‘One of ’em in a silver suit, all chromey?’ Prozor asked, and I could tell she was itching for a squint through the lookstone herself.

‘Yes. At the front. One silver suit. The rest black. I never saw Bosa, but I saw those black suits when they came for Adrana. That’s Bosa, isn’t it?’ Finally I passed her the lookstone, and after a moment she nodded a grim confirmation.

‘We wanted her, and now she’s here,’ Prozor said. ‘So why ain’t I jubilant?’

I turned to Trusko. ‘When Bosa comes, try and hold her in the galley. Stall her, however you need to, until she thins out her search party and starts moving through the ship. Then we’ll take them. One at a time if need be, silent and quick as we can.’

‘I can take the other suit,’ Surt said, and if ever someone looked less keen on an idea, I never saw it.

‘Good,’ I answered. ‘It’s not difficult to wear.’ No, not difficult at all – almost like slipping on a second skin, almost like the thing wanted to be worn. ‘Tindouf, would you . . .’

‘I’d like to do me some killings, yes,’ Tindouf said cheerfully, as if we were asking him whether he cared to be dealt into a game of cards. ‘It’s been a while since I killeds anyone, and I needs a new notch or two in my pipe.’

‘Bosa’s going to find it awful odd, opening up a ship and only two coves being inside it,’ Strambli said.

‘We’ll hold her,’ Drozna said. ‘She heard my voice on the squawk, and the captain’s. We’ll say we took losses in the bauble; that we’re not running at full capacity.’

‘She’ll buy that?’ Strambli asked.

He gave a shrug of his powerful shoulders, as if he fully recognised that this gambit wasn’t going to satisfy Bosa for long. ‘Just make that armour count. It ought to count. I’m getting shivery just being near it, and you’re on my side.’

‘We are,’ I said. ‘You had your doubts about us, Drozna, I know. But that was only right and proper and I didn’t hold it against you. Now can we be solid?’

‘Yes,’ Drozna said, but I could tell that the word had cost him effort. ‘I’ll show you the crossbows. Prozor: you’d better get Surt and Tindouf into that armour while there’s still time.’