“I did not just come to nag you. It is business. I wish to engage your team’s services for a mission. Are you available three weeks and two days from now?”

“If the money’s right and it doesn’t go against our core objectives, we are,” Cally said. “But I did mention I’m on short time here, right?”

“Neither of those things should be a problem. Shall we talk terms?”

“Oh, jeeze,” Cally sighed. “Fine. Whatever. We’re expensive.”

“I had assumed as much,” Michelle said calmly.

“If you have that much backing, I need to know who you’re working for,” Callly said.

“This is primarily a personal venture. Although it is of course in the larger interests of Clan O’Neal and all the clans.”

“Personal? How much do you make?”

“Quite a lot, but I presume you mean money. Whatever I ask for.”

“Whew.” Cally whistled softly. “Want to come over to the side of Good and Right?”

“As members of the same clan, I thought we were already on the same side. For the rest, now is neither the time nor the place for this discussion.”

“Well, thank you for finally agreeing with me!” Cally snapped. “Can you meet me at Edisto Beach tomorrow at seven? I’ll take a walk after dinner. We can talk privately. I can bring Granpa. I’m sure he misses you as much as I do, and we can iron out the details together.”

“Please, it would be inappropriate to distract my clan head when he has such weighty policy matters to meditate upon as he does at this time. I would take it as a personal favor if you would grant me a private meeting between us to handle the negotiations.” She vanished, not giving her sister time to reply.

And it was a good solid vanish. One moment, sister. Next moment, air. Cally had enough experience of holograms to be pretty sure she’d been dealing with a real human. There had been a faint smell of perfume, something extremely light. Her nose was tweaked high enough that she’d caught a faint odor of body as well. Not funk, just the smell any human gave off. Traces of heat, a breath. Michelle had been standing right in front of her and now was not. Cally waved her hand across the space for a moment, then shrugged. She didn’t have time for this.