Primary Inversion Read Online Free Page B

you want to be a soldier?”
           In my mind I saw that memory again, the one that had haunted me for ten years: Tarque raising his long finger to point at me. That one. I want that one. I had to struggle to keep my voice even. “And I suppose you would be happy to show me my other options in life, right?”
           He smiled. “Perhaps for this one evening? This is Delos after all. Here we can, at least for one night, meet each other as friends.”
           Right. Aristos socialized only among their own caste. Period. Their only use for the rest of us was as slaves. Did he really think I was stupid enough to walk off into the night with him? I’d never see my freedom—or sanity—again.
           “No thanks,” I said. “I’m busy tonight.”
           He looked disappointed but unsurprised. “Perhaps someday.” Then he bowed and returned to his group. As I watched, his guards closed around him and swept him out the door.
           It wasn’t until they were gone that his bow fully registered on me. Aristos only did that with each other, as a sign of respect. None I knew would be caught dead bowing to one of us.
           Rex came over, holding his monster knife. “Are you all right?”
           “Fine,” I said.
           “What did he want?”
           I scratched my head. “He was trying to pick me up.”
           Rex’s hand tightened on the handle of his knife, his knuckles whitening. “Did he threaten you?”
           “No. Not at all. He sounded normal. Very polite.”
           Helda and Taas came up on my other side. “You think it was a trick?” Helda asked.
           “I don’t know.” I exhaled. “But if I hadn’t had experience with Traders, he might have convinced me to go with him.”
           “We should warn the Arcade police,” Taas said. “Before he does get someone around here to go off with him.”
           Taas was right, of course. But somehow I didn’t think the Aristo would talk to anyone else.
           Something about him didn’t fit, it just didn’t fit at all.

 
    II
    Tams Station
     
    The city of Athens bordered the Arcade. I had no idea why the Allieds called the place Athens; it was as ugly as its ancient namesake on Earth was reputed to be beautiful. They had laid it out in squares delineated by nervoplex streets and lit by boxy lampposts. As Rex and I walked along the darkening roads, hovercars hummed by, their cushions of air exciting the nervoplex into ripples that bounced back and forth between the curbs. It gave me a headache.
           The police station was a one-story building chromed with the same blue and silver colors worn by the Arcade police. We entered a lobby with a counter on its far side. As we crossed the room, a holocam tracked our movements from its perch in a corner of the ceiling.
           A woman with graying hair greeted us at the counter. “Boro na sas voetheso?” she said.
           Translate, I thought.
           Greek, my node responded. Translation: May I help you?
           The woman looked from Rex to me, her gaze darting over our uniforms. She repeated her question, her voice higher this time. What did we want, coming in here dressed like thugs—
           Block, I thought. The psicon flashed and I stopped feeling like a criminal. Translate ‘We would like to make a report’ into Greek. As my node provided the words, I spoke haltingly, copying the Greek as best as I could. It didn’t sound much like the node’s pronunciation, though.
           “Ti?” the woman asked. My node translated it as, What?
           I pushed my hand through my hair. “Skolian?”
           She shook her head. “Okhi Skolian.”
           No Skolian, my node translated.
           “English?” I asked.
           “Okhi English,” she said.
           How do I say ‘Interpreter?’ in Greek? I