The ground came up suddenly, and Elrod felt his feet fall against it. As soon as he was able to, he took his full weight on his legs and stopped covering his eyes. When Forth released him, he fell to the sidewalk on all fours and cried out for the joy of not being suspended in the air anymore.

“Oh crap, oh crap,” he said, nearly hugging the dirty ground. “I have decided I don’t like flying.”

“Why?” said Forth, landing next to him. “Did you expect I was going to drop you?”

Elrod looked at her. “No, it’s just that if you did, I’d get mashed down at the bottom there.”

“There is water down there. You would be fine. Unless it is shallow.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

Twilight swooped in behind them, passing over the high fence that that separated the walkway from the sheer drop down to the unseen river below. Whereas Forth seemed to have actually flown, Twilight had mostly glided from the far side.

Elrod looked across the gap. The massive bridge of Route Eight was still overhead, as well as the supersonic rail bridges. They were even louder on this side, but they were lower so the road felt quieter. On the far side, he could see the building that they had come from. It seemed distant and tiny.

“I can’t believe we made it that far. I didn’t know you could carry a load like that.”

“I can,” said Forth. “In addition, you only weight forty kilograms. That is oddly light for a human. But yes. My cooling system is optimized for continuous firing. It can also serve my wings for short duration cargo flights. I think that was made to let us drop bombs on infidels. Probably of the biological variety.”

“But did we really need to fly over?”

Twilight, who had not spoken or even looked at Elrod or Forth, finally looked up. “Do you want to try to get on Route Eight at nine at night?”

“It’s nine at night?” Elrod checked his wrist but remembered that he did not currently own a watch. “I didn’t know that.” He looked at Twilight. “But that’s not my point. Why are we on this side?”

“Because I’m having trouble with the case.”

“So?’

“So? So I need to think.”

Twilight started walking down the empty street, and Elrod and Forth looked at each other before following. None of them spoke at first. Elrod was too busy looking around at this particular side of the bridge.

It was indeed different from Twilight’s side. Whereas Twilight’s side consisted almost entirely of offices clinging the side of what Elrod supposed was a vast and clifflike river bank, this area was partially terraced out into streets. Narrow road wound around the outer edge overlooking the drop, and buildings loomed on the land side. They were imposing but far less clinical than the ones on the other side; they appeared gray and bleak but at the same time more diverse. A few had balconies set up on them with plants or furniture, and lights of many colors glowed from the windows.

“People live here,” said Elrod.

“They do,” said Forth. “Upward and downward too. Many live on the riverfront. On this side at least. But this place is poorer. We do not come here very often.”

“Then why are we here now?”

Forth smiled. “You’ll see.”

Twilight had selected her landing site well and did not need to lead them far. She broke free from the main road and led them down an alley, one of many that formed a labyrinthine network that moved between the various buildings.

Eventually they arrived at a door. It was one of many, but this particular one had a neon sign over it that advertised something in Standard Language that Elrod could not read. This particular door also contained a grimy wire-reinforced window that held an “open” sign on the far side. The door was partially ajar, and some sort of quiet music was wafting out. It was apparent that this area was more frequently traveled than those around it. Three figures were standing next to the door: one was a heavyset female gatoid in a seemingly emphatic conversation with an impassive human man. They stood next to a dark colored Pegasus stallion who was leaning against the wall and apparently not listening at all. All three of them were smoking, although the human was doing so through a hole in his neck.

Approaching the door, Elrod realized that it was almost ridiculously large. He supposed that was normal, considering the gatoid outside was almost a meter taller than the human she was gesticulating toward. Still, with Twilight being barely two feet tall at the shoulders it looked almost comical to see her open it.

As Elrod entered, he passed through an arch over the doorframe. His wallet vibrated, indicating that some quantity of vod had automatically been extracted.

“Oh man,” he said to himself, annoyed that Twilight had not warned him that his already nearly depleted funds were about to get smaller.

Inside, Elrod was immediately struck by the warmth of the air. He had not realized how cold it had gotten outside. This was almost pleasant until he was struck by the smell: stale beer, cleaning chemicals, cigarette smoke, other kinds of smoke that Elrod could only tangentially identify, mold, and that strange smell that humans always seemed to give off that they themselves never could really consciously perceive. Elrod almost gagged.

