Girl reporter immediately lifts the W, revealing a notepad, on whichshe doodles something, predictably animated for a moment.

I call up, staring intently at the specks:"Tell her I'm busy. I'm in a meeting. It's an emergency. Tellher I'm in a meeting and it's an emergency. I'll call her backafter I put the fire out."

"Victor," Beau calls down. "Thisis the sixth time she's called today. This is the thirdtime she's called in the last hour."

"Tell her I'll see her at Doppelganger'sat ten." I kneel down, along with Peyton and JD, and run my handalong the panel, pointing out where the specks begin and end and thenstart up again. "Specks, man, look at these fuckers. They glow.They're glowing, JD," I whisper. "Jesus, they'reeverywhere." Suddenly I notice an entire new patch and yelp,gaping, "And I think they're spreading. I don't thinkthat patch was here before? I swallow, then croak in a rush, "Mymouth is incredibly dry because of this—could someone get me anArizona diet iced tea in a bottle, not a can?"

"Didn't Damien discuss the design with you, Victor?" JDasks. "Didn't you know the existence of these specks?"

"I don't know anything, JD. Nothing, nada.Remember that. I . . . know . . . nothing. Never assume I knowanything. Nada. Nothing. I know nothing, not a thing. Never—"

"I get it, I get it," JD says wearily, standing up.

"I really can't see anything, baby," Peyton says, still onthe floor.

JD sighs. "Even Peyton can't see them, Victor."

"Ask the vampire to take off his fucking sunglasses," Isnarl. "Spare me, man."

"I will not tolerate being called a vampire, Victor."Peyton pouts.

"What? You tolerate being sodomized butnot being called Dracula in jest? Am I on the sameplanet? Let's move on." I wave my arm, gesturing at somethinginvisible.

As the entire group follows me downstairstoward the third floor, the chef—Bongo from Venezuela viaVunderbahr, Moonclub, Paddy-O and MasaMasa—lights a cigaretteand lowers his sunglasses while trying to keep up with me. "Victor,we must talk." He coughs, waves smoke away. "Please, myfeet are killing me."