come from the surly, antagonistic duke, but from Kaizen himself . . . Which meant that revealing their position, and possibly therein their identities, was unsafe. Even if not for Legacy.
Taking a deep breath, the ghost of the smile long faded from her lips, Legacy spoke into the tiny device, its beam of light recording.
“Kaizen. I am fine. But it is over. Please do not seek me. The things we have done – that I have done – have been selfish, and irresponsible, and short-sighted. Heed this warning. If you come to me . . .” Her eyes flashed to the ground and she concentrated on pushing the words through her throat. “. . . I do not know what may become of you, or even of myself. Goodbye, and good luck.”
Oddly shaky, the silver-braided girl took her exit via the same door she’d entered, likely to subtly release the humming, eager ball of silver in her fist.
Through the cracks in the wall, Coal-Radia, still nude, and very thirsty, had seen the entire thing. What a queer name, she thought, rolling it around in her head, wondering who he was, and why her “sister” was so averse to seeing him. Hmm. Kaizen. Kaizen. Kaizen.
Kaizen sank deeper into the steaming bathtub, the cucumber mask slathered over his face exfoliating and unlocking every pore. They said baths conserved water – and he couldn’t be pressed to sacrifice every luxury, could he? His hair was twisted into a warm, wet cloth, saturated in some kind of rich protein cream. Trimpot, shock of all shocks, had offered to take the helm for a while, and so Kaizen didn’t have anything to do at all. Nothing to do but enjoy himself for what little time he had left.
The washroom door opened and Kaizen lunged forward defensively.
“Who’s there!” he hollered, the cucumber slices tumbling from his eyes and plunking into the bath water. Kaizen grimaced. He supposed, all told, it was a small loss, but it still smarted.
“Duke Taliko?” In the shifting tides of steam throughout the room, Master Addler squinted and removed his foggy glasses. He rubbed them vigorously with the cloth of his shirt, squinted again, and replaced the glasses. They immediately redeveloped their film of condensation. “Duke Taliko, it’s Master Addler, sir. I’m sorry to disturb you! Where . . . are you? I . . . Hello? Hello? ”
“I’m here, Master Addler,” Kaizen replied, cupping warm water in his hands and splashing his green-colored face. The cucumber pulp coursed from his cheeks and chin. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, nothing, sir, nothing!” Master Addler sputtered. “I’m so sorry! I just . . . Sophie was so excited, I thought you might also be happy to know.”
Kaizen unwound his sopping hair and dipped it into the water. This life would be difficult to leave. “Know what?” he wondered idly, still drowsy with the warmth and the looseness of his muscles in the water.
“I completed some of my tasks ahead of schedule!” the little hunchbacked machinist cheered. “The personal attendant automata are operational at full capacity!”
Kaizen opened his eyes and felt a twinge of . . . panic? “Really?” he asked.
“Mostly!” Master Addler responded. “Maybe not ‘full’ capacity. You see, well, they’re not entirely perfect. But they respond successfully to all commands provided by their imprints. In truth, the imprint function is – got – a little fried by that virus. But I was able to restore them to the ‘small group’ setting. So, when you command Newton, you should know that Sophie or your mother or I would also be capable of commanding Newton. ”
Kaizen frowned. “ Newton ?” he repeated. “You restored Newton ?”
“Well, of course,” Master Addler
Taking a deep breath, the ghost of the smile long faded from her lips, Legacy spoke into the tiny device, its beam of light recording.
“Kaizen. I am fine. But it is over. Please do not seek me. The things we have done – that I have done – have been selfish, and irresponsible, and short-sighted. Heed this warning. If you come to me . . .” Her eyes flashed to the ground and she concentrated on pushing the words through her throat. “. . . I do not know what may become of you, or even of myself. Goodbye, and good luck.”
Oddly shaky, the silver-braided girl took her exit via the same door she’d entered, likely to subtly release the humming, eager ball of silver in her fist.
Through the cracks in the wall, Coal-Radia, still nude, and very thirsty, had seen the entire thing. What a queer name, she thought, rolling it around in her head, wondering who he was, and why her “sister” was so averse to seeing him. Hmm. Kaizen. Kaizen. Kaizen.
Kaizen sank deeper into the steaming bathtub, the cucumber mask slathered over his face exfoliating and unlocking every pore. They said baths conserved water – and he couldn’t be pressed to sacrifice every luxury, could he? His hair was twisted into a warm, wet cloth, saturated in some kind of rich protein cream. Trimpot, shock of all shocks, had offered to take the helm for a while, and so Kaizen didn’t have anything to do at all. Nothing to do but enjoy himself for what little time he had left.
The washroom door opened and Kaizen lunged forward defensively.
“Who’s there!” he hollered, the cucumber slices tumbling from his eyes and plunking into the bath water. Kaizen grimaced. He supposed, all told, it was a small loss, but it still smarted.
“Duke Taliko?” In the shifting tides of steam throughout the room, Master Addler squinted and removed his foggy glasses. He rubbed them vigorously with the cloth of his shirt, squinted again, and replaced the glasses. They immediately redeveloped their film of condensation. “Duke Taliko, it’s Master Addler, sir. I’m sorry to disturb you! Where . . . are you? I . . . Hello? Hello? ”
“I’m here, Master Addler,” Kaizen replied, cupping warm water in his hands and splashing his green-colored face. The cucumber pulp coursed from his cheeks and chin. “What can I do for you?”
“Oh, nothing, sir, nothing!” Master Addler sputtered. “I’m so sorry! I just . . . Sophie was so excited, I thought you might also be happy to know.”
Kaizen unwound his sopping hair and dipped it into the water. This life would be difficult to leave. “Know what?” he wondered idly, still drowsy with the warmth and the looseness of his muscles in the water.
“I completed some of my tasks ahead of schedule!” the little hunchbacked machinist cheered. “The personal attendant automata are operational at full capacity!”
Kaizen opened his eyes and felt a twinge of . . . panic? “Really?” he asked.
“Mostly!” Master Addler responded. “Maybe not ‘full’ capacity. You see, well, they’re not entirely perfect. But they respond successfully to all commands provided by their imprints. In truth, the imprint function is – got – a little fried by that virus. But I was able to restore them to the ‘small group’ setting. So, when you command Newton, you should know that Sophie or your mother or I would also be capable of commanding Newton. ”
Kaizen frowned. “ Newton ?” he repeated. “You restored Newton ?”
“Well, of course,” Master Addler
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