Almost immediately, Elrod realized that this was a bar or cabaret of some type. The bar itself was on the left side and relatively close to the door. The surface was covered with stains, gouges, and a surprising number of small and weirdly healthy plants. A pony was standing behind the bar, apparently on an elevated platform as otherwise she would not have been able to see over it. She was green in color, completely nude, and wore red dreadlocks that matched her unusually thick eyebrows. When she looked toward Twilight, Forth, and Elrod, her eyes- -which were barely open, as if she were nearly falling asleep- -immediately locked on Elrod and she smiled.

“Tima gamarjoba’wina,” she said in perfectly accented Standard Language. She seemed to immediately pick up on the fact that Elrod had no idea what she was saying, and she chuckled softly to herself. “So English it is, I guess. That’s okay, man. I speak all languages, ‘cause you can’t have peace and brotherhood without, like, being able to understand each other, you know?”

Twilight approached the bar. “Jadeglow,” she said without any distinct tone.

The green pony’s violet eyes shifted downward toward her. She smiled again. “Morga,” she said, slowly, as if she was not entirely sure. “Dude, I haven’t seen you in forever! Welcome back, man!”

A head poked in from where the bar curved into the back of the building. It belonged to a human man. He was relatively young- - or at least appeared so- -and had long and messy blond hair. He was dressed in a rather grating floral shirt that was open in the front and somehow he managed to have the exact same facial expression as the green pony, only with distinctly more bloodshot eyes.

“Morg’s here? Dude!” He edged his way out onto the main bar and leaned over it, as if he was barely sure who he was addressing. “Riteous! Morg, where’ve you been, man? We’ve missed you!”

“I’ve been busy,” she said. “You know how it is out there.”

“Way to much hostility in the world these days,” sighed the green pony.

“Yeah,” said the man. “Way negative flow. Get’s you all…turned around, I guess.” He paused as if thinking deeply on what he meant by that. Then he continued. “So. You still want you’re usual?”

“Sure.” Twilight pointed to Forth. “And give her whatever she want’s. I’m comping it.”

Forth, as well as the human and green pony, both seemed surprised. Still, Forth took advantage of the opportunity by climbing up onto one of the high barstools, something that required a quiet buzzing of her wings.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m Forth. We have not met.”

“Jadeglow Oakblossom Rowan-Lilac,” said the green pony, taking Forth’s hoof in both of hers and shaking it slowly. “And this is my brother,” she pointed to the human with her nose. “Moonlight Orion Starflare Elderberry.”

“Moonlight’s fine if you’re not feeling poetic,” he said, laughing to himself. “I can’t remember the rest of it half the time anyway. Gotta keep changing it, you know? Can’t ever stay static, gotta, like, match your identity.”

“I am just Forth,” said Forth. “I think I always have been, except when I only had a number.” She looked from Jadeglow to Moonlight, and then back at each of them again. “It may be rude of me. But I do not think you look related.”

They both laughed. “No, man,” said Jadeglow. “See, his family adopted me.”

Moonlight looked surprised. “Wait…what? I thought your family adopted me…”

They both looked at each other and then, without warning, slowly hugged. “I love you, sis,” said Moonlight.

“I love you to, bro…” Jadeglow looked down at Twilight. “You want in on the hug action, Morg?”

“No. I want scotch.”

“Oh. Sure thing.” Moonlight released his sister and went to pour it. Jadeglow turned to Forth.

“Do you have any cherry acetone?” asked Forth.

Jadeglow smiled. “Sure.”

“Can you mix it fifty-fifty with vodka for me?”

“We call that the cherry Ivan rich.”

“What is cherry Ivan poor?”

“Methanol.”

“Oh. I’ll have the rich, then. And…” Forth paused. “Can you put a tiny umbrella in it?”

Jadeglow looked at her and then laughed. “Of course, Little Blossom.”

Elrod watched as Jadeglow made the drink, which was actually a spectacle in itself. The bottles were just ordinary bottles, and she had hooves, yet somehow she was surprisingly dexterous. Elrod had not really noticed before, but pony hooves seemed to have a flexible aspect to them that normal animal hooves lacked.

Jadeglow put the pink-colored drink into a large bowl and added a pink-striped umbrella. She gave it to Forth, who smiled widely and stared with wide eyes at the umbrella. She poked it and laughed with delight, and then proceeded to lap the fluid from the bowl like a cat. Watching this, it was difficult for Elrod to believe that she was in fact as heavily armed as a small militia and specifically constructed for producing mass casualties on the battlefield.

