Quoted By:
"Oh. Sorry." Gil stands heavily, box in hands, and trots over. He slides the box (and the refractor and the pagan idol thing) onto his bookshelf. "Uh, I-I figured you'd come back, it's just... it happens really fast."
"<span class="mu-i">What</span> happens fast? You're sure I don't look any different?" You hold the tent door open for him.
"I-It's not how you look. I-It's not even how you carry yourself, exactly... I mean, it <span class="mu-i">is,</span> but that wouldn't be enough to be... I don't know what it is. I-I-I don't think it's tangible?"
"So I start exerting a Claudia aura?"
"Kind of?" Gil emerges after you. "I-I-It's more like you start scanning different? Or... broadcasting different? Um, like you have a big name tag slapped over your face, and it says 'Claudia'— and I-I can look past the name tag pretty easily, but maybe for other people that's all they can see? The name tag? So they just assume..."
"Yeah?" You're trying to lead the way to Madrigal's tent while remaining in the shade the whole while. Your efficacy is mixed.
"I-I-I mean, it's hard to say. Richard would know better. But i-i-it's weird, because when Richard's in your body, it's not the same... you can tell it's him, but i-it's because he walks all funny. And he talks like Richard. He's not going around <span class="mu-i">making</span> people think he's Richard. He'd probably want the opposite, right?"
"I wouldn't really know," you say. "Since I'm usually..."
"Um, right. But he wants people to think he's you, most of the time. With this, i-it's more like when you... when you make people think things."
"I don't make people think things, Gil. I convince them with my scintillating—"
"Right. But sometimes you convince them of things that don't make any sense...? And they ignore the facts, even if they're right there, and... I-I mean, it's like that, right? Garvin knows who you are, and he was staring you in the face, but he still couldn't—"
"Shh!" you say. (You've arrived.) "You'll get a better idea about it if you see it happen again, okay? Stand back there."
"Uh, sorry. Sure." Gil scurries across the way. You line yourself up in front of Madrigal's tent, inhale, and rap on the post outside. Then you—
*
You're in front of a tent. Where did Gil go? Too late. "Coming!" someone says, then the tent flap pushes outwards. It's some woman. Mid-twenties, kind of gaunt, grody scar right across the nose. "Oh shit," she says. "Who are you?"
"Who are <span class="mu-i">you?</span>" you parry.
"Madrigal," says Madrigal. (The 'kind of' asshole. You remember.) "I help keep this dump going. Did you just show up, or...?"
"What do you think?"
"I've never seen you in my fucking life, so..." Madrigal looks you up and down, maybe reevaluating. "What happened to your eye?"
(3/4)
