Machine Man (serial)

“He shot you,” I whispered. “In the heart.”

Lola scowled. She had a hell of a scowl. I had never seen it before. Her eyebrows rotated almost ninety degrees. “You think I don’t know that?”

“Then why—”

“Because he’s hurt. He needs help, that’s why.”

“This…” Down the corridor, a guard coughed into his hand. I forced myself to lower my voice. “This was not an accident.”

Lola’s eyebrows flipped up. “Why would you say that?”

“Because nothing that happens here is an accident. Cassandra Cautery said—”

“Your first transfemoral was an accident,” Lola said. “You got caught in a clamp.”

“Uh,” I said. “That, well…”

“Accidents happen all the time.”

“That’s not the point. The point is—”

“What’s the point?” Lola put her hands on her hips. I found it difficult to argue with her, because of all these emotional cues. I was used to arguing with scientists, who would explain why you were mentally incompetent with, at most, a raised eyebrow. “Tell me the point.”

“The point is they’re my parts.” I poked myself in the chest, attempting to get in on this performance debating.

Lola went very still. When she spoke, her voice was low and dangerous. “I hope you didn’t just say that.”

“I designed them. I built them. For me.”

“He’s lost both arms!” Lola yelled. Her voice echoed up the corridor.

“Then…” I swallowed, to gather the nerve to say it. “Then he can make some new ones.”

Lola stared at me. It was amazing, how sustained eye contact from Lola Banks could make me feel like the biggest man on the planet or the smallest, depending on the configuration of surrounding facial muscles.

“Look,” I said, “Let’s go back to the suite and talk.”

“I’m surprised at you.”

“There’s more going on here than you realize. Come on, Lola. You shouldn’t be walking around anyway. You just had open heart surgery.”

“That was a month ago,” she said, which surprised me, but I guess it was true. “I’m fine. That man…” She pointed at Carl’s door. “Is not.”

“Lola,” I said. “Wait. Don’t go in there.” But she did.

71.