Victoria and Officer Remmit get three more drinks apiece, and by the time we finish eating, they’ve taken to giggling and snorting between each other and swishing their glasses so much that the pale liquid comes dangerously close to spilling out. I’ve never had Sprice before, but it’s one of the strongest drinks I’ve ever tasted. My head is already swimming and I haven’t finished my first glass.

Glacia nudges me and flicks her eyes at Orcher.

“Ask.”

I nod and turn to Orcher. “General?”

Chuckling, Orcher turns his eyes from Victoria. I’m glad he hasn’t had too much to drink.

“Yes, Arman?”

“We wanted to know if we were allowed to visit Ellaciss City sometime this week.”

His face loses some of its excitement, and he twists his watch around his wrist.

“Why Ellaciss?”

“I met people from there.”

Orcher hesitates. He pushes back his glass of Sprice, then speaks in a low voice.

“You are aware that the city is deserted, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

He rubs his mouth and stares at me for a long time. At last he folds his hands, leans forward, and says, “If you do go, I’d be more comfortable if one of us went along.”

Glacia sits up quickly. “We were going to ask Lieutenant Hofhen, but…”

She glances at Victoria, who is gulping her fourth glass of Sprice. A grimace tugs on Orcher’s mouth.

“Understandable.”

“What’re ya say’n ‘bout me?” Victoria calls at us a bit too loud.

“I’ll talk to her in the morning,” Orcher tells us. “I want to make sure she knows what she’s agreeing to before we get an answer.”

“Hey! I don’t like yer secress!”

“Where’s Ellaciss City?” Michael asks.

“Two hours northeast of here,” Orcher says. “To this day, it stands as Belvun’s largest evacuation.”

“Largest purge, David,” Captain Blitner mutters from down the table. “That was no evacuation.”

“Have there been a lot of evacuations?” Ellin wonders.

Orcher glances at his empty plate, his fingers tapping the side of his glass. “A good many. Ten or eleven during our last visit, and one or two since, according to President Garner.”

“Where do people go?”

“Unaffected cities. President Garner told me the Embassy is beginning to organize refuge settlements for when the cities can’t hold any more people, and at the current rate, that won’t be long.” Orcher waves a hand at some Narvidian men who are sitting a few tables away. “Narviid has been assisting with damage reparations, as you know. But even they say it’s all a waste of time at this point. Without the Faustocine, there’s not much more they can do to help.”

Victoria suddenly bursts into another fit of giggles, and Officer Remmit clumsily pats her shoulder and whispers ‘shhhhh’ to keep her under control, even while failing to stifle his own laughter.