Free Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh Page A

Hot Pink on display slid out of sight as they approached. Using both hands, the saleswoman lifted the sphere from a pedestal shaped like a silver goblet and offered it to Mandy.
    “Current population estimates for Hot Pink are one per one hundred eighty-five thousand people, actually making it closer to a rarity five point five.”
    “How much is it?” Dom asked. Sully was grateful his friend had blurted out the crass question up there in the rarefied air of the fifth floor, so Sully didn’t have to.
    “At the moment it’s…” Manipulating her remote, Anna looked up, as if the answer was on the floor above. Sully realized she was consulting some sort of virtual display in her glasses. “…sixteen thousand, six hundred.”
    Sully nodded.
    Dom looked at him. “Nice.”
    Ignoring the comment, Anna accepted the Hot Pink from Mandy, restored it to its pedestal. “What else may I show you today?”
    “That’s the only one we wanted to see. Thank you for your time, Anna.” Sully wanted to get out of there. That Alex Holliday knew he was there gave him the creeps.
    “My pleasure, Mr. Sullivan.” She winked at him, spun, and led them to the elevator.
    The elevator doors slid open as they approached. The operator gave them a broad smile.
    As the door slid closed behind them, the operator pressed the button for the tenth floor. Sully exchanged a confused glance with Dom and Mandy. Dom shrugged. Evidently they were picking up other customers before heading back to the ground floor.
    The door slid open. “Right this way,” the operator said, gesturing toward a waiting saleswoman.
    “What?” Sully said. “No, we’re done.”
    “Mr. Holliday instructed us to give you a private viewing of the Midnight Blue.” The elevator operator gave them an intent look, raised one eyebrow. “You’d be stunned at some of the people who’ve asked to come up here and been turned down.” He gestured again. “Please.”
    Sully stepped off the elevator. The waiting saleswoman (although that title wasn’t quite right, because the Midnight Blue was not for sale) extended her hand. In a delightful French accent, she said, “Cosette Amiot. How do you do, Mr. Sullivan?” Evidently the employees on the tenth floor got to keep their last names.
    As they followed Cosette along the catwalk, which looked to be made of marble bordered with gold, Sully wondered what this was about. Maybe it was Alex Holliday’s way of saying,
I see you. I know you’re here.
He guessed they wouldn’t be up here if not for Dom’s outburst at Holliday’s talk. That had gotten Holliday’s attention, because it embarrassed him.
    The Midnight Blue was balanced on a simple gold cylinder that resembled a candleholder. Cosette Amiot lifted it, offered it to Sully.
    He couldn’t help but feel awe as he held it. It was the most valuable object on the planet, and in Sully’s mind, the most important. Who knew what it did when paired with its match? Maybe it was the key to understanding the spheres. By reseeding the world with new spheres, the Cherry Red had done something miraculous, and it had been normal-sized. That the Midnight Blue was twice as large must mean it did something even more miraculous.
    Sully wished he could be there after its match was found, when the secret was unlocked.
    “I wish I could tell you where we found it,” someone said from behind them. Sully immediately recognized Alex Holliday’s voice. “I know you’d appreciate it more than just about anyone.”
    Holliday stretched out his hand as he approached, as if Sully was an old friend he was glad to see. Or an old enemy. At another time and place Sully might have refused to shake Holliday’s hand, but he shook it now, stunned and a little confused.
    “Ms. Toko,” Holliday said, turning to Mandy. He placed his hand over his heart as they shook. “I swear to you, I had nothing to do with the accident at your aunt’s store. You know, I lived in Philly, not ten blocks from where