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been their strength became instead, their weakness.”
    She blinked at this, but to his relief didn’t ask how Lurch knew this.
    â€œWhat about Wynken?”
    â€œWynken was damaged trying to save Blynken.”
    Silence.
    â€œNod…”
    He nodded. “Wynken is…recovering.” Mourning. Possibly damaged beyond repair, according to Lurch.
    â€œI’m sorry.” She sounded sorry. “But doesn’t that make it even more important to try and save Nod?”
    Joe sighed. “It was while attempting this that Wynken was injured.”
    Another silence. “Oh.” She slanted him a wry look, said as if trying to ease the tension, “Sometimes you sound more like a scientist than a cop.” She chuckled.
    He managed to echo something he hoped sounded like a chuckle. He had played many roles during the hunt for it, but at his core he was a scientist. That she’d sensed this was disquieting and yet not unpleasant. He had believed he would dislike playing a cop, but it had many advantages he had not foreseen. He glanced at one advantage and almost sighed. He had lost much of his detachment during the storm.
    Much? Assuming you had some before….
    Do you have an update for me? Joe was most eager to change the subject.
    Afoniki is scheduled for a drug test in thirty-seven minutes. If it has taken him over, it would notice the test being moved up. So we must wait for the regular test window.
    He took a mental breath, trying to get his thoughts back on task. Does that give you enough time to prepare?
    I believe so. No need to rush to his location.
    And if it is inside Afoniki?
    I believe I can use the access to upload a disabling virus. I have been working on it, but did not know how to safely deliver it.
    Joe had been aware that killing ‘it’ might kill them. This was a most hopeful development, if it didn’t detect and disable the virus.
    I would advise a policy of distraction when we arrive. If it is distracted, it will give me more time. And the virus time….
    Joe glanced at Vi. Based on the last time he’d seen Vi question Afoniki, distracting would not be a problem.
----
    A foniki had a nice place , though his view, like the rest of NON, had been shifted by WTF. It had originally been located in the Warehouse District, snugged up against where the river would have been before the rising. Based on his current location, his riverfront property had moved up river. Even moved, his view wouldn’t be that different. The river was the river. A muddy ribbon winding through varying shades of deep green. But his neighbors had changed. Vi recognized a Bucktown restaurant off to the right that had also shifted out of place during the storm and some low rent property off the left side.
    In the old days, the ground floor had been used for utilitarian purposes, probably loading and unloading ships, and the upper floors were about the esthetics, but the super rich had transparent first floors these days, so they could take advantage of the dirt side views, too. So, even shifted, he still got some of the benefit of being riverfront in more ways than one. Since he hadn’t moved too far out of place, Vi suspected he had better thrusters. Probably could have held his air space if it hadn’t been for collision problems during the storm.
    Vi had a feeling that if Afoniki wanted his old address back, he’d probably get it. Shouldn’t be a problem for him. He’d know who could get it done and how much it would cost him. With the taxpayers picking up the bulk of the tab, of course.
    She popped her door, letting the thick, hot air rush in and clambered out against it. Her door slid down, and she looked at Joe across the skimmer.
    â€œSo how do we play this?” Vi wished they were going on a date instead of into a potentially life-threatening meeting with an evil something or other. “We don’t have a crime, thanks to the men in super secret