“We don’t have time.” Roux sits up, the bed sheet falling to pool at her waist. Her large breasts defy gravity, thanks to the wonders of flesh parlors. I don’t feel Mantel’s emotions like I did when Kim played Nazarin’s memories, but it seems somehow linked. How else can these drugged dreams be so clear, if they aren’t somehow messing with implants?

Everything’s connected.

“If you still had Veli, then you’d have a cure by now.” I have no idea who or what Veli is. The name hasn’t been mentioned in Tila’s notes, or in the SFPD’s brainloading.

“You don’t know that. And he was an imposter. Some little upstart my father plucked from one of his pet projects.” Mantel’s brow draws down. Almost against his will, an image flickers on the wall of a younger man with a strong jaw and angry eyes. It disappears almost immediately, until I’m not sure if I really saw it at all.

“He was a genius and you were a jealous little boy.” She sounds bored, as if she’s said this to him many times before. She swings her legs over the bed and begins to pull on her stockings.

“Be careful, Roux.” Mantel’s voice simmers in anger.

She looks over her shoulder at him. “I always am.”

The dream shifts. Another woman enters the room, and I don’t recognize her. Mr. Mantel looks over his shoulder in my direction, and I worry he sees me as everything fades away. His dream continues, but I leave.

I wake up in the Chair, Malka watching me, unblinking. In the Chair across from me, Mr. Mantel has a hard-on. I avert my gaze.

Malka folds her hands over her knees. “Well, what did you notice?”

I think through it, replaying the conversation over in my mind.

“Be careful, Roux.” Mantel’s voice simmers in anger.

She looks over her shoulder at him. “I always am.”

“Roux knows that Mantel’s not to be trusted.”

“What makes you say that?”

“She doesn’t give him any specifics. She hints that she’s doing things to bring the Ratel down, but that’s all. She chides him about letting Veli go…” Here I falter. “Who is he?”

“He’s the man who truly invented Zeal. Mantel ousted him from Sudice and put a hit on him, so they say.” She raises an eyebrow. “Veli hasn’t been seen since, in any case. What else did you notice?”

“The government still wants to take us down,” I say, though even pretending to be a part of the Ratel sets my teeth on edge, “but we already knew that.”

Malka smiles. “Good girl.”

“I’m right?”