"What about reading the cards themselves?" Cristof picked one up, looking blankly at its perforations. "How many people in the city can do that?"
"Maybe twenty of us."
"Are any of you twenty inclined to sell the Labyrinth Code to another nation?"
"And lose our job security? Not to mention our citizenship and eyesight? We remember what happened to Decatur Neuillan." Lars shook his head. "We're not idiots."
"Besides, Cabiel's the only other country with advanced analytical engines, and they use a completely different assembly language," Kyle added. "There aren't any foreign nations that could run Labyrinth Code on their own engines."
"But if a country like Alzana could use this code to sneak in and misprogram our Great Engine, it could do a lot of damage to us," Cristof speculated.
The programmers looked at each other.
"You know, exalted, people call the Great Engine the ‘Heart of Ondinium,’ but it's really not that important to our day-to-day survival," Lars said, politely. "Slagging up some of the programs would be inconvenient, and it might cause us problems over the long run, but if Alzana really wants to cripple Ondinium, it just has to blow up our refineries or poison our water reservoirs. This little bit of code doesn't make a big difference in the grand scheme of themes."
Cristof was undeterred. "What about the Torn Cards? Could they use it?"
"The Torn Cards want to destroy the Great Engine," Isobel said. "They wouldn't do that with a program. If they ever got access to the Engine Room, they'd just drop a few bombs between the gears."
"I see. Well, thank you." Cristof began gathering the cards back up. "If you think of anything that might help us figure out who… who killed my brother, would you please let me know? It would probably be fastest to send a message to Taya Icarus."
"Just drop a line through Dispatch, or tell any icarus that you need to talk to me," Taya said, nodding.
"We'll do that." One by one the programmers shook her hand, then ducked quick bows to Cristof.
"What now?" Taya asked, as they walked back down the marble steps to the campus plaza again. The autumn wind whipped dry leaves across the walkway. "Do you think the bomb was meant for Alister?"
"Now we know it's a possibility. But Caster's still the more likely target."
"When can we investigate him?"
"Not tonight." Cristof paused, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his coat front before putting them back on. "Tomorrow I'll visit Viera."
"Can I come?"
He looked at her, clearly not enchanted by the idea.
"I want to," Taya insisted. "It would be rude if I didn't offer my condolences."
"Oh, all right," he said gracelessly.
"Thank you." Taya took the lead this time, heading for the University flight dock. "When are you going to see her?"
"No earlier than noon. You won't have any problem getting off work?"
"Not if I tell them I'm working for an exalted. Everyone will be on search and rescue, anyway, so schedules are going to be flexible." She sighed, thinking again of the wreckage in the mountains. "I'll meet you at noon. Where?"
"In front of her estate."
"All right." She reached the dock, a metal tower that rose over the rooftops of the University buildings.
"Fly safely."
"I will." She swung herself up onto the rung ladder and began to climb, turning her face toward the moon.
Chapter Ten
When she arrived at Estate Octavus the next day, Taya removed her armature in the foyer and left it with the servants. A few minutes later she was glad she had, because Viera turned from embracing Cristof to throw her arms around Taya's shoulders.
"I'm glad you came," the exalted said, fiercely.
"I'm so sorry." Taya hugged her back, surprised but flattered. "How's Ariq?"
"He's quiet. I'm afraid he's just starting to understand what this means." Viera stepped back, smoothing the front of her layered robes. Her strong features looked haggard. "Do you know who did it yet?"
"No, but we're looking into it," Cristof said. "I'll have some answers soon, I promise."
"Do they—" Viera stopped. "Who was the target? Alister or Caster? Do they know?"
"Not yet." Cristof took her arm and led her to a chair. Both he and Taya sat as soon as Viera was settled. "I've found one or two reasons why someone might want to kill Alister, but it's still possible that Caster was the target, or that this was just a random act of terrorism. It's too soon to tell."
Viera nodded, folding her hands in her lap.
"Would you be willing to answer some questions?" Cristof studied her. "I realize it's difficult to talk about, but—"
"Of course I will," Viera replied, cutting him off. "I spent all night trying to figure out why someone would want to kill my husband. The only thing I can think of is that it must have been Council business. Something political and dangerous."
"What was Caster working on? Did he have any important votes coming up? I know votes are confidential…."
"He told me a lot about his work. Maybe more than he should have, but he liked to ask my advice." Viera looked at her cousin. "I know he was going to vote against Alister's experimental program. And he was going to vote for an increase in the import tax on luxury items from Si'sier, and for a series of new safety regulations in the textile factories. None of those votes were worth killing him over."
"Alister told me yesterday that your husband had changed his mind about the program," Taya objected. "He was going to support it."
"Clockwork Heart?"
"Yes."
"I don't think so. Caster thought the whole idea was preposterous. He said that a machine would never have been able to predict a marriage like ours, and that he wasn't going to discourage anyone else from trying to find what we had." Her voice cracked on the last word, and she took a breath to steady herself.
"I'm sure he was right," Cristof said, taking her hand. "But you know Alister. He was convinced technology would solve all our problems."
Viera gave him a weak smile.
"I know. It's so funny that he would write that program after teasing you so much. He trusted machines and spent all his time around people, whereas you trust people and spend all your time around machines."
"I don't trust people that much. They're just as likely to malfunction as a machine."
Taya was only half-listening, still puzzling over Viera's previous answer.
"Could he have changed his mind and not told you? Because Alister was very certain…."
"Maybe he misunderstood something Caster said. That could be why they were out on the wireferry together," Cristof suggested.
"They were probably arguing, then," Viera sighed. "They respected each other's talents, but couldn't agree on how to run Ondinium. Our dinners together were always very loud."
Taya frowned. Alister had seemed adamant that Caster was on his side. But Emelie's accusations nagged at her memory.
"Do you think he might have lied to me?" she asked.
"Are you still thinking about that programmer?" The lines around Cristof's mouth tightened. "Don't. Alister would have no reason to lie to you about a Council vote."