Osa let out a very soft sigh of relief, perhaps because the embassy was in the hands of a military man and a fellow ayaSegu. Under a Termite officer (a scheme-colonel would be a Termite, just as Enact-Colonel Osa was a Jackal) surely their security would not be neglected.

“Excuse me,” Baru said, loudly and rudely. “Excuse me. Are the embassy’s services also at my disposal?”

“Yes, Miss Plane, of course.”

“I’m looking for someone’s parents. He is an Oriati boy. I assume he must therefore have Oriati parents. Where are your eugenic records?”

Tau blinked at her. “What are you doing?”

Baru held her body carefully still despite the urge to jitter in place. “I’m trying to track down the birth parents of a boy in my care. I have a portrait, well drawn, and a few snatches of rhyme he remembers. Who could I speak to about this?”

“I’m afraid Oriati Mbo is quite, ah, larger than your esteemed home, Your Excellence, and we do not practice eugenics. Therefore it can be difficult to keep a comprehensive census.” Scheme-Colonel Masako offered his left hand, the hand you were taught, as a child, to keep off food and other people. “But I can, of course, bring your portraits and rhymes to our archivists?”

“No!” Baru screwed her eyes up in suspicion. “I’ve been entrusted with these documents. I cannot let them out of my hands.”

“Ah. Very Falcresti.” Masako glanced at Osa, who glanced at Tau, who was staring at Baru with their brows furrowed. “Is the matter urgent?”

“Not really,” Baru admitted, which was to her advantage, because she needed time for word to percolate through the embassy that a Falcresti technocrat was asking questions about a mysterious boy. No—she ought to think of Iraji as a man. She ought to make a practice of it.

Masako bowed. “Then I’ll ask around during the reception, and introduce whoever from our staff seems best qualified. Now, if you’ll come with me, I’m sure the pineapples are approaching perfectly browned…”

“What are you doing?” Tau whispered.

“I’m looking for Iraji’s parents,” Baru said, which was the truth. She did not have to say those parents were Cancrioth, did she? She had sworn to share whatever she learned, not what she already knew.…

On Cheetah she’d debated the difference between goodness and playing-at-goodness. She knew which side she was on now.

“You didn’t tell me,” Tau-indi said.

“It’s between me and him.”

“I could help.”

“He doesn’t trust Mbo people. He wants me to handle it.”

“That’s very sad,” Tau said, with genuine hurt.

“The grounds are secure, I think,” Osa muttered, “Masako seemed comfortable, and he didn’t show me any secret signs.”

“Oh, how I wish it were so.” Tau smiled wearily at their escort. “The embassy is thoroughly compromised, and Masako cannot be trusted. Something’s gone terribly wrong here.”