Ockham did not acknowledge the dirty glances traded by the three Hive Leaders who faced him like a triad of Romanovan judges. “The primary hole in my security at the moment is that we’re without our Mitsubishi Special Guard. They had the privilege of handling Cardigan’s personal security.”

The dirty glances were for Andō now, but the leader of the Japanese nation-strat had the most reason of all to scowl at this reminder of his Chinese rivals’ interference in the ‘security drill’ at the Saneer-Weeksbooth bash’house two days before. “Every link in the command chain responsible for that debacle has been disciplined. Severely.”

“Including the top?” Ganymede pressed, fixing his eyes on Andō. “Problems in the Mitsubishi Directorate pecking order are only your private business so long as they don’t endanger the rest of what we’ve built. I haven’t seen any heads roll high in China’s ranks. Which was it this time, Shanghai or Beijing?”

Andō’s almost-black eyes felt blacker as they narrowed. “Heads have rolled. Privately. With dignity. And permanence.”

The Humanist President ran his alabaster fingers through his mane, holding the onlookers transfixed, like knights before a vision of their grail. “All right. For the time being, Ockham, I shall send you some of my own personal guard, to aid your search and substitute for the missing Mitsubishi. Perhaps Director Andō will do the same?”

It took Andō some seconds to master himself. “My personal guard? Yes, I can spare some.”

“Thank you, Chief Director,” Ockham acknowledged, glancing to Perry next.

“Right. I…” The Second-Choice Prime Minister trailed off.

Indulgence and gloating commixed in Ganymede’s smile. “It’s all right, Perry. We know you don’t have private forces. Andō and I shall see to things. As always.”

“Thank you as always, then.” Casimir Perry scratched his forehead, hiding behind the gesture.

In lighter days, the smile on Ganymede might have matured into a laugh. The Duke is in the French nation-strat, so can vote in Europe if he wishes, even as a Member of another Hive, and I asked him once whether he himself had voted for Perry in the absurd election after Ziven Racer’s attempt to fix the polls made the too-honorable King of Spain drop out. The Sphinx has no more smug a smile. “Ockham, I want reports on your search for Sniper at least every two hours. When you have leads, communicate with my own guard, and you have leave to request as many of my forces as you need. If the time comes that you think you need to contact Romanova, come to me first, and we shall go directly to Commissioner General Papadelias, no middletypes.”

“Yes, Member President. Though, Papadelias is a problem already.”

“Oh?”

Even Ockham sometimes needs a breath to steel himself. “Martin Guildbreaker is with Papadelias as we speak.”

Pacing Andō stumbled in his alarm. “Martin with Papadelias!”

“Yes, Chief Director. Our set-sets have been tracking them. Martin Guildbreaker entered the Alliance Police Headquarters in Romanova nearly three hours ago, and Papadelias has not left in that time. If they are together, I believe that means Guildbreaker has strong suspicions of our activities, but no proof.”