“Oh, that’s good,” Linden said and closed his eyes. She tensed, but he didn’t seem like to lapse into unconsciousness. He shook his head and said, “I do get tired of being the only one.”

“Ah,” Orfeus said. Injured as he was, she’d feel bad if she was annoyed at him.

Faolan nodded towards the door. “They’re here.”

Orfeus braced herself, and a few moments later the door swung in and a few people entered. Less than those who’d rushed into the base under the Catacombs, which after all had been abandoned. Just two sober people in blue uniforms and some other tall, stern, serious people, who went over at once to the bound Significance O’Hallow. Behind them was Margaux.

Orfeus staggered a step towards Linden, then stopped: the sensible people in blue uniforms seemed to have that angle covered.

A hand on her shoulder. Orfeus blinked at the hand, the broad unpainted nails, up Rivasoa’s arm. “Hi?” she said. “I suppose you’re going to berate me.”

Rivasoa said gruffly, “You were meant to wait for backup, you fool.”

“Yeah, that’s about—”

Rivasoa hugged her, hard. Orfeus stood blankly in surprise, then let herself lean some of her weight into the tall woman. Rivasoa was tall and broad, and comforting. She smelt faintly of soil and of electricity, like standing in the garden after a thunderstorm.

Orfeus put her arms around her and patted at her back. Rivasoa drew back after a moment, looking stately instead of awkward, with the damned gift Elders had to always seem composed.

“You owe me a guitar,” Orfeus said.

To her slight surprise, Rivasoa nodded. “I owe many things,” she said. She looked around the scene and winced slightly. “It is…there is too much here, for me to help. It is beyond my reach. But I can tell the story, to help this never happen again.”

“That’s helping,” Orfeus said, because that seemed obvious. Rivasoa hugged her again, so maybe it wasn’t.

Orfeus turned to watch as Significance was marched gently towards the door. Very gently. The guards handled O’Hallow like they were afraid to hurt xem. Orfeus chewed at her lip.

Margaux steered her chair into the centre of the room, out of the way of the medics. Orfeus staggered up to her. “Councilwoman…” she said and then found she didn’t know what she wanted to say next.

Margaux met her gaze grimly. “I appreciate that you refrained from dispensing your own brand of justice,” she said, and fixed her eyes on Significance as xe was pushed through the door. “Don’t worry.”

Orfeus canted her head doubtfully.