Sal looks around at the room and sighs. “I’ll have to redecorate. I got all the blood out, but the memories are still here. All of this will have to go.”

The blood drains from my cheeks. Something terrible happened here last Thursday, but the idea of it all disappearing and being replaced with more bland, expensive furniture is hard to take. The room that changed everything for me will continue to be just another back Zeal lounge in the Zenith nightclub.

“One last thing,” Nazarin says. “I recommend you check your Zeal supply.” He nods to the Chairs in the corner.

Sal starts. “Why?”

“I can’t give details, but we have reason to believe that someone may be responsible for tampering with Zeal in certain lounges. If you find any anomalies, buy fresh stuff. Check it every time.”

“We’ve had people plugged in since Friday morning. Why didn’t you tell us this?”

“We only just found out about it. And it’s unlikely, but I wanted to warn you to take precautions.” I am pretty certain the thought has only just occurred to Nazarin. The lines around his mouth are tight. I wonder if he’s thinking about the night he had to provide security to the off-grid lounge. Tila told the SFPD she hadn’t been asked to lucid dream within Zenith yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Was Vuk sent here to tamper with the supply, and is that why Tila came to blows with him?

“I’ll check the Zeal daily myself,” Sal says.

“Good. Please let us know if you find anything unusual and send a sample directly to us for testing. No one else.” His voice sharpens.

“Of course not,” Sal says, all smooth charm.

With a last look out the window at glittering San Francisco sprawling below, the owner of Zenith walks away, and Nazarin and I are left alone.

“Are you OK?” Nazarin asks.

“Yes, I am.” It’s not a lie: my fingers shake a little, and I really want to get out of this room, but I’m holding it together. Mana-ma’s training is in full effect, and I’ve dampened my emotions enough to function. I ask if he thinks Vuk has tampered with the Zeal here and mixed or replaced it with Verve.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so, but I’d rather warn Sal than risk the supply being contaminated.”

“Right. So am I to stay for the whole six hours of Tila’s shift?”

“We’ll see how you get on. If you like, we can leave early.”

“Are you going to be posing as a client?” I ask.

He pauses and turns to me. “Yes. I’ll be watching along with you. It could be someone here knows more than they let on. Pallua, maybe.”

I nod. “OK.”

He moves close and slings an arm around me, and I start in surprise.