Nick chose to keep his distance. He knew any chance for an easy alliance with the Ripper was gone … but that didn’t mean there couldn’t be a reluctant alliance, if he played this right.

“Come on,” he said to Johnnie-O, loudly enough for the Ripper to hear. “We came here for nothing. She couldn’t be any use in the war.”

“That’s right,” snapped the Ripper. “Get lost!”

Nick turned to go then did a little mental countdown. One … two … three …

“What war?” asked the Ripper.

Nick grinned—it was like waiting for thunder after lightning. He turned back to her and looked her over, shaking his head. “Not the one you’re fighting.”

The Ripper looked away, her face betraying an odd mixture of shame and fury. There was a definite sense of craziness in her, but perhaps that could be dealt with. Perhaps it could be refined and directed.

Johnnie-O pulled Nick aside, and spoke to him quietly. “I got this really bad feeling about her,” Johnnie-O whispered.

“That’s just because she ripped you.”

“What if she does it again?”

“I’ll make sure she won’t.”

All the while, Zin kept watching them, trying to hear what they were whispering about.

Nick went back over to her. “After careful consideration,” Nick said, “we’ve decided you’re army material.”

She looked at Nick warily. “What’s my rank?”

“Private first class, in charge of tactical field operations.” Nick had made it up on the spot, of course, but it sounded sufficiently impressive to make her consider it.

“Do I get to rip weapons?”

“You’ll rip what your superior officers tell you to rip, or you can go back up in that spaceship and launch yourself into orbit for all I care.”

The Ripper scowled at him, but her scowl faded. She turned and looked up at the shuttle. “I tried that once, but it didn’t work,” she said. “I think they launch it from somewhere else. Someplace that ain’t in Everlost yet.”

She considered the massive ship for a moment more, then turned back to Nick. “So do I gots to call you ‘sir’?”

“Yes,” Nick said, figuring it might help keep her in line. “As I am your general, you will address me as sir. This is Mr. Johnnie-O. He’s a sir too.”

“I’m Zinnia,” said the Ripper, “but people call me Zin.”

Johnnie-O folded his arms. “I won’t shake her hand.”

Zin curled her lip in disgust. “I wouldn’t shake your hand anyway. Your hands are ugly.”

In response Johnnie-O made two even uglier fists.

Nick got between them before it could escalate. “Your first order is to rip something for us.”

“She already did rip something,” said Johnnie-O. Disgusted, he put his hand to his head, maybe to make sure that his brain was still there.

“I mean something from the living world,” Nick said.