Botanicaust

listen to her plea for special consideration.
    She needed a full portfolio. His notebook from the Reaches was at her house — technically illegal, but it seemed a shame to send it to the incinerator, and now she gladly rushed home to retrieve it. She lived a few minutes walking distance, and a little direct sunlight felt good on her skin in the middle of the day. A haze of dust in the air made her nose itch and hinted at an incoming blowout. She glanced at the green yuvee tree in the square outside her apartment. No imminent UV storm.
    In her apartment, Mo lay snoring on the sofa. Burn Ops must have cancelled flights because of the impending sand storm. Levi ’ s notebook rested face open on her entertainment console. Even Mo had been intrigued by the portraits, the long sweep of a building and its shadow, the grotesque face of a creature with curled horns she ’ d researched and discovered was a goat.
    “ Hey, baby. What are you doing home? ” Mo rubbed his eyes and stretched his long green legs over the edge of the sofa.
    “ They want to euthanize Levi in the morning, and I have to petition the Board immediately. ”
    “ Here I was hoping you ’ d come home for a nooner. ”
    “ It ’ s a matter of life and death, Mo. ” She scolded, then relented. “ I know you ’ ve missed me the last few days. As soon as I get Levi through conversion I ’ ll take some time off, okay? ”
    Lips drawn down with disappointment, he nodded. “ You ’ re going in front of the Board like that? ”
    “ Like what? ” She tucked the notebook under her arm.
    “ You know how judgmental they can be. Maybe some jewelry? ”
    He was right. She had to look like she had connections. Her heart warmed and she bent to kiss him lightly on the lips. She ’ d have to make sure to give him time as soon as she could. “ Thanks, Mo. ”
    In the privacy of her vanity, she selected some long amber bead earrings and a pendant to match. The earrings hurt going in, the pierced holes having drawn shut from disuse. She chose a thin gold bracelet, a pair of matching anklets, and a topaz ring. In lieu of hair beads, she pulled her short bangs out of her eyes with a simple, nuvoplast clip given to her as a child by Dr. Werne, her conversion therapist. Thanks to his efforts, she ’ d become a genetic psychiatrist herself. The clip would be good luck.
    Taking the notebook in one hand and the gamma pad in the other, she hurried back to the living room. “ This better? ”
    Mo looked up from his gamma pad. “ Wow. ”
    The short praise was all she had time for. She headed out into the increasing wind. Privacy screens mirrored her reflection from the buildings, and she looked away from her image with embarrassment over the uncomfortable glittery weight.
    Councilwoman Arnica sat at her desk, gesturing into the air as she talked to the com screen. Her short graying hair sported silver clips above her ears, matching thick bands at her neck and wrists. The short skirt she wore was the same green tone as her skin, with decorative beads woven into the loose rayon. A matching rayon band supported her ample breasts with a strand of silver beads looped up and behind her neck.
    Tula wished she ’ d ditched the lab coat and changed into a nicer skirt. Too late. Arnica spotted her and gestured to come inside and sit. Tula set the notebook and the gamma pad on the edge of the desk and waited for the head of the Conversion Committee to finish her conversation.
    Arnica said goodbye, relaxed into her chair, and folded her hands in her lap. “ Dr. Macoby, we don ’ t see you aboveground too often. What can I do for you? ”
    Trembling with nerves, Tula swallowed and jumped right in. “ I put in a request for an extension of term for a prisoner who is scheduled for euthanization tomorrow. ”
    “ Yes. Vitus pulled it this morning. Genetic mismatch, correct? ”
    “ I ’ d like to put the extension request back on the table. ” Tula activated the gamma pad and offered it to the Councilwoman. “ I believe the man is an artistic genius and well worth investing in. He created those on a child ’ s gamma pad. Imagine what he could do using a better medium? ”
    Tapping through the drawings, Arnica nodded, then handed it back to Tula. “ I can see why you ’ re flattered, Dr. Macoby. They ’ re lovely. But I ’ m sorry. We can ’ t justify the expenditure. ”
    A flush rose in Tula ’ s face. She hadn ’ t considered the drawings to be flattery. She