‘Nobody,’ he replied hastily. ‘I’ve just been listening. Ollie said you wouldn’t be able to help him if you stayed, whoever him is. And here you are, saying you’re going to go back even though Ucho and Colby are saying it’s impossible, so I’m guessing it has to be someone you care about deeply, or why would you take a risk like that? So I just asked you who he is. That’s all. I apologize if I’ve offended you.’

She was still frowning, but the stormy look in her eyes faded somewhat. ‘No, you haven’t,’ she said.

He decided to press his advantage. ‘He must be very important to you,’ he said softly.

‘He is.’

‘So will you kill me if I ask you again who we’re talking about?’

She didn’t say anything, just shook her head and they walked on. ‘His name is Virgil,’ she said suddenly.

And then it was Albert’s turn to stop walking and stare, and stare he did, with eyes suddenly narrowed and a crease splitting his forehead in two. ‘Did you say Virgil?’

She nodded, once, curtly, but firmly.

‘You mean Virgil as in Virgil? The Virgil? The rebel?’

She nodded again, looking at him with an unreadable expression in her eyes.

‘But he’s dead!’

‘No, he isn’t!’ she snapped. ‘Don’t say that! Don’t you dare say that! He’s alive, you hear me? Alive!’ She had him by the arm, he could feel her fingers pressing into his flesh. He winced. She let go and took a step back, looking slightly embarrassed.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I didn’t mean to—but he’s alive. I know he’s alive, and I’m going to find him—find a way to save him. I will.’

‘But—the videos,’ he said. ‘The interrogations. The executions.’

‘Tell me, have you ever seen a single video of Virgil being interrogated, let alone executed?’

‘Well, yes, they’re shown every—’

‘No, not those horrible videos of them torturing the others. I meant videos of Virgil himself. Have you ever seen a single video of his interrogation, his execution?’

She shook her head firmly, not waiting for him to answer. ‘Of course you haven’t. Because he wasn’t executed. His supporters were, but not him. No, they’ve still got him, they’re still holding him, alive, and he’ll stay that way, until I can save him. And I will save him.’ He could hear the conviction ringing in her voice.

‘But how do you know he’s alive?’ he said.

She looked coldly at him. Funny how she managed that, hot to cold in less than the blink of an eye. ‘Because it’s my business to know. And why are you so interested in all this?’

‘Why are you?’

‘I beg your pardon?’ Imperious was doing an encore, and seemed in even better form than the last time.