Elrod began to turn around, sickened slightly by the idea of vodka. He wanted to go sit somewhere quiet, ideally near the lights used to grow the plants where it would be hard for someone to sneak up on him. As he turned, though, he suddenly found himself staring roughly into someone’s navel area. This immediately confused him, as Elrod himself was of average height.

The situation only became more strange when Elrod took a step back and noticed an equine body. It was not the body of a pony: it was substantially larger and proportioned more like a real horse, although robotic components were quite clearly visible through the gaps beneath its white and metallic surface plates. It really did look very similar to a robotic horse, except that where a horse normally had a neck it instead connected to a person’s waist.

This confusion caused Elrod to slowly look up. The waist he saw apparently belonged to a woman. She was dressed in a tight black t-shirt which only served to highlight the fact that she was almost ridiculously wide and muscular. Her black hair was cut asymmetrically so that half of it looked extremely soft while the other half of her head was shaved almost completely, revealing a narrow and complex tattoo that appeared to cover a scar from a cranial implant. What Elrod was most drawn to, though, was the fact that she had some of the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen with pupils that were not quite perfectly round.

The expression on this woman’s face was not a happy one. She extended a hand. “Give it,” she said.

“Give…what?” asked Elrod meekly.

“I don’t have time to mess around with you,” she snapped. “It’s posted on the door. Or do you think I’m blind?”

“I- -I can’t tell- -”

“You’re GUN,” she said, sounding exasperated and shaking her fingers. “I can detect the beacon. You’re not allowed to have it here. Give it now. The only reason I haven’t already chucked your ugly ass out on the pavement is because I really don’t want to catch whatever you have.” She gestured toward Elrod’s head and his patchy scales and lack of hair.

Elrod did not want to resist, in part because he was so surprised to see a centaur and in part because the woman part of this centaur looked so intimidating that he was sure she could make good on her promise to literally throw him out. He reached into his coat and removed his .700 NE pistol.

The woman took it and her eyes widened. “What the hell? What even is this? Is this a .700?” she looked at Elrod. “There is no reason in hell for you to have one of these. Unless your dick is absolutely minuscule. You’re compensating, aren’t you?”

“I- -”

The woman’s eyes suddenly narrowed as she turned the pistol over in her hand. “Huh. And you don’t really look like a ‘Meredith Fluttershy’ to me, do you?”

“It was a gift,” protested Elrod.

“A gift. To you. From a Fluttershy. In this caliber. Sure. And I’m about to ‘gift’ you your season’s beatings. I hope you enjoy getting hoof-shaped bruises and a fractured skull, tiny-dick, because I don’t take kindly to thieves.”

“Valla,” said Twilight, “he’s with me.”

The centaur woman- -Valla- -looked surprised. “What? This shmuck?”

“He’s a client.”

“And you brought him here? Aren’t you the one who always told me not to mix work and pleasure?”

“It messes up your flow, man,” said Moonlight.

“Then again,” said Valla, “when was the last time you did anything that WASN’T work?”

“That doesn’t matter,” said Twilight, waving off the comment as Moonlight handed her a glass of ultra-cheap scotch. “I didn’t want to leave him alone. He’s mess up my organization system. Also,” she looked at Jadeglow, “he’s not comped. If he orders anything, make him pay for it.”

“Just the cute flower girl,” said Jadeglow. “Harsh, man, but I dig it.”

Forth giggled. “She called me cute.”

“But she gets to keep her guns!” protested Elrod, pointing at Forth.

Valla looked at Forth, and Forth looked back. Her tongue was partially sticking out and stained red from her drink.

“Are you kidding me?” said Valla. “She’s Morgana’s secretary. And she’s literally just an adorable pony.”

“But- -”

“I’m not getting a beacon off her,” said Valla. “But I did get one off you.” She sighed, and walked over to the bar. Watching her walk was a bizzare sight in and of itself; the motion of her robotic half really was like that of a horse. She leaned forward- -revealing the edge of a spinal implant linked to her horse half as she did so- -and set the pistol in a case behind the bar with a surprising number of other weapons. “I still trust you less far than I can through you,” she said, “but if Morgana Twilight is going to vouch for you, you can collect your compensator when you leave. If you can pay the exit fee.”

“There’s an exit fee?”

“Yeah. There is.”

“And what if I don’t want to pay?”

