“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Squell said. “I don’t really know if I’m the right one to do it. But . . . well . . . Grobbard can be so . . . formal, and Pip . . . well, I think you’ve had enough of Pip’s scolding for today.” Ve popped another head in the door, leaning vir chin on vir first body’s shoulder, leaning against vemself. Copper spikes, silver spikes. Ve was small—smaller, now, Fift realized, than ze was—and rosy-skinned and soft-curved and swathed in glittery blue fabric. “Besides which, I’m, well, I think, the one who noticed.” Ve looked around the room. “If you want, smoothling, we can blank the house feed in your room so it’s just you and me, and not the rest of your parents . . .”

Fift’s throat went dry. “What? Why—”

“I just don’t want to embarrass you. But . . . I’m being silly. Never mind. At this point, none of us want any more feed blackouts!” Ve smiled at vir own witticism, raising vir eyebrows. Ve slipped into the room (copper spikes), kept leaning on the doorway (silver spikes).

There they were: Shria, Bluey, Stogma, and Vvonda—six bodies, strolling with latterborn ease down the slopeway to Wallacomp. They must have stopped at a spa after the ludatorium: they were cleansed and buffed and oiled, with matching glittery-golden threads braided into their hair.

Squell stood by the bed, looking as if ve’d like to sit down. Fift sat up in both bodies, scooted to one side, awkwardly straightening the blankets.

“Fift,” Squell said, “You know we like Shria Qualia Fnax of name registry Digger Chameleon 2. Your other parents and I.”

“Okay,” Fift said.

Look closer, though, and the fresh-from-the-spa latterborn ease was thinly spread. Shria kept cracking vir knuckles; Vvonda stood a little too straight. {They look nervous, don’t they?} ze asked zir social nuance agent.

{They certainly do.} zir social nuance agent sent.

“But,” Squell said, “your friend is in a difficult situation right now. Social reactancy ratings for vir parental cohort have . . . worsened. To the point where, well . . . I’m sorry, smoothling, but consensus support may be withdrawn. Especially now! A week ago, there might have been complaints and deratings and not much more. But now, after this Unraveling business, the Midwives and deep adjudicators are being rather direct about the idea that reckless behavior can’t be tolerated anymore. Fnax cohort may be disbanded.”

“But it wasn’t Shria’s fault,” Fift said. “Ve didn’t start it!”

“Well, perhaps not,” Squell said. Ve cleared vir throat. “It was a difficult situation. But—”

“If ve hadn’t fought, what would the ratings be like? Any better?”