She laughed as at a child. “Why would I need those when I have sex?”

“You would be surprised how many innocent-seeming projects can be adapted into Harbingers. At times you may request something which, without your knowledge, borders on such arts. We reserve the right to refuse.”

Madame fingered the lace-trimmed choker at her throat. “What God-fearing woman could say no to that? I hope everyone who hires you faces that same restriction.”

Mushi would not step up to her taunt. “We should fix a cap on how many Utopians you may indenture to your quests at once. Shall we say—”

“The cap will be the necessity of discretion,” she supplied, “that is to say, as many as I judge it safe to employ without the risk of others sniffing out the alliance between us.”

Digital eyes narrowed. “You wish to shroud our surrender from the other Alphas? That is agreeable to us as well.”

Her smile widened. “I thought it would be. Better for you if the other Six still think the freaks are operating in isolated ignorance, yes?” She waited, searching the bare quarters of Mushi’s face for shadows of an answer. “It’s better for me, too,” she continued. “Not a few of my gentlemen might have heart attacks if they heard I’d snared you, too.”

“MASON already knows.”

Her painted brows arched. “Did Cornel tell you to come here?”

“No. MASON shared some information with us about the…” Mushi hesitates, uncertain how this grim and regal mother will react hearing her Son called by the honorable title of ‘The Alien.’ “About the Porphyrogene, and the various Alphas’ relationships with them. Or rather MASON confirmed some information. It was just therefore that we tell them our decision before we came to you. As for your proposal that we trust you to keep the number of Utopians you indenture to a shroudable level, we accept. Have you other demands?”

She took a long breath. “I want hostages, two of your finest here at all times, and a further dozen I can summon at will.”

A pause for consultation. “We will want to orbit them out in turns, shall we say five-year shifts?”

“Acceptable, but I mean it when I say I want your finest. I want them to be brilliant, competent, with full access to your technology, the ability to translate your U-speak, many other indispensable traits. Have them be authors, artists, or inventors, too, hostages you’ll really value, I know how you hate losing authors and artists. And make them useful. They’re to serve while they’re here, servants and tutors for my Son. It isn’t right that He be tutored in the secrets of only six of seven Hives.”

The vizor could not conceal a smile of pride. “Many of us fit that description, but we will find some hostages with skills likely to prove useful to you, and whose loss will hurt us deeply.”

“I shall have Caesar make them Familiares Candidi.” Her smile swelled. “Caesar can be our neutral arbiter, to verify for me that those you send me are indeed as excellent and valuable to you as you pretend.”