A machinelike hum kicked up, coming from the only adjoining corridor, followed by the sound of heavy, clacking steps. Kat’s hand dropped to her side, ready to blast whatever turned the corner.

“Do not worry,” Lark said, holding up his own hand. “Those are just my two assistants.”

The Aykari nodded behind him and two robots appeared in the back of the control room. They were as similar looking as Leo was to Boo. The shorter of the two was humanoid in shape, two legs, two arms, and a torso, all armor plated, an elegant shimmering silver, but no weapons to speak of. Its head was fashioned more after the Aykari with its distinctive diamond shape. The robot looked top-of-the-line, fresh out of the box. It moved with almost humanlike fluidity as it studied its new visitors.

The same couldn’t be said for its companion, who reminded Leo much more of Skits, though almost twice her size and without the bumper stickers. It ambled into the control room on six insectoid legs, its bulbous middle section a hodgepodge of multijointed limbs and hidden compartments. It had clearly been cobbled together from a variety of spare parts just like she had. Compared to its massive frame, the robot’s head seemed disproportionately small, little more than an upside-down salad bowl with two glowing yellow eyes. It was bulky and chunky—the robot equivalent of buff.

“Number One,” Lark said, pointing to the lithe, shiny robot with the piercing blue receptors. “And Number Nine,” Lark said, indicating the crablike confabulation of parts. Of course an Aykari would simply give his robots numbers for names, Leo thought.

The bulky Number Nine raised one of his multijointed metal legs in salute.

“What happened to the other seven?” Boo wondered.

“Numbers Two through Eight were slowly incorporated into their successor, who is of my own design,” Lark replied. “Number One, on the other hand, is a service droid that I brought with me from Aykar. She is my loyal servant.”

“Actually, I’m a bit of a tinkerer myself,” Baz admitted, finding something in common with the Aykari at last. “Skits here is kind of my baby.”

“God, Bastian, can you please not call me that?” Skits hissed. Leo watched as her head turned toward Number Nine before quickly twisting back. The giant, spiderlike robot didn’t seem to notice.

“Maybe you two can play build-a-bot after we talk to Crayt,” Kat interjected.

Lark looked at each of them in turn. His eyes finally seemed to rest on Leo. “Of course. But now that we are here, perhaps you will finally tell me what it is you want from him.”

Leo opened his mouth to speak, but Baz cut him off. Again. “Sorry, Aykari. Our business is with Crayt and Crayt only. So how about you go fetch him for us before things get messy.”

Leo saw the Aykari’s eyes shift at last. Blue to green, green to yellow, yellow to orange.

This was never a good sign.

“I am afraid things are already messy,” Lark said.