regularisation methods for inverse problems

  Aine, miss responsible custodian of Nina's sleeping body, never bothered to tell Nina about that plan involving Nina's phone and Nina's body and the black web, in the end. They were all so caught up, locked in the struggle!

  Emilie hated that. If she listened to Mama then maybe she'd just say that she disliked that. It was best not to be too immoderate. If she listened to Sarai and Judecca then maybe her heightened hatred was just the result of Nina's 'evil' magic. Nina, so evil!

  Nina was so evil. So evil that she protected Kaninchen because she thought it right, believing that Kaninchen was integrally Noble, fully immortal, untouchable and untarnishable. So evil that after burning out against the knight, a terrifying and tricky opponent, she led them so stellar against adversity.

  Evil when she promised to help Emilie become a girl. Evil when she gifted Emilie her enchantment and her faith. Without Nina, Emilie would already be dead weight or dead already. In only a few hours, Nina had…

  The thing was, Judecca actually believed this. Not exaggerating!

  All of the little good and nice things that Nina did made her more important to them, the most important. They all became indebted to her? Or, their world began to turn around her. The story of claiming the Red Eyes and Incarnadine Hands became simply a story about Nina: making her happy, loving her…

  So what? Emilie wasn't in this for any reason, remember? Mama and Papa had sent her here to win glory for the Senklerov family. Emilie didn't have a story, not one that mattered. She was some rich boy, suddenly she was a girl, and she met a nice girl who seemed to be able to do anything and promised to help her! Promised! To help her! For no real reason.

  Maybe Judecca had a brilliant story. Her life meant something. Its meaning could be stolen—ignore the fact that it made no sense, this idea that Nina would steal everyone's meaning away just by existing, because she was metaphysically cursed or whatever. Was that one of the special and magical things that everyone with ESP could see but Emilie just could not? Probably... well, Emilie didn't get it, and it didn't make any sense.

  So, Emilie imagined that Judecca's point-of-view was right. Now? What now? What awful thing was Nina going to do with it? Hadn't she only been a positive influence? What did Judecca think Nina was going to do? Grab them all in her cute little hands and squeeze and squeeze them until they went kaboom into icky viscera?

  Oh no... that would be really bad. Emilie understood Judecca's perspective completely now. Emilie definitely didn't want to be grabbed by Nina's cute little hands and squeezed and squeezed. She'd do anything to prevent that awful final fate: treachery, killing her teammates with magic missiles, you name it!

  Judecca was so vindictive about it too. Had to put it out in the open: like 'you love her, straightforwardly, you think she's cute!' Everybody ever had to know this. Emilie deserved to be killed as a witch's familiar; she also deserved to be embarrassed. Embarrass her in front of Nina so Nina could shoot her down as Emilie deserved for being over-familiar. Having already put a lot on her, Nina had to swat her away for being too clingy.

  But. That wasn't what Nina had said.

  Nina had said, exactly—the words, the memory burnt into Emilie's brain: "I cannot accept any tokens of affection. I am incapable of any act of love; nor am I capable of reciprocating your feelings."

  Nina had telepathy, right? Emilie certainly wouldn't be able to tell whether or not she was using it. Those with more psychic capability always won against those with less; that was the way the world worked, and not even a power like the one they were looking for could change it.

  Nina was quite careful with her words. She spoke in a fancy, pretty way. Her voice was nice. Perhaps it wasn't what most people expected from a nice voice: dark, whispery, almost rasping. It was the quiet voice of a tired girl; sleepy susurration. Ah, Emilie already thought she could listen to it all day.

  That meant Nina had already been aware, right? Emilie felt so many positive things towards her, already, so quickly. Ah, but it'd be okay if Nina hadn't noticed. Emilie didn't want to foist herself on her, unlike Aine.

  Even if she hadn't, even if she hadn't even thought of the possibility until Judecca dredged it up, she didn't say: "I don't and won't love any of you." She said: "I'm incapable of love." Any act of love, actually. The little things. New Year's and birthday gifts.

