[Sometime in the future]
"'Sa dingin, right? Gotcher basic kitchen sinker with a hiho moddy, but the crypto on the thing's a right bugger. Good luck tapping it if you don't know the abra. Where'd you say it came from?"
Firene glances at Treacle.
"I didn't say. My mother gave it to me for my birthday last year."
"Your mam... right. Don't suppose she spelled you the abra, hey?"
"Er... no. I don't honestly think she knew it was a dingin. My father..."
Seven cuts her off.
"Ta for the help, Vek. I owe you one, right?"
If the flowghost is offended by Seven's sudden desire to leave, he didn't show it.
"Yeah, well - if yer get any serious coin for it, I'd not say no to a new crackerjack. But I'm not holding my breath. Ask me, ye'd prolly get more for it as bijou."
* * * * * * * *
"No, but this is good, right? I mean, this must be what they wanted, so all we need to do is arrange a meeting with Arclight, give them the dingin, and they won't be after me anymore-"
Seven slams his hand down on the table.
"You still don't get it, do you? First of all, you give this to them, they're going to want the abra for it. D'you really think that they're going to believe you when you say you don't know? And d'you want to know what they're going to do to you before they finally realize you're telling the truth? 'Cos I can give you all the unpleasant details, luv, if that's what you're after. The only thing we've got now is the answer to why they want you so badly, but it's not going to do you a damn bit of good unless we can tap the bugger ourselves and see what your da put on there. I think it's fairly safe to assume that it's whatever he was working on when he got done. Assuming we can do that, then we need to figure out where who we can sell the information to who isn't going to do us over first chance they get. After that, maybe me and Treacle will retire to Colsetter Parish and you can go to Longshore. Which ought to be right around when the Black freezes over."
Firene goes white and seems to fold on on herself. Treacle clears his throat pointedly at Seven and jerks his head sharply in the direction of the door. She doesn't even look up as the two of them leave the pub.
"Taken up kicking puppies as a hobby then, have you?"
The Bellhop bites back a snarling retort, then takes a deep breath.
"Come on, Treac - we're in the business of disappearing people who don't want to be found. She still thinks she can get it all back, that this is just a sodding misunderstanding. She still doesn't believe that someone in Arclight did for her family, not really. And I'm bloody sick of trying to convince her."
"You probably have. She just doesn't want to think about it. Can you blame her, really? It's different for you, 'cos you always knew they didn't give two shits about you..."
For a second, Treacle thinks Seven is going to take a swing at him. Instead, he sighs heavily and lets his head thump back against the wall before laughing bitterly.
"Next thing, you'll have me thinking we're running a sodding charity."
"Well, let's not be hasty. One has to eat, after all."
* * * * * * * *
A man comes stumbling unsteadily out of the pub and pushes past them, quickly becoming lost in the grey mass of pedestrians trudging through the ever-present smog. Firene runs out a few seconds later. Seven catches her arm, spinning her around.
"Look - Bea... Firene. Don't run off, hey? Sorry for being so sharpish and all, I'm just trying to keep you from doing something daft, right?"
She tries to pull away, peering intently down the street before looking at him with bright eyes.
"I'm not running - that man who just came out - I think it was my father..."
