“Come have some tea. You Bishops kept alive that tradition at least, didn’t you?”
“Uh, yeasay.” Toby had not tasted tea since he was a boy. “At the Citadel.”
“I see, the Citadel. Good then. You’re Killeen’s son?”
Startled, Toby gaped. Walmsley nodded. “So I see. Message for you.” He moved his hands quickly and for a flicker one of his arms seemed to be transparent, showing intricate webs beneath the skin.
Killeen was standing between them both.
His father looked worn, haggard. He was in Family Bishop field suiting, not ship gear. He glanced around and saw Toby. “Son, I need you.”
Toby did not know what to say. He reached out to touch his father and his hand passed through the image.
Killeen did not react. “I know how hard it’s been. You can have Shibo. I was, well, wrong. I’ve put that aside.”
Toby’s voice was dry, cracked. “You’re sure?”
“Yeasay. I . . . got outside myself.”
“Where are you?”
“No way to tell. I don’t know when you’ll get this.”
Toby frowned and Walmsley said, “He issued this some time ago, local frame.”
Killeen stepped to the side and regarded Toby. “You seem all right. A little thin.”
Toby smiled. “All that ship fat got run off.”
“The mechs have everybody on the run. Plenty dead. Some Bishops, too. They—”
“Besen? Cermo? How—”
“They’re here, still in one piece. Nobody close to us is suredead.”
Toby felt a joyful release, an eagerness to see them all. “Tell me what all’s gone on. Have you seen Quath? Did—”
“Listen, the mechs have scrambled up the Lanes something fierce. Ruptured some. I don’t know where you’ll find this, but we can patrol for you if you send out a singsay beacon.”
“I will.” Toby whispered to Walmsley, “Is he receiving this?”
“No, only this manifestation reacts to you. This is a Killeen, not the Killeen. I don’t know where the real article is now. Or then, for that matter.”
“No need to whisper,” the Killeen said. “I’m a limited representation and not ashamed of it.”
“What’re the mechs after? All the time I’ve been running, they’ve been on my heels.”
The Killeen hesitated, started again. “They want you and me both. Dunno why.”
“Want to surekill us?”
“Something more than that. Something funny’s going on with Abraham, but I don’t know what. Watch out for him.”
“Isn’t there a place where we can meet?”
Killeen shook his head. “Remember, I’m on the move same as you. Have to keep looking, is all.”
“The Mantis, it was after me.”
“Us, too.”
“Then we must be close to each other.”
“Naysay. More than one Mantis, I think.”
“The Mantis is a whole class of mechs?”
“It’s like dividing up water. Can’t keep the lines drawn.”
Toby felt a sense of comfort in the simple way his father talked, at the sound of his voice.“Dad, I—”
“Son, I need you.” Killeen said it exactly as he had said it before, same posture and tone. “I don’t know how much more I can tell you. Just . . . let’s try.”
“Yeasay.” Toby felt an immense relief. “Yeasay.”
“I know how hard it’s been. Look, you can have Shibo. I was—”
“Dad, I . . .” Toby stood mute. It was strange, speaking to a recording and wanting to force more out of it. But he had to tell the truth. “I had to pull Shibo.”