  It wasn't some little damage. She couldn't go to her family therapist—wait, most people didn't have family therapists... city hospital therapist? Emilie should know the systems more precisely, she was a Senklerova daughter... she didn't. Nina couldn't go to any therapist and have them tell her: "Um, actually, didn't you know? All humans are capable of love? You too, girl..." No, nono! It was this total damage that she felt could only be repaired with an unknown power that totally changed reality.

  Why? Nina had some metaphysical curse, right? The real psychics noticed. That was real: so-scientific Sophia had assured her of that. Emilie knew curses were real, that curse magic had its venomous side-effects: headaches, nausea, vomiting, paralysis, etc. and nevermind that Nina tried her best to keep them all to a minimum, and honestly Emilie felt a little happy when Nina's enchantment on the axe made everything all whirry and blurry. But, well, maybe Emilie shouldn't say anything. Emilie was so normal, she shouldn't say anything, she couldn't understand.

  This was in her head. Was it being invaded? Kaninchen couldn't, thank her House... Nina was asleep, maybe Haio or Aine? Emilie couldn't tell. Whatever. Emilie would let herself think.

  Nina's metaphysical curse was real, but what contributed more to the fact she felt like nobody could love her? The curse itself, whatever it did, or everything linked to it? Her hometown attached strictures to her name so she couldn't change it to anything she liked. People seemed to suddenly overlook Nina's actual actions so they could treat her as anathema. Emilie didn't even want to speak about Michiko. 'Who needs enemies', right?

  Who needed a nice girl who controlled enmity, to be happy? Emilie did.

  She sighed.

  "Ah, Emi? Everything good?" Aine said.

  "I think so," Emilie said.

  "Good to hear."

  "How's Nina, doctor?"

  "Not worse than before. Not having nightmares? Maybe? I hope."

  "Good to hear..."

  Aine toyed with Nina's phone, held Nina's phone up, banged her head a little against the back of the bus.

  "She said she still had a link to RNGOD, right?"

  Ah. Nina didn't have a family therapist, or any particular therapist. She had Society's Therapists, in her ear, harassing her for her capabilities.

  "The magic she used against Kaninchen was based on magic she tried to use against RNGOD, I think."

  "The weird tetrahedron, yeah. But she said he was on the phone. But she wasn't phoning anyone, right?"

  "I don't think so..."

  Aine set Nina's phone down again.

  "Put it under her pillow," Emilie said. So you can get a life and stop toying with her property…

  "Meh. Don't wanna wake sleepy. She's really sound with it, too. She's in a bad state... no terminal, tonight."

  "Weren't you going to tell her?" Emilie asked.

  "I forgot..." Aine said.

  Oh. Fine. 'Oh, okay,' as Aine liked to say, the most. Oh okay. She forgot. Emilie understood. She'd be so reliable and tell her tomorrow. Great going, miss rival for Nina's affections.

  She should shake Aine, just tell her: get a grip! But Emilie didn't have a grip either...

  Aine could deflect those words as she pleased. They both knew the truth. Judecca, with the power of the warped space, linked to them through Kaninchen's half-baked ritual, could completely determine their feelings, and had done so. They both liked Nina, a lot! At first sight? Love was an immoderate word, but Aine was an immoderate girl.

  Did Nina dislike her? Aine? Emilie hoped not. It was nevertheless clear that Nina felt she was incapable of reciprocating their feelings, in this world, as herself. They had to help her. Had had had to.

  Aine, a lot was at stake! Act like it.

  "I'll do it tomorrow," Aine said, apropos of no nudging. "Prommie."

  Don't promise Emilie, promise Nina. "Okay."

  "Yay."

  "I'm worried about her," Emilie said.

  "If she needs fretting about, then the rest of our lives are forfeit," Aine said.

  "You're worried about her too."

  "...yeah. I am. I don't like that the Political-Theological Council is haranguing her. Let them bother Kaninchen, haha..."

  "I don't like it either."

  "Not that we can do anything about it."

