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Then again, maybe the Ohuli didn’t care. Maybe our way of doing things didn’t matter to them. Just because we abided by certain social mores didn’t mean they did, too.

It was absolutely possible that in their culture, holding someone hostage wasn’t frowned upon.

Of course, I was speculating. I really had no idea why Sten and Zanya would be in the Ohuli suite. It could be that they’d been taken in by the Ohuli so deeply that they had become brainwashed by them. That seemed as likely as anything else.

I sighed.

“I know,” Frank said. “I feel the same way. Whatever you’re thinking, I’m sure I’m thinking it, too.”

I took his hand. I was so grateful he was with me.

The elevator arrived, the doors opened, and we stepped out onto a very quiet deck. I wasn’t sure if there was anyone else currently on this deck other than the Ohuli. In a way, I applauded Hazel for moving them here, away from everyone else.

But I didn’t think they deserved this luxury either.

Frank pointed to the right. “Nova Luna suite.”

We walked together, the sound of our footfalls disappearing into the plush carpet. A vuum motored past, reminding me we weren’t totally alone. Not that a vuum was going to be any help if the Ohuli tried to take us hostage, too.

I stopped walking and grabbed Frank’s arm. “What if they try to do something to us? Like using whatever mind tricks they’ve obviously used on Sten and Zanya?”

“The two of us are strong enough to withstand that, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know. I would have said that about Zanya, and look how that’s turned out.”

“Okay, let’s have a code word. If either of us feel like we’re being mentally compromised in any way, we’ll use the code word, and that will be a signal to the other person to get us both out of there.”

“What’s the word?”

“How about pineapple?”

I nodded. “And what if they use their mind games on both of us and neither of us is clearheaded enough to realize it?”

“Then I guess we’re both in deep guano.” He gave me a stern look. “I had training in the Space Marines to avoid that very thing. Just give me the code word, and I’ll get us out of there. I promise.”

I exhaled. “Okay. But I hope you’re right.”

His jaw tightened. “So do I.”

We approached the door. Frank reached out and pressed the button to announce our arrival.

After a moment, Jhanna, the youngest sister, opened it. She wore the same long robe that I’d always seen her in. She smiled, nothing over the top, but nothing that seemed fake either. “Greetings. For what reason am I graced with this visit?”

Frank glanced at me, so I took the lead. “Hi. We’re here because we understand our friends Sten and Zanya are in this suite. We really need to speak with them.”

Jhanna’s brow wrinkled delicately. “I beg your forgiveness. Brother Sten and Sister Zanya are undergoing a spirit-cleansing ritual and cannot be disturbed, but I will tell them as soon as I am able that you need to speak to them. Your names again?”

Frank’s jaw shifted to one side like he thought we were being fed a line of bull. Or possibly that the spirit cleansing ritual was bull. Either way, I agreed with him. “Frank Kitson and Ellis McFadden. We need to speak to them as soon as possible.”

Jhanna bowed her head. “I understand.”

“I hope you do,” I said. “If we don’t hear from them soon, we’ll be back. You cannot keep them here against their will.”

“I will make it a priority. And I promise they came here of their own desires. Be blessed.” She stepped back, and the door slid closed.

I smiled until it was shut and then I snarled. “Spirit-cleansing ritual, my?—”

“Whether or not that’s true,” Frank started as he grabbed my hand and tugged me back to the elevators, “the Ohuli now know we’re aware that they’re up to something. I expect we’ll be in touch with Sten and Zanya before you know it.”

I walked alongside him, conscious of the fact that he probably hadn’t wanted me to say anything in front of the door where Jhanna might have heard me. For that, I was grateful. But part of me was starting not to care if the Ohuli knew the depths of my dislike for them.

“I know you’re mad,” he said. “But until we know Sten and Zanya are all right, we need to stay on the Ohuli’s good side as much as possible. We’ll get further that way.”

I huffed out an exasperated breath. “You’re probably right. But you’re also right that I’m mad. They have no justification to do this to our friends. Not when they’re enjoying the hospitality of our ship.”

