The Rule of Luck, page 13
I scooped the cards back into the evening bag. Then I turned to Oksana, the chain-breakers, and Mr. Pennyworth, who stood much too close, having watched everything over my shoulder.
“Show’s over, people,” I said with resignation. “Let’s go.”
* * *
“Ms. Sevigny! What a surprise! We didn’t know you were coming until the last minute. We’re so pleased you could join us.”
Mick Doucette reached for my hands as he met me at the side entrance of the Grand Meridian Hotel, shaking them both vigorously and making my nail holos shimmer with little stars. He had a short mop of curling brown hair that bounced around his face, a thin build, and was of medium height. Cute, but not outstandingly good-looking, with ruddy cheeks that gave him the appearance of having been out in the sun too long without protection. From everything I knew of Mick that was probably true, since he was too busy saving the world to notice. I’d always been impressed with his charity work, but knowing he was connected to TransWorld changed my opinion.
Though he looked no older than twenty-five, the last press release I’d caught put him at 172. Money got him access to upgrades far beyond the basic Renew program package, opening up opportunities I’d never have. It irritated me a little, though if I saved my money and kept up normal routine maintenance with a few tweaks, I could hit a hundred and fifty if I was lucky. Which, I reflected drily, I clearly was.
“Your charity is supporting such a worthwhile cause, I fought like hell to clear my calendar,” I answered. “I’m thrilled you could accommodate me and I apologize again for not giving your staff adequate notice.”
“Not a problem. My assistant Mitsuki will see you sorted.” He waved at a regal looking woman behind him. With glossy straight black hair and pale porcelain skin, her Asian heritage was obvious. Japanese, I guessed, though Japan itself had been washed from Earth centuries ago. Those who’d escaped the rising waters had taken great pains to preserve their heritage. “Once the guests see your skills, I suspect bids will go through the roof.”
Did I mention Mick was also an accomplished bullshit artist? I laughed. “That’s lovely of you to say, but let’s wait for the auction results first.”
“Of course.” He’d already dropped my hands and moved on, getting back to the party and his many guests. So many people to glad hand, so many butts to kiss, so many gold notes to collect. “Mitsuki will take care of you and your assistant. Let her know what you need and she’ll ensure you have it.”
“Wonderful. Thank you for being so gracious.”
“Think nothing of it.”
Then he left, leaving me and my assistant—Mr. Pennyworth, damn him—with the unsmiling and frosty Mitsuki.
She bowed formally. “If you will follow me, I will show you where the other parties are arranged.”
“I don’t need a staging area,” I answered, as I’d rehearsed with Mr. Pennyworth. “It’s easier to just add me to the bidding list and let me mingle with the crowd instead. I plan on doing one display reading with someone my assistant selects for me. Based on that, people can decide if they want to bid on my services or not.”
Mitsuki frowned. “This is highly irregular,” she said in perfect, unaccented English.
“Perhaps, but we know from experience that it works,” Mr. Pennyworth replied, which made me want to roll my eyes. He wouldn’t know what worked if it kicked him in the face.
“Follow me.” Her frown vanished as she turned back to the party. “I’ll direct you to the Grand Meridian ballroom where the guests are located.”
She glided rather than walked down the service hall with its concrete floor, light-duty fiber walls, and poor lighting. Mr. Pennyworth had insisted we use the side entrance to conceal our identities until the last minute. Even worse, as he tried to alert Doucette of our arrival via the CN-net, I’d had to spend twenty minutes shivering outside in the cold. A March evening in Denver was a far cry from Nairobi’s heat.
As we walked behind Mitsuki, I had the oddest feeling of déjà vu. I remembered the Mayfair Fertility Clinic, when we’d walked behind the One Gov employee Pennyworth had referred to as Third Generation MH Factor. I shot him a look from the corner of my eye and found him watching me. Of course he remembered.
“Don’t try any bullshit,” I whispered.
“A shame you aren’t as amenable as our dear Mitsuki.”
“Bite me.” I stomped ahead, heels clicking angrily.
