Summary

Matt and Cienfuegos prepared to go back to Ajo at last. The chief had cages of animals to take back for Esperanza, including a rattlesnake. When Matt questioned why they would take back a venomous animal, Cienfuegos replied, “No matter how nasty something is, it has some purpose.” The chief looked sad that he had to return to his real job; he was much happier collecting plants and animals. The details of how men are programmed were a question for Matt - different eejits showed different levels of control. Matt wondered how much of Cienfuegos’s ruthless personality was programming. The chief told Matt that almost everyone in Opium was controlled in some way. Only a few people escaped microchipping.

Matt wanted to contact Maria at the holoport, but he needed to give Mirasol something to do; he took her to the nursery...