Gameboard of the Gods

CHAPTER 15 HE’S TALLER

He’d had the video for over a week, but Leo hadn’t been able to crack it in “five minutes,” as Justin had assured Cornelia. Leo still swore he’d have the secret of the shadowy figure any day now and finally agreed to go to one of the murder sites to check out the technical and forensic side of things. Of course, it came with a little complaining about missing his ridiculous day job.

Justin went out the night before the trip and had the good fortune of running into a former student from his days of teaching university religion classes. Aurelia had grown up over the years and was quite taken with the idea of her former professor leading a glamorous servitor’s life. She was the first woman he’d slept with since coming home, and the experience was sublime. He supposed, as far as the mechanics went, she was no different from any of the many Panamanian women he’d passed time with in exile, but there was an allure to the idea of finally being in the arms of a Gemman woman again. It had amped up the excitement of it all.

Finally? asked Horatio.

Mae doesn’t count, Justin told him.

Justin slinked back to his house the next morning, certain he was there too early for anyone else to be up. He was wrong, of course. Cynthia was in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee. Guessing what had happened, she sighed in that angst-ridden way she’d perfected.

“Really? Thank goodness Quentin’s still in bed. What am I supposed to tell him when you come home like this?”

Justin kissed her on the cheek. “That I’ll have some excellent tips for him in ten years.” He reconsidered. The boy was a March, after all. “Eight years.”

He headed for his room, unable to keep the spring out of his step.

Mae was there when he got out of the shower. She always claimed she showed up at the house to save them travel time, but he suspected she actually came to get in on Cynthia’s ample breakfasts. Today, he was met with the astonishing site of Mae, Tessa, and Quentin all out in the backyard. Cynthia stood at the glass door, shaking her head in disapproval at what was apparently a tree-climbing lesson. Mae deftly grabbed the lower limb of a large maple tree and effortlessly swung her body up. Quentin and Tessa stared up at her. His face was rapt, hers uncertain. Neither would have had any experience with tree climbing, Justin realized. Tessa’s mother would have had a seizure at the thought, and Quentin had grown up in far too urban a setting.

“He’ll break his arm,” fretted Cynthia. Mae held out her hand to help Quentin up. He took it eagerly. “He can’t do the same things she can.”

“It’s worth the risk for him to actually see a tree.” With Quentin successfully up, Mae helped Tessa. “Would you rather have him guessing ages and backstories?”

Cynthia scowled, and they fell silently into their shared memory. With her students safely settled, Mae climbed up into the higher branches of the tree. Joy lit her features, and Justin couldn’t take his eyes off her. He’d thought Aurelia might make being around Mae easier, but the girl’s face was already fading from his mind the more he watched Mae.

“She’s an athlete,” Justin observed, more to himself. She effortlessly jumped to the ground from a height that would’ve broken a bone in anyone else.

His sister gave him a sidelong look. “Really? It took a tree for you to realize that and not the part where she’s one of the most lethal soldiers in our country?”

“There’s a difference. She’s physical for the love of it, not just because she’s trained to be.” It was a new discovery about her, a puzzle piece in the mystery that was Mae Koskinen. He might adhere to his hands-off stance, but the urge to figure out her inner workings was one of those things he just couldn’t ignore.

“You can’t sleep with her,” Cynthia said abruptly.

He turned to her in surprise. “What?”

“Some women are even out of your league.”

If only she knew the hilarious truth, remarked Horatio.

Mae caught sight of her audience and helped Quentin and Tessa down so they could return to the house. Naturally, she hadn’t broken a sweat, but there was a very pretty flush to her cheeks and that same delight in her eyes as she stepped inside. “Good morning,” she told him, actually sounding sincere. Tree climbing apparently put her in a good enough mood for her to temporarily forget that she hated him. “Hope we didn’t take too long.”

“No problem,” Justin said, more enchanted than he wanted to admit at getting a glimpse of the woman he liked to think of as “Panamanian Mae.” “We’re right on time. Let’s go see what the Nipponese have to share.”

He’d scheduled an errand before they had to be at the airport, and he used the trip into the city to tell her about Geraki. She stared at Justin in disbelief when he finished the story.