At the end of the hall, we stepped through a gunmetal gray door. This brought us into the kitchen where we waded through a barrage of chefs and servers yelling orders and jostling for space. The smells were delicious and I longed to reach out and grab a handful of whatever looked good. People gawked at us, but with Mitsuki leading the charge, we passed by without question.
We hustled through an empty dining room with a high vaulted ceiling. Large canvases lined the walls, showing holographic displays of vintage circuses before the Dark Times. Clowns, jugglers, even elephants—extinct for centuries—were depicted in loving detail. The ceiling itself looked like a giant white-and-red-striped tent, and in the center of the dozens of tables were magnificent centerpieces resembling sugary pink puffs of air blown into artistic whims of fancy.
“Is that real candy floss?” I asked Mitsuki. I wondered if it would count toward the calorie consumption index.
“No.” Her tone indicated that my obvious idiocy and lack of social grace were an affront to everything she stood for. Lovely.
“You know, I’ve never met anyone of actual Japanese descent before,” I continued. “You must be very proud of your heritage.”
“We go to great lengths to maintain our identity,” she agreed in the same tone, which translated roughly into: “You’re not worthy to speak to me, mongrel dog.”
“That’s wonderful. My family is the same. We’re Romani. We also lost our home during the floods.”
“That’s sad.” Translation: “Silence, cur. You are an inbred mutt.”
“One thing we love is curses. Never get on the bad side of a gypsy who can lay a decent curse! I could show you sometime. I inherited my great-grandmother’s skills. One of the best.”
She threw me a look over her shoulder. “Curses aren’t real. Such belief stems from ignorance and superstition.” No translation needed there.
“Oh, but that’s not true!” I continued blithely. “It takes less than a second to cast even the most innocuous curse. Say like cursing someone to trip over a chair.”
At that, she tripped over a chair. Honestly, it was only because she looked at me at that moment and I’d noticed a chair blocking her way. I didn’t know the first thing about curses, but the horrified look on her face was so wonderful, I knew I’d enjoy reimagining it for years to come. Mr. Pennyworth helped her rise—such a gentleman—and asked if she was hurt. He shot me an unreadable look to which I couldn’t help but smirk. After that, Mitsuki rushed us to the ballroom with no further comment.
Like the dining room, it was also done up in vintage circus theme. Performers worked the crowd—juggling, swallowing swords, and breathing fire. It was all very impressive, though I suspected the performers had some sort of MH Factor which elevated their pain thresholds.
“The other parties with auction items are through there.” Mitsuki gestured to a side room where guests wandered in and out. She refused to meet my gaze. I smiled. “I will add your name to the bid list. Please come find me when you wish to perform your reading. Until then, enjoy yourselves.”
She scurried off, thank the gods! Around us, beautiful people laughed, talked, and ate. I turned to Mr. Pennyworth, my last choice in the world of a date to an event like this. He hovered like a shadow in the background, unseen and unheard. I had the uncanny feeling that if I took my eyes off him, I’d never find him again.
“Are most of the people here TransWorld employees?” I asked.
“A few. The majority are upper echelon One Gov leaders, or those with political or financial influence that TransWorld hopes to gain. This is a type of luxury very few enjoy under One Gov’s rule.”
“It sounds like you have a personal problem with that.”
“Not at all. Their mandate is unity and equality for all. Thanks to them every citizen is offered basic t-mods and MH Factor boosts, as well as access to the Renew program.”
“And what’s wrong with that? We’re probably better off than any generation before us. Without One Gov, the human race would have fallen apart. We never would have survived the Dark Times without strong leadership. Okay, I’ll admit they may be bloated with bureaucracy and we’ve strayed a little from the path of equality for all, but…well…what government in history has been perfect? No one ever gets it a hundred percent right. It’s not like we live in some horrible dystopia where people disappear in the night.”
That earned me a long blink. “Their rule includes a policy of strict control and monitoring through the CN-net, and they use those same gifts as means of punishing dissenters. People’s rights are guaranteed, to a point. We are the children and they are the parents looking out for our welfare. What few realize is that we’re prisoners, not children. Where are the innovation and the growth? What if there was a way to stretch our reach as humans and become more as a species, but One Gov is holding us back? Do we really need that sort of leadership anymore?”
