“I’m not. I just think that he’s pursuing a useful line of inquiry for a humaniform expected to interact freely and effectively in human society.”

“Your offworld viewpoint commends you,” Moses told her.

“Thanks. Just remember one thing.”

“I can remember anything.”

“If you come too close to me, I will pass a small explosive through your optical service tube and remotely detonate it.”

“My sense of self-preservation extends only to preserving my usefulness to my owners. On that basis I will keep your warning in mind.”

“Good.” She smiled engagingly. “Who says humans and mechanicals have difficulty understanding one another?”

They’re usually not as direct as you. Typical. Countering a logical if frowned-upon activity with threats of violence. Offworlder or not, the genesis is the same.

“I’d do a thorough scan and reprogram now, except that I might need you at any moment. Cleanup’ll have to wait until we get back home. In the meantime, if you can’t isolate and enervate the problem, at least try to be more circumspect. We have a difficult task ahead of us here, and the only involvement I want to have with the local cops is on a professional level. Understand?”

“You have made me amply aware of the situation,” the humaniform replied politely.

“Good. Because the Company, praise be unto its shareholders, could hold me liable for the damages arising from any lawsuits.”

“Not if you’re not the originator and installer of the rogue programming,” Vyra observed. “You’re not, are you?”

“Of course not. But that doesn’t matter. Someone like that cargo dispatcher could still claim negligence.”

A slightly winded, dark-skinned man with black hair cut short and eyes like jumbo olives came toward them as they emerged from the cargo bay. His two companions had to hurry to keep up. All three wore suits of dark incognito blue and sour expressions. Passengers and pedestrians, airport workers and bustling mechanicals swirled around them.

“Manz? From Braun-Ives?” Though he spoke to Manz, he was hard put to keep his eyes off the purple-coiffed Vyra. His associates had no such compunctions. She ignored their stares, as she had the thousands that had preceded them.

Manz surveyed the crowd. No one was staring in their direction. That didn’t mean they weren’t being observed, but it made him feel better.

“I might be. Who wants to know?”

“Tewfik Hafas, Inspector, JePPO.”

The adjuster relaxed and extended a hand. The other man’s grip was firm. “Glad to meet you. We got here as fast as we could. One of Braun-Ives’s hallmarks.”

“Your people must be worried.”

“Also one of the Company’s hallmarks,” Vyra added.

“I’m sure you’re thrilled that we’re going to be stepping all over your investigation with our big, fat, corporate feet.” With his smile, Manz tried to show that he both understood and sympathized.

Hafas was surprisingly accommodating. “Professionally, of course, I resent your presence here, since it reflects badly on my department performance.” He lowered his voice. “Personally I’m glad of all the help we can get. This third jack really made us look bad. Worse, it made us look silly. Word gets around. It encourages the wrong elements, makes them less manageable than usual.”

“Meaning your overall stats are up.”

The inspector nodded. “Streeties get the notion that we’ve lost the touch, and so they get a little bolder. We catch ’em, but that doesn’t make life around here any easier. We’ve been busier than usual. Which makes it harder still to devote more resources to this drug-jack business.”

“Consider us a resource.” Vyra smiled reassuringly. “Most people do.”

“Identification completed,” said the sphere hovering above Manz’s shoulder. He responded irritably.

“About time.”

“I am directed to be thorough.”

Hafas eyed the drifting globe with interest. “I don’t recognize the model.”

“Brand-new. I’m no gadget buff, but I believe in keeping what equipment I do use up to date.”

Quit staring at me like that. Why do humans always stare so long beyond the need for routine optical recognition? Do you expect to see something more than what you see? The soul of another, perhaps? Well, you won’t see mine. Privacy is one of the advantages of a reflective surface.

Actually, I’ve encountered a number of humans who also boast reflective surfaces, psychologically speaking. It’s an interesting phenomenon. You, for example, are concealing yours from me right now. Not that I’m interested in any of your petty personal secrets. What most humans are desperate to conceal I find exceedingly dull. You all think there’s something unique and exceptional about each of you, when the contrary is the case.

Manz was introducing his companions. “This is Vyra Kullervo. A friend and associate from offworld currently attached to Braun-Ives.”

She stepped forward and touched her palms to the sides of the inspector’s head. He reacted awkwardly but with commendable speed. “Charmed.”

“Maybe.” She took a step backwards. “We’ll see.”

“She likes to talk like that.” Manz hastened to reassure the confused officer. “You know offworlders. Don’t pay it any mind or she’ll drive you nuts.”

“Thank you for that gallant encomium, Broddy,” she said sarcastically.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Security backup and secondary analyst.” Manz jerked a thumb in the direction of the humaniform behind him. “Moses series.”

“I’m familiar with the format.” Hafas nodded in recognition.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” The humaniform extended a flexible limb. Mildly surprised, the inspector responded in kind.

“Another advanced model. Yours also?”

“The Company’s.”

“First your Minder, now this. I wish we could afford to update our AI’s to this level. But we’re only civil service. The city doesn’t have the resources of a Braun-Ives. No offense.”

“None taken,” said Moses.

Manz eyed the humaniform sternly. “He was talking to me.”

“Sorry. Conversational misperception.”

“Watch your verbal footprint. I’m getting tired of fooling with you.”

Blue plastic lenses regarded him unemotionally. “I do not mean to cause offense.”