“When people talk about the potential of iron-rankers,” Phoebe said, “she’s the reason Humphrey comes in at number two. She leads her own team; all locals, unlike us.”

“Good to know,” Jason said, heading over. “I’ll say g’day for you too, Humphrey.”

* * *

The huge expedition had more than forty people. They were divided into teams of six iron-rankers, plus one bronze-ranker per team. Leading the expedition was a silver-ranker, an elf from the Cavendish family, plus Vincent as the Adventure Society representative.

Once the groups were organised, the plan was explained. What they had been calling the sand pirates, after their attack on the spirit coin convoy, were actually the Ustei Tribe, a group of nomads from a region to the north. The expedition was a show of strength, to bring the tribe into negotiations.

The best outcome was to peacefully convince the Ustei to either return north or agree not to attack any further spirit coin convoys. Failing that, they were to be captured by force and brought to the city for interrogation on what had brought them south in the first place.

A train of magically powered carriages took the expedition to the edge of the delta, where each team boarded one of a half-dozen prepared sand skimmers. Jason spotted Clive; he had been tapped as one of the skimmer pilots for another team.

Jason was placed in a group with the four members of Beth Cavendish's team, plus her cousin, Mose. Leading them was a bronze-ranker Jason didn't know but guessed to be from one of the lesser families in Greenstone. He was only twenty or twenty-one and was eager to defer to Beth.

One of the members of Beth's team was a huge human named Hudson. He looked like Humphrey with twenty percent bonus person, to the point of being almost as large as Gary.

They boarded their skimmer and set off. They sailed over the sand, rushing through the scorched, desert air. Jason noticed the huge man looking at him.

“Something I can help you with?” Jason asked him.

“Aren’t you that guy with the evil powers?” Hudson asked. “The one from the recording?”

Jason sighed.

“That’s me.”

“You don’t seem evil,” Hudson told him.

“Then you have to ask yourself,” Jason said. “Was I pretending to be evil then, or am I pretending to not be evil, now?”

“Which is it?”

“Finding out would probably cost you more than you’re willing to pay,” said Niko, another member of Beth’s team. Niko was a smoulder, a race Jason had only met a few of. They had dark skin, glowing red eyes and jet-black hair. All he really knew about them was that they had powerful earth and fire affinities, and that in spite of their sinister appearance, the few he had met were quite easy-going.

* * *