‘For how long, high lady?’ Tekoa asked, uncertainly. Chetta tutted.

‘Until I say otherwise. This isn’t the Administratum. You work for me when I need you to do something, so long as you keep out of trouble the rest of the time I don’t care what you get up to.’ She turned away from his awestruck expression, and back to Ngiri. ‘Did he agree?’

‘He’s mobilising every proctor in the city,’ Ngiri confirmed with some satisfaction. ‘The watchmen are being promised bonuses for it too, although they’ll likely just end up shooting each other. One way or another, though, I’m hoping we can flush this man Niklau out. At the very least, he’s a dangerous witch. At worst…’ She shrugged, the massive pauldrons of her power armour exaggerating the movement. ‘Well, I almost hope he is the worst, in this case. Then at least we’d know we’d dealt with it.’

‘You’re prepared to put a lot of faith in the word of my aide,’ Chetta remarked, lowering her voice a little as Yunn’s assistants began to shut down the cogitators around them.

‘She seems sensible,’ Ngiri replied. ‘You appointed her yourself?’

‘I did,’ Chetta nodded.

Ngiri flashed a quick smile. ‘That says a lot, as well.’ Her expression sobered. ‘Are you going to explain the situation to your sister-in-law and her husband?’

‘I most certainly am,’ Chetta said. She rubbed her right shoulder with her left hand. The damned thing still ached from when she’d struck the assassin with her cane. ‘I may not be especially keen on either of them, but they’re no fools, and they’re as fond of this planet as I am. Jo’Sin’s resources could be critical in finding Niklau.’

She didn’t have long to wait. It was a matter of minutes before the heavy main doors of the security chamber opened once more, admitting Morandia and Jalamar amidst a knot of Brobantis security personnel.

‘Chettamandey!’ Morandia called, storming across the room. Chetta should never have let them in here, by rights, not into the nerve centre of Brobantis security, but she’d meant what she’d said about not having the guards available to safely meet them anywhere else. Chetta liked her warp eye exactly where it was. ‘Where is my brother?’

‘If you’d like to come in here?’ Chetta asked, smiling sweetly. She turned and jerked her head at Tekoa and his assistants. ‘Out. Now.’

The surveillance personnel filed out hurriedly, and Chetta ushered DeShelle, Ngiri and Davis in, then held the door for Morandia and Jalamar before shutting it behind her. Jalamar was eyeing the two towering, armoured warriors uneasily, but Morandia was concentrating only on Chetta.

‘Well?’

‘Vittar is dead,’ Chetta said bluntly. She felt a momentary twinge of guilt as the other woman’s face crumpled, but only a momentary one. ‘There was an assassination attempt when we were with the governor.’

‘And how convenient that Vittar died, and you yet live!’ Morandia hissed venomously, the lumens above flashing off her glare-shades as she tilted her head.