He nodded as we reached the elevator bay, and he pushed the call button. “I agree with you.”

“Do you really think they went there because they wanted to?”

“More like because they were made to believe they wanted to.” He shook his head.

“I don’t get it. Sten’s never been much of a joiner.

In fact, part of the reason he took the job on the Athos is he wanted to escape traditional society.

From what I know about him, he’s a bit of an anarchist, albeit a nice, low-key one.

This whole cultlike vibe seems like everything he’d be against.”

“This is so wrong. I should talk to Hazel. Tell her everything that’s going on.”

“But your daughter said FAN considers them an endangered people. That gives them basically untouchable status. Unless we can prove they’re actually doing something that threatens a life or the starliner, we aren’t going to get any help on this.”

“Then you and I need to get busy finding that proof.”

“We do.” He stared at the ceiling. “I can go through those recordings again, but so far they’ve yielded nothing useful.”

“That’s too bad.”

The elevator arrived, and we went straight back to Frank’s, but as soon as we got into his quarters, I turned toward the door. “I should go, let you get to work. You don’t need me for whatever testing you’re going to do.”

“I like your company, though.”

I smiled. “Thanks, but I’m going to reach out to Vashti and Benni, bring them up to speed and see if they have any ideas.”

“Okay. I’ll let you know what I find out. You do the same.”

“I will.” I kissed him goodbye. “See you after dinner either way?”

“Sounds good. If anyone approaches you and makes you feel uneasy, you get away from them as quickly as you can.”

“I don’t think anyone will try to abduct me in the middle of the day. But I’ll be careful.”

“Good.”

I left and returned to my quarters. Harry was napping in his charging bed. He barely shifted when I came in. I let him be.

I started to send a text to Benni and Vashti, explaining what Frank and I had found out, but then realized that if Benni was cleaning solar panels, it was going to be a few hours until she was able to read messages. I really wanted to talk to someone now.

A trip to sick bay was in order.

When I walked in, the man behind the reception desk greeted me. He wore an earpiece with an arm that extended a microphone to his mouth. “Good afternoon. Welcome to the Athos Medical Center. How can we help?”

“Is Dr. Prasad available? I’m a friend of hers, and I need to speak to her. If she’s not busy.”

“Just a moment,” he said. “I’ll check. Your name?”

“Ellis McFadden.”

He touched the earpiece. “Dr. Prasad, if you’re available, you have a visitor, Ellis McFadden, who’d like to speak to you.”

He held up his finger for me to wait. “Very good.” He looked at me again. “She’ll be right out.”

Vashti came through the double doors before he was done speaking. “Els, how are you? Everything all right? You’re not sick, are you?”

“No, I’m fine. It’s about Zanya.”

Her smile disappeared. “Come back to my office. We’ll talk there.” She looked at the man behind the desk. “Ian, unless it’s a dire emergency, give me a few minutes, all right?”

“Of course, Dr. Prasad.”

She led the way, and once we were in and her door was closed, she sat in one of the upholstered chairs in front of her desk.

I took the other. Her office was a bit sterile, but I supposed the white, soft gray, and muted teal color scheme suited a doctor’s office.

A large, digital frame on the wall next to her desk displayed her multiple diplomas.

Vashti leaned in. “What’s going on? Have you heard from her?”

“Sort of. Frank was able to track her and Sten’s digital signatures?—”

“Their wristbands?”

“Right.” I frowned. “He located them in a suite on Deck 38. We went up there to see what was going on, and the youngest Ohuli sister told us Zanya and Sten were having a spirit-cleansing and couldn’t be interrupted.”

Vashti returned my frown. “A spirit-cleansing?”

“We thought it sounded like nonsense.”

“What do we do now?”

“Well, we told Jhanna we needed to speak to them as soon as possible, and she promised to—” My wristband vibrated. I glanced down at the notification, then back at Vashti. “You’re not going to believe this.”

“What?”

I held my wristband so she could see the screen. “Zanya just texted me.”