A FEW SECONDS AFTER I thought I would go completely insane if the elevator doors didn’t open, they opened. There I was, back on the Sixth Floor in that gold and white hallway, with higher ceilings than I’ve ever seen underground. It was the kind of space that made you want to take a deep breath. But there was no time for wonder.

I heard the slapping before I saw him.

“Hello, visitor!”

Felix came to a stop in front of me, all his animal parts collected like a preschooler’s drawing come to life, horror-style.

“I said human this time,” I answered, stepping back. There was no getting used to Felix.

“Yeah,” Felix said, black eyes gleaming. “It’s a little Sixth-Floor humor. It doesn’t matter what you press; I’m all we’ve got.”

“Funny.”

“I’ll let them know you think so!” His eyes rolled back before I could stop him. A moment later, he twitched. “Message sent.”

“Great. I need to get back into the Looking Glass.” I took a step forward as I said it, fueled by my lack of options.

If push came to shove, I could take him.

“No, you couldn’t,” Felix responded. “I am much more dangerous than you are.” The fur on his arms parted as metal rose up: long, thin barrels with scopes on the ends. Red sight beams checkered my body, murder confetti.

“How did you know I was thinking—”

“You can’t go back to the Looking Glass, Mr. Trip.”

I looked at his arsenal, surprised the weight of it didn’t topple him right over, wheels spinning in the air. I sidestepped, but the red dots followed.

“Look,” I said, taking another slow step forward, my hands up. “If you can read my mind, then you know I have no choice. My colleague who I was with last time? She is—”

“Is the female experiencing distress? I could explain the treatment for distress following the Looking Glass in a comforting manner, but compassion is an advanced feature. You don’t have that kind of clearance.”

“She’s fine,” I said. “But she stole my results, and she won’t give them back. I just want the answer to my original question. That’s all. I’m owed that, don’t you think?”

Felix’s jaw cracked open, alligator teeth sparkling under bear fur. He seemed frozen like that for a second, before I realized it was a mechanical attempt at laughter.

“Ha ha ha ha,” he said.

Fuck you, I thought.

“You can’t go back to the Looking Glass, Mr. Trip.”

“Please,” I said. My voice surprised me, the weakness in it. I was high on outrage, but outrage is nothing but steam. I know; I see it in my deals every day. Too often, outrage is the last use of the air we are so sure we’ve earned.