Lucian Acario was talking to a young Gloriam whom Franco had gone to great lengths to avoid at social events.

Angelus Gloriam, Jr.

The only son of Exequi Angelus, Sr., Angelus Junior was still in school. A tall, dark statue at the top of his class, an annoyingly perfect elocutionist, which for some unfathomable reason would get him to unfathomable heights at Constellation — he was used to getting his own way with his looks and his word choice, but tonight it wasn't working for him.

"It's non-negotiable," said Lucian Acario, and Angelus's expression soured. "I told you this morning I would call on you again if there was an opportunity to prove yourself."

"Lucian, I've gone above and beyond. I spent the past hour of my life talking to Claudia Solace. I consider myself proven. She's all yours, by the way. That's a perfectly adequate contribution, don't you think? In fact, I think I should get back to her. You never know who could be putting ideas in her head."

That was already enough of the conversation for Franco, and he interrupted Acario's answer. "Do you need me for this, Lucian?"

"I was hoping you could impress on Aurelian Angelus what a bad idea it is to turn down an opportunity from Justin."

Franco put a hand on Angelus's shoulder and said, "He's right. Whatever the exequi is asking of you, just do it."

Angelus whispered, "But assassinating Ilan Potestas, why's he asking me to do it? There has to be someone else. Whoever makes the hit will be arrested and executed, there's no way to get away with it. Last night proved it. And my list of objections goes on and on — what if Aurelian Stephen were to give up on voting for Sunyin Aura after all and choose strategic voting instead? What if he decides to vote Valerian, who's for almost the same platform?"

"Leave the analysis of Stephen Potestas's voting likelihood to me, his best friend," said Franco. "He will vote for Sunyin Aura no matter what, splitting the vote and preventing Valerian from winning. Potestas would support the less radical of the two: Valerian. Now, as for removing the boss from the board—" Franco had been given a gnomon for the job. But he had no problem keeping that from Angelus. "You're smarter than the Lien and Sera Cassus. You already figured out what they couldn't — the hard part isn't taking out the boss, it's avoiding apprehension."

"Is that why they couldn't take him out?" asked Angelus.

"Well, they got caught first. Put that exemplary top mark brain of yours to the task, and work out how to avoid being detected."

"Have Nova Dasilva connect us to the router," said Lucian. It wasn't an order, but more of a queue to his protege for how to get away with murder.

"So the contingency plan is the same as the original plan, which failed," said Angelus. "I'm not doing this unless you come up with a plan that has the slightest chance of succeeding. Actually, I take that back. I want it to definitely succeed. I never said I would give up my life."

Conflicted, Franco ran a thumb over the gnomon inside his inner jacket pocket.

He could stop them wasting time over a puzzle he had already solved, but that would take him one step closer to being the man to kill Stephen's father, and he wasn't yet ready to commit.

On the other hand, the removal of his father was what Stephen really wanted, and perhaps he could be persuaded that this was all for the best.

"Don't get caught," was Franco's final advice, and with the most confidence-inspiring slap on the back, Franco was out of there, back to working how to do that himself, because Angelus was probably going to fail and then Franco would have to do the job.

Back to procrastinating, back to deciding whether he was going to assassinate the boss of Invernali and whether he wanted to become Boss of Invernali and what he was going to do with Stephen if he did.

Close to the windows on the far edge of a small bar he saw Nova Dasilva consoling Tony Solari and thought that couldn't be good.

She got up to leave and instinct commanded Franco to get in her way. Until he had a better idea how to avoid the murder of Ilan Potestas and possibly Stephen Potestas too, he could at least detain Nova from whatever she was up to and find out how much she knew about Tony Solari.

Pretending to have drunk a fair bit more than he did, he got bodily into Nova's way as she tried to walk past and grabbed her in a familiar embrace with a, "Aurelian Dasilva, It's been forever since we've had a drink together. I've been looking for you all night."

Her face lit up as if there was nothing she would enjoy more, and for a second he wondered what he was getting himself into.

Liao Cytheria was late to Invernali. Let them fret over whether she was coming. Somehow she managed to pull herself together, put on the perfect leather bolero jacket over a long glittering black number. Not an iron hair out of place. Even without a mask, no one must know anything's wrong.

Every step to Invernali had been a battle, though there were few steps to take to get through the link.

Perched on a bar chair at one of very few tall tables for two, glaring off anyone who considered sitting across from her on the other chair, with a terrible vintage in her glass, she still preferred this end of the world party to the masquerade.

She could actually see who everyone was tonight, and the young were much better behaved in the harsh light of society — or in the flickering fire light and flashing strobes, as the case may be. Stephen Potestas was entertaining the late Fortunato's son with the charm of an excellent host. The antisocial spirit was similarly absent from Franco Justinian, whom Cytheria had never seen interact with a stranger but had gone on to engage with a whole pack of them, deep in conversation. She had even noticed, with approval she had never felt before for the young socialite, that Candra had taken Diana Aemilia kindly under her wing, and the Gloriam heir, Angelus, similarly rescued Claudia Solace from embarrassing solitude.

