She changed her perspective: the wires of Seven Alpha’s body faded, replaced by a web extending from the pumps of the idol’s artificial heart. Each wire was a deal, a contract, appended with relevant names and account numbers in angular glyphs. She spun time on its axis and slid forward again, looking for some gold, for Kevarian might be hunting some treasure for the Order to protect. Over time, Seven Alpha bound herself to more Kavekana idols as Mara diversified her investments. Kai wouldn’t have made so many bonds—hundreds, it looked like, and multiplying fast—but it happened sometimes.

If Ms. Kevarian wanted to map the idol network, this would be a good place to start: before Seven Alpha’s death. Kai altered the artificial dreamscape to clear away all information Kevarian had not requested.

Night fell, infinite and everlasting.

Not this far back, then. So what did Ms. Kevarian want to see?

She advanced until Seven Alpha took shape again in the darkness, shining, smiling, divine, all assets invested in a massive bid on Shining Empire debt. Risky move. Kai had never pegged Mara for such a gambler. She hung back even from the office ullamal bracket, bet only a few thaums at a time. But bad gamblers took big risks. Seven Alpha borrowed, and bought. The investment’s value fell, and the idol collapsed. Kai watched Seven Alpha die in slow motion. The brilliant heart corroded. Claws caught nothing. That last single desperate surge, grasping for an invisible rope—Kai’s offer.

Then, death.

Kai hovered alone in the artificial past. She watched the death again, and again, and heard no strange words, saw no hidden truth. Howl, bound world was an invention of her drug-addled mind, a line from Edmond Margot’s diseased brain passed along to her by a strange and untraced course.

The idol died. That was it. That was all.

What else did she expect? Mara took a stupid risk. The idol suffered. Kai took a second stupid risk to save her, to save them both, and that didn’t work out, either.

Sometimes gambles don’t work out.

Sometimes people die.

She thought about her father, and the old gods.

Ms. Kevarian had not found any information that might expose the Order’s other clients. Either she hadn’t asked for it, or she had and Jace blocked her. So much for Kai’s cavalry charge. So much for discovering, in the depths of disgrace, a secret threat to island and Order. So much for Jace welcoming her back as savior. Arrogance, vanity, to think that she, by herself, could uncover a threat Jace and Mara and Gavin and all the others missed.

She did not return to the present. Why risk discovery again? The illusion slipped, and she fell back to her own body, pierced and sore. Air cut her lungs. The beach painting mocked from the far wall. Fake surf rushed and retreated.