"Okay, sure, Allie." Corey grinned at me again. "Can I come along?"
I smiled, in spite of myself. "I don't think Jaden'd let you off the hook that easily, Cor."
"Yeah." Corey sighed. "Probably not."
"Maybe we can all meet up once you guys are free? Get something to eat, or maybe ride the ferry or something?"
"We've got that photo shoot. For Alter-Ro Mag..."
"Okay. Yeah. Of course."
"But maybe we'll get done early?" Corey said hopefully, grinning again. "We can get dinner before we play. I still want to spit off the Empire State Building..."
"I don't think they let you do that anymore," I grinned.
"Well, maybe from the Rainbow Room, then. They have food, right?"
Adjusting the cords he carried around his shoulder, he resumed heading roughly in the direction of the stage.
I watched Jaden for another moment, trying to see if he'd turn around, so I could let him know we were going. When he didn't, I gave up.
Looking up at Cass and Jon, I jerked my head towards the door.
"Okay. I'm done. Let's go," I said.
Cass held out her hands in a mock prayer gesture.
"Hallelujah!" she said. "She has seen the light!"
Jon only laughed, but I saw him looking at me, his eyes holding a faint scrutiny.
***
Walking down the street in New York, it felt like I was on a different planet. San Francisco is a big city, too, sure, and I'd been to New York loads of times before, but the vibe that day seemed really different for reasons I couldn't quite pinpoint. Or maybe for too many reasons.
Seers were everywhere, for one thing.
Even apart from seers, the city itself felt more busy and crowded than any of the previous times I'd been. There was a kind of humming vibrancy to the air, like what you might feel before a big storm, or maybe an earthquake. Virtual reality terminals seemed to pop out of every wall and every streetlamp and kiosk. Thanks to the new "smart ads," virtual people walked the streets alongside regular people, sometimes almost doubling the population. Advertisements followed us for blocks when we accidentally triggered them, showing us how we'd look in designer clothes, telling us about the great opportunity we were missing by not using this or that bank, or not purchasing this or that insurance. Virtual ads tried to get us to tell them what we wanted for Christmas, what our favorite band or soft drink or coffee flavour was, what our ideal man (or woman) was like. Those same ads then tried to sell us a new car, a hair cut, a cruise to Greenland, whiter teeth, vintage wine, rare chocolates, a robotic pet and slinky underwear.