‘We still need surprise,’ I said. ‘The rest of ’em have to believe this is Bosa, coming back with her prize. But we can’t squawk, they’ll know it’s us.’ I reached for a spare lungstuff tank, knowing I’d need it. ‘Wait for me.’

‘Where are you going?’ Prozor asked.

‘The bones,’ I said.

I left the launch and crossed back into the ruined bowels of the Queenie, and then found my way to the skull. I spun the wheel on the door without thinking about it, and that wasn’t very bright on my part, because there was still lungstuff in the bone room. It all came out in one go, and if I hadn’t been suited the force of that door hitting me would have left me for dead. The effect of the decompression was still making the skull jiggle around on its wires even when all that was left was vacuum.

I sealed the door behind me. Still with my suit and helmet on, I took that spare lungstuff tank and opened its valve all the way it would go, flooding the room. I didn’t need the lungstuff with my suit on, but I couldn’t take my helmet off without it, and with the helmet on I couldn’t slip on the neural bridge.

I was worried that the decompression had damaged the skull, and perhaps it had. The twinkly seemed more subdued, just a few lights glowing out of those bony cavities.

It didn’t matter. I didn’t need much out of it now.

‘Adrana,’ I said, putting every hope I’d ever had into her name. ‘It’s Fura. I’m still alive. We got Bosa’s boarding party. Killed them all, and Bosa too; most likely.’

When she didn’t answer, I started to think the worst. Anything could have happened on the Nightjammer while we were engaged with our own slice of the action. Perhaps her crew had taken a sudden dislike to their new Bone Reader, for the trouble that had come their way since Adrana’s recruitment.

Then she came through.

‘Fura!’

‘We’re coming over. We’ve taken her launch, and we’re riding it over to the Nightjammer. But you’ve got to act as if she’s still alive. Tell the rest of ’em there’s a problem with the squawk, but that Bosa’s on the launch. Make it seem like she’s beaten us, like she’s jubilant; crowing with her victory. Can you do it, Adrana? It won’t take us long to complete the crossing, and we’ve got some work to do before we dock—’

‘I’ll . . . I’ll do what I can.’ The doubt in her came through the skull as if we were sitting holding hands in the parlour. ‘You’re so close now, Fura. I can’t believe we’re nearly together again. Please be careful.’