‘I worked with Winifred on the first mapping and observation expeditions,’ she replied. ‘We studied hundreds of hours of remote drone surveillance that show what happens when communities of bee-brains from rival Hives encounter each other. They always attack. There’s good evidence they can tell friend from foe in the same way they know where to go around the city – by scent. Based on the transcripts, it seems to me that they were reacting to you as if you were from a rival Hive – which means far more aggressively than normal. Otherwise, their behaviour runs completely contrary to everything we’ve observed.’

I lifted my shoulders. ‘All right, then. But that still doesn’t explain why it happened the way it did.’

‘I know.’ She patted her backpack. ‘But that’s why I want in particular to take a look at that SUV you were driving, maybe even carry out some tests on it if it proves feasible. But I can’t do that unless you guide me there.’

I rubbed at my face with my hands. ‘Do you know how much you’re asking?’

‘I do,’ she reassured me. ‘I know this is a lot to ask, Jerry. Maybe even too much. I can’t say I didn’t have my doubts about how you’d react.’ She leaned forward, putting a hand on my knee, her eyes searching mine. ‘But if what happened to you and Nadia is anything like what happened to your predecessor – or what Nadia thought happened to him – then maybe there’s some way to find the proof. Maybe somebody found a way to make those creatures attack you the way they did.’

I groaned out loud. ‘And what about everything else that went wrong? The failing drones? The inoperative communications equipment? How are you going to explain all that?’

She leaned back and swallowed. ‘I can’t. But I have to try. I have to.’ A note of defiance crept into her voice. ‘Tell me honestly: do you believe that what happened was really just an accident?’

I shook my head wearily, cursing myself for a fool. ‘I guess, if I were to be honest, I’ve been having my concerns. So many things went wrong, all at the same time.’

She nodded as if satisfied. ‘Then the only way to be sure is to go there and see what we can find.’

I closed my eyes, suddenly regretting my good nature. ‘If I do this, you will owe me forever. For the rest of time, Rozalia.’

‘I’ll pay you back for it somehow. We need to be at the hangar at midnight.’

I groaned. ‘And it has to be tonight? Not tomorrow night, maybe?’

‘Yes, it has to be tonight,’ she said, bristling slightly. ‘I already said this wasn’t an official trip. Do you know how many bottles of purloined Chivas Regal I had to find to make this happen?’