“And you think the Consortium will give us more freedom? Freedom to do what?” I fought back a shiver, suddenly nervous about whatever he might be implying. What did I really know about Alexei Petriv? Not much, and what I didn’t know might be terrifying. “Does Petriv have some scheme up his sleeve that’s going to change the world? No, that’s going to change…humans?”
“I assume you disapprove and things are fine as they are. One Gov should remain in control of humanity’s destiny forever as far as you’re concerned.”
Wow, I needed to tone this down quickly. This attitude was so not what I’d expected from him. “Look, I’m not here to fight you or debate the destiny of the human race. I can see we’re just going to have to disagree on this. However you feel about One Gov, it probably isn’t the smartest idea to bash them in their own home. MH Factor for improved hearing isn’t popular, but you can bet the security here have it,” I warned, then eyed him speculatively. “Not to get you all riled up again, but I wouldn’t have pegged you as a reformist.”
“And I wouldn’t have imagined you dabbled in curses. My compliments, by the way.”
I laughed. Much as I loathed the man, I couldn’t help but offer up a bow. “She asked for it. How could I resist?” Then I sobered as I glanced around. “This is a pretty posh event for a lowly assistant to attend. You sure my mother isn’t here?”
“The intel gathered from the guest list doesn’t show her as attending. Furthermore, her research keeps her at the head office in Curitiba. I don’t believe she leaves Brazil often. My understanding is her assistant spends a great deal of time traveling and submits biweekly progress reports.”
“If he’s here, you’d better find him while I work the crowd. I don’t know anything about him, not even what he looks like, so it’s all up to you.”
That seemed to bring Mr. Pennyworth up short, like I’d cut him off mid-thought. “By all means. Let’s get started.”
I arched an eyebrow. “That almost sounds like sarcasm. This is your rodeo. I suggest you get busy.”
I’d planned on saying more, if only to get my digs in, when something snagged my attention. From the corner of my eye I caught a flash of something familiar. I heard a laugh I’d heard a thousand times before. I turned and stopped and stared.
Less than twenty feet away was a dark-haired woman, heavily pregnant. She stood at a roulette table, clapping and laughing. Presumably she’d won. I didn’t know nor did it matter. What did matter was who stood beside her, arm around her with easy grace. Looking so in love, it was a wonder they didn’t produce enough energy between them to solve the Earth’s potential HE-3 shortage.
Roy.
“There’s the assistant,” I heard Mr. Pennyworth say, his voice sounding as if it came from thousands of miles away. “By the roulette table. I believe he’s with his wife.”
With calmness I didn’t feel, I turned to Pennyworth. We stared at each other for what seemed an eternity. I received several long blinks in return.
“I don’t understand.” I said, because for that split second, I didn’t. My brain couldn’t make the images fall into a pattern that made sense.
“That’s the assistant,” Mr. Pennyworth repeated. “He’s the man you must discredit.”
My gut didn’t kick me, and yet everything abruptly clicked like a jigsaw falling into place. Roy, his wife, his baby on the way. Roy, who already lived the perfect life, without me. Roy, who was supposed to be on duty right now as a member of Mars Planetary Law Enforcement.
“Roy is my mother’s assistant,” I said aloud, just to make sure I had it right.
“Yes.”
“The woman with him is his wife. She’s having his baby.” In my mind’s eye, I could see the spinning Wheel of Fortune.
Again, the same answer: “Yes.”
That was when I snapped. Not out loud, of course. Inside, I felt something shatter. Everything I’d felt for Roy. Everything we’d done together. The plans we made. The possibility of a baby that didn’t even exist yet. That I’d even gone to jail because of it…Our whole relationship from our first meeting nearly a year ago to our last kiss—was it yesterday?—was all lies. Every second of every day for all that time…Lies. To Roy, I had been nothing. Meant nothing. Gods, I was just a job! I was a nine-to-five, punch out at the end of the day, job. And when he wasn’t with me, which was often because he was supposedly working undercover with the MPLE, was he with her? With his goddamn pregnant wife?
