said simply.
The pizza was cooling in front of me. I took a piece and ate it. Nobody said anything while I was eating.
Then, “Why did Dr. Klein kill Victor?” I asked.
“Keith Morgan paid her to,” Alice answered. “I don't know why Morgan wanted Victor killed. It's likely he saw Victor as a threat.”
“Why didn't she kill me?”
“She thought she did. A few hours stasis would have killed an ordinary servitor.”
“And I'm an extraordinary servitor?”
“No, a servitor is more like a human puppet. In order to be able to use the human's body the outsider has to rebuild much of the human brain and destroy most of the existing personality. You're not like that, James. You co-exist with the outsider.”
“Because we grew up together.”
“Basically, yes.”
“Dr. Klein said that I was just a puppet.”
Alice nodded. “That's what she believed. That's been her experience.”
A light went on. “The Manchester nest.”
“The nests are the worst. They don't even try to maintain a facade that any human personality remains. One outsider with multiple human hosts, human bodies. Like a hive of insects.”
“Ohh,” Godiva breathed.
Alice looked at her sharply. “You've seen nestlings, then?”
Godiva nodded. “Dr. Klein used them to build the salon.”
Alice sat back. “Interesting,” she said slowly. “I didn't know that. That would have been, what, a year ago?”
Godiva shook her head. “No, not the first time. I mean when she got the place next door and rebuilt. Maybe six months ago?”
“Morgan's been dealing with the Manchester nest longer than I thought.” Alice was half talking to herself. “I wonder if he deals with the others.”
“Dr. Klein said that all the nests bought from him. How many are there?”
“Five that I know about,” Alice said, “Did she say what they bought?”
I tried to remember. “Nettle junk, I think she said. But that might have been what she was buying.”
Alice shook her head. “No, that's a hypnoteratogenic. Nests wouldn't have any use for it.”
She abruptly stood. “It's late. It's been a busy day. How about we continue this at breakfast tomorrow?”
I stood. “Can I drop you off somewhere?”
“I've got a room reserved at your motel.”
That was convenient. Wait a second—
“How do you know where I'm staying?”
She gave me a sideways look just short of an eyeroll. “You checked in with a credit card in your own name.”
“Is it really that easy to find people like that? I thought that was just on TV.”
She shrugged. “Easy? It's doable. You need to know the right people.”
Godiva was standing next to me. “Can I stay with you tonight?” She was very close.
Catskinner was closer, a warm weight on my skin. “I don't think that's a good idea,” I said. “I'll get you a room.”
She nodded and turned away. She looked hurt and I felt for her. I felt for me, too. She was soft and warm and lovely and I very much wanted her to stay with me. I didn't know exactly what she had meant, what she offered, and I never would. Soft and warm and lovely were things that didn't happen to something like me.
I headed to the door. Alice and Godiva followed.
you want her.
Yes.
she's not human.
Neither am I.
she could be dangerous.
So am I.
When we got to the parking lot my body stopped and turned to Godiva.
“james wants you to stay with him. i do not forbid it.” Beautiful. Catskinner's guide to picking up chicks.
Catskinner poured out of my face and I added, “Please.”
Godiva smiled brilliantly, “I won't hurt you, I promise.”
“That's not what I'm worried about.”
She stepped closer and took my arm, looked up at me. Her glasses reflected my face. “I'm not afraid of you.”
That was what I was worried about. She wasn't afraid of me, and she should have been.
Alice was standing nearby, looking around the parking lot like it was her idea to stand there and there was nothing awkward going on at all. I started
The pizza was cooling in front of me. I took a piece and ate it. Nobody said anything while I was eating.
Then, “Why did Dr. Klein kill Victor?” I asked.
“Keith Morgan paid her to,” Alice answered. “I don't know why Morgan wanted Victor killed. It's likely he saw Victor as a threat.”
“Why didn't she kill me?”
“She thought she did. A few hours stasis would have killed an ordinary servitor.”
“And I'm an extraordinary servitor?”
“No, a servitor is more like a human puppet. In order to be able to use the human's body the outsider has to rebuild much of the human brain and destroy most of the existing personality. You're not like that, James. You co-exist with the outsider.”
“Because we grew up together.”
“Basically, yes.”
“Dr. Klein said that I was just a puppet.”
Alice nodded. “That's what she believed. That's been her experience.”
A light went on. “The Manchester nest.”
“The nests are the worst. They don't even try to maintain a facade that any human personality remains. One outsider with multiple human hosts, human bodies. Like a hive of insects.”
“Ohh,” Godiva breathed.
Alice looked at her sharply. “You've seen nestlings, then?”
Godiva nodded. “Dr. Klein used them to build the salon.”
Alice sat back. “Interesting,” she said slowly. “I didn't know that. That would have been, what, a year ago?”
Godiva shook her head. “No, not the first time. I mean when she got the place next door and rebuilt. Maybe six months ago?”
“Morgan's been dealing with the Manchester nest longer than I thought.” Alice was half talking to herself. “I wonder if he deals with the others.”
“Dr. Klein said that all the nests bought from him. How many are there?”
“Five that I know about,” Alice said, “Did she say what they bought?”
I tried to remember. “Nettle junk, I think she said. But that might have been what she was buying.”
Alice shook her head. “No, that's a hypnoteratogenic. Nests wouldn't have any use for it.”
She abruptly stood. “It's late. It's been a busy day. How about we continue this at breakfast tomorrow?”
I stood. “Can I drop you off somewhere?”
“I've got a room reserved at your motel.”
That was convenient. Wait a second—
“How do you know where I'm staying?”
She gave me a sideways look just short of an eyeroll. “You checked in with a credit card in your own name.”
“Is it really that easy to find people like that? I thought that was just on TV.”
She shrugged. “Easy? It's doable. You need to know the right people.”
Godiva was standing next to me. “Can I stay with you tonight?” She was very close.
Catskinner was closer, a warm weight on my skin. “I don't think that's a good idea,” I said. “I'll get you a room.”
She nodded and turned away. She looked hurt and I felt for her. I felt for me, too. She was soft and warm and lovely and I very much wanted her to stay with me. I didn't know exactly what she had meant, what she offered, and I never would. Soft and warm and lovely were things that didn't happen to something like me.
I headed to the door. Alice and Godiva followed.
you want her.
Yes.
she's not human.
Neither am I.
she could be dangerous.
So am I.
When we got to the parking lot my body stopped and turned to Godiva.
“james wants you to stay with him. i do not forbid it.” Beautiful. Catskinner's guide to picking up chicks.
Catskinner poured out of my face and I added, “Please.”
Godiva smiled brilliantly, “I won't hurt you, I promise.”
“That's not what I'm worried about.”
She stepped closer and took my arm, looked up at me. Her glasses reflected my face. “I'm not afraid of you.”
That was what I was worried about. She wasn't afraid of me, and she should have been.
Alice was standing nearby, looking around the parking lot like it was her idea to stand there and there was nothing awkward going on at all. I started
Similar Books
