degrees of interest. A number of programmers at the other tables were gaping, too.
For a moment the outcaste and the icarus locked gazes. At last Cristof gave the same low, irritable noise that Taya recognized from their arguments past.
'I'm also a slagging pain in the tailset and very rarely sweet. Do you have a problem with that, icarus?'
''Rarely’ sweet,' Taya corrected. 'You've worked your way up to ‘rarely,’ remember?'
The tension broke, and Cassi rolled her eyes while the others chuckled.
''Sweet’ is a side of you I have not seen, exalted,' Lt. Amcathra remarked, deadpan. 'I have, however, noticed the other three traits.'
'Then he is a prude,' Cassi said, triumphantly.
Cristof leaned over the chair and gave Taya a faint, crooked smile.
'How are you feeling?' he asked in a low voice as Isobel offered the lieutenant some of the Tizier liquor. The Demican shook his head.
'All right. We've got some news and maybe even a lead or two.'
'So do we. Why does your friend think I'm a prude?'
'Because you were asking about my former boyfriends.'
'Oh.' He glanced across the table at Cassi. 'I should have known she'd talk.'
'Not all the stereotypes about icarii are true, you know.'
'I just wanted to know how many jealous exes I'll have to deal with.'
Taya flushed, not sure whether to be annoyed or flattered. 'The only person you need to worry about is Cassi. She'll make your life hell if she decides she doesn't like you.'
'Lady help me.' He brushed a finger down her cheek, then straightened as Lars hoisted two chairs over the table for the newcomers. The rest of the patrons in the bar were being incrementally shoved back to the walls.
'We cannot stay long,' Amcathra objected, looking around. His eyes settled on Taya. 'We have come here to pick you up.'
'The Council approved Alister's reduced sentence,' Cristof said, his voice tense with excitement. 'I think it's the fastest I've ever seen them move.'
'Cris.' Taya felt her heart leap, and she gave him a smile of pure relief. Viera would be furious, and Alister probably didn't deserve to live, but Taya couldn't help but be happy for Cristof's sake. 'That's great.'
'Reduced to what?' Isobel asked.
'Blinding and exile,' Lt. Amcathra replied. 'Some people would call the sentence worse than death.'
'Not Alister.' Taya touched Cristof's arm, and he nodded.
'So.' Lars sighed. 'I guess that's good, then.'
'It's good,' Victor agreed. 'But a lot of citizens are going to call it favoritism.'
'Damn right it's favoritism,' Pyke growled. 'Doesn't sound to me like they even paused to discuss it. I hope the Council's ready for the backlash.'
'Did you get the information you needed from him?' Taya asked, to forestall Cristof's irritation.
'We're on our way to see him now,' he said, giving Pyke a hard look before glancing back at her. 'I thought you'd want to be there.'
'Us, too,' Lars said, standing. 'We're his friends.'
'We are visiting the exalted to discuss a criminal investigation, not to celebrate his successful blackmail of the city Council,' Amcathra said, chillingly.
'Sure, but it's a criminal investigation in which we're the primary suspects,' the big man objected.
'Do you have any good reason to exclude us?' Victor challenged the lictor.
'You, of all people, should not annoy me, Mister Kiernan.'
Victor and Pyke traded quick looks, and Taya felt a moment's alarm. What were they involved in, anyway?
'I might be more help than you think,' Victor countered.
'We all know what's going on,' Cassi pointed out. 'And we all want to get the you-know-what back. You might as well make us useful, or we'll just hang around outside the station and follow you everywhere you go.'
'I cannot stop you from doing that,' Amcathra admitted. 'But perhaps when it grows late and cold you will lose your enthusiasm.'
'Keep hoping,' Isobel said, smiling. Amcathra glanced at her, then inclined his head in acknowledgement of their shared northern heritage. Still, his next words were directed to Taya.
'Come, if you wish to accompany us.'
'Absolutely.' She untethered her armature and snapped the keel over her chest, leaving the harness straps secured. 'Gregor's waiting for us, lieutenant.'
'I'm afraid we've hired him away from you,' Victor cut in. He gave her a significant look. 'I'll pay for a different coach, if you need one.'
'I'll take care of it,' Cristof interrupted with a frown. Taya wanted to ask more questions, but the closed expressions on Victor's and Pyke's faces were enough to make her stay silent. They were up to something, and they'd gotten Gregor involved. She didn't want to know anything else. She grabbed her crutches and fur cloak.
Walking was much easier with the ondium armature carrying part of her weight, although she chose to sit next to the driver on their hired hack rather than try to jam her wings into a carriage with two grown men. They reached the Secundus headquarters in twenty minutes. Pyke and Cassi were already at the station, perched on the back of one of the iron benches by the street. Gaslight from the street lamps glimmered off their silver wings.
'Show-offs,' Taya muttered, sticking her tongue out at them. Cassi winked.
'How's Viera?' Cristof asked, holding the door open as Taya ducked through. Amcathra strode up to Captain Scarios, handing him a formal-looking document.
'She's still angry.' Taya set one of her crutches by the door. With her wings, she could maneuver with one. 'Did you find anything about the crates and wagon?'
'We confirmed that something heavy went by on Froshcourse a little before midnight, and we're pretty certain the wagon passed through the sector gate to Tertius around ten in the morning. The hounds lost the scent after the wagon left the university gates. We've got military icarii sweeping the roads in case the wagon already left the city, but security's been high ever since the bomb went off on the Tower ferry, so we think it's more likely that the thieves are lying low.'
'Risky,' Taya said. 'Someone could find them.'
'They'd be taking a risk either way; they'd have to know we'd monitor the roads as soon as the theft was discovered. One good thing is that the weather's in our favor. The thieves will have to leave Ondinium within the next two months, before the passes close. We can step up security until then.'
'But what about Kyle?'
Cristof pushed up his glasses, looking at the two lictors. 'He's one of the reasons the Council agreed to Alister's deal. Kyle's one of the city's top programmers, now that Alister's been arrested.'
'What were the other reasons?'
'The prototype's important, and they want Alister's information about the Alzanan spy network.'
Taya sensed from the way he was avoiding her gaze that he wasn't telling her everything.
Lies of omission
, she reminded herself.
'What else?'
He lifted a shoulder.
'I agreed to give them all of the work Alister was keeping at home, instead of handing it over to the newspapers with an exclusive interview.'
'You would have done that? I don't believe it.'
