Elara looked at the window.
"That's accurate," she said.
"I know," System said.
"Is that a problem," she said. "For whoever reads the report."
"It's unusual," System said. "Whether it's a problem depends on what they're hoping for." A pause. "I think it's the best possible version of what this situation could have produced. But I'm biased."
"You're biased," she said.
"I've been on your shoulder for three months," System said. "I contain multitudes. Some of them are biased."
She almost smiled.
Stood.
Stretched her hands — the fine tremor was back, which meant she had been writing for too long again. She flexed her fingers, counted to five, flexed again.
"The dinner," she said. "Tonight."
"Yes," System said.
"Mahir. Ken. The fox-eared guard — Shen. I'm going to call him by his name tonight and he's going to do the thing where his expression doesn't change but something happens at the edges of it."
"Probably," System said.
