“A worm, a trojan, a virus, some sort of malware . . .” Laila said. “It could be anything.”

“It could be nothing,” Nasir said.

“It allows you to see it,” she pointed out. “Why you? We scanned the hole after the incident. I didn’t pick anything up.”

Hummingbird blinked at Nasir. It nestled in the crook of his arm.

“Hungry. . . .”

“Let’s go back,” Nasir said. “Maybe there’s food for it in the city.”

“You could try the Sims Shelter,” Laila said.

“I suppose. Come on, little one,” Nasir said.

The creature closed its eyes and snored. When Nasir removed the goggles he couldn’t see it at all.

“A bit convenient that you found it,” Laila said as they were driving back.

Nasir nodded, distracted. “It’s just somebody’s pet,” he said.

Laila said, “But whose?”

Sharif stood with a pounding headache. Had she been drinking? An old fury took hold of her. She was no fool.

She had been tampered with.

She called up surveillance but got only static. Someone had thrown a bomb into the Conversation here.

Someone.

She had no enemies she knew of. None who were still alive. Which left what?

An old friend. . . .

An old, familiar fury took hold of her.

How dare she come back? How dare she drag Sharif once more into her affairs?

She staggered to her work tent. She found a bottle, drank. She rinsed her mouth and spat.

The golden man lay on the table, still in parts.

She thought, Is this why you came back?

Sharif found a hammer.

She wanted to destroy it, then changed her mind.

“You know what your problem is, Nasu?” she said aloud.

Just in case Nasu was listening.

“You were never as good as you thought you were,” Sharif said.

She let the hammer drop. Approached the table and switched on the lights.

“Well, let’s see what you are,” she said.

And then she started building.

“Mmm mmmf,” Anubis said. “Mmm mmmf.’

Saleh turned under the covers, pushed the jackal away. “Are we there yet?” he said sleepily. His dreams were full of space.

“It’s morning,” the jackal said.

Saleh sat up, blinked. He pulled the blanket off and went to the balcony and the jackal padded behind him.

They stood and watched the sea in the distance as the sunlight spread overhead, from the mountains down to the water.

18. The Relic