“Dr. Eusta?”
“Honored Guardian. How glad I am to have found you in time.” He doesn’t look glad. His beady eyes glare at me.
“What are you doing here?” When I offer a hand touch, my hand passes right through him. He’s still a hologram.
“Ambassador Sirna has informed us of your plan to speak at the Plenum. You must not do this. You’ll bring shame on our House.”
“But, Doctor, I—”
“Cancer will be the laughingstock of the galaxy. Do our anguished people deserve such a blow?”
“And do the other Houses deserve nothing?” I ask, blood rushing to my cheeks. “I can’t stand by in silence.”
His face distorts with rage. “Your own House suffers grievously, and Admiral Crius commands you to return. He sent me here to bring you home.”
When he shows me Crius’s written order, I squint at the virtual document, confused. Crius doesn’t have the authority to command me. He’s my Military Advisor, so he can only overrule me in times of war, and only if he and the majority of my Advisors vote that my life is in danger. But . . . this doesn’t feel right.
Dr. Eusta glances aside. “Another emergency. I must go. But hear me well, Guardian. Do not speak at the Plenum.”
The doctor’s hologram flashes away, and I blink as if waking from a stupor. Mathias is standing in front of me, gently shaking my arm.
“Rho, I’ve been searching everywhere for you. The session’s beginning. We have to go in.”
“Right,” I say, still a bit dazed. “Did you find your parents?”
“Yes. We’ll talk later. Let’s hurry.”
We step into the ruby-colored stair pipe, and its walls turn everything blood red. I’m still reeling from my meeting with Sirna, and the doctor’s visit has not boosted my confidence—nor did Mathias’s advice last night. I still have no idea what I’m going to say. I feel more uncertain of myself than ever.
Mathias guides me out of the pipe at the first level, where a round door opens for us. The vast echoing arenasphere is a hollow globe lined in dark quilted fabric like a jewel box. Tiers of sleek chrome seats ring its curved walls, and virtual screens move through the air, forming panes of flickering color.
The sphere’s almost empty when we enter, and the air has an exhausted staleness. The entire upper half is one giant holo-tap. Only a few lackadaisical holo-ghosts drift under the ceiling, viewing the session like passing clouds. And as I watch them, it strikes me what felt wrong about Dr. Eusta: He wasn’t a ghost.
How did he project his hologram all the way from Cancer without a time lag? He spoke to me as if his signal was coming from nearby.
Mathias pulls on my hand, and I have to speed up to keep pace with him as he leads us deeper into the arenasphere. For the Plenum session, the Arieans have rigged a temporary platform in the bed of the sphere, a half-moon stage facing an arc of tall gilded seats reserved for the ambassadors. When I step onto the stage, three flying micro-cameras buzz around me like gnats.
I have no idea what Nishi likes about the spotlight. Looking out at the vast arena from the stage, the only thing keeping me together is the hope of the finish line. If I can manage to convince even a few Houses of the danger we’re in, we’ll have allies. Then there will be others besides us on the case.
I rub my sweaty palms on my yellow suit with the glyph of the four silver moons. What a sight I must make: a girl almost too short to see over the top of the lectern, wearing a mismatched uniform. I have to stand on tiptoe to face my meager audience of only seven sleepy-eyed ambassadors and their entourage of adjuncts, Acolytes, and aides. It’s the end of the day, and they look like the last thing they want to do is hear another speech.
Brick-red Albor Echus sits at the center, representing Aries. His opulent fur robes can’t hide his double chins or bulging belly. Next to him is a rail-thin man with a face like a knife blade. His nameplate says he’s Ambassador Charon of Scorpio. The Virgo ambassador’s chair is empty, as are several others.
I spot Sirna. She’s leaning back with her arms crossed under her chest, looking sullen. I should have reached out to her when I was made Guardian. There are so many things I should have done.
Crius is right to order me home. Mother Origene won people’s devotion through her deeds. I’ve done nothing but disappear.
Mathias stands at attention in his blue Cancrian uniform near the main door. Just as I’m about to begin, Hysan makes an entrance, bumping fists and slapping backs with people from every House, looking resplendent in a charcoal-gray court suit. He winks at me, and my stomach does a small flip.