Arolinka was barely alive, dangling upside down by her tail from Rondok's hand.
Rondok looked at the hairless cat, now much smaller than before, and bared a mouthful of white teeth. "Well, I didn't expect that! You survived? Can you resurrect yourself, or do you have something that brought you back? Or did I never kill you in the first place?"
Rondok studied the smaller Arolinka in surprise. He could tell from her Psychic Energy that this was Number Six, the same hairless cat he had killed earlier. Yet here she was, alive again. It astonished him—and made him curious.
"Tell me how you came back. Tell me, and I'll spare you. Otherwise, I'll kill you again and see how many times you can come back." Rondok's voice was sinister, but his eyes gleamed with eagerness. He was already wondering whether he could acquire a similar ability.
"No, you can't do this to me. We're on the same side. I'm important to Lord Number Zero. You can't kill me," Arolinka said weakly. "Lord Number Zero won't allow it. Let me go..."
"Number Zero?" Rondok frowned. Of course he had heard of Number Zero. "What do you mean? Who's on your side? What does Number Zero have to do with me?"
Even as Rondok pressed her, doubt crept in. Arolinka did not seem to be lying under these circumstances. But he followed Colonel Zilabeka. How had Number Zero become involved? Was the colonel working for Number Zero all along—or was he Number Zero himself?
The thought only deepened Rondok's confusion. In truth, he had harbored doubts ever since he decided to become a Modified Human.
The technology behind Modified Humans was cutting-edge. What connections had Colonel Zilabeka used to make him one? Suddenly, Rondok thought he understood. Could Number Zero have