Even at this hour the city was dazzling, chaotic, a maelstrom of lights and sounds, people and machines. Rook had worried that Plesur would be frightened, but that turned out to be way off target. Before she could do much more than go "aaah," they'd been whisked into a limo that hurried down Seventh Avenue through the immense canyons of light and glass.

All the way she kept looking out the windows, gazing up at the sheets of glass, the colored panels, the huge logos flashing on and off in the sky. "Wooo" she said a couple of times as helium filled floaters, lights blazing, advertising scrolling across their streetwide bellies, slithered past overhead. She laughed when they stopped at a light at 37th street and were able to watch a group of street performers working the corner. A midget in clown costume leapt off a tall man's shoulders and was caught by a fat lady, who seemed to throw the midget over her head and into the traffic where he was caught at the very last moment by a muscular girl in ballet tutu. Plesur gasped and then clapped her hands, eyes wide in total, unalloyed joy.

Then the limo rolled on. Freddy laughed too, infected with Plesur's happiness at all these wonderful things.

And then they pulled into a cavernous entryway underneath a sixty story tower of sparkling glass.

"First things first, Venner," said Freddy. "We have an appointment with Doctor Geisler here."

"At this time of the night?"

"The Doctor is one of my family's favorite physicians. She's happy to help us out."

Rook was still wondering what this was all about, and was generally thinking it was something concerning Plesur when they strode out of an elevator on the 41st floor and through a door into a well lit private clinic. A young woman in a white nurse uniform was there to greet them and usher them into a small reception area. A door opened and a very well dressed, older woman, in dark suit and white shirt came in, carrying a clipboard in one hand.

Freddy shook her other hand and introduced her to Rook.

"SIO Venner, this is Doctor Geisler."

Rook felt himself being analyzed by a pair of sharp, grey eyes.

"There's no need to worry," she said with a warm smile. "Please come with me."

Rook turned to Freddy, who was holding Plesur's hand. Oakes was standing by the door.

"Ah, what's this about?"

"You're chipped, my friend. Safer for all of us if we pull them. Just a temporary measure, you understand."

"Wait a second, that's a Class A Felony. I'm required by law...."

Freddy held up both hands. "I know. But in these circumstances I think we can stop worrying about the law. Staying alive is more important, right?"

"Don't you think I should talk to my boss?"

Freddy shook his head firmly, negatively. "No, I don't. Artoli won't do you any favors and she'll pass the word up the chain and the people who want you dead have their own friends in Albany. Better that nobody knows anything about you and Miss Plesur, here."

Miss Plesur? Well, that settled Plesur's human status then, yeah? If the favorite grandnephew of Sable Ranch thought she was Miss Plesur, then who was gonna disagree?

"Okay, I guess you know what you're talking about. But if Artoli ever finds out I was de-chipped, she'll take my badge."

Freddy looked him in the eye. "Venner, I think a quiet word in Area Chief Artoli's ear will be enough to ensure that not only does she not take your badge, but she accepts your promotion to Captain without any fuss at all. Okay?"

Rook chewed his lower lip. Yeah? Promotion, huh? And how would that be arranged, in light of the web of legacies and politics that pervaded the HudVal PD?

"Venner, you're thinking I can't possibly deliver on that promise, yeah?"

Rook shrugged. "Hey, I'm thankful to still be alive and all, but, well, there's reality out there, you know?"

"Venner, you know who I am, you know who my Aunt is, don't you think we can get this thing sorted out for you?"

Rook hesitated. What choice did he have, realistically? If he cut loose from Freddy, if Oakes would allow him to just leave them, how long would he last before those people who'd destroyed his home found him and terminated him?

That gunship had been a pretty powerful signal.

Who the hell was really in charge? There was some kind of war going on. Which side was the stronger? Who knew?

"Well, if you can't, then nobody can, right?" he said at last. Freddy grinned, apparently satisfied. Rook followed the doctor into the little high tech surgery.

"Please, remove your jacket and shirt."

An assistant, a young african american man, came forward to run a hand unit over his chest, shoulders and upper arms. Where it detected an implant it left an orange circle on his skin. Then the circles were treated with an antiseptic spray. Finally he passed an anaesthetizer over them and numbed each area. The young man worked quickly and efficiently without making eye contact. When he was done he stepped away with a quiet "he's ready now."

Doctor Geisler approached with what looked like an oversized white plastic gun. She pressed the barrel end of the instrument to each of the orange circles. As she moved it away, each one was left with a small red bullseye.

The assistant produced another instrument, something between a gun and a bar of soap. This was rapidly pressed to each of the red spots producing a sharp chemical smell.

Meanwhile Doctor Geisler was emptying the assorted chips into a plastic clip that was then placed inside a metal box about the size of a corporate computer enclosure, in other words, big enough to fit into the palm of one's hand.

And now, less than twenty minutes after he'd left them, Rook followed the doctor back to the waiting room. He heard Plesur's happy, exuberant laughter before the door swished open. Freddy was deep into a phonecall, Plesur was deep into a favorite sexvirt, giggling as Buddy went down on Bonny, only to find that Bonny wasn't really a girl. Well, she looked like a girl, except between her legs. Plesur found the look on Buddy's face perfectly hysterical as he came up for air.

"Silly man," she shouted at the portable virtscreen. Then she saw Rook and shoved it aside, got up and ran to him. Somehow, during the short time Rook had been in with Doctor Geisler, Freddy had arranged for a wardrobe revision for her. Rook's grey sweat pants and green shirt were gone, replaced by a pink top with laceup decolletage and a high collar, with a pair of white jeans, or something similar, on below. Rounding this out were some comfortable looking low heels.

"Man is okay!" Her arms wrapped around his chest, she buried her head there.

"Everything's okay." He murmured. Freddy waved to him, said something to whoever he'd been talking to and stood up.

The Doctor handed the metal box to Freddy, who slipped it into his jacket pocket.

"These babies are safe now, and nobody can read them. Which means, of course, that the bad guys can't trace you quite so easily, SIO Venner."

"That's great, but what about her?" He glanced down at the top of Plesur's head, still pressed against his chest.

"Oh, she's clean. The General never put a tag on her at all."

"And the clothes?"

Freddy grinned. "I'm sorry, Venner, but I had to take action. The girl simply wasn't dressed for a night out in Manhattan.

Rook smiled back. Freddy must've arranged it all while they in the air. There was a reason the phones were always going in Freddy's head.

"So, thank you, Doctor," Freddy shook Doctor Geisler's hand. "And send the bill to the Ranch, please."

The words "the Ranch" hung in the air for a moment. Rook shivered a little. He was way up high, and the air was thin and cold. You couldn't afford to slip up on these heights, but he knew that the footing was going to be very treacherous.

"And now, we have someone to meet. I think you're going to find this very interesting, SIO Venner."