Vi left her aux room, humming along to Go! Go! Run! by Eightfunk. It was a poppy song, the kind that she only liked in the privacy of her own home. Outside, and especially at the party, she was all business. She stopped in front of the full-length mirror in her front room. She pushed a stray strand back into position. Someday, she intended to organize her district's party. It would be a bombshell. They'd talk about it for years.

She was, at the moment, only an eighth tier coordinator. She had contacts and "ins," but she had yet to make that breakthrough. Tonight might be the night, though. With the prince's rumored arrival, and Mexy at the helm, this party could ride on its own infamy for at least two months.

She sat on her futon and pulled on a pair of over-the-knee black platform boots. Gaudy, yet versatile-- perfect for the party. She looked out her window onto the street. Any minute.

The red lights went on. The central siren let out a mournful cry. In the alley below, a trashcan fell over.

Vi gave her reflection a sharp-toothed grin.

"It's go time."

She took her helmet from the rack outside her door and went down the elevator. She unchained her driftbike from the fence. She put the helmet over her face and released the brake. The bike accelerated, and she was on her way.

Jenx lived in a row of middle-class houses, several blocks away from the dangerously glamorous part of town. A few of the neighbors watched her pass from behind their curtains. She gave them a wave. They knew where they stood.

She pulled the bike to a halt outside Jenx's little flat. She got off. Jenx opened the door.

"Oh-- damn, that's cute," she said. Jenx grinned. He was dressed in a sweepingly elegant black gown and a pair of white ballet flats. The dress was accented with feathers, as was the bow he wore. "Where'd you come up with it? It looks almost antique."

"I was inspired by a commission from someone else, I guess," Jenx said. "Do you really think it's cute?"

"The cutest! You'll be--" she cleared her throat, and said with dramatic flair, "the belle of the ball."

"Oh, stop."

"Well, let's get going already!" Vi said. She hopped back on the bike. Jenx got on behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She grinned and pushed the driftbike into acceleration. It flew, almost noiselessly, past the red lights in the streets.

There was more activity towards the center of the city. People were hanging out outside buildings, talking and making last-minute costume alterations. A few waved at Vi as she passed. She waved back.

The siren grew louder as they approached the party. Vi pulled her bike around to the side entrance. She parked it and locked it in position. Jenx waited while she scanned the passes. The door opened.

The organization committee was always in a panic, and now was no different. People in varying degrees of disarray ran from one end of the room to the other, calling people up on arcAdia and reporting their answers to Mexy, who stood at the exact center. She was very tall, very large, and dressed in an expensive imported costume that claimed to express all the radiance of a sunrise and delivered on its promise. She had a sort of distant, beneficent smile on her face.

"Uh-oh," Vi whispered to Jenx. "She's pissed. Hey, Mexy!"

Mexy broke out of her trance and brought her hands to her face in an expression of practiced surprise and delight. "Vi, darling! You're just on time! Oh, and this must be Jenx! Hello, love, hello! Oh, what a pretty ensemble! Did you make it yourself?"

Jenx nodded.

"He's an artist, really," Vi said. "So, give me the dirt, Mexy."

"Well, darling, it seems we have a bit of a situation. It's--" she checked the clock, "--eighteen minutes until the party begins, and so far, Prince Florzel is a no-show."

"It was just a rumor. We don't know for sure--"

"And who's in charge of rumors, darling?"

Vi scratched the back of her neck. "I am."

"I expect my gossips to deliver," Mexy said. "You can't raise people's hopes and then dash them."

"It wasn't me that started it, though," Vi said. "I just spread it around. And you approved the plan, anyway, Mexy, so--"

"That will be enough out of you, darling," Mexy said. She clapped her hands and a nervous 11th-tier ran up. "Be a sweetheart and get a check on the live entertainment." He nodded and dashed off.

"We won't get anything more out of her," Vi said. "Sometimes she forgets we trained in the same squad. Oh, well."

"Are you gonna be in trouble?" Jenx asked.

"Not for long," Vi said. "Attention span of a goldfish, that one. There should be some snacks around here somewhere."

They went down the hall and into a side break room.

"Aw," Vi said, "just some crusty donuts."

"I hope we'll be able to find Yasha and Nibs," Jenx said.

"Yasha will be easy enough to locate, at least," Vi said. "They should be letting the first people in, I think. You want to look at some freaky costumes?"

"Sure," Jenx said. "I can always use more ideas."

"Great. I'd better make myself scarce for a little while, at least until Mexy gets that stick out of her ass. Hey, Duni."

The eleventh-tier stopped. "Oh, hi!"

"How's the entertainment looking?" Vi asked.

"If Mexy's right about anything, it's this," Duni said. "People are gonna go crazy."