“Oh, you’ll pay. One way or another. That’s my job.” She leaned forward until she was face-to-face with Elrod and she smiled viciously. “And I have very high job satisfaction.”

Elrod could only squeak in agreement. Valla seemed to be relatively pleased by this and straightened herself. She then turned to Twilight and sighed.

“You know this is not a good night for you to be here, right?” she said. “You have the worst timing.”

Twilight paused from sipping her drink. “What did I do?”

“This is Roxanne’s night to perform.”

Twilight’s expression suddenly went cold. She did not move for a moment, and then put the mostly finished glass of scotch back on the bar. “Roxanne? Here?”

Almost as if to punctuate the question, music from elsewhere in the building swelled. Elrod cocked his head, listening. Before Twilight or the centaur Valla could stop him, he started walking along the length of the bar to where it turned. He passed a few withered and severely jaundiced humans in various stages of cybernetic decay and a female mormyridian in a full pressure suit attempting to defy the laws of physics and during herself into oblivion before he reached the corner.

The shape of the building was deceptive. It was roughly “L” shaped, with the front part of the bar being the lower part of the “L”. The rear part was much wider and had a higher ceiling, as if it had long ago been converted from a different sort of structure.

This area had a number of tables spaced out through it as well as a substantial number of people. The diversity of the group was actually quite surprising, with the majority of the individuals present consisting of humans and zoonei of various species. A few ponies were present as well, but not as many. Despite the fact that they could eat and drink, Elrod was pretty sure that they were not able to feel the effects of alcohol; as such, they had little reason to come to a bar.

Their reason for being there, in fact, seemed to be for some kind of performance. A stage had been set up on one end, and all eyes were focused on it. As Elrod watched, the music shifted again and the automated lighting system flared, spreading a plume of holographic fire out of the stage.

As soon as it did, a pony strutted out to the wild cheering of the crowd. She was a Pegasus, and one of the rainbow-maned type. Elrod did not know what they were called, although he had seen them before.

This one, though, was different, at least superficially. She wore heavy makeup, and her mane was cropped everywhere except for the top. In addition, she wore several piercings in her large pony ears. That, of course, was not the only thing she wore: her attire seemed to consist almost entirely of tight black leather. She wore boots that were very clearly placed over fishnet stockings, as well as an elaborate saddle arrangement.

What caught Elrod’s eye, though, was her motion. She was not graceful, precisely, but moved with great confidence and practiced precision. Her progression toward the end of the stage’s catwalk seemed almost aggressive, and the look on her face matched her confidence of motion exactly.

When she reached the end of the stage, the pony twisted and in a single motion discarded most of her clothes, leaving her wearing little more than boots and the minimum of a saddle. The crowd roared as she started to dance. Elrod stood transfixed: the motions of her dance were like those of her walk except displayed such a level of athletic precision that even Elrod was vastly impressed. This pony moved with strength and precision in ways that seemed designed with great care to be as seductive as possible.

Elrod watched as the pony fell to her haunches and spread her legs, leaning back as she extended one of her long blue wings and licked it seductively. Then she rolled in a single motion and reversed across the stage toward a pole that extended up from the floor. More holographic pyrotechnics swarmed through the air as she began to shake her rainbow-colored tail, revealing the fact that she was wearing extremely tight panties. Somehow that made the scenario even more exotic.

She was indeed impressive, even breathtaking as she danced. As impressive as she was, though, Elrod did not find her especially attractive.That was meant to be the point of this, he supposed, but she was a pony. Underneath her soft blue skin and perfectly combed mane was a system of robotics and computer systems. There was nothing to be attracted to, at least not for Elrod. This of course also extended to human women as well, and even to members of his own kind. He supposed that it was just one aspect of life as a mammal that he would never be able to experience or understand.

Still, the sight was impressive. Elrod found himself retreating to the rear of the room away from the noise but still in a place where the show was in full view. The tables were darkened there, and he supposed that he would be hard to see in the dim light.

He sat down at and empty table and looked out. The pony continued her routine, and Elrod watched. As he did, he noticed that Twilight was watching as well. She was sitting at the very corner of the bar, not far from the mormyridian, and she was watching the show as well. The difference was, though, that while the rest of the audience was cheering or raising their wallets above their head to transfer vod to the dancing pony in the hopes that she might remove more of her clothing, Twilight watched on with a distant expression. To Elrod it looked almost sad.

