Nazarin gets up and brings back two glasses of water. I gulp mine down. He takes a breath. “Veli was once CEO of Sudice, Inc.,” Nazarin says. “Veli Carrera. Alex Mantel’s father, Peter Mantel, and Carrera started Sudice. They created Zeal. After Peter died, Alex ousted Carrera, wanting Sudice to be a family-run affair. Carrera didn’t take it well. Alex thought it was dangerous to leave Carrera … untethered, and so he tried to kill him, hiring a hitman, probably hired from the Ratel. But Veli Carrera escaped and found his way into the mob. He changed his face so that no one would find him. The SFPD think that he worked his way up from the bottom and became … Ensi.”

I let that sink in. “So Ensi is the man who helped invent Zeal in the first place. It explains why he was able to fabricate Verve. He has the technical foundation. It also explains why he’s interested in weakening Zeal’s hold on the city and replacing it with Verve. They can break down the city, and hurt Sudice in the process.”

“Exactly.”

“So many layers and secrets.”

“I told you. The further undercover you go, the more there seem to be.”

We lapse into silence.

“I think he might be coming up with a form of Verve that doesn’t need a Chair and implants,” I say carefully. “He dosed me with Verve, I think, before the Test.”

“Easier to dose large numbers of people that way, or in places they don’t expect.” Nazarin rubs his face.

“He’ll be able to peek into everyone’s heads at will. No secrets. Not from him.”

“Exactly.” Nazarin sighs. “One good thing, I suppose. Ensi’s asked me to be his bodyguard. That drop from the Hearth? I’m going to be right there by his side, with a perfect view to record everything.” He taps his temple.

“One good thing, good being relative,” I say. “After the drop, I think we need to duck out. This is growing too dangerous.”

“I agree completely. If we can find out what the Hearth is delivering, prove Ensi is receiving illicit material, and that Alex Mantel is involved, that’s enough that we can bring the force of the law down on the Ratel. We’re not needed after that.”

“Just until the drop,” I say, in almost a sigh.

“Just until then.”

Then it’s over.

*   *   *

Monday ends. Tuesday passes in a blur of last-minute preparation and too little sleep. Then it’s Wednesday. The drop will happen at midnight.