Foulnap was pretty much the same as I’d seen him last, aside from a healed cut above his left eye that looked self-stitched, and longer hair, which he had tied back in a ponytail. He was dressed in a cumbersome Mk III shock-suit that looked – along with the Airwitzer – as though it should be displayed in the museum rather than defending it. I’d trained in the use of shock-suits and found them hot and restrictive. Most preferred to not wear one and just use the extra mobility to get out of trouble. Me, I’d prefer to not be in the trouble at all, shock-suit or no.

‘You take Pantry Defence very seriously,’ I said, nodding towards the vortex cannon. Anyone without suited protection was a trigger- pull away from resembling goulash.

‘Sector Fifteen had their pantry stolen five Winters ago,’ said Foulnap, ‘and with thirty mouths to feed and the Winter the harshest for a century, the residents were forced to do things they’d rather not.’

‘Winter Cutlets,’ said Fodder in a matter-of-fact way. ‘I’m going to figure out the duty roster. Why don’t you two get acquainted?’

He vanished through a low doorway in the direction of Rocks and Minerals. There was a pause, and a desk lamp was switched on.

‘I was wondering if we’d meet again,’ Foulnap said. ‘Have you told anyone about me?’

‘I’ve only just seen you.’

‘That’s true. What happened to Bouzouki Girl?’

‘I took her to HiberTech.’

‘To be dismantled and redeployed? I hope you’re pleased with yourself.’

‘Better that than your plan.’

‘Things are rarely how they appear,’ he said. ‘Because of you I lost a good friend and a respected mentor and colleague. You’ve got thirty seconds to convince me you’re not a threat.’

He hooked his thumb into the ring of the pulse grenade strapped to his chest, then moved to flip up the visor on the shock-suit. He’d be hurt on detonation – a few broken ribs, bloodshot eyes, probably – but this close in, I’d be dead or left so I could barely feed myself. Most times it was better to not survive non-lethal. There was talk of rolling out high-velocity projectile weapons as a more humane alternative to the Concussive Vortex Cannon, but legislators and the public had little stomach for them.

‘I knew you were somewhere in Sector Twelve,’ I said, ‘and I also knew Toccata knew it.’

He stared at me for a few seconds.

‘How could you possibly know that?’

‘Toccata asked me to tell her when I saw you but Aurora asked me to tell her if I saw you. The world of difference.’

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘the world of difference.’

‘I could have taken that information to Aurora, but I didn’t. Enough to convince you I’m not working for HiberTech?’

He lowered his hand and I breathed a sigh of relief.