"Well, yes," Robert conceded, "of course he is. But he deeply dislikes having people mention it."

A shadow fell across the car; Denice watched the Seven s.p.a.cesc.r.a.pers as they loomed up and blotted out the sky. "Okay."

"Ripper"s hired two security people from me in the last half year. John and Bruce. And he sent his Chief of Staff-Ichabod-to me for training."

"Ichabod?"

"I didn"t name him, I just taught him. Ichabod."

"Is Ripper happy with your people?"

Robert smiled calmly. "Very. And neither John nor Bruce, on the best day he ever had, is fit to stand on the same mat with you."

"Has Ripper ever hired a woman for his security staff before?"

Robert grinned at her. "There"s a first time for everything, isn"t there?"

Denice nodded.

A check station awaited them at Park Avenue, at the boundary between Capitol City and the rest of Manhattan.

The taxi glided to a slow stop.

A pair of Peaceforcers in patrol blacks approached the vehicle from each side. One of the PKF halted five meters away and stood with his autoshot at the ready-not quite pointed at their cab-while the other approached them and rapped on the canopy with the b.u.t.t of his autoshot. A window dilated open; Denice gave Robert her handheld, and Robert pa.s.sed both hers and his own out to the waiting Peaceforcer.

The Peaceforcer took them without comment and placed a scanner up to the open window. If he spoke English at all, he did not bother to use it. The carcomp translated from his French: "Please look at the scanner."

Denice found herself tensing involuntarily, knew Robert noticed it. She forced her features to stillness while the laser light flashed into her eyes, one after the other.

The Peaceforcer glanced down at his own handheld InfoNet link. "Denice Daimara and Robert Dazai Yo?"

"Yes."

" "Selle Daimara, you have an appointment with Unification Councilor Dougla.s.s Ripper at two-fifteen?"

"Yes."

" "Sieur Yo, you have an appointment with Unification Councilor Tuliens at twelve-thirty?"

"Yes."

The Peaceforcer returned their handhelds to them. "Please proceed. Follow the instructions given to you, regardless of their source." He took a step back and waved them forward.

The carcomp spoke with immense politeness; as they began moving it said, "We are now entering Capitol City."

Denice could not contain her shiver. "No kidding."

Sitting in a small room on the 413th floor of the Unification Council s.p.a.cesc.r.a.per, alone except for a second chair, Denice waited patiently.

She knew what was coming; she worked on her breathing.

She did not have to wait long. Ichabod Martin swept into the room and said without pause, "Pleasure to meet you, "Selle Daimara. Have you ever worked with a truth plate before?" Ichabod was a tall man who, down to his bushy black beard, resembled nothing so much as a grizzly bear gone somewhat to seed. An inskin data link was socketed at his left temple.

From a deep, quiet place, Denice lied. "No."

"Okay." A shorter, hugely muscled black man of about thirty, ma.s.sing perhaps one hundred twenty kilos, joined them, took up a position behind Denice. He did not speak to her. Ichabod did not appear to be armed; Denice turned slightly, saw the second man wore a hand maser strapped openly at his thigh.

"What I want you to do," said Ichabod, opening a small black case to display three small pieces of whitish ceramic resting upon a black cloth lining, "is hold one of the plates in each hand. We"re going to put the third plate at the base of your skull. May I touch you?"

Denice met Ichabod"s gaze. "Thank you."

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Well, I don"t like being touched by strangers either. May I?"

"Yes."

"Good." Ichabod brushed her hair away from the back of her neck, and Denice felt the cold ceramic come in contact; Ichabod placed the other two plates into each of her open hands. His thoughts, cool and pleasant, washed over her as they touched. "Hold them tightly, please." Denice"s hands curled into fists.

Ichabod seated himself in front of her; his knees nearly touched hers. "Don"t worry about being nervous.

It won"t make a difference one way or another." Denice nodded, and Ichabod grinned at her. "How deep are you?"

"What do you mean?"