“She’s pretty, isn’t she?” said a voice.

Elrod nearly jumped out of his seat from shock. He cried out as well, but it only came out as a low squeak. He turned to his left to see that the booth portion of the table was not in fact empty: a female pony was sitting there, staring at him.

“I’m sorry,” sputtered Elrod, moving to stand up. “I didn’t mean to disturb you, I just didn’t see- -”

“See me here? Oh no. I moved in while you were watching the show. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I…no,” said Elrod, sitting back down but feeling extremely nervous.

The pony smiled. She was a unicorn type with a teal coat with a mane that was nearly the same color save for a white streak. Her clothing consisted of a black sleeveless blouse that fastened in the front with two rows of reddish brass buttons. Elrod stared at this for a moment. He recalled that Twilight also wore sleeveless blouses, but that she somehow managed to make it look frumpy. This mare actually looked quite good.

The mare had two drinks in front of her, the primary of which appeared to be a martini. She lowered her head and gracefully lapped some of the fluid. Her tongue was pink and small.

“You didn’t answer my question,” she said, looking up at Elrod. Her eyes were large, and their color was an extremely pale orange.

“Question?”

She nodded, and looked toward the stage. The pony by this time was now only in her socks. “Roxanne Rainbow Dash. Do you think she’s pretty?”

“In an intrinsic sense, I suppose so?”

The pony sitting near Elrod laughed softly. “‘Intrinsic sense’? What is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know. Are you asking me if I’m a ponysexual?”

“Are you?”

“No.”

The pony’s expression fell slightly. “Oh. So you don’t think I’m pretty either, then?”

Elrod looked at her. She looked like a pony, the same as the rest. “That’s not really a fair question,” he said.

“Because either way you answer has personal consequences, you mean,” said the pony, her pale eyes flashing as she smiled. “If you say I’m pretty, you have to follow up on that. If you say I’m not, you’ve committed to a different path.”

“And if I do nothing, nothing happens.”

“No. Not really.” The pony reached for her martini but did not drink from it. She sighed before looking toward the show. By this time, it was starting to wind down. The pony watched for a long time and then spoke. “Can I ask you to do something?”

“It depends on what it is.”

“It’s not hard, if that’s what you’re asking.” She turned toward Elrod, looking a little embarrassed. “I want you to run your fingers through my mane.”

“W…what?”

“Please? I know you don’t find me attractive. You don’t need to. Just please…pet me?”

Elrod looked at her, and he supposed he saw now harm in it. He reached out across the table, and she leaned forward into his hand. This was technically the first time Elrod had ever actually touched a pony, and he was surprised by how she felt. Her hair was soft and smooth, and the skin underneath was warm. It did not feel like artificial fiber, and she did not feel like a machine. Elrod was sure he could even feel her breathing.

It was an odd sensation, but he obliged her request. He pushed his fingers into her long, mint-scented mane and ran them through it as she nuzzled against his hand and moaned softly. Elrod began to wonder if this was a bad idea, but he did not care terribly much either way. In his mind, ponies were just valuable scrap that was still alive. Some part of him, though, enjoyed the feeling of a pony’s head against his palm.

After a few seconds, the pony pulled away and leaned back. She straightened her hair and looked Elrod in the eye. “Interesting,” she said.

“What?”

“You didn’t try to grab my horn.”

“Should I have?”

“Should? I don’t know. But you could have. Most people who I ask to do that always grab my horn. Some squeeze it very hard, and others try to push my head one direction or another. A few stroke it as though I get pleasure from it.”

“Do you?”

She chuckled. “The horn is an abstraction! I don’t really feel it, but I get pleasure if it is touched by the right person under the right circumstances. Do you understand?” Elrod shook his head and the pony sighed. “I suppose you wouldn’t.”

Elrod was not sure what that meant. “Do you have a name?”

“Perhaps. But you can call me Lyra. It’s my series.”

“Lyra? I think I’ve seen ponies like you before.”

“You probably have. We were the most popular series to be manufactured at the Beginning, and we’ve been voted best-pony more times than any other type.”

“I was never voted best-pony. I’m Elrod- -”

“Jameson? Yes. I know who you are.”

Elrod’s eyes narrowed. “How?”

The pony just laughed. “It doesn’t matter,” she said, shaking her head. She reached up her hoof and pushed her second drink across the table. Unlike the other, it was in a short glass. “Here,” she said.

