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It was Dr Cable
THE DRAGON
"Do I know you?"
Dr Cable smiled coldly "I’m sure you re some of her fear show; even the ht of Dr Cable Her cruel features, exaggerated by the ht, made her look like a beautiful woman half transformed into a olf
Me trapped in Dr Cable’s office that awful first ti of the existence of Special Circureed to find and betray Shay, the price for beco pretty Then, in the Smoke, after Cable had followed Tally with an arround
"Yeah," Tally said "I think I reht?"
"Indeed, you did" Cable’s sharp teeth glowed in the ht "But what’s ed a vacant s - Tally and David’s rescue of the Smokies - when it had been necessary to crack her on the head
Dr Cable gestured at the black scarf that bound Tally’s cuff tightly under her glove and winter coat "Interesting way to wear a scarf"
"What, are you fashion-ine you started the trend You alere tricky"
Tally beauess I used to play all kinds of tricks back when I was ugly"
"Nothing like today, though"
"Oh, you saw the feeds? Wasn’t that totally bogus? The ice just falling out from under us like that!"
"Yesjust like that" Dr Cable’s eyes narrowed "Irink was a typical architectural folly designed to a to happen But then 1 thought about the ti - the stadiued "I bet it was those fireworks You could feel the idea was that?"
Dr Cable nodded slowly "An almost believable accident And then I saw your face on the newsfeeds, Tally All wide-eyed and innocent and telling your bubbly little tale" Cable’s upper lip curled into so that was not a s tricks"
Tally felt soly days: the old feeling of being caught She tried to turn her fear into a look of surprise "Me?"
"That’s right, Tally: you Soined herself being hauled into the depths of Special Circuain Orher to New Pretty Town at all She tried to s, but her ’s ed
Dr Cable stepped closer, and Tally fought to hold her ground, though her whole body screa at a specimen cut open on a table "I certainly hope that it was your fault"
Tally frowned "You hope what?"
"Let’s speak frankly, Tally Youngblood I’ve had enough of your pretty act I’eon"
"You’re not?"
"Do you really think I care if you break things in New Pretty Town?"
"Umkind of?"
Dr Cable snorted "Maintenance is not my department Special Circumstances is only interested in outside threats The city can take care of itself, Tally There are soabout Why do you think skaters on that rink had to wear bungee jackets?"
Tally blinked It hadn’t crossed herwas always ultra-safe in New Pretty Town, otherwise new pretties would kill theed
"In case the lifters failed? Like in a power blackout?"
Cable let out a razor-sharp laugh that lasted less than a second "There hasn’t been a blackout in a hundred and fifty years" She shook her head at the thought and continued "Knock down anything you want, Tally I don’t care about your little tricksexcept for what they reveal about you"
The woain had to fight the urge to run She wondered if this was siet her to admit what the Crims had done Probably she’d said tooabout Dr Cable’s cold stare - her razor voice, her predatory movements, her very existence in the world - made it impossible for Tally to act pretty- or dissolved into a puddle on the spot
Besides, if Special Circumstances really wanted Tally to confess her tricks, they wouldn’t have bothered with a conversation
"So why are you here?" Tally said in her nor hard to keep it steady
"I’ve always adood little traitor when you had to be"
"Uh, thanksI guess"
Cable nodded "And now it turns out you have ave you credit for You resist conditioning very well"
"Conditioning That’s what you call it?" Tally swore "Like it’s a hair treatain, her eyes focusing on Tally’s as if trying to bore through to her brain "Soly, aren’t you? Most impressive I could use you, I think"
Tally felt a flush of anger, a fire inside her head "Um, like, didn’t you already use me?"
"So, you do remember Superb" The woman’s cruel-pretty eyes, flat and lusterless and cold, somehoed pleasure "I know that was an unpleasant experience, Tally But it was necessary We needed to take our children back froize"