  Emilie threw herself back into the window.

  "Don't look mad!" Aine said.

  Emilie did not reply.

  They were not going to Milton Keynes tonight. It was inadvisable, right? They were exhausted. Kaninchen had told them that the info team now wanted them to idle in Luton until tomorrow night. They were on the outskirts; the city was caught in a traffic jam. They were going to park in the underground sector.

  Haio, very shyly, had said that she wanted to help Leuce cook. Kaninchen wanted takeaway. Leuce said that their kitchenette mostly contained perishables. The fridge and cupboards were a little bigger on the inside, not a lot: it was best not to mix magic and food. It was surprisingly stocked. She watched videos on how to use knives correctly?

  Emilie realised she wasn't really good at chopping vegetables or anything either. She was rooting for Haio.

  Aria seemed half-broken. Emilie had been distracted, in the hectic hurly-burly of drones and gunning-at-her and disaster, but Nina had used a power that wasn't her own to prevent the concept that defined the warped space from breaking into reality and killing them all? She didn't take to combat too well... Emilie didn't either, really. This mission had not been advertised as a combat mission. Aria had outright collapsed. Aine had said that she couldn't support Aria and Nina at the same time.

  Triage? Always save Nina's life? No. Aria had said she could support herself. Aine stressed how annoyed Aria had sounded.

  She didn't sound like she could support herself... Aria had pushed Leuce away from her, and Leuce was deciding what to cook, chatting with Marzena about... Emilie wasn't eavesdropping, so who knew? She just stared down the bus.

  She stared down the bus, and noticed: Sophie had stopped studying!

  She came towards them. The white ribbon in her hair fluttered. The pom-poms tied to her furry boots (even Emilie noticed they were off-brand) bounced.

  "Is it time?" Sophie asked.

  "Time for what?" Aine asked.

  "Terminal time."

  "No," Emilie and Aine said in unison.

  "Aw. Fine."

  "Do you understand the instructions, now?" Aine asked.

  "Um... I was studying other things," Sophie said.

  "So you're not past step two of ninety-two?"

  "No..."

  "Please don't hurry our sleepy bestie."

  "Don't worry, Anny. I won't bother your darling Nina. I'm liable to get confused by big words and fancy new terms, okay?"

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "Sure, sure. Time is running out."

  "What? No. What do you mean?"

  "I don't know."

  "Anny..."

  "The political centre is interested in her, right? Since she was able to see whatever they did to bring Kaninchen to our level."

  "Kaninchen was already on our level, though? She said it herself. She was a defective Noble."

  "She wasn't part of the game, though! Now she is!"

  "This is a game?" Emilie asked.

  "Ask Kaninchen," Aine said.

  Emilie moaned.

  "Okay, um, do you mind leaving her there? She'll be safe," Sophia said.

  "I..." Aine said.

  "Don't look lovesick, you."

  "I'm literally not. Judecca just said that."

  "Mhm? Okay, well, I would like to find something out. I think you'd be interested, too. Come with me."

  Sophia always wanted to find something out. They started going towards the front.

  Haio waved at Emilie. Emilie waved back.

  Aria tugged on Aine's dress.

  Before Aine could say anything, Aria said:

  "Hey, girls, what do you think loyalty means? Who's loyal, and who's disloyal? Nina struck Kaninchen. Kaninchen struck us all with the power of adversity. She really wants to fuck us up. Maybe hitting her back is an act of loyalty to the mission? To ourselves, our integrity. Not that that matters since we all want to change, right? When dealing with exalted bitch House scions, it's not like you ever ever ever get to keep your integrity, anyway? Some people ALWAYS WIN.

  "Young-hoon is loyal only to his own inertia. Maxine is loyal only to Young-hoon. I like Lucy, but she was ready to put Judecca down like a dog. So was Cecily. I don't even want to talk about fucking Haio. Aine, are you a victim? Like me and Nina are? You have an ability like that too, right? Maybe you don't get it. You defs don't get it. I don't even need to talk about Judecca. Sarai came to the same conclusion; she's just worse at it. Tabitha was willing to put Judecca to the sword.