“No,” said Elrod.

“I didn’t drug it, if that’s what you’re refusing,” said Lyra.

“No. It’s just that I don’t drink alcohol.”

“It isn’t alcohol. And it isn’t poison. I saw you when you came in. I think you’re cute. I got it for you. Won’t you please drink it?”

Her eyes grew wide, and against his better judgement Elrod found himself reaching out and picking up the glass. The fluid inside was light blue in color, and did not appear to be alcohol.

“There’s no vodka in it?” he asked.

“No. Of course not.”

The pony was being so nice that Elrod saw no reason to refuse. He took a hesitant sip and found that the taste was actually quite delicious. This led him to take a larger swig, and as he did, his eyes went wide and he suddenly froze. He realized that he recognized the flavor.

“This is…”

“Shultz?” said the pony, her voice suddenly growing much colder and her eyes seeming more alive but far less friendly. “Yes. Yes it is.”

Elrod placed the glass back on the table and turned to her. “Why would you give this to me?”

“Because I figured you would enjoy it. And to dispense with the presence that you are actually a human being.”

Elrod looked around in a panic, but saw that there was no one nearby. The show had ended and the crowd was now swarming the bar where both Moonlight and Jadeglow were busy pouring drink after drink. No one had heard, and when Elrod was sure that no one would hear he leaned in close to the Lyra pony. She seemed to take great pleasure in his proximity.

“How did you know?”

“That you’re not human? Please. You look about as human as I do. Which is not to say that you’re unattractive. I really like your hands. In fact, if you came back to my room, I think I really would take pleasure in you grabbing my horn. You can even direct my head if you’re gentle.”

“I’m not joking!” hissed Elrod. He slammed one of his fists against the table, causing both glasses to nearly spill. “Do you think this is a game?”

“A game? Why yes. In a sense, it is.” Her expression hardened, but her smile persisted in her eyes. “Except in this game, people who lose get killed. I need you to know that.”

Elrod’s anger suddenly evaporated into hot fear. “What do you mean ‘killed’?”

“I think the definition is pretty obvious, don’t you? And that’s exactly what is going to happen to you if you don’t take my advice.”

“Advice?”

Lyra pointed toward Twilight. “You. Her. You’re digging.”

“Digging? Into what, exactly?”

“Into things that are best left undisturbed. Things that you don’t need to know, and things that certain people really would rather not have HER knowing.”

“What sort of things?”

Lyra smiled. “Really. I would think one of your kind would understand the nature of digging holes. If you get too deep, there isn’t a way back out. You don’t need to worry, though, you’re not really that close to the border. But you’re neck deep, and some people are starting to worry about that.”

“What people?”

“I don’t know if you’d believe me if I said I didn’t know.” Lyra took a sip of her martini and looked out at the crowd across the long room with mild disgust. “But suffice it to say: stop working with her. Leave this alone, Elrod. You won’t find anything useful to you.”

“I don’t really care if it’s useful or not,” snapped Elrod. “Do you think I want any of this? I’m not some truth seeker. You know what I am. You know why I left Monsanto.”

“I do. Or I can guess.”

“I left because I want a normal life. No wars, no mysteries, no violence. To live out the rest of however long whatever the hell I am lives in my one-room apartment with an ordinary, normal life.”

“Then choose that life.”
“I wish I could! Unfortunately, as soon as I try, someone’s going to try to blow my head off!”

“You mean attempt to kill you,” sighed Lyra. “And I can’t really speak for whoever is trying to do that. I’m just a messenger.” She looked up and her eyes met Elrod’s. “But, speaking hypothetically. This ‘somebody’ who wants you dead. If they are as advanced as you seem to think they are, why are you not dead right now?”

Elrod opened his mouth but found that he could not formulate an answer. “I…I don’t know.”

“And consider,” said Lyra, poking at Elrod’s glass with one hoof, “just how easy it would have been for me to lace your drink with picloram right now.”

Elrod’s eyes widened and he picked up the glass, looking into it as though he would be able to somehow see the poison inside. Lyra just smiled.

“Of course, I wouldn’t do that,” she said, sliding out of the bench. Elrod saw that she was wearing thick leggings underneath a split skirt and a set of rear boots. “Because of how much of waste it would be. But take what I said into consideration. Leave this case alone, Elrod. Because that’s the only way you’re going to make it out of this alive.”