“This is all great fun for me, but to be truthful, I’m worried about you. My guess is that you will try to take a photo of Berman, which I also imagine you’re clever enough to pull off. But if you use this to get access to secure areas, you’ll be trespassing, and no one knows what the consequences of that might be.”

“I appreciate your concern,” Pia said. “And I recognize the risk. If I use this to get into areas where I’m not authorized to be and something happens, it’s not your fault. It is mine and mine alone. But let me say this: I would have learned about these iris scanners and how to get by them if you hadn’t helped. It just would have taken longer. I’m determined to get a look around Nano, particularly in the building next to where I work: the one connected to mine by the bridge.”

For a minute Pia and Paul stared at each other. Pia held the contact as long as she could before turning away.

“Can you at least appreciate what I’m saying?” Paul questioned.

“Absolutely,” Pia snapped. She looked back at Paul, her eyes blazing. “But don’t carry it too far if you want to stay my friend. I’ve had too many people making decisions for me in my life. I don’t need that anymore, and I don’t want it.”

“Fair enough,” Paul said. “I just wanted to get it off my chest.”

“Okay, it’s off your chest. Shall we move on?”

“Right!” Paul said. He stood up and walked over to his desk. Using a connector, he attached the high-definition camera to his computer. “Let me have your iPhone. Let’s see what we can do.”

There was no conversation while Paul played around with the images of Pia’s eyes and face. A sense of unease hung in the air until Pia broke the silence.

“There is something else I would like,” Pia said. When Paul didn’t respond immediately she continued: “What do you say about giving me a couple more of those Temazepam capsules.”

Paul eyes left the computer screen and moved over to Pia. “You’re getting as bossy as Mariel, if I may say so.”

“Sorry,” Pia said without sincerity. She didn’t think of herself that way, just that she was her own person and hated to be bossed herself.

“I have to say no,” Paul said. “You’ll have to get someone else to fill your drug needs if you want to remain my friend. That’s where I draw my line in the sand as well. I told you I wasn’t going to do anything illegal, so I’m not going to abet the misuse of controlled substances, especially when I think it puts you at risk. Once, maybe, without giving the idea the thought that I should have, but not twice.”