There was hope for the youth after all. For the future.

That or something out of the ordinary was going on. It was all the same game, wasn't it? The same game as her match with Marius, and the moment she had thought it, Justin Marius finally looked up from his spot at the bar on the other side of the room and noticed, with a grin of seeming surprise, that she was there.

Cytheria wasn't ready to let him win. Yet. Relinquishing her bar chair, leaving the table to the nearby standers to fight it out over, she took flight, directionless, across the bar lounge. Away, just away, until she reached the windows and couldn't go farther.

With her Terra's life held in the balance, Cytheria could do no more than run and wait to be cornered. The snow came down past the windows so fast and heavy it would be best if it buried them all in there. The snow buried Potestas Tower inch by inch.

"I'm just not cut out for these things," Franco ranted as he knocked back the drink Nova had ordered for him. It may have been early on the clock for inebriation, but the sun agreed with him.

"There might be some reform that makes this sort of thing obsolete, with Justin Marius as company president. Say, for example, a complete overhaul of the board."

"Or its abolition," said Nova. "You're confident Marius is going to win the election, even though he's never had more than a couple of votes, and Solin's supporters all lean the other way." She didn't specify that they would all vote for Valerian, which was curious.

And somehow Franco got the sense she wasn't just making innocent conversation.

"It's time for a change, that's all." That was too vague, it lost Nova's attention. She was looking over his shoulder at Diana Aemilia. Franco had been watching Diana Aemilia crying earlier too, wondering why the would come to a party mid-tantrum. To reel Nova back in, he went on, "Of course, some have a lot to gain. Take how Justin recruited Exequi Donato, for example." Nova's eyes snapped back to his. All he needed to do was come up with some misinformation to keep her hooked.

"How?" said Nova.

Franco didn't know. He stalled by spewing nonsense while he waited for inspiration to hit. "There are greater heights at Constellation to aspire to than a seat at the board table, Aurelian. Literally. An office on a higher floor always comes with a higher salary," he tried not to wince at how stupid that sounded but said it with a straight face, "a step up on the hierarchy to becoming an exequi or a boss — and Donato has his eye on a palatial house in a capital neighborhood in which unfortunately none of the houses are exactly on the market currently. It'll take connections."

Nova nodded with glossy eyes, salivating to hear more. Franco was obliged to see what he could do. Just how much of Nova Dasilva's time could he waste?

Nova had no problem taking a minute to stand with Franco Justinian and smile and nod at his long-winded speeches while her heart thudded excitedly at what she had just learned, although she also wanted to run and find Cristo and tell him she had Tony Solari right where she wanted him.

Under her thumb.

Her luck was exhilarating, but she was proud too of how she had handled him, and she wanted to give Cristo the play by play. If only to brag. She took small talk with Franco as an opportunity to calm down her exhilaration and take a breather.

While she ignored everything he said, she collected tabs on the next targets.

The plan was to move on to a more viable one like Claudia Solace, who was being paraded around on the arm of Angelus Gloriam — if it weren't for Cristo, she never would have suspected that was a bad thing, but now she wanted Claudia out of Angelus's clutches.

Next she would set her sights on Laio Cytheria, who was alone for the moment with no one putting bad ideas in her head. Someone had better make sure it stayed like that.

She also worried about Diana Aemilia, who had been crying all night. Visible over Franco's shoulder, Diana was standing, swaying in the middle of the dance floor. Nova wanted to check in with Cristo, and Stephen and the boss, and tell them not to worry about Tony Solari, and ask how she could help.

"I want to hear more of your theories later, Franco," she said. "It's nice we finally got to know each other a little bit better. Excuse me, there's someone I need to say hello to."

The reply wasn't what she expected. "Aurelian Dasilva, excuse me for detaining you for a second longer, but there's something more important I wanted to talk to you about. It strikes me that a regime change might be of personal significance to you. Certain proposed reforms to board membership."

Nova's ears perked up. What was this? Was he recruiting her? She leaned her ear in close so he could tell her everything with no fear of being overheard.

Diana's eyes flooded, immobilizing her on the dance floor and the room shrank around her until the walls of bodies in suits on all sides collapsed in on her. She was about to erupt, sobs deep in her chest heaving like waves, only getting worse from the attention.

Then the wall parted. Candra Satiri punctured through the crowd and said something to her, and Diana was in no state of mind to listen to whatever Candra Satiri said, but the crowd parting alleviated the swells. At some dinner party or meeting or dinner meeting or other Diana recalled disliking Candra Satiri, but there was concern in the voice that spoke Diana didn't understand the words. Oddly soothing, concern in such a heartless voice. From someone so callous and self-absorbed. It was sweet of her to care.

Diana took in a gulp of air and the outbreaking flood receded back inside her, tears and all, like a wave falling back over sand.

Candra took both her hands and pulled her to a lounge couch. A sharp look sent everyone sitting there rushing to get up with sudden urgent needs to visit the buffet or the toilet. Diana sat and Candra took wine from a waiter.

