Akil started to move, a few slow steps at first. Then he began to stride, shoving people out of his way. Then he was running.

Above him the heavens wept tears of fire.

The metal was cool against Brel’s forehead. He kept his eyes closed, allowing the headache to bleed out of his skin into the rim of the turret hatch. Somewhere outside the tank’s hull he could hear raised voices. He ignored them. A lot of crews did not like spending more time in their vehicles than necessary, but Brel found the presence of his machine peaceful. Silence he had named her, long ago in the aftermath of a battle that he was not sure anyone on Tallarn actually remembered. Whether fired up, or engine cold as she was now, she was his place, his realm, where everything lined up as it should. When the headaches came, it was the only place he wanted to be.

The voices were getting louder, angry words filtering in through the open hatch above him.

Not now, he thought. Not while the headache was drumming through his skull. He let out a breath and tried to shut out the sound of the voices.

‘You gotta pay,’ said a female voice, high-pitched, spite whining at the edges. He knew the voice. It was Jallinika, of course.

‘I can’t,’ said another voice, male, pleading, nasal. ‘I just can’t. Look–’ The man’s voice cut off with a grunt.

‘There’s more, lieutenant, sir,’ said Jallinika. Brel could tell that she was enjoying what was going on. ‘All the pain you want, just keep saying you can’t pay.’

Another voice spoke, male, growling like the sea grinding pebbles against a cliff, too low for Brel to pick out words. It didn’t matter; he did not need to understand Calsuriz to recognise his voice. The big driver would be doing the muscle work, of course.

A half-spluttered cry reached through the hatch. Broken teeth, most likely. Brel screwed his eyes more tightly shut. He just wanted them to shut up. The headache was a white ball in his forehead, pressing against the back of his eyes.

‘So what are you going to say now, lieutenant, sir?’ drawled Jallinika, and Brel could hear her smiling.

‘I can... I–’

There was a loud sharp cry, and something hit the outside of the machine’s hull. For a second there was silence, then Calsuriz growled, and weeping mingled with wet, clotted breathing.