The ship considered, and quickly discarded, the idea that someone had smuggled out schematics of its interior. It would not account for the way Lassite had dealt with the passages that the ship had altered on the fly. It decided that its level of frustration had increased.

In one timeline, Lassite knew, the ship grew so frustrated that it killed him. He used the skills in psychological manipulation that he had been taught; although he found them most unpriestly, they were his salvation. Only appealing to its vanity would assuage the frustration. He said, “You are more marvelous than I had dreamed of. I am honored to walk your hallways.” He flexed his long, bare feet. “I hope to continue to be so privileged, for every step is a marvel, to see how cunningly you are shaped. Exploring was inevitable, because I had to witness that for myself.”

The ship experienced surprise; this communication did not seem to match the way Lassite had spoken earlier, when they had all come aboard, but at the same time, everyone acted differently when under emotional stress, a situation the ship was curious about but had never experienced.

It seemed highly likely that dealing with Niko and her crew would lead to that emotion, and this creature in particular seemed well suited to create its circumstances.

The ship came to a decision. The flesh of its wall thinned and divided to form an archway through which Lassite could exit.

He stood and bowed. “Glory to you.” He scurried out.

The ship continued waiting to see what happened next.

Lolola Montaigne d’Arcy deBurgh had no luggage other than the bag she had carried with her to the restaurant. Her first action was to sit down on the sleeping shelf and inventory the contents, doing so with a thoughtful expression. After that, she set the bag down beside her and stared at the wall with a blank face for approximately three and a half minutes.

Pulling the purse onto her lap again, she extracted a small metal object, which the ship recognized as a controller very similar to the one its owner Arpat Takraven often carried. It was not Arpat’s, however, the ship quickly determined by pinging it. The ship was unable to ascertain the object’s point of origin or manufacturer. If Takraven had been aboard, it would have informed him. With his absence, though, it was unsure to tell the others.

Lolola returned the object to the purse and stood, slinging it across herself. “Basic tour,” she said aloud to the ceiling. “Or whatever your default is.”