you find out anything about the red door?' Taya asked.
'Nothing useful,' the programmer said. Next to him, Pyke took a shot of the Tizier liquor and made a strangling noise, slamming the glass on the table.
'Lady and spirits above, that's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted,' he gasped.
'Isobel collects bad drinks,' Cassi said, laughing. 'She says this isn't even close to the worst.'
'Well, so far nothing's been worse than the fermented goat's milk,' Victor agreed, catching his team-mate's eye. Isobel smiled at him, sharing a private joke.
Disappointed that they hadn't learned anything about the red door, Taya slumped in her chair. 'Your friend wasn't any help, then?'
'Scuro gave us some advice about entering Slagside.' Victor waved a hand. 'We can go down and find it ourselves.'
'You aren't worried about getting into trouble?'
'Three icarii, three programmers, and a hack driver walk into Slagside — it sounds like the beginning to a bad joke, doesn't it?' The bearded man chuckled and Pyke laughed out loud. Taya wondered if they'd been drinking at Scuro's. They seemed flushed with excitement. She shook her head, then glanced up as the conversation around them died.
'We are not here to arrest anybody,' Lt. Amcathra announced, walking in. The bar's patrons muttered, looking askance as Cristof followed the lictor. A few of the programmers made awkward bows. Others just stared with shock at the castemarks on his bare face.
The two men brushed past the tables and joined them. The team and Cassi bowed. Pyke waved a hand vaguely in front of his face. Cristof ignored them all.
'You have your wings again.' He sounded disapproving as he dropped his hands on the back of Taya's chair. 'I thought the doctor said you were grounded.'
'Oooh, the exalted's bossy, as well as a prude,' Cassi said, her voice carrying as she stared Cristof in the eye.
Cristof's lips tightened, and Taya realized that everyone around the table was staring at him with various
