At the head of the crowd are half a dozen Aegins. She recognizes several of them from inside the cooperative and the Circus paths outside. Lexi tries to read their expressions as well, but it’s more difficult. While one or two of them share the assemblage’s disturbed concern, most of their faces are stony, their eyes dark and guarded.

Most of the Aegins have their gaze locked on Taru’s back. They’re not even looking at Lexi or the scene behind her.

Taru speaks quietly and only for Lexi’s ears. “Te-Gen, I’ve explained the situation and your command to them. They are… not pleased. But I made it clear the only way anyone would enter this room is through me.”

“I imagine they were even less pleased with that,” Lexi remarks.

Taru nods. “And yet there they stand. Behind me.”

Lexi wants to grin, but she can’t locate the expression in that moment.

“They’ve sent word,” Taru says. “A third-class Aegin or above from outside the Gen Circus will be here soon.”

“And until then?”

“I will wait with you.”

Lexi nods and steps aside, allowing Taru to enter the surveyor’s room. She’s allowed one last look at the resentment and bitterness on several of the Aegins’ faces before Taru pulls the door closed once more. Lexi wonders if those looks were for her, or her retainer.

The thoughts are banished as she turns back to the carnage overtaking the small space, no longer able to ignore the gruesome scene or block the fresh memories of how it came to be so.

Lexi draws a deep, troubled breath. “I truly do not wish to spend any more time in this room. In fact, I may never be able to sit in here again.”

“I am sorry, Te-Gen. You could wait in another room, but I will be unable to guard both you and these bodies.”

Lexi shakes her head. “We must preserve what happened here and not allow anyone to tamper with the bodies until an official record is made by someone beyond reproach.”

Taru doesn’t even attempt to mask their disdain. “You ask a lot of Aegins.”

They seem to immediately regret speaking out of turn, but before they can apologize Lexi dismisses the incident with a wave of her hand.

“Perhaps I am. But it’s the best a Gen of two can do under the circumstance, unfortunately.”

They wait while the horns continue their bellowing, then one by one cease until only the call of Gen Stalbraid’s own cooperative remains. That horn discontinues its steady blowing in favor of short, signaling bursts every few moments, to mark the cooperative as the source of the emergent disturbance.