  "That leaves Sophie, right? Maybe I'm missing something? Some act sub rosa."

  Aine reached out to touch Aria's shoulder; Aria swatted her away. Her hand went woosh and whipped the air.

  "It'll be okay," Aine said.

  Aria said: "It won't. Only under the sufferance of Hannah's dear suffete-slash-sho—uh, sophetha-slash-secretary Tamara has my sentence been delayed. Only under her suff'rance have I been allowed to survive."

  "She's not here anymore," Aine said.

  Aria said: "Anny. You take control of others, don't you? You'll say you don't, but all girls with mind control abilities are the same. You can call it 'influence', 'charisma' or 'convincing people'; I can pretend to bear it. After Haio infiltrated us I can't keep pretending."

  "You're being really mean to Haio, who only meant well," Emilie said.

  Aria said: "Emi, you don't have the damage burning through your mind. Radiant and ever-scarring. You don't fucking fear a certain girl with Q4 and Uriel Atelier weapons."

  "Aine won't ask you to apologise, but I will, when you calm down," Sophia said.

  Sophie almost scruffed Aine. They walked off. Aria let them have the last word.

  Finally! Tabitha and Sarai were sitting together, near the front.

  She felt a vague sense with camaraderie with Tabitha. Emilie wasn't sure if she liked Tabitha? She was too on Judecca's side. She had tried to tease Nina, right? She seemed to side against her. It was mainly those two against way too many drones. Emilie didn't even really know how to describe the experience, but Tabitha was an esper, so maybe she did? Aine and Haio had been on telepathy; Aine and Haio did not have combat magic useful against drones.

  "Hello girls," Sophia said.

  "Hi, Soph! And Anny. And Emi," Tabitha said.

  They were watching something together. Sarai leaned into Tabitha, holding the phone. She did not look back, until Sophia said, "Hey, Sarai."

  "What?"

  "What have you been watching?"

  "Stuff we had cued up before. I guess you prefer watching the traffic, Soph?"

  Sarai copied Tabitha's nickname: she was very creative!

  "Oh, I think I saw some of that when you were with our dear teacher. It sounds pretty tough."

  "Huh?"

  "Life without jumping," Sophie said. "I feel really bad. For the main character. Of the video game, I mean."

  "What else could you mean?" Tabitha asked.

  "Yeah. I wonder if anything else could have a main character. Books and shows, I suppose? Movies."

  Emilie looked over at Judecca, who tried not to look back.

  "Many things," Sarai said.

  "Yeah, but anyway, I feel really bad," Sophie said.

  "That's a strange way to feel about video game challenges," Tabitha said. "Be more normal."

  "No I mean. Jumping is like his purpose, right? And you're denying that to him. By doing the challenge. It's really fucked up."

  Tabitha and Sarai looked at each other.

  "Sure," Tabitha said. Sarai shrugged.

  "Yeah, that's just your opinion," Sarai said. "Tabby and Judy and I mainly care about the actual gameplay mechanics, though."

  "Oh, I don't really have any interest in those," Sophie said. "I, for one, only care about celestial mechanics. I want to understand the orrery of this world."

  Judecca twitched. Aine snickered. Emilie didn't make any sort of outwards reaction, since she tried to control her tempers. She definitely thought Sophie's passive-aggression was really funny, but where was Sophie going with this?

  "Ah," Sarai said.

  "Yeah," Tabitha said.

  "Very cool," they said in unison.

  "Well, well, have you been watching anything more interesting? Something maybe for when teacher isn't around?"

  He was at the front with Maxine, by the way. Certainly less attentive than Judecca, who was opposite him. Kaninchen was in the middle between them, chatting with the driver. Was Judecca catching only flashes of this conversation? No-no. She was psychic.

  "No," Sarai said.

  "Really?"

  "Yes," Sarai said.