"Here," said Candra, passing the glass to Diana. "Everything is going to be all right. Calm down and tell me everything," she said for what might have been the second time.

"I can't," she said, and teetered again toward raining down tears.

It sounded as if that was really painful for Candra. "Oh, sweetheart, trust me. Talking about it will help you to feel better. I promise." She must be doing it for her image.

"I can't tell anyone," said Diana. Wonder if that was even admitting too much. Don't want to be rude.

Darting her gaze over the party guests for any eavesdroppers, Diana craned her neck and straightened out of Candra's hold, but unless she missed Cristo, he hadn't reappeared.

Candra snapped her fingers twice fast to get her attention back, but her voice was soothing. "You're afraid of something. Why did you come all the way out here if you're so afraid?"

"I'm looking for Cristo," Diana said. Maybe Candra could help her find him. "Have you seen him?"

Candra's eyes lost some warmth, and when she replied, "I don't think I know who that is," it bothered her. So much that it was a second before she thought to add, "Sorry, my dear," and an apologetic smile.

The fountain of information Franco had been spouting to Nova ran dry just as her worry about Candra's interest in Diana Aemilia started to make her pulse race with anxiety. That worry took precedence over a drunk boy who would tell her everything she needed just as easily an hour from now. As long as he didn't pass out. Was she already too late?

Franco was in the middle of speaking uninterrupted. Nonsense that was no longer at all interesting, but he just wouldn't stop talking. She tried to break in three times, but he was somehow always in the middle of a sentence.

Instinct begged her to move; was she too late? One of the pack was being separated by a predator, and nothing would alleviate the adrenaline until she ditched Franco and flew to the rescue.

Finally she broke in with a more successful excuse. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have to run. To the bathroom."

She escaped him, but walking away she felt the pinch in her adrenal gland of another instinct. A quick look back confirmed it. Franco was still watching her as she fled, and she didn't like the look he gave her when he raised his empty glass in a salute.

Was a word he had said true? Was he wasting her time? Intentionally?

A horde of people formed a wall between them. Then she was off again, somehow Diana was further back through the crowd again. It was as if the rows and rows of human bodies were shrinking and growing. It looked like an unbreakable sea of guests with Diana nowhere in sight, but just one person moved out of the way and somehow it was the only change needed for Nova to spot her.

She had a path of visibility straight to her; if she moved fast she could walk straight there as if the waters had parted just for her.

Her path straight to Diana ran right into Cristo. "There you are," said Nova. "I was looking for you. I have news about Tony Solari. Exequi Valerian is blackmailing him too." A nervous laugh escaped her and she put a hand in front of her mouth to cover it. "Tony won't vote for Marius. He'll either take Valerian's offer or tell both of them to go burn." It looked as if Cristo only half heard her. "How are you doing?"

"Less good," said Cristo. "I blew it with Calcus Donato. Can you talk to him? He wants the whole world to know he's voting for Justin Marius. Must be a good bribe he doesn't want to risk losing."

"I'm just going to speak with Diana for a minute. Someone needs to get her away from Candra."

"Don't worry about it," said Cristo. "What can Candra do? I can check on Diana in a second, after I deal with Claudia Solace. You go talk to Calcus Donato."

"I'm not leaving Diana alone with Candra, it'll only take a second."

"Be quick, then. It's a waste of time."

"Anything else?"

"The boss is taking care of Ignatius Varian and Novus Fortunato. Someone needs to talk to Liao Cytheria. Not me. She won't trust me after our meeting this morning. Maybe Stephen. Just please, please, focus on Calcus Donato."

"Absolutely." She was tempted to salute, but she managed to resist. She was having too much fun.

"Where has he been?" Angelus asked Ignatius Varian. He was tired of waiting for Ilan Potestas to come back to the party so he could murder him.

"He captured Ignatius Varian and disappeared with him," said Lucian Acario.

Angelus tapped an empty stein down on the bar and waved his fingers for another, which came instantly. As if by . . . no, he was about a decade tired of magic jokes. "Aren't they two old friends? The boss doesn't know anything," he said.

Lucian said, "All the more reason to eliminate him. Before he comes to know anything."

But Varian appeared out of a link and came right for them with only a detour to stop a waiter carrying a tray of cakes. He took two. "He knows everything," said Varian. "He made me promise to the stars not to vote for Justin Marius," he said, and he thought, Thank goodness I wasn't going to vote for Justin Marius, but he didn't say that to Lucian Acario and Angelus Gloriam.

He let them worry about how to get him out of his promise while he expected to be given his reward either way.

Angelus unhappily buried his face mouth first in his beer.

Lucian said, "Now we need to eliminate the boss both so his son can vote for Sunyin Aura and so Varian can vote for Justin. For Varian's vote and the Potestas vote."

Varian agreed out loud. "If the boss is dead, the promise will be broken, I assume?" But not the promise he had made to Sunyin Aura. One he didn't plan to break, because there were rewards for that too.

"Potestas must not know that, because he does know he's as good as dead." He chuckled. "When can I see Julia?" he asked for the twentieth time. No one answered him.