“Why are we going to the Nipponese grant when there’s a religious zealot after you?” she exclaimed. This was the kind of danger she yearned for—a threat on his life that he hadn’t actually caused. “We should find him!”

“The authorities will. Er, the other authorities. Internal Security’s got a warrant out for him. As soon as he trips a checkpoint, they’ll bring him in for questioning.”

Mae still didn’t look convinced. In fact, she looked like she’d have jumped off the train then and there if it was possible. Knowing her, she could probably have done it and survived. “But will they actually be able to hold him?”

“They’ll hold him long enough,” he said. “Someone like him showing up at a servitor’s house is pretty serious…but yeah, no one will be able to prove he actually meant any harm.”

It was how Geraki worked. He’d been on a watch list for years. Justin knew Geraki was a cult leader, but no one could prove it. It was all instinct and circumstantial evidence, and that just wasn’t enough to bust someone as smart as Geraki. Every year, the servitor’s office investigated him. And every year, he came up clean. Worse, Justin knew he was one of those people tied to the network of underground religions, just like Callista, the priestess of Artemis. The difference between them was that Geraki wasn’t the type to give up useful information.

For his part, Geraki seemed to enjoy the servitor visits—in a smug and condescending sort of way. He was always jovial and cooperative, assuring the servitors they could look into anything they wanted. And all the while, Justin had seen a glint in the other man’s eyes that was both knowing and mocking.

Coming to Justin’s house was out of character, though. Retribution happened sometimes when religions were shut down, but Geraki had no reason to seek revenge. No one had ever censured him. No one had ever proven he had a following. Nonetheless, Justin didn’t want him anywhere near his family.

You should talk to him, said Magnus. Maybe he has something important to say.

Justin wasn’t convinced. I know what he has to say. Cryptic nonsense and faked innocence. And all the while, he’ll be laughing behind my back.

Seeing Mae’s hardened expression, Justin couldn’t help but tease her. “You actually look like you’re worried about my safety. And here I didn’t think you cared.”

“I don’t,” she said. “I mean—I do, but never mind. I care about religious freaks coming after you.”

“Hopefully detaining him’ll scare him off, and then we’ll get a restraining order to boot.” What he didn’t mention to Mae was that Geraki was actually the reason they were going on this errand. One thing Tessa had mentioned when quizzed further about her encounter had particularly piqued Justin’s interest—Geraki’s comment about SCI hiring more servitors. A little poking around had found that was true, but no one could explain the spike in employment.

The car took them to the House of Senators, not far from Hale Square. Despite the early hour, the RUNA’s main government facility was already abuzz with activity. Lobbyists and aides hurried up and down the front steps while tourists stopped to take pictures. Guided tours started early, and Justin could hear one guide describing the makeshift building that senators had first used following the Decline. Off to the side, a sign pointed the way to the National Gardens a few blocks away, a vast wonder of horticulture that attracted visitors from all parts of the RUNA and hosted fancy political parties.

And it was here that Mae—who always walked with such confidence and fearlessness—faltered. Justin looked over at her in surprise. The senate overwhelmed a lot of people, but she shouldn’t have been one of them. She would’ve had to see this building countless times, especially since prætorians had a strong presence there.

In fact, three prætorians stood on each side of the building’s entrance now, hard faced and watchful as they took in the morning activity. Guns hung openly at their sides, and their black uniforms provided a sharp—almost sinister—contrast against the white marble. People who worked in the building walked past the prætorians easily, but newcomers gave the guards nervous looks and a wide berth.

“Friends of yours?” Justin asked her, still puzzled by her reaction. There was an intensity in her gaze as she stared upward, paired with an emotion he had a little trouble identifying.

Mae recovered herself and gave him a small smile before continuing up the steps. “Just been a while, that’s all.”

Most of the prætorians gave Justin and Mae the same once-over everyone else received, but a couple looked at her with recognition. She gave them a small nod and kept going through the door, soon slipping back to her cool and collected state.

After they cleared the building’s extensive security checkpoint, an aide led them toward Lucian Darling’s office. They passed more military scattered throughout, gray uniforms and black uniforms mixed together. Mae took them all in without a word or break in her expression, but when they finally reached the office, two prætorian men stationed nearby shed their stern looks and gave her smiles.

