Aside from the mottled walls and the lack of windows, being subterranean felt like being anywhere else.
“Wait here,” said Sister Patience. “Make yourselves at home.”
Zada and Daphne stepped inside, and Sister Justice and Sister Patience disappeared down the hallway, door clicking shut behind them.
“They left us alone awfully quickly,” said Daphne.
“Do you think it has anything to do with their ‘emergency training’?” said Zada. “Because something is definitely up.”
“Right,” said Daphne briskly. “I think that’s our cue to snoop.”
Daphne held up a hand, counting to five twice, and then gestured for Zada to open the door.
The hallway was empty and lined with identical-looking doors. Zada hovered in indecision for a moment, then picked a door at random. It was locked.
“Not to fear,” Daphne whispered, brandishing her lockpick. But when she tried inserting the wire into the knob, nothing happened. “What—” said Daphne. “This always works.”
“Apparently not.” Zada was already attempting to open the next door down. Nothing.
Daphne duly tried another knob, with the same result. “Do you think they have some kind of secondary mechanism?”
“How could they?” whispered Zada. “They’re nuns. They don’t have tech. Maybe the lock itself is just different.” She paused. The faintest mutter of voices filtered through the still air. “Do you hear something?”
Daphne shook her head.
Zada listened closely. It was coming from a vent near thefloor, she realized.
She cast around for a stairway door, which would surely have to be marked, for fire safety reasons if nothing else. Finally she found one and motioned for Daphne to follow. They crept down the stairs, doubled back, and found themselves approaching an alcove.
Zada belatedly recognized the sounds of Sister Patience and Sister Justice having a tense conversation. Daphne and Zada stepped behind a support post and held their breath.
“—going to find it,” Sister Justice was saying.
“We’ve had everyone searching the place from top to bottom.” Sister Patience’s voice was quieter, but still clear enough to make out.
“One of the novices probably filed it wrong. It’ll turn up.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am.”
“Because if it’s missing, if it got into the wrong hands, or hell, into the right hands—”
“I know, I know.”
“Then anyone who gets taken in for Counseling will lead them right back to us, to all of this. The whole operation.”
Zada widened her eyes at Daphne. The Sisters of Perpetual Reflection were obviously up to more than archival work and quiet lives of service. This had to be why the whole community center was in a state of panic.
“Hey, it’ll be all right,” said Sister Justice. “It’s not over till it’s over.” A pause. Then Sister Patience grabbed Sister Justice’s hand and kissed them soundly on the mouth.
Daphne gasped. Zada clapped a hand over her own mouth. Sister Justice turned, glancing over their shoulder. Sister Justice’shand was still clasped within Sister Patience’s, their fingers intertwined. Zada pulled them both out of view, heart pounding.
“Probably just mice,” said Sister Justice. “Let’s hope they didn’t get into the samples.”
“Nothing ruins the luxury of a good Chantilly like having to brush the mouse shit out of it,” said Sister Patience. “I just don’t see why we have to store them so damned far away.”
“It was your idea,” said Sister Justice mildly, and they swept out of the alcove, blessedly heading in the other direction.
