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mum got her bliss, and it wasn’t from my stepdad Kevin.
    ‘So this guy - Delly - his flesh business is only for the wealthy: media and bankers and such?’ I asked.
    ‘Yes. His workers are called Amoratos and are trained to give pleasure.’
    ‘And?’ I could feel the impatience coming back.
    ‘ Amoratos have to be working for someone like Delly - otherwise they are breaking the law.’
    I digested that for a moment or two. I could see a crack in the door I wanted so desperately to open. ‘So, if he thought I was an Amorato he might want to hire me? That way I could get to meet your friend?’
    Honey’s eyes glazed with remembered fear. ‘Yes. Delly loves anyone exotic. He loves new blood. But he’s smart, too. If he found out you weren’t who you said you were . . .’
    ‘Too dangerous, Parrish.’ Ibis had woken up and his eyes were red-ringed with sadness and alcohol immersion. ‘I’ve heard of him. He expects his people to do . . . unhealthy things.’
    I ignored him.
    ‘You say his clientele is the Media?’
    Honey nodded. ‘He’s obsessed with them. Especially the ones he hasn’t been able to attract as clients.’
    I pinned her with a stare. ‘Like who?’
    ‘James Monk is one,’ she whispered.
    ‘Monk owns the sport Media,’ Ibis piped up again. ‘His sports stream takes a huge chunk out of the ratings pie.’
    The Big Country was crazed over sport so Monk had to be a big fish. I knew nothing about the Media power-divisions in Viva. Maybe it was time I did.
    ‘Delly wants James Monk as a client, desperately. He’s obsessed by him.’
    I tucked that info somewhere tight. ‘Tell me more about Merv the bio-hack and this place, the Luxoria. Who works there?’
    ‘It’s in a big-rise on Brightbeach called Cone Central. One of the best on Liberty Crescent.’ I heard the tiny sigh in Honey’s voice, as if she missed it. ‘All the rises along Liberty are connected by the Glass Bridge.’
    The Glass Bridge - a spectacular glass esplanade, running from the middle of one building to the next and on like a see-through belt. ‘I know it.’
    Who didn’t? The exxiest piece of architectural whimsy in the Southern Hem.
    ‘The Luxoria is on the 149 th floor, just one storey below the bridge. Delly’s people pretty much live between the club and the Bridge.’ Her voice quivered. ‘He won’t let them go anywhere else.’ She flushed up both sides of her neck. ‘Merv got me a job as a bar hostess. But I got to help him out as well. We met when I worked for Heads Up.’ The flush worsened.
    Heads Up was a liveware company.
    ‘What did you do there?’
    She looked away from me, embarrassed. ‘I was a pig.’
    I understood the flush now and her often-vacant expression. Guinea pigs made a lot of cred and spent it mostly on their health.
    ‘It was OK for a while, until Delly started pushing me to work with clients.’ Her voice changed, catching in her throat. ‘I got scared. Merv helped me get out.’
    Grudgingly, my opinion of Honey shifted. Coming to The Tert must have been a last resort.
    ‘An Amorato .’ Ibis smirked. ‘You couldn’t do that, Parrish. You’d likely garrotte the first person who put their pinkies on you.’
    Teece loomed up over my shoulder. ‘Yeah, stupid idea. You’d never pull it off,’ he agreed.
    I eyeballed them both. ‘Why not?’
    ‘Face it, Parrish, you’re an acquired taste,’ Teece said.
    Ibis stifled an embarrassed laugh.
    Even Honey looked away.
    Perversity reared in me. ‘Is that right?’
    Teece shuffled and stared fixedly at my drink, knowing that he’d said the wrong thing.
    I whirled around to Larry. ‘Let the Babes know I want to talk to them. And set me up an appointment with Dr Drastic.’
    Larry looked as though he might faint, but disappeared behind his p-comm to contact Torley’s resident plastics-butcher.
    Satisfied that would shut them all up I turned back to Teece and caught him wiping a smile.
    I froze. Had he just played me?
    Did it