  "I see," said Sophie. "I got a little bored of traffic and reading boring books, so I bought access to a Portland intranet. I found a really cool video that I'd like to share with you."

  "Really?" Tabitha said.

  "Do it. Show us," said Sarai.

  "Gather round, girls," Sophia said.

  They huddled around Sophie's phone. As always they split into the two factions so the order went from left to right Aine and Emi in the aisle Sophie in the centre Tabitha and Sarai. Judecca pretended not to pay attention to all the kerfuffle but Sophie hit play.

  There was a blue screen. Deep blue. If you had an RGB colour display and set it to (0, 0, 1023) or maybe (0, 0, 4095) on the big tower Papa had back in Dvinsk, then it was that blue. Really blue!

  The video did not become anything other than that deep blue. Not ultrablue fire, not the sky, not heaven.

  "Wow. That was really boring," Tabitha said. "Marzena was telling me about boring shows she used to watch as a child in the Scandinavian cities. Is that one of those?"

  "Maybe? I'm from Joburg, not Portland," Sophie said. "You'd have to enlighten me."

  "Go ask Marzi," Sarai said. "This is really boring. Who would watch this?"

  "It's not really boring. It's really exciting. Like traffic and reading dense textbooks," Sophie said.

  "Sophia, I'm not going to pretend that watching a blue screen is fun," Emilie said.

  "Blue screen?" Aine asked.

  Tabitha frowned.

  "Huh," Sophie said. "Emi, what did you say you saw?"

  "A blue screen?"

  "What do you mean, Emi? It's footage from a camera by some river and waterfall somewhere?" Aine said.

  Emilie looked again. It was still just a blue screen.

  Suddenly, Aine nudged Sophia.

  "You could have just said it plainly," Aine said.

  "Said what?"

  "Our beloved hero of justice Tabitha talks about expurgating evil and then imbibes infohazards. Four out of five of us see the same thing."

  "Says who?"

  Neither Tabitha nor Sarai interrupted.

  "Says who about what?" Aine asked.

  "That four out of five of us see the same thing?" Sophie said.

  "What do you see?"

  "Not one river but five-flowing. Styx, Phlegethon, Lethe, Acheron, Cocytus."

  To be wholly honest, Emilie didn't know where or what those were.

  Sarai clapped. "Well done, Sophie! For passing the test! So adept."

  "So fond of her. Judecca," Sophia said.

  "Coincidence," Tabitha said.

  Judecca looked like she wanted to get up, but didn't.

  "Hm. I have many hypotheses, but none are very good. I suppose you wouldn't let our Aine look through your view, and see into your hearts? Or just tell us?"

  "Certainly fuckin' not," Sarai said.

  "Aw," Sophia said. "Do be careful. It's hard to tell what's illegal and what isn't, when it comes to infohazards. I wouldn't want our pure hero's heart to be corrupted, or for her to stop by this police force or that police force, as we travel across the demesne of the North Atlantic. Portland's quite dangerous for that, isn't it? The INSIGHT system to prevent preternatural terrorism."

  "Hey, Aine? Jealous of us 'cause we have more fun in Portland than Seattle?"

  "I'm from Bremerton. Completely different," Aine said.

  "Oh my. That's why you think Watford is a city," Tabitha said. "Not at all impartial."

  "That's not right," Aine said, though Tabitha seemed to be right and everyone seemed to know it. "Bremerton is across the Salish Sea. I've spent more time in Shanghai than Seattle proper, certainly."

  "Seattle has sprawled out!" Sarai said.

  "Be that way. At least I'm not ready to kill in a heartbeat, like everyone from Portland seems to be."

  "Is that right?" Tabitha said.

  "What's your evidence?" Sarai said.

  "I don't know... you and you and Judecca?"

  "Judecca isn't from Portland," Tabitha said.

  "What do you mean she isn't from Portland? Her ID says she's from Portland. Her profile on the company app says she's from Portland. I memorised it for everyone in the early morning," Aine said.

  "She's from Portland Camp," Sarai said. "The City of Portland didn't make her, got it?"

