Not Just A Friendly Encounter Part 4

Not Just A Friendly Encounter Part 4Chapter 1 — Morning InventoryThe gallery still carried the faint scent of last night’s crowd—perfume, wine, the dry warmth of too many bodies in formal clothes. By nine the rooms had been cleared. Only the climate system hummed, steady and impersonal. I kept John with me under the simplest possible reason: a post-opening walkthrough of the main sequence.He walked half a step behind, exactly where I had placed him months ago. The cage remained locked. The other device sat deeper, its presence known only to the two of us. I did not need to check. I could read it in the careful way he held his weight, the slight delay before each turn.Jim moved through the far gallery with a clipboard, speaking quietly to the remaining technicians. His voice reached us in fragments. I did not call him over. There was no need. The knowledge that he was near, and that he knew enough to stay away unless asked, settled into me like a second pulse.I stopped in front of the largest canvas. John stopped with me. I let the silence stretch while