“Koskinen,” said one. He had a red pip on his collar. “I guess they let you out after all.”

“Look at that neckline,” said the other. He turned to his colleague. “I think we should search her. You know, for the sake of national security. Maybe if we’re lucky, she’ll put up a fight.”

The most astonishing thing happened. Mae smiled—a genuine, all-consuming smile. It was Panamanian Mae. That smile shone from her eyes and lit up every part of her. He hadn’t thought he’d see that light again, at least not in the face of sexist remarks.

I wonder what you have to do to get a smile like that again, said Magnus wistfully.

Wear a uniform, suggested Horatio. Or make inappropriate sexual remarks.

“I heard that’s the only way you can get any, Chow,” said Mae. “Well, that and ree.”

The one called Chow scoffed, but the other prætorian laughed. “Why aren’t you here with the rest of us?”

“Forget here,” said the other guy. “Come out with us tonight. I hear there’s a party.”

“There’s always a party,” said Mae.

The aide cleared her throat. “Um, Dr. March? This is Senator Darling’s office.” She looked distinctly uncomfortable, probably because she’d never actually heard any of the prætorians here speak—or seen them laugh.

“Right,” said Justin, still transfixed by the easy banter between alleged killing machines. “Thank you. We’ll take it from here.” The aide left, and he hesitated before going into the office. He felt like he’d be depriving Mae of something if he took her away. “You can stay if you want,” he said. “You don’t even really need to come along. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a wait.”

He would’ve expected dutiful Mae to protest, but instead, she turned that smile on him. “Thank you.”

I guess that’s what you have to do for the smile, said Horatio. Be careful or she might start liking you again.

When he’d told her there’d be a wait, Justin had mostly said it to justify his offer. He hadn’t actually expected to be stuck in the reception area for a half hour. Mae stuck her head in three times, anxious about being away, and he waved her off each time. The receptionist responded haughtily when Justin reminded him they had an appointment.

“The senator is very busy. Often his meetings run over.”

Justin wondered if that was true or if Lucian had simply fallen asleep in his office. In the old days, that wouldn’t have been out of character.

But when the door finally opened, two official-looking women stepped out and shook hands with Lucian, gushing gratitude for his time.

“The senator will see you now,” said the receptionist.

“There’s a woman with me,” Justin told him. “Show her in when she gets back.”

“Of course there’s a woman with you,” said Lucian. “There always is.” He shook Justin’s hand and beckoned him inside.

Once the door was shut, Lucian sat on the edge of his desk and shook his head. “Unbelievable. When I saw your name on my schedule, I thought it was a joke.”

Justin took a few moments to assess his old friend and roommate. He looked just as he had on TV, smiling and charming, with that new tawny hair color that the saleswoman had claimed was “hot.”

“That’s funny, because I thought the same thing when I saw you running for consul.” Justin walked over to a bottle of scotch sitting near the window. At least some things never changed. “May I?”

“Knock yourself out.” Justin could feel Lucian’s eyes weighing him. “The election’s old news, but then, I hear you’ve been away.”

Justin poured a glass. “Yeah? How’d you’d hear that? I mean, aside from me not returning all the calls I know you must’ve made to me these last four years.”

“I did a little investigating when I saw your name come up. Well, my assistant did.” Some of Lucian’s swagger faded. “What the hell did you do? People don’t get exiled. And they certainly don’t come back from it.”

It was a relief to know that Lucian’s access didn’t stretch that far, but Justin wasn’t surprised. The majority of Internal Security didn’t even know his full background.

“It’s not really that interesting of a story,” Justin said. “Especially compared to how a guy who was once on the committee that regulated pets riding on public transportation became a candidate for consul.”

Lucian took the hint and smiled again. “You don’t think I care about our country? And its pets?”

“I think you’ve always been the type to take the easy way out. You always tried to get by under the radar.”

“Yeah, well, one day, I made myself a target.” Lucian’s brown eyes narrowed as he drifted into some memory. “A comment at a lunch about how it was time to get rid of the last of the mandates. It was supposed to be off the record—but wasn’t. The next thing I knew, Lucian Darling was the champion of those seeking genetic freedom. My party rode that popularity and convinced me it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss.” He spread out his hands. “And so here I am, one of the youngest consular candidates in history.”

