Raya gasped, salt air catching in her throat.
“I took the picture during my orientation. I meant to photograph the masts, but as you can see, I captured more than I intended.”
“I don’t understand.” Raya stared at the photo. “How could I have been at your orientation?”
Dev laughed. “Well, that obviously isn’t really you, is it?”
Raya inhaled sharply. “Is that the conductor? Was she wearing my face?”
“The conductor?” Dev shook his head. “No. The conductor isn’t in the photo, but I do remember what he looked like that night. In those days, he always chose to look like the shortest person he could find—he hated hitting his head on doorways. If you want to know more about this woman, you should ask him. Rasmus has a much better memory than me.”
Raya found Rasmus seated by himself at the Lotus, working through his second bottle of sake. He looked up from his cup and gave her a small wave.
Raya walked up to his table. “May I join you?”
“Of course.” Rasmus pulled out a chair. “Can I get you anything?”
“I’m good, thanks.” Raya sat down without taking her eyes off Rasmus’s face.
“The answer is no.” Rasmus sipped his sake.
“No?”
“I haven’t taken the serum,” Rasmus said. “You can stop staring and trying to guess if I still remember what happened with the stowaway now.”
“You said that keeping that memory was dangerous.”
“I did, but I’m beginning to realize that remembering that night isn’t as dangerous as forgetting it.” Rasmus drained his sake cup and refilled it. “Not until I find a way to keep another stowaway from putting the Elsewhere Express in danger all over again.”
“Isn’t that Lily’s job? Or does a retired conductor’s duty never end?”
Aki walked over and set a fresh bowl of deep-fried lotus root chips on the table. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Another sake, please.” Rasmus raised his empty bottle. “Thanks, Aki.”
Aki nodded and cleared a nearby table.
Rasmus took a sip from his cup. “Have you decided what department you’d like to join?”
“I met with Dev today.”
“Ah. Maintenance.” Rasmus popped a lotus root chip into his mouth. “Excellent choice. Dev’s a great mentor. I’m glad you’re settling in well.”
“How about the woman with my face?” Raya said. “How long did it take for her to settle in?”
Rasmus wiped his hand on a table napkin. “What woman?”
“You remember Dev. Surely you remember the only other personpresent during his orientation. I saw her photograph in Dev’s compartment.”
Rasmus clutched his sake cup.
“Who is she, Rasmus?”
Rasmus lifted his eyes from his drink. “What does it matter? Passengers change faces all the time for no reason other than they were bored.”
“What does it matter?” Raya said. “She had my face. I’d like to know who she is.”
Rasmus leaned back in his chair. “Why don’t you just ask me what you really want to know?”
