Broken People (Serial)

Thirty-Four

The door panel flashed, recognizing Aurore's handprint. Her fingers itched. She felt uneasy each time they did that. The security system had been customized to work for her, too, despite the absence of biological tissue in her hands. "It also checks the stress levels, so don't get any ideas." Not that there were any stress levels in her prosthetics to check, but this wasn't a good time for him to try to break in by force.

"There's nothing in there I want," Dale said.

Wrong. There was someone he needed inside this car, but Aurore had no reason to remind him of that. She stepped over the threshold and crossed the narrow corridor leading to the factory.

They found Spinner with his left arm resting on the table, open from shoulder to wrist, all the bits of bone and metal put on display. Rake was working on the arm.

"We'll be with you in a second," Spinner said, sounding fully awake and in a reasonably good mood, considering the circumstances. "I just pulled a muscle. How did you like the show?"

"Wonderful," Aurore said, her eyes taking in the familiar layout. Except for a couple of new machines, the room looked the same as it did in her memories. She had spent a lot of time here, and in the next room, too. "Especially the end."

Spinner winced. "Yeah, that was quite a showstopper."

Bent over his arm, a set of tweezers in hand, Rake let out a low grunt that could have been a chuckle.

"We'll have to insist on using the new theater next time." Spinner picked a sponge from the table and handed it to Rake.

"If there is a next time," Rake rumbled, his eyes not leaving his work.

"It all depends on your performance on Saturday," Aurore said. "Inside the Hrad."

"Saturday?" Rake looked up.

At the same time, Spinner asked, "The Hrad?" He let out a low whistle.

While they stared at each other, Cielo's blonde head peeked through the door. "Did anyone call?"

"We're performing in the Hrad," Spinner told her.

"All of us?" Cielo asked in a little voice.

Three pairs of eyes turned to Aurore.

"While you figure out who performs where," Dale said, "I'll go check on Cole."

He didn't wait for permission as he started for the door. Cielo nodded and stepped aside to let him pass into the adjacent room.

Aurore raised an eyebrow at seeing Dale act so at home, but she had more urgent matters on her mind. "I need to speak with Dino." Her skin was itching as if from some strange food allergy, and she could barely restrain herself from scratching.

"Big Dino is ... sleeping," Spinner said.

"You'll wake him for me."

"He won't like it."

"He'll like it less if you don't," Aurore said, her jaw set.

The knife throwers exchanged a look.

"Cielo, take Miss Aurore to see Big Dino," Rake said. "You know what to do. I'm not done here."

Cielo glanced back into the other room as if checking up on the visitor but did not protest against being sent away. She limped to the corridor and led the way towards Big Dino's car.

"How much does he know?" Aurore asked when they reached the door.

"He doesn't know anything. He hasn't been awake in two weeks," Cielo said.