His eyes lost focus; he was clearly checking his inskin. "Let"s see; high-amplitude alpha, low amplitude theta, beta around seventeen Hertz, synchronized brain waves. You"ve worked with some d.a.m.n good biofeedback equipment to be able to maintain lucid awareness under these conditions."

Her father had taught her this exercise; it was the first time Denice had ever heard a Castanaveras telepath complimented as d.a.m.n good biofeedback equipment.

She smiled at Ichabod, said nothing.

Ichabod shrugged. "It doesn"t make a difference how deeply you trance, you know. If you"re aware enough to answer my questions, you"re aware enough of your lies for the plates to catch it."

"I don"t intend to lie to you."

Ichabod shrugged. "Depending on how it goes, the questions can get very personal. n.o.body but Bruce and I will ever know how you answered, not even Councilor Ripper; and Brace"s only here to watch me watch you; he"s not listening. Okay?"

Denice lifted an eyebrow. "Not Ripper?"

"Need to know, "Selle Daimara. And all Ripper needs to know is that you"re a stable person, that you"re not working for somebody else, and that you mean it when you make a commitment."

"Fine."

Ichabod nodded. "Okay, let"s start. I want you to answeryes to the first six questions. Are you a hundred and eight years old?"

Denice watched the flow of pulsing blue neurons in her skull. "Yes." Nervous twitches followed, hundreds of different spots within her system kicking almost randomly. Perhaps two dozen different incidents were close enough to the truth plates to affect what the plates read.

Ichabod"s features took on a distant cast. "Good. You know when you"re lying. You"d be amazed how many sociopaths I get in here."

The thought flitted through the back of Denice"s mind,No, I wouldn"t.

Ichabod said, "Are you twenty-two years old?"

"Yes."

"Is your name Fred Dworkin?"

"Yes."

"Is your name Denice Daimara?"

"Yes."

"Are you-" Ichabod paused. "Is your name Denice Daimara?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. Did you change your name at some point?"

"Yes."

"All right, we"ll come back to this one. Are you three meters tall?"

"Yes."

"Are you one hundred seventy-two centimeters tall?"

"Yes."

Ichabod said slowly, "Good. Okay, let"s do it. You may now answer yes or no, but no more. Are your feelings toward Dougla.s.s Ripper generally positive?"

"Yes."

"Do you have what you would consider significant reservations toward Councilor Ripper as a person?"

"No."

"Do you have what you would consider significant reservations toward Councilor Ripper"s legislative agenda?"

"Yes."

"Do you consider him insufficiently American?"

Denice hesitated, considering. "No."

"Do you feel that Councilor Ripper poorly represents American interests?"

"I can"t answer that yes or no."

"Do you feel that Councilor Ripper adequately represents American interests?"

"Yes."

"Do you consider yourself an American?"

"Yes."

"Are you capable of being loyal to Dougla.s.s Ripper?"

"Yes."

"Do your interests in any way conflict with those of Dougla.s.s Ripper?"

"As I understand them, no."

Ichabod frowned, but accepted the answer. "Do you represent any other interests in making this application?"

"Other than myself?"

"Other than yourself, do you represent any other interests in making this application?"

"No."

"Are you sincere in your desire to work for Dougla.s.s Ripper?"

"Yes."

"Are there things about yourself which you would prefer that other people not know?"

"Yes."

"Would it be possible for someone to bribe you?"

"No."

"Would it be possible for someone to blackmail you?"

Denice hesitated. "No."

"You"re not certain. Okay. You can answer this at as much length as you wish: what, in general, is the nature of the thing you think you might be blackmailed over?"

Denice was distantly aware of the truth plates in her hands growing slippery with sweat.I"m a genie, my parents caused the Troubles, and if the Unification catches me it"ll make me dead if I"m lucky, a slave if I"m not. She said carefully, "I was a genetically enhanced fetus. I know that"s illegal."

"You"re a genie?"

"Yes."

"Okay. We get you guys sometimes; Ripper even hired one once. What name were you born with?"

Localization; here, and here, and here-slow the synapses, relax the neuroreceptors.