  All major wars scattered refugees. The war to write and rewrite human history could only create humanity's largest refugee crisis. Babylon engulfed populations; spat them out.

  When the Babylon War had been exhausted, humanity had been left entombed within thousands of cities. Each could barely reach each other through the murk surrounding humanity. Everyone was scared of contamination: Mama, Papa, her tutors, her big sisters, everyone impressed this belief on Emilie. She didn't seem to understand it as well as they wanted her to. Sure, nomoi and edicts stopped its spread. The Nobility let humanity cling to things they thought true. That was not enough.

  The supernatural consuming someone's humanity was that fate worse than death. Remember, because Emilie didn't: the preternatural was what was in humanity's grasp! Not that Emilie could grasp it…

  What if it happened to an entire city? An entire city engulfed by an illegal aspect? Ten million logics uprooted by an illicit concept?

  Emilie did not have words for it. Neither did the adults around her. It had been seen in the Babylon War. Emilie had lived in the partial cases. Not Washington, but Daugavpils. Principles higher than humanity dwelled there. Indulge with caution.

  Any city government had to avoid this fate. It was the precondition of their existence.

  Those displaced by the Babylon War came from everywhere. They had foreign cultures and ideologies. They imported conflicts that weren't even legible. Could you read the writing on the wall? It was in a truly foreign language; no one spoke it.

  Some cities felt that everyone was equally corrupted by the Babylon War. It was impossible to distinguish between the one or two billion original human bodies that persisted and the ten to twenty billion hr?nir that filled the space of the dead four to five billion. Most certainly didn't care, though some claimed pure lineage.

  Others made distinctions. There were groups that 'needed' to be kept out.

  Those who had fought for an enemy army or army fraction during the Babylon War. Those with cursed abilities that threatened the integrity of humanity or the city's bottom line. Those who committed serious crimes knowing that there was not enough prison space to hold them. Those who committed petty crimes, knowing that shattered glass led to storm troopers—invariably! Those who were unable to pay their rent. Those who defaulted on their debts. Those deemed racial trash.

  It was hard to say, or think about, the fact that the world made such judgments... If Emilie remembered correctly, Portland was one of the cities that did so?

  "I'm not from the Pacific Northwest," Sophie said. "I don't really understand all of the technical details?"

  "I don't think Joburg is so different to Portland in this regard," Tabitha said. "Stay in your lane."

  "Okay! I will! Miss Hero," Sophie said.

  Emilie wondered if her habit of saying 'miss X' came from Sophie. Had she done it a lot, before she came here? Emilie didn't have the most attentive of memories…

  "In this world you cannot escape the stature of your birth," Tabitha said. "The slime of it sullies you until you perish. If axolotl-like you cannot grow past neoteny and remain waterbound, then choke with that slime on your gills forever."

  "...well, is that what you think about Judecca?" Sophie said, as if she could not hear.

  "She can see it, you know?" Tabitha said. "All five of your rivers, so easily. She takes it for granted! She's such a defeatist. If she sees evil, she would rather not stay and fight. She cannot bear to exist in a world with it, even less than I can. She doesn't think she can destroy it. At best she thinks she can expose it, through her own death; that if there's any trace of good in something corrupt, it'll feel regret. That if killing her was perceived by your Nina as sin and corruption that it would not spur on her ascent or descent, that it would not cause your Nina to be galvanised into an immortal witch. It's stupid. She's stupid. I don't understand Kaninchen, but she understands her less than me. She should feel bad."

  Did she feel bad? Judecca reacted, but tried not to turn around.

  "Are you jealous?" Sophie lilted.

  "...I'm not. Never. If I see something I want, I work towards it. I put my heart into it. I wanted ESP, so I did it myself, grey market, I threw myself at it and at it, even if it hurt or I bled, 'til I felt all new all under my skin. I want the power to survive. I want the power to destroy evil."

  "Maybe you're envious?" Sophie said.

  "Envious is a more beautiful word," Sarai said.

