What was the correct thing to do here? What was the thing that wouldn’t get me kicked out of House Gray? For all I knew, she was a House spy come to check on my behavior.
“Matilda.” I took her hand, and when we shook, she tapped two fingers against the inside of my wrist. The House Brown signal. Thank goodness. I tapped the inside of her wrist too, and she grinned.
“I thought so,” she said.
“So, what is all this?” I gestured toward the people taking pictures and shouting questions at Abraham.
“The jumble. You know, all the galvanized get together before the big gathering, talk to fans, answer questions, pose for photos.”
“Right. I’ve heard about it, I just didn’t think it would be so . . .”
“Noisy?” she asked as a huge cheer went up and all the columns washed with violet.
“Happy,” I said.
The cheer went louder and the crowd clapped as a tall, rawboned woman wearing a purple plaid shirt and loose plum slacks walked across the room toward Abraham. Her hair was lavender and cut like a boy’s, short and combed to one side.
Abraham smiled, and when she was close enough, they hugged.
The crowd went wild.
“Friends?” I asked.
“You don’t know? I heard you went into a House to deal with something.” At my look, she added, “Word got out about the Fesslers’ place. You know how House Brown is. One person says something to another person, and pretty soon the whole world knows.”
I nodded.
“So when you showed up here with Abraham Seventh, I figured it was House Gray you had business with.”
“You’re right. I’m dealing with House Gray. But I’m still a little behind on all this galvanized stuff.”
“Not much to get, really,” she said. “That’s Clara Third. Works for House Violet, Faith. Kind of shy, doesn’t say much, but Abraham’s always been kind toward her. Other galvs already in the building are House Green’s Dolores Second, House Red’s Loy Ninth, and the threesome from House Blue: Wila Fifth, Vance Fourth, and Obedience Tenth.”
“Do all the galvanized show up here and do—this?”
“Every year, for one evening before the gathering. It was their idea, and no matter what’s going on between the Houses, they go out and meet their fans. It’s nice of them, don’t you think?”
I still thought it was weird that the galvanized had fans.
“Yes,” I said. “It’s nice.”
Abraham gave Clara one last pat on the shoulder, then walked away, scanning the crowd for me. He quickly spotted me—so points for the man—and I held up my fingers in a short wave. He nodded toward a door that opened behind him.
“Apparently, I am being summoned,” I said.
“Are you all right?” she asked in that House Brown tone that said bothI will help you escapeandI want info so we can keep an eye on you.
It was sweet.
“No worse for the wear,” I said, because I was not going to screw this up now.
“All right. I just thought the message from your brother sounded like he was in over his head. If you need anything, you know how to find us.”
“What message from my brother?” I asked.
Abraham had noticed I wasn’t following him and threw me a hard glance. Several people around him looked my way, but I half turned with a smile on my face, pretending it wasn’t me he was looking at.
“What message?” I asked Listra again.
