THE OPERA

"You know that, when it's all over... there's a chance the Opera might still consider you a liability."

They left him like this. The Opera. Or the shadow behind them.

"Serious question, CASCADE: Have the Opera dispatched you to zero out your former Crew?"

"I'm glad the Opera's baby invisibility served you well."

"Must be the Opera's new motto." The edge of a smirk. "Same as the old motto."

"From the Operant Bureau's grimoire?" He smirks. "'Advanced' is doing a lot of heavy lifting there, they should drop that, and maybe drop the 'cognitive' part too while they're at it. I mean, come on CASCADE, it's the Opera. But sure, do tell."

"Whatever your plan of action, CASCADE, do not hand that thing to the Opera."

"True, I will never again work for the Opera -- but I would be open to an inter-departmental collaboration between the Opera and M.I.H.O."

"I'm letting the Opera down big time."

"I would act as assignment lead for M.I.H.O., you would act as assignment lead for the Opera, and therefore assignment lead for 'the assignment'. We will never once speak of our collaboration."

"There is my proposition -- an inter-departmental collaboration. You join M.I.H.O. as a temporary asset, M.I.H.O. lends its full force to the Opera."

"But you're an operant -- the Opera would've tried to get you out."

"I thought you didn't trust the Opera?"

"In any case, M.I.H.O. looks forward to its collaboration with the Opera. On the eternal provision that 'the Opera' means exclusively you."

"So the Opera is scoring goals... against the opposing team of itself."

"How about this: M.I.H.O. and the Opera team up. Take on a new assignment together."

"In," he confirms with a nod. "M.I.H.O. looks forward to its collaboration with the Opera. On the eternal provision that 'the Opera' means exclusively you."

"The cosmic point: My own loyalty to the Opera is irretrievable. I wrote a thesis on this exact subject, actually. You should read it."

"There's more to the Opera than me. You're going to have to work with other people on this."

"Recall the era we joined the Opera. Twitchitov was director, means of ascent unknown -- sometime before I was initiated, I assume he must have done something useful..."

The dark arts of the Opera's Remembrancer Division. Much storied, often unsuccessful.

"Because the Opera has net zero interest in a defunct space programme, this is not your personal project, and the majority of those who would do it as a personal project can't afford favours from you."

"You ragging relentlessly on the Opera."

"He also lost half the Opera's CENTRE-HOLD files in a different, illicit stakes card game earlier that same night."

The dark arts of the Opera's Remembrancer Division. Much storied, often unsuccessful.

"What's the Opera done for me lately? Let's go, Me-ho and you-ho."

"The Opera is an own goal merchant, addicted to hammering the ball into its own net."

"How many times has the Opera presented homicide as suicide? That's a rhetorical question, I know the answer."

"You ragging relentlessly on the Opera in gigantic thesis form."

"The Opera's just another boring arm of bureaucracy, man."

"The specifics are irrelevant. You've been sniffing the Opera's glue again, CASCADE."

"The Opera never tires."

"If you're from the Opera, you must be Tempo del Sur's 'well-connected friend'."

"Tempo assured me the Opera were enthusiastic about the terms, despite the risks involved. Are you telling me that was not the case?"

Unlikely. If it were a question of leverage, Tempo wouldn't have needed to convince him of the Opera's enthusiasm.

"I'm beginning to wonder will I live to see my release. I would hate for all my valuable secrets to die with me, unshared with the Opera."

"It's me, your friend from the Opera."

Like all the Opera's great enemies, Facundo Reyes is referred to primarily by his epithet:

"Listen, the Opera are not known for their support and direction."

"The Opera never tires."

"The Grand Lich. Portofiro. Secret Treaties. I need to take this to the Opera."

Where the Opera would send him, he'll have no need for papers.

Speculative freelancing. Your old asset had no authority to make offers on behalf of the Opera.

The Opera prefers epithets for its great enemies. Unfortunately, you can never keep them straight.

"Long live the Opera, or whatever the catchphrase is."

"In the Opera, we learn from and celebrate differences."

"'The Opera never tires'."

"Two of the Opera's finest."

"Let's be real, Mel. The Opera really fucked PSEUDOPOD over here. And by 'the Opera', I mean 'you'."

"I'll add the window to the Opera's bill. And also the cost of the ladder I'll need to climb up to it. And I suppose I'll unlock the deadbolt while I'm up there, shall I?"