Stars Rise

VIII. Cristo, And Candra, And Nova

Cristo left the penthouse and emerged onto the rooftop again, this time through doors on the far end, equidistant from the boss and further from Leander. He checked his watch again, not that it would tell him anything. Taking Leander's gun must have bought him some time.

Cristo had known the future. When Leander unwittingly enters the party with a not very well hidden firearm on his person, security, in reaction to an unprecedented breach in security, lose their minds. Dozens of guards scatter across the rooftop, fighting over a chance to pat down the man and uncover why on Earth he tried to walk right in with a gun. Even if the gun was licensed to the boss himself. It's a puzzle. And the assassins take advantage of the perfect distraction to murder the director of Constellation Invernali.

Cristo had circumvented the weapons detectors, removing the distraction, and now he kept glancing at his watch as if he had a schedule when he didn't. The future was free and open. Anything could happen.

While he waited, he scoped out the scene, as planned. He could see right through some of the masks to identify a number of the guests, most of them involved in innocent party activities such as dancing, gossiping and stealing one another's jobs. He saw Liao Cytheria, perched at a table by herself with six different wine glasses arrayed in front of her, expanding her experience as a master sommelier. The old lady, her ivory hair embroidered in a knot on her head, wore an elegant white and diamond veil that did nothing to conceal who she was — which Cristo was beginning to suspect was everyone's object anyway because why would anyone want to risk someone else being mistaken as having their wealth and fashion sense? Another rich and powerful elite, Portia Nero, stared not very inconspicuously at her from a nearby floating bar.

Cristo had watched Stephen Potestas fending off guests with questions, once he had eaten as much as he could stuff into himself and his mouth was free. Eventually Stephen had broken away and made for the corner of the roof where a man Cristo didn't recognize hid behind a potted plant.

And then, walking past Cristo at the penthouse door from which he had watched Stephen and his friend, without seeing any of the at least three men staring at her, came Nova. The black cat mask was still in place, her curly hair voluminously levitating off her bare back, which looked oddly bony unless he was imagining things, and before she passed he caught again the brown glass eyes that didn't confess to seeing him.

At the edge of the rooftop she stopped, regarded the scene in front of her and compared it to the guest-list in her head, then walked away from Cristo, right toward the most important, most distinguished guests, easily distinguishable by attempts at the most conspicuous fashions — men included. Bright monochrome suits in orange, magenta and emerald, wide peaked lapels, tiny top hats, massive multicolor scarves, dresses that clung to half a body and masks that covered only the left or right side of a face. The beautiful woman in the cat mask and the simple black backless silhouette gown penetrated into the middle of the crowd, in the spotlight, and she captured everyone's attention. Like a sleepwalker, without meaning to or even realizing that he was, Cristo followed after her.

Nova was in the middle of the small crowd, in the spotlight, and she had everyone's attention. Cristo got close enough to overhear. It didn't seem as if she saw him, but then again, she was a good actor.

If he could get her to dance, he could interrogate her while keeping one eye on the boss.

"I want to apologize again," she said, "for these horrible masquerade parties. It doesn't seem like anyone is having any fun." Everyone laughed and clapped as if they were trying to convince her that they were. It sounded forced. It almost sounded as if she had planned it, which wasn't impossible. "I'm going to throw a party next week, in the solarium. Not everyone in the city will be invited, but I want all of you to come. It's going to be a much better time."