I opened my KI. There was the message from David Farewell. He wouldn't be joining us, but would be working behind the scenes. I wasn't sure how he planed to facilitate the necessary distraction if he wasn't here. Perhaps it was better this way. One thing less to draw D'veeta's suspicion.
"Any idea what he has planned?" I asked. We were seated at a table in Kahlo pub. Jessie Pollick leaned back and gazed at the light shining through the hole in the ceiling behind him.
"He said we'd know it when we see it." How was he so calm? My own curiosity brought me here, but surely his motivations were stronger; and yet, he seemed to be somewhere else.
Voices came from down the hall and entered the pub. Five explorers congregated around the bar and began conversing along with the occasional drink order. "You'll know it when you see it.” I took a deep breath. “I hope They notice it too.”
The gathering behind us swelled with laughter and before long the five had grown to ten and then twenty. Who knew Kahlo had become such a popular hangout? It would be rude not to mingle; if we were to wait, might as well try to relax. Jessie Pollick was blending in easily enough. I guess he needed to get out more than I did; after all, he had been exploring this mystery longer than either of us.
Music began streaming into the pub. A D'niJ had set up by the store room and was well on her way to getting the crowd dancing.
“Ill wind blows the road to go. How many times we've told you so
No rhyme or reason. No way to make it easy 'til it's done
So you cross onto the other side of the street
Should know better but you keep turning up the heat”
The D'niJ took a break after her five song set and spoke over the PA to the gathered explorers. "Lemme tell you: you've been awesome tonight. To the guy in the back: keep that funky Bahro boogie going." The crowd laughed. "Up next I'm gonna slow things down before we get heated up again." A few wayward cheers. "D'ni. You rock.”
I crossed the crowd finding Jessie Pollick leaning against one of the great fallen stones that cut off the pub from the back. He cut his conversation short and walked to me. "This is part one." What? My look of confusion led him to elaborate. "Explorers will be drawn here, but the ResEng..."
Beat. I got it. "David Farwell?"
Jessie Pollick nodded and we walked toward the exit. "We'll leave the explorers to their gathering."
"Part one, eh?" I mused as we walked down the hall toward the Great stair. "Then, part two should begin any minute now."
We stood at the landing looking down the stairs to Takotah II and the docks beyond. The ResEng sat by his tent working in his KI. They always seemed preoccupied with their KIs. I checked my KI again. David Farwell was in his Bevin. What exactly was he planning?
Two ResEngs emerged from the building and spoke with the one at the tent who jumped to his feet. They ran down the stairs toward the docks. Jessie Pollick rapped his knuckles on the railing. "That's our cue.” He vaulted over the rail and jogged toward the unguarded Takotah.
I followed. Jessie was already inside the building by the time I reached the tent. What could have drawn the ResEngs so quickly? I peered over the rail toward the dock. The three ResEngs surrounded a flickering hologram that seemed to be speaking to someone not present. Kakhki pants and a blue vest. It was Dr Watson! I turned and hurried into the building.