Severo was sent home in supposed disgrace, but she prided herself on not feeling what she was supposed to feel.

The flier took her, Nelly, and Chadwell, not to the Quotidians' version of Asia, but to their South America. That was three mistakes, by her count. Four, if you considered the fact that the Embassy had not hired a big, beefy man who could keep a grip on her. She would poison a man like that, but now she didn't even have to. She could simply twist her arm out of Nelly's hold, duck out from under Chadwell's, step forward, spin, knee Chadwell in the groin, and give Nelly a scary look until the little programmer ran away.

All she needed was a reason.

When they stepped out of the flier and into the cold, thin air of the alternate Andes Mountains, Severo saw no advantage in escape. Brazil's current brand of populism had decided it liked her. She'd get an official reprimand, but she'd have plenty of behind-the-scenes work as a consultant. Not to mention a celebrity. She'd embarrassed the high-and-mighty nonhumans, and a lot of people respected that.

That was a more interesting life than the one that awaited her here among the Quotidians. At least, it seemed so until Severo realized that she was being followed.

Someone slipped between the Quotidians and Successors who made up most of the crowd here. A person, featherless and bipedal, getting steadily closer.

Severo considered whether it would be more fun to turn and face her tail, or whether to let them carry out their plan, whoever they might be. Yoshida? Qani? Mark? A representative of some other government? Severo didn't want to be poisoned, but that was only one of many possibilities.

The wave of disturbance in the swarming of the Quotidians headed toward Severo and her guards. It was taller than Yoshida and thinner than Qani, with narrower shoulders than Mark. The face was invisible from this angle, hidden by a hood and a face mask. Something odd about the hips. A long, narrow hand unfolded, gloved in fur and leather.

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No. Not a glove.

Eyes met Severo's. They were the color of amber, set into pale patches of skin in an otherwise charcoal face. Complicated wrinkles extended up the forehead and down the snout.

Jaws moved under the mask. Severo had the impression of huge teeth under fleshy lips.

"Take this."

"Did you say something?" asked Nelly.

Severo grinned. "Yes, I did."

That whisper had been real, spoken words. Understandable English, although forced through a vocal tract that was not exactly human. No translators for this transaction.

They were within touching distance now. The nonhuman's orange eyes darted downward, and Severo followed its gaze to its furry hand. Between black-nailed fingers gleamed a chromium ring.

Interesting.

Severo's hands were handcuffed behind her back, but she could cup her palms and twist them around. A moment later, a weight dropped into them. An unexpectedly large weight.

The dense metal was warm, and vibrated slightly as Severo slid it onto her finger. During that moment of concentration, the masked nonhuman vanished into the crowd.

Severo waited for something to happen. Some kind of explosion maybe. She kept waiting as the oblivious Chadwell and Nelly found the right accelerator ring and took their places inside it. As the boxes were piled around them. As the world flickered and flipped.

Chadwell and Nelly pulled Severo out of the accelerator in Chile, handed her over to the unsmiling local police, and now the ring buzzed against the bones of her finger.

Touch the ring if you can hear me.

Severo obeyed.

Good. Human Severo, welcome to the Competition.