“Having to own your words.”

“It’s not that bad. I really do believe in what I do, you know.” He nodded toward Justin’s scotch. “What do you think?”

“Excellent. Of course, I’ve been in the provinces, so my bar’s still pretty low these days.”

Lucian laughed. “I heard that too. You know who gave it to me? Religious-freedom lobbyists.”

Wow. Lucian really was involved with heavy platforms now. College days and dorm-room parties seemed like centuries ago.

“You’re trying to break open everything. Genes and religion. It really is a new age.”

“I never said I supported them.” Justin noticed Lucian also didn’t say he opposed them either. “You worried you’ll be out of a job?”

“I’ll just run for public office. I hear it’s not that hard.”

That brought another smile from Lucian, and Justin wondered if it was the one Tessa said they shared. “Don’t worry, I have plenty of antireligious ones knocking at my door—and they’ve got a lot more money. Anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company? You never paid me casual visits before you left.”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“The last time you asked for a favor, my girlfriend ended up bent over your desk.” Lucian poured himself a glass.

Justin sighed. “When are you going to get over that? She was your ex-girlfriend, and she really was helping me with my essay.”

“Yeah? What exactly was it on?”

Lucian’s receptionist suddenly opened the door and stepped aside so that Mae could enter. “Sorry,” Mae told Justin. “I didn’t realize you’d gone in.”

She’d become serious again, back to her professional mode, but he could still see a little of that light in her face. Lucian saw it too. He swiftly set down the scotch and strode over to her, his gallant smile turned all the way up.

“Senator,” she said, taking his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

“You can call me Lucian. We aren’t big on formalities around here.” Lucian kept holding her hand. “And I can call you…?”

“Mae.” She was smiling too, but thankfully, it was with amusement and not that earlier joy.

“Prætorian Mae Koskinen,” said Justin.

He hoped that would make Lucian back off, but mostly it seemed to intrigue him even more.

“Are you?” Lucian looked her over like he was doing some official assessment of her physical strength, but Justin suspected he was actually checking out the way her chest looked under her clinging georgette blouse. “I can’t believe I’ve never seen you around here.”

Keep him away from her, said Magnus, more heatedly than Justin was used to.

I know you’ve still got high hopes for me and her, said Justin, but come on. He’s not her type.

Which type would that be? asked Horatio. The tall, good-looking, powerful, and charming type? He could interfere with your chances.

I have all of those things going for me, retorted Justin. Not that I want a chance.

He’s taller, said Horatio.

Surprisingly, Magnus actually sounded frustrated with both Justin and his fellow raven. It’s more than that! The goddess who wants her still hasn’t made an official claim. That makes Mae vulnerable to others.

Magnus had been fairly coherent since their return to the RUNA, so Justin supposed it had only been a matter of time before the raven returned to his old ways. No matter the setting or attire, “vulnerable” was a word Justin had never applied to Mae.

“She’s not stationed here,” said Justin. He paused dramatically. “She’s assigned to me.”

This was enough to make Lucian drag his eyes from Mae. He frowned. “What does that mean?”

“Well, you know how dangerous and harrowing my job is, what with the constant assaults on my life and unstable dissidents I face.”

Mae gave Justin an incredulous look.

“So, SCI decided to up my protection since I’m so important.” Feeling more in control again, Justin poured another glass of scotch. “Mae’s my bodyguard. We’re off together to the Nipponese grant. She goes with me everywhere. Everywhere.”

She picked up on the subtext and fixed him with a chilly look. “That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”

“He exaggerates about a lot of things to a lot of women,” said Lucian. He turned to Justin. “So what’s this favor?”

Putting Lucian in his place was an activity Justin never tired of, but the clock was ticking, and he did actually have serious business to discuss. “SCI’s been doing a lot of hiring. The number of servitors has shot up in the last six months.”

“Probably at the cost of some other worthy government program,” said Lucian. “Is this you being worried about your job again? That they might find someone better and cheaper?”

“No, I want to know what the increase is for. We’ve had things locked down for years. If anything, the numbers should be decreasing.”

