Around her he could see other ministers and serious looking men and women in uniform. India’s National Security Council, in emergency meeting.

“You said you could help our children learn faster,” Ayesha Dani said. “You said nothing about starting a war.”

Kade’s fists clenched, outside the field of view of the camera, he hoped.

Breathe. Observe. Release your attachment. Release your aversion.

He lifted his chin. “I’ve held up my part of the promise,” he said. “Now I’m asking you to let me stop a war before it starts.”

Ayesha Dani raised an eyebrow.

How much of this was theater? he wondered. How much was for the benefit of her cabinet members?

“General Singh?” the Prime Minister asked.

Singh spoke. “If the Shu entity is to be reinstantiated in the state that we found her, with open access to the net, that poses a grave threat. I believe so, and so do our top Indian experts. The attack on the Bangalore facility, combined with the loss of contact with Chinese authorities, gives me reason to believe that Dr Lane’s story is accurate.”

“How would we do it?” the Prime Minister asked.

“A commando team from Division Six,” Singh said. “Stealth insertion, airborne, directly into Shanghai, nighttime, roughly 15 hours from now.”

“Any questions?” Ayesha Dani looked around the room in Delhi, at her advisors.

The questions came thick and fast.

Kade did his best to keep his cool.

Twenty minutes later, the Prime Minister ended the call. “I’ll discuss this privately with the Defense Minister and the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff,” she said. “You’ll have your answer within the hour.”

Half an hour later, they called back.

“Do it,” Ayesha Dani said. “And the gods help us all.”

“Feng,” Sam said. “The kids here need me.”

Feng looked down at his feet, looked back up at Sam, looked at her eyes.

“Sam, the whole world depends on this,” he said. “This is the woman who saved my life, you understand? This is hard. And I’m going. Can’t let her come back crazy. I know her. And if she’s as crazy as she showed me…” his finger went to his head, tapped at a memory only he could see. “Terrible, terrible things.”

Sam shook her head. “I’m sorry, Feng. I really am. I’m sorry for your loss. But you have the help you need.”

“No,” Feng said, shaking his own head. “Got Indian commandos. Don’t know them. I trust them as far as Kade can throw them.”

Sam chuckled at that, despite herself.

“And there’s Ling.” Feng went on. “She’s a little sister to me. If I can save her… I have to. Like these kids here are to you, she is to me, you understand?”

Sam looked away, then nodded and looked back.

Feng reached out, put a hand on Sam’s shoulder.