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could think of nothing to say. Elthgo certainly knew how to market a fate worse than death–blind and delirious with pain, wandering the streets? He wondered if he should stay any longer, provided he could even survive this visit. “It’s okay, Valeria. You didn’t know. I understand.”
    “I might have killed you,” she whispered. “I might have killed you.”
    Mache pushed her back enough to look into her face. “You didn’t. Now, where am I going to hide?”
    She swallowed and pointed up. “There’s a crawlspace in the ceiling. You can access it from the stairs.” She chewed her lip. “It’s cool, I think, and loud since it’s connected to the engine room, but the air is clean and you should be able to hide out.” She took his hand, bringing him to the stairway and pointing. “If you can get up there I’ll hand the boxes to you.”
    He nodded, bringing the boxes over and reached up, grasping the corner where the ceiling lay closest to the stairs, flicking a lever. The crawlspace door popped open. With a bit of maneuvering he managed to get himself in feet first. It was a space four feet by four feet. Not the most comfortable. Still, better than the alternative. Valeria handed him a box wordlessly.
    “Mache,” she murmured. “I don’t know if you’ll be able to hear.” She reached into the belt-pack at her waist, extracting a long, slim stick. “When I come down, watch me. My hair will be up until she leaves. Once I’m sure she’s gone, I’ll come here and let down my hair.”
    Mache reached down to her. “Until you let down your hair then,” he said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine for a week with all this food.”
    “Please be okay,” she whispered, and reached to him, putting her hands in his. “I can’t lose you, Mache.”
    He squeezed her hands and then grinned, sliding his fingers lower, past her wrists, and lifted her up. Valeria squeaked but didn’t thrash as he lifted her off the stairs, bent his head and kissed her.
    His arm muscles wouldn’t let him keep the kiss any longer than a blink, and he lowered her carefully back to the stairs, not allowing her time to dither. “I’ll be fine. You go show her how brilliant you are.” He pushed back, closing the vent behind him and feeling rather triumphant. That would be enough to last him the rest of week.
    * * * *
    Waiting was boring and wait Mache did. Occasionally he heard a voice, but Valeria was right. The vent was loud and well insulated. Whether he could even hear his own voice depended on the work of the engine and the wind’s direction. Thankfully he could see. There were several fist-sized holes in the vent, allowing him to see into various parts of the ballroom, mostly the corners and out the windows.
    It was through one of these holes Mache first spotted the CEO of Elthgo, Inc. She was a beautifully severe woman, clothed in khaki and black. She wore her flying goggles pushed into her smooth dark hair, glasses low on her nose. It took several hours to realize the CEO was tall. She towered over Valeria by at least a foot, a height that dwarfed Mache and most men he knew. Her shoulders were broad and strong, heavy with muscle but not hard of line, her corset revealing a fine bosom and two-tailed coat giving whisper to fine curves. She was striking and beautiful in an Amazonian way, despite her fine dress. No wonder she was the CEO! Few men would be able to compete against a woman with the smarts and the ability to look down on her employees and competitors. From the way she conversed with Valeria, she was clearly intelligent.
    Mache couldn’t hear the words they were speaking. The CEO smoothed the coat ruffles around her wrist and patted Valeria’s head like a proud mother. Valeria smiled, but Mache could sense unease in her stance. He grimaced in silence. If their plan failed, this was who would be dealing him punishment. He wasn’t certain he could win in a straight fight. She looked like she could wield a gun, sip