“Let’s prepare these other specimens that have been delivered,” Zin ordered.

“As you wish, Curator,” the taxidermist replied. “And the organic machine?”

There was zeal in Zin’s voice. “It is an amazing find. A crude, yet functioning, relic fabricated from extinct hands. I cannot wait to thoroughly disassemble it to discover how it functions.”

He’s talking about Muthr!

“It’s time we get out of here. All of us,” Eva said. She reached into her tunic pocket and pulled out Zin’s pillar guard remote.

I’m glad he didn’t see me swipe this when I grabbed the Omnipod back, she thought. Aiming the remote at the nearest pillar guard, Eva waved her hand over the three lights. The eyes of the towering guard opened, focusing downward at the girl as it blatted a greeting.

“Follow me,” she commanded, “and do as I say.” Eva opened the large circular door to the laboratory.

“Eva Nine!” Zin’s tiny eyes were wide with a look of surprise. “What’s this?” The giant pillar guard stepped in behind her.

“Not again!” the taxidermist moaned, scurrying away. In the center of the room was a cell containing a robot.

“Muthr!” Eva was relieved to see that the robot was unharmed. Eva scanned the room for the hiding taxidermist. She spied his squat body behind a cell full of fluttering insects and called out to him, “Release the robot, or the pillar guard starts destroying.”

“Eva Nine,” Zin said, approaching Eva. “This is not the best way to handle—”

“Now!” Eva yelled. The taxidermist aimed a remote at Muthr’s cell, causing the walls to dissipate. The robot rolled over to Eva. “Come on, let’s go!” Eva said, keeping her eyes locked on Zin as she backed out of the room and into the corridor. The pillar guard followed, and the large door slid shut behind them.

“Lock it!” she commanded the pillar guard. The giant jammed one of his clawed hands into the door, causing it to buckle so that it could no longer open.

Eva turned to Muthr. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, dear! Are you?” Muthr embraced her. “I am so happy to see you!” She paused, giving Eva the once-over. “Oh, dear! What happened to your hand?”

“Don’t worry, Muthr. I’ll be fine,” Eva replied, a bit sheepish. “At least this time I remembered IMA.”

CHAPTER 32: THE GOLDFISH

We have to hurry. Follow me!” Eva said, jogging down the corridor. “And use this!” She tossed a vocal transcoder to Muthr, swiped from Zin’s study. The robot activated it and hurried after Eva, with the pillar guard close behind them. Around the bend, they ran right into a squad of royal guardsmen. Confronted by a loose pillar guard, one of them shouted, “Call for reinforcements!”

Eva pointed at the royal guardsmen, the remote in her hand. “Pillar guard, clear the way!” she commanded.