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THE BREVITY of my visit with Mom made me feel sad, the same way it did each time she’d left for long periods of time after we’d moved in with Uncle Al. This time, however, I would be leaving her. Our search team of four was settled, despite Valcas’ reservations about Ray. Soon it would be time to go.
At Mom’s request, the TSTA had sent for Ivory and Ray and asked if they would consider accepting our assignment—my assignment—instead of whatever arbitrary missions had been chosen for them. Per Mom, both readily agreed—Ivory presumably because of her past connection with Valcas; and Ray, Mom said, because he had been impressed with me. I couldn’t understand why, though. I’d felt like a fumbling idiot at the hearing. I wondered how somebody with Ray’s talent could possibly be impressed with me.
I would formally meet Ivory and Ray that evening. The plan was to meet one another, stay overnight in guest rooms at TSTA Headquarters, and then leave first thing the next morning for training. As for where we would be going, or what type of training it would be, I hadn’t the faintest clue.
***
I SAT IN THE CAFETERIA and looked around as nearby tables began filling with people, some of whom I recognized as my fellow-accused from earlier that day. Now, I assumed, we were all not just guilty as charged, but convicted. I fidgeted, alone at the table where I sat, waiting for my team members to show up.
Ray entered the cafeteria first. He spotted me immediately and walked over to the table I’d claimed. I stood to greet him. Standing, Ray was nearly as tall as Valcas, but thinner in build. He bent down slightly to shake my hand.
“Nice to finally meet you, Calla,” he said. “Your mom has told me a lot about you.”
If Ray was taken aback by my diluted eyes, he didn’t show it. He looked at me intently, with his eyes wide open, unblinking. His gaze would have been scary if it had been coming from someone less approachable. There was nothing threatening about Ray. He looked like the boy next door—laid-back, open and friendly.
“No doubt you could tell me exactly what Mom told you about me,” I said. “Valcas and I just finished watching your examination of the bridal fitting. I don’t know how you did that, but I can’t stop thinking about it. It was impressive.”
Ray flushed slightly and ran a palm through his hair. “Thank you,” he mumbled.
“Way to go, smart guy,” a female voice chimed in from somewhere close behind me.
I recognized the voice, but that didn’t keep me from jumping. Before I could turn around to confirm where it came from, a fist and a flash of snow-white hair jerked past me.
The fist landed lightly on Ray’s upper arm. “Let’s get some protein-fortified grub for that awesome brain inside of that cute baby-face head of yours.”
I laughed. She turned to me and winked. And that was how I officially met Ivory.
***
TSTA FOOD WAS BLAND but filling. We started without Valcas, having written him off as a no-show after twenty minutes had passed. As we ate, Ivory explained the rarity of Ray’s talents, particularly for an Earth-born. Actually, Ivory held up most of the conversation while Ray and I chewed our food. She was rough and hardened on the outside, but wow could she open up and talk, especially now that she wasn’t in front of Commissioner Reese.
When Ivory was done thoroughly embarrassing Ray, she entertained us by explaining how shocking others found it when they learned that white was her true hair color, even though she was only twenty-six years old.
“I drive time-travel vehicles for a living and that shocks them! Did they miss the eyelashes? Anyway, you two are staring now. I’ll get to the point. The world where I grew up only has two hair colors, white and black.”
I smiled, wondering whether Ray was recording Ivory’s discourse with his über-eidetic memory. I looked over at him from time to time, especially when Ivory said something funny—which was often—only to find Ray already looking at me. Each time I caught his eye, he looked away, embarrassed.
I found Ray’s lack of arrogance endearing, adorable even. He didn’t say much, but he appeared to be observing a lot, recording with his eyes and brain without a zobascope or a pair of travel glasses.
Eventually Ivory stopped talking long enough to eat. She did so quickly. The human television transformed into a human vacuum, not stopping until every single crumb of dinner disappeared from her plate. She sighed contentedly and looked around. Her eyes focused on something. Then they glowed with recognition. She chuckled darkly.
I followed Ivory’s gaze, curious to see what she found. “Oh,” I muttered to myself. She’d found a who, not a what.
“Why are you sitting all the way over there?” Ivory called out. Her lips drew into a tight smile. She sounded annoyed. “Still taken to brooding, Valcas?”
Her comment should have made me laugh, or at least crack a smile, but I did neither because I was annoyed too. I hadn’t seen Valcas enter the cafeteria, and instead of greeting us when he came in, he’d completely ignored us—the team that was technically assembled to complete his original mission to find my father. Then he’d gone and sat somewhere else.
Likely pressured by six eyes worth of stares from our table, Valcas rose from his chair and slowly made his way toward us.
“Ivory.” He nodded.
Valcas took no notice of Ray. If he happened to glance my way, I couldn’t tell due to his dark glasses. Then, without uttering a second word, he turned toward the cafeteria door and began walking.
I caught a glimpse of Ivory as a scowl flickered across her face, before transforming into a look of bemusement. White lashes outlined narrowed eyes that followed Valcas.
I frowned, feeling slighted on Ray’s behalf.
Ray said nothing, but he watched closely as Valcas walked away.