Stepping out of the barrier, Kallen got into the car and said, "Go to the Demon Beast Research Institute."
"All right."
Philomina started the car.
Sitting in the back seat, Kallen leafed through the documents and asked, "Do you want to go?"
"Go where?" Philomina glanced at Kallen through the rearview mirror. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel. Clearly, she knew what Kallen meant, but she asked anyway.
Sometimes, the autistic girl's thoughts were really easy to read. Leaving aside the sharpness of her blades, she could be described as childishly adorable.
"Didn't you say you liked that kind of life in the desert?"
"Can I go along?"
"If my surgery goes well, you can go protect Puer."
"All right." Philomina nodded.
"Not very enthusiastic?"
Philomina said calmly, "No, I'm very excited."
"I can't tell."
Philomina said loudly, "I'm very excited!"
Then she honked the horn twice:
"Beep! Beep!"
"Heh."
Kallen shook his head and lowered his gaze to the documents again.
After a while, Philomina spoke up of her own accord. "District Chief, you're really good to Puer."
"Hmm?"
"I mean, you give her freedom."
"You make it sound as though I've been keeping her prisoner."
Puer had spent over a hundred years as a cat, most of that time with the Immerlis Family. But Immoreles had not imprisoned her; on the contrary, Immoreles had sheltered her.
"You gave Miss Eunice freedom too."
Kallen knew Philomina meant the last time they held a study session at Allen Manor. Eunice had been attending a designers' exchange in Sangpu City, and he had not asked Old Anderson to call her back.
"What, shouldn't I?"
"I originally thought men-no, men like you, District Chief-would prefer women who were just pretty ornaments."
"Did someone say something to you? Grandmother?"
"She chatted with