“Ms. Sevigny?” Mr. Pennyworth’s voice broke into my thoughts. When I looked at him, my eyes felt overly bright, like they were full of tears that refused to fall because that would mean everything I saw before me was true. “I’ve been calling you for some time. Are you well? Would you like to sit?”
“No. I don’t want to sit. I want to…” I shook my head harder than I intended. I didn’t know what I wanted. Tears went flying off in all directions. “Did he know? Gods, did Petriv know about this?”
Several long blinks followed. “Yes. But if he had told you and you hadn’t witnessed the proof yourself, would you have believed him?”
“No. I’d have said he was lying.” Then I flinched, thinking about the guilt I’d felt over being with Petriv, believing I’d betrayed Roy when now it turned out that Roy had been the one betraying me all along.
“He wanted you to see firsthand the levels of manipulation around you, orchestrated both by TransWorld and your mother.”
In the background I could hear the woman’s laughter. Then Roy’s. I swiped at my eyes, scrubbing the wetness from my cheeks. No more crying. Not where the world could see how much it hurt me.
“I can’t fault his logic, but he’s a fucking bastard,” I whispered. Another tear fell and I swore under my breath. No. No more tears. Not now.
“You’ve seen what he intended. We should leave,” he suggested.
Fuck no. Not yet. I shook my head and instead asked, “How does my makeup look?”
“I don’t understand your question.”
“How does my makeup look?” I repeated, the first spark of anger beginning to flare. Gods, was he stupid? “Does it look like I was crying?”
He frowned and I received several long blinks. “You look adequate.”
“Adequate? What the hell does that even mean? Who tells a woman she looks adequate?”
“Ms. Sevigny, I don’t understand your line of questioning. It doesn’t seem relevant to this situation.”
I blew out a hard puff of air. “Oh, believe me. It’s very relevant.”
“You’re angry,” he prodded.
“Not quite yet, but give me time and I’ll be fucking furious.”
I turned from Mr. Pennyworth and took a halting step forward. Then two. A few more and I’d crossed to the roulette table. It didn’t take long for Roy to notice me. After all, who could miss a woman standing on the other side of the table, watching with an unblinking stare?
Roy met my gaze and froze, his face a rictus of horror. He was so stunned he couldn’t even speak. The woman looked up as well. She looked startled, then alarmed.
I smiled and knew it wasn’t pleasant. I didn’t yell, put on a show, scream, cry, or do any of the things a hysterical woman would do. Maybe because I’d lived this moment before with Dante and had used up all my hysterics. Maybe you were only allowed to lose your mind because of a man once in a lifetime. I wasn’t that girl anymore, cutting her teeth on her first real relationship. I’d cried too much over one man already. Maybe deep down I’d been expecting this all along. Or maybe I’d gone into shock. Whatever the case, it didn’t matter. I leaned in as close as the table would allow.
“Hello, Roy.”
“Felicia! What are you doing here?” Roy cried, spilling his drink all over his hand and jacket. Water beaded on the material and dripped off. His hand shook. “I thought you weren’t going to the auction. I would never…You said…”
His voice faded to nothing. My presence had stolen all words.
“And this is your wife,” I continued, not making it a question. “Does she know about our relationship? Does she know what you do for my mother?”
Roy had gone so pale, even his lips were drained of color. He set his glass down with a thud, spilling the remaining liquid. “Felicia—”
“He tracks your movements and reports back to TransWorld.” The woman’s chin tipped up in defiance. “He’s been doing it for months. He said in all the time you worked together, you never suspected him of being anything more than a friend.”
Gods, he’d lied to both of us! “Friend? Is that what he told you I was? His friend? Like a work buddy or something? Wow. No, I never suspected anything—probably because I thought he was my boyfriend and we’ve been living together the past few months. You tend to overlook the discrepancies in a man’s story when there’s mind-blowing sex involved,” I added just so I could enjoy the look of horror on her face.
