Zeke said, “People who are used to ’em don’t shove them around with big metal plates. They shoot them in the head and call it a day.”

“It’s true,” Houjin assured Rector. “That … that was … exactly what you said. Weird.” Then he fell silent.

Zeke didn’t seem to notice, and Rector didn’t want to push. He’d gotten enough bad news already, and there was still a bogeyman to meet. “Weird or not, we’ve got an appointment, don’t we? Get me down to see this guy.”

“Right,” Houjin said firmly. He looked glad to be given a new train of thought. “Not much farther.”

“You keep saying that.”

“It keeps being true. Down some more stairs, across the street, and into the Smith Tower.”

Zeke chimed in, “And then it’s a straight shot to the Station.”

This time, Rector’s guides were as good as their word, though the truth of the matter didn’t make crossing the street any less nerve-racking given the blind corners, the soup-thick fog, and the fresh knowledge of rotters in the area. But everyone stayed quiet and all heads were kept down, and soon they were back underground beneath the tall, white tower.

In the meantime, Rector concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. It took more focus than it should have, but Rector wasn’t merely tired, and he wasn’t merely battered. He was also dogged by the old yearning tugs of sap, and it made him cranky. Now that he was up and around, just thinking about it made his head ache and swell. He felt the exaggerated sensation of his cheeks inflating, stretching the gas-mask straps and squeezing his skull. He tasted that peculiar yellow stink in the back of his throat, down past his tongue. He experienced the ghost-pains of his simmering blood, wanting to be seared like lightning.

Visiting Yaozu might be a good thing. Yaozu had plenty of sap.

As Rector followed Zeke and Houjin down streets that felt like mining tunnels, across tracks for carts, and around the more heavily populated corners of the Station, he began to plot. He could try negotiation. Barter. Begging. All the usual tricks. Sap couldn’t be that hard to come by, there at the source.

Houjin announced, “We’re here! This is the lift.”

“And this will take us into the Station?”

“Yep.” Zeke hesitated, looking embarrassed—even behind the mask. “But you know how it goes, Huey: This is where I turn around. Momma will kill me if I go any deeper.”

Rector snorted. “Still obeying your momma? At your age?”

“You’ve met her. ’Sides, Yaozu wants to see you, not me. He don’t have no use for me—he’s told me so himself.”

“Lucky you.”

Zeke shrugged. “You might get lucky, too. Huey, I’ll see you when you come back around, huh?”