“What exactly will this make them do?” Iona asked while they each worked their way along a line of citizens, reaching into the cavities in their backs and entering Victor’s new program, which he had kept as simple as possible. Iona would have liked it to be simpler—she could follow it okay but inputting it was tedious and moving the tiny switches hurt her fingers.

“It should make them storm the bureau,” said Victor.

“I hope it’s rather more . . . precise than your effort at getting Weston out.”

“I did get him out, didn’t I?” muttered Victor. “Anyway we need to move quickly—the guy who attacked the king is lined up to be burned alive and Alyssa might be next.”

“But he was a citizen, wasn’t he?”

“So?”

“So Alyssa’s not . . . I mean they wouldn’t burn a real person alive, would they?”

“You’re assuming this decision’s being made by someone who knows the difference.”

With this sobering thought in mind Iona moved onto her third citizen. Victor was working much faster and was already finishing his fifth.

“How did you learn how to do this?” Iona asked him.

“Lots of trial and error. And also . . . I think this used to be my job, back on the ship. It feels familiar. Do you remember what you were?”

“Oh, I think I was always an architect. I think I was meant to build the colony when we got here.” She knew she was good at what she did. She felt like a person who had trained and honed her skills. She felt like someone they would send to build a city on a new world. She’d been so modest about her ability all these years and now she felt like that modesty had been taken advantage of.

Iona kept on entering the program. Whatever job she’d done back on the ship, she was sure it wasn’t this.

* * *

The king barged into Saori Kagawa’s office and interrupted her while she was talking to a colleague (nobody he knew and therefore nobody important). “Where’s Clarence?” he said.

“He’s talking to the woman who helped Ward escape,” Saori replied after the colleague had made her excuses and left.

“Why’s he doing that?”

“We need to know more about her. She may have other associates.”

“Okay, that makes sense but why’s Clarence the one talking to her?”

“He wanted to.”

The king leaned over the desk. “You don’t take orders from Clarence.”

Saori stared back at him, calm. He could never quite assert himself with her and he wasn’t sure why. He was never sure if she liked him or not and for some reason it mattered to him. He didn’t get that vibe from anyone else in the city.

“I know I don’t,” she replied.

“Good.”

“He didn’t order me. It was a request and I decided to grant it. Should I have run it by you first?”

“No,” said the king, straightening up. “I’m just making sure you know what’s what.” He walked out.