The Girl Who Speaks With Algebra

26: Cryptic Comments

"I've been getting better at remembering to take my computer back to my world every morning," I pointed out to Sine. "And if Statistics shows up while I'm still here, hopefully we could simply have a talk."

Sine nodded. "Wasn't meant as a slam against you, but I thought the extra layer of security for these files couldn't hurt. Ask Paige about RSA, at any rate?"

"Sure," I agreed. Having already inadvertently interrupted Sine's work, I wandered closer to the lab bench she'd set up the previous week. We'd since placed what we'd hoped was a barrier around it, so that any tornados or other disruptions to our beach wouldn't affect the contents, even though we were able to walk right up to it.

The only real alternative to that barrier was my bringing out Sine's new timer device, not to mention all her tools, every day along with the computer. Rather an armload, plus a waste of time, as she wouldn't be able to work on it without me around.

Time was becoming key. After three weeks, I had only seven pills left – true, one day I'd taken the "alternate" prescription, but I'd also discovered that my set of 30 pills was in fact only 29.

"Are you getting close here?" I asked.

"Pretty close," Sine acknowledged. "Based on your calendar, owing to your fairly regular arrivals, and barring complications, I think another five days will do it. Meaning I can get out of here on Saturday night your time."

I nibbled my lower lip. "Doesn't give us tons of wiggle room."

"If I work much faster, I risk making a mistake, or costing you more money by soldering the wrong pieces together."

"So keep at it, I guess," I yielded, deciding there really wasn't anything I could do to help.

Which was when my computer began ringing. I exchanged a glance with Sine. The phone number calling us was 1-1-2-1-3-2-4-1-5-3-6-2-7-4-8-1... and then it ran off the screen. Off Sine's shrug, I reached out to answer the call.

The face of Elizabeth Weierstrass appeared, and she immediately smiled at me before looking downwards. "CanTor, you're brilliant!"

Another person rose into view, a brown skinned woman whose dark hairstyle seemed to be continuously cut into three equal segments as it continued up into the air. Except as her hair rose higher and higher, the middle third was always missing, producing an effect where the remaining pieces seemed to get so granular as to be invisible. She dusted off her hands.

"I know," CanTor chirped at Weier, before grinning at us as well. "Candice Torrent, at your service! I may appear to be a multitude of pieces, but I do produce a complete whole!"

"Weier! Are we going to be able to communicate regularly now?" Sine wondered.

Weier shook her head. "Sorry, this is a completely unauthorized communication. Bert's proposal to sever human ties passed, with the help of Henon Mappe. But I was able to sneak in a provision. As long as Statistics ceases the attacks, there's no need for such drastic action."

"Then you think Statistics will stop?" Sine asked.

"I – that is, we," Weier amended, nodding to CanTor, "believe that Rose Thorne there is the key. And we're pretty sure we can bait Statistics into arriving at the same termination point that Julia provided to you in the last communication, so that the two of them can talk."

"No pressure," I mumbled.

"Rose, do you think you can come up with a good argument for why Statistics needs to calm down about the human world?" CanTor chimed in.