Lucian decided to let the banter go as well. “You could look in your own backyard for that. Someone at SCI should know.”

“I’m sure someone does, but they aren’t telling me.” The best he’d received was a lot of meaningless “surplus budget” and “extra openings” mumbling—but nothing concrete. Cornelia had blown him off, and he didn’t have the access or good graces to badger anyone higher than her. “Someone in Internal Security—or more importantly, a senator with friends there—might be willing to tell a promising young senator who’s running for consul. It’d be a great way to curry favor.”

“I see.” Lucian’s lips quirked. “It’d be a weird request, though.”

Inspiration struck Justin. “Would it? You’ve got religious-freedom lobbyists sending you gifts. Inquiring about the servitor’s office would be very reasonable.”

“You think of everything, don’t you?” Lucian didn’t make it sound like a compliment. “Did you think of a clever reason for why I should do it for you?”

“Because we’re friends. And maybe you’ll need a good servitor on your side if those lobbyists turn on you. Or, hell, just do it for old times’ sake.”

“You mean my girlfriend?”

“Ex,” Justin reminded him.

“Fine. For old times’ sake.” Lucian turned to Mae, who had been watching the exchange with a mix of astonishment and fascination. “But now I have a favor to ask. I have a fund-raising party in a couple of weeks. I don’t suppose you’d want to go with me? If you can tear yourself away from Justin, that is.”

It apparently was a day of firsts with Mae. It had started with that radiant smile and had now moved on to her becoming flustered. That discomfiture only lasted a few moments, though. She rewarded Lucian with a polite and—Justin was certain—ever-so-slightly superior smile. That was castal upbringing. Debutantes were taught to eat men alive.

“That’s very flattering,” she said. “But I don’t think my commitments will allow it.”

Lucian was unfazed. “Well, check on them, and if they change, just let me know. I don’t plan on going with anyone else. They’d just be a disappointment now.”

Do something about this, snapped Magnus.

“Mae’s great at parties,” said Justin. He gave Lucian a pointed look. “She’s a Nordic patrician, though I’m sure you already noticed that.”

Lucian’s eyes said he understood what Justin wasn’t explicitly saying. No matter how high Lucian’s star was right now, no matter how much class tension had eased in recent years…any hint of romance with a patrician would be political suicide. Lucian’s fellow senators were the ones who cast the votes, and their patrician constituents would raise holy hell at the thought of a plebeian defiling some pure patrician woman—especially if her score came out.

Lucian was too noble to fully backpedal, though his pitch lightened. “Well, just let me know.”

Mae didn’t speak to Justin again until they were en route to the airport, free of flirting senators and distracting prætorians. “What,” she said, “was that all about?”

“It was me tapping inexplicable political connections to get answers that my department won’t give me.”

She shot him a sidelong glare. “You know what I mean. The presumption back there was off the charts.”

“I know,” he said, nodding solemnly. “Lucian doesn’t know his limits sometimes.”

“Not him! You, with all your ‘she goes with me everywhere’ insinuations.”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it? And how was that worse than his trying to trade my favor for a date with you? I defended your honor, you know. He was objectifying you.”

“He was just asking me out.” Mae’s face turned speculative. “He seems like a nice guy.”

“You aren’t…you aren’t seriously thinking about that, are you? And what happened to you not lowering yourself to associate with plebeians? Or do you make an exception for glamorous and powerful men?” The thought of her in Lucian’s arms, her face flushed with the afterglow, made Justin feel ill. Over and over, he told himself he couldn’t have her, but he didn’t want anyone else to either.

She stared out the car’s window as it pulled up to the airport’s front entrance. “It’s my business if I do.”

“You don’t want anything to do with a guy like that. It’s his job to say things to lure people in.”

Mae returned her gaze to him. “Tell me exactly how he’s any different from you. Aside from the fact that when he says he holds a post in the government, he’s actually telling the truth.”

Yes, said Horatio. Please, go ahead and tell us.

A lot of answers came to Justin’s mind, but “I’m more fun at parties” might not have helped his case after the overdose in Windsor. Instead, he simply said, “I had that smile first.”

That was apparently the wrong answer, because all Mae said before getting out of the car was, “Point proven.”