  "No, no. I'm desiring! I want! I want to accomplish so much! I want achievements that I can look back on. I want to build, to make things. But some people—" and Tabitha stood, and Tabitha pointed at the ceiling, and not only was the path to the sky blocked by the ceiling but also by the little Luton tunnel that they were stuck in.

  "Some people have barely attained humanity themselves. They don't understand what it means. We should be apex predators."

  "Who's attained humanity? Are you human?" Sophie asked.

  "Yeah, are you?"

  "You're more like a snake," Sarai said.

  "I'm more like a scholar," Sophie said.

  "Why all this. All your teasing and goading, when the battle's been lost and won?" Tabitha said.

  "I want to understand the opposition," Sophie said.

  "Sure, sure. Six v. six. Kaninchen is interested in Nina and Maxine gets Young-hoon. Twelve girls split themselves up, with completely different worldviews. You could do that, if you like. Whatever the problem with Nina is, she totally thinks we're all on the same team. I think she's stupid for that... twelve girls, twelve wishes, some of them are gonna clash! But you also think she's stupid for that," Tabitha said.

  "That's Nina, I'm me," Sophie said.

  "Say that to Anny," Tabitha said.

  "I don't think Nina's stupid," Aine said.

  "Sure. Sure sure. You're not tricking her or doing anything untowards with her?"

  "Your beloved Judecca tried to kill her; once you realised what her plan was you were all 'I get you.' Don't fuck around with her," Aine said.

  "Whatever. It's Judecca who believes in the power of love, not us two," Tabitha said.

  "Is Judecca human, in your view?" Sophie said.

  Emilie cringed. She might be a coward.

  "She's a wolf that pretends to be a sheep. Her middle name is Raquella; I'm sure Aine knew that."

  "I did," Aine said.

  "'Ewe.' Not at all fitting. She can do better; she should. I'll say it behind her back and to her face, damn it!"

  Could she? Really, Tabitha? Listen to yourself.

  Sarai grabbed Tabitha's shoulder, and pulled her to sit back down.

  "You're really caring. Even your desire to destroy evil is care," said Sarai.

  Praise her for not caring one iota about Nina; you sure don't!

  "Nah, nah, I don't give a fuck. I don't give a FUCK," Tabitha said. "But Anny, Anny Anny Anny. I was really curious... why did Kaninchen try to foster your enmity towards her? The Agnes Project stuff gave me an answer, but I don't really understand it."

  "Who knows?" Aine said. "Is it your business?"

  "Um, who butted in? Sophia Ethelsbury? Sent by who? Herself or one Aine Hunlun?"

  "Infohazards are a huge problem," Sophia said. "For everyone. Don't toy with them."

  "Sure. What Kaninchen wants to do with you is a huge problem for you, Aine."

  Aine didn't say anything. She turned around.

  "Judecca can be really problematic," Sarai said, "but she's problematic for our sake. It's touching, even if she can ruin an afternoon."

  "Is that all she ruined? An afternoon?" Emilie said.

  "Yes," Sarai said. "Haze House believes all failing girls can be redeemed for their follies—don't ya know?"

  "I know," Emilie said. "Sophie, Anny wants to go."

  "...Alrightie!" Sophie said.

  They let the two of them be. Sarai and Tabitha went back to watching non-anomalous media.

  What a pointless endeavour. What knowledge did any of them gain? Emilie couldn't even shout at or curse Judecca…

  Stupid. Stupid. Sure, help yourself, Judecca! Like 'Michiko' did, and the other one, whoever she was. Who invited any of you? Who gave you the right? As if someone scrawled 'kick me' in permanent marker on Nina's stomach? She'd rub that filth out. Nina wasn't some toy. She wasn't stupid. She didn't deserve any pranks from anyone.

  Her Maxine had said: "If you have strength, if you know your justice—anything is permissible!"

  Was that really true? Was Emilie really allowed to do anything she wanted, forever?

  Ah, she had to. She cared for Nina. Emilie wanted Nina to be happy.