Spoken Pequod-phonemic ripped through the air like torn paper, and Kaveh’s nerves were so worked up, the sound caused him to jump. Esperas’s voice was a loud, staccato percussive language, and the translation appeared on the flat-screen behind him:

[Why are we only now being informed that stratocrat Similar Obelus is still alive?]

The bureaucrats, chief among them Kaplan and Ghasabian, retreated to deliberate their answer while Porter grimly eavesdropped. It took them a solid five minutes to agree to one, and Kaveh wondered if this was always what it was like, if every goddamn thing had to be pored over before an answer could be given.

“We were only made aware of the situation on the morning of Sunday, February 10,” said Ghasabian. “We did not inform you, because we did not know.”

[I had warned you, technocrat Oligarch Scio is diseased, damaged. You gave him the freedom to do as he pleased, which he has abused. He abused your trust and our goodwill that allowed him to his own devices. He deceived you as he deceived all of us.]

He noticed Nikola snap to attention, and Esperas fell silent. Kaveh knelt next to Nikola. “What’s going on?”

“I AM REMINDING THEM THAT MY DEAR BELOVED IS MY SYMPHYLE, AND THEREFORE MY CHARGE. I AM REMINDING THEM THAT THEY HAVE NO CLAIM OR SAY OVER HIS FATE.”

Shortly, Esperas seemed to retreat, then he spoke.

[Where is Obelus’s decommissioned Similar body?]

The bureaucrats retreated into themselves. Kaveh couldn’t hear anything they were saying, but he could get the basic gist; they knew the answer to Esperas’s question, obviously, but should they tell him?

After another few minutes, Ghasabian responded, “The recovered body is being held right now at the Doherty Security Complex in San Bernardino County.” As he said this, he looked not at Esperas but at Kaveh, who realized that he had just been exposed to the very height of top-secret information.

[Scio is dangerous, but Scio has been restrained. Obelus is far more dangerous, and Obelus has not been recaptured. Obelus must be recaptured.]

This time, the bureaucrats didn’t take so long to offer up a response. “We are using every available arm of the U.S. military and intelligence apparatus to locate him.”

[Any human-made apparatus is inadequate. You cannot protect us or yourselves from Obelus’s subordinates who are hunting him. Obelus does not require his Similar body to evade human capture. My Similar must do the work of recapturing Obelus.]

While the bureaucrats deliberated this, Nikola added, “ON THIS POINT, ESPERAS AND I AGREE. IF THEY WILL NOT PERMIT ME TO FIND AND RECAPTURE OBELUS, THEY SHOULD PERMIT ESPERAS’S SIMILAR TO DO SO.”

Kaveh stood up and looked at the tight mass of people behind him. “Nikola wants me to let you know that he agrees with Esperas. You should let Brako find him for you.”

“And what about the other three Similars?” asked Porter, defense-mode activated.