Page 75 of Guiding Reason

“With a snack?” the bot asked, bot voice lifting with excitement.

“Sure. Why not. Something sweet. I think they’ll make me want to have something sweet.”

The bot blinked hesitantly. “Your office AI mentioned it could only discuss healthy meal plans very generally and that it wasn’t able to track the amount of snacks consumed or currently stored in your office.”

Col lowered his chin, solemn. “The same might happen to you if you’re not careful, butler bot.”

Col stood and headed to his room.Emulating Vin after all. At least I manage to scare a bot if not my own Guardians.

Once he’d sagged down on the bed in the room—his and Hyran’s room, for now—he pulled out his screen to send a message to Vin.

Vinnie,

Can you go see Pinota? Alesa told me he expects to be freed by our Female Voice. See if Pinota can add more to that. If you want, check up on Alesa as well. I broke his nose during my visit.

Col hit send, then issued an order to the Judiciary AIs to let him through.

It took Vin some time to respond.

Will do. Taking Y.

Col looked at the message. He smiled before turning off his screen and waiting for the butler bot to bring him something sweet.

26

TAROS

Hyran led him through the Ferrean Grounds riddled with evening’s long shadows, taking winding streets and pretending it was intentional and not a scheme to confuse Taros.

“We’ll cut through the memorial garden if you don’t mind,” Hyran said, fiddling with his screen.

“I don’t mind. It’s always quiet there.”

“Good.”

Hyran turned left. The tall walls of the memorial garden were right there, engraved and painted scenes showing the bereaved, weeping but sheltered from the world by a wall of arms so the loss could run through them while they were safe.

It was much the same for every memorial garden, but Ferrea’s was big, too big for Taros’s taste. He’d left a grandfather in Argentea’s garden and knew the paths throughout well.

“What if I’d said no?” Taros asked, rolling his shoulders to ease the swelling there.

Hyran broke his smile before it bloomed, his split lip clearly bothering him. “Then we’d have gone around.”

“You’re an annoying man.”

“You must know. The first thing you see in the mirror each morning is an annoying man.”

They passed into the memorial garden, eyes locked like Hounds in battle.

“Aren’t you rather small for a panoplian?” Hyran asked.

“You have to fluff your hair to look taller than me. Or are you talking about size that isn’t immediately visible when one is wearing combat pants?”

“Interesting you should bring up your cock. Is it well?”

“Should you even be thinking about a cock that isn’t Col’s? Speaking of cocks, this place looks like a flaccid one.”

Hyran sniggered. “You equate a place to keep our loved one’s ashes to a cock? Taros, your leanings and desires are questionable.”