“Bandyopadhyay went to Delhi.” It was the younger of Shanghai’s directors, Wang Baobao, who answered, good at hiding fear. “They’re trying to rally the ex-Greenpeace bigwigs and convince people of their innocence. I hear it isn’t working.”

“And Kimura?” Kim Yeong-Uk glanced to the empty chair where the second Japanese Director should have sat.

“They took their own life.”

Mortality’s hush fell across the room, the Directors watching as chunks like bites disappeared from the churning star-sea of rioters below: police releasing gas.

“I hear there are hundreds dead down there.”

“There’s no way to tell yet.”

“How many of the dead are Japanese?” Kim Yeong-Uk asked it, and stared at the Chinese directors, surveying the too-festive spring colors creeping across their Mitsubishi suits: maple leaves sprouting from black stripes, geometric patterns maturing into cranes or flying fish. China’s great faction leaders, Wang Laojing of Beijing and Lu Yong of Shanghai, had words only for each other; the rest had words for none.

Chief Director Hotaka Andō Mitsubishi did not look up from his work. “I imagine almost all those dead are Japanese.”

Kim Yeong-Uk nodded. “I’m sorry this happened while you were Chief Director, Andō. You worked hard and did well. This isn’t Japan’s fault.”

“Thank you.”

“Will you follow Kimura?”

Kim Yeong-Uk says Andō smiled, as if grateful for the confidence shown by this bluntness. “No.”

“But it is your fault, Chief Director.” It was Wang Baobao who said it, looking to Lu Yong for approval, but his elder was too wary. He was not. “Bad enough the Japanese made the Canner Device, but, if you hadn’t gotten mixed up with Ganymede and that Merion Kraye, none of this would have happened. Now you’re not even going to take responsibility for it?”

Still Andō did not glance up. “If you’d care to ‘take responsibility,’ ask maintenance to show you how to unlock that window. I have work to do.”

Lu Yong silenced Wang Baobao with a frown, and stepped toward the Chief Director’s desk. “We need to plan. Now. All of us together.” He added the last loudly as the others started to whisper again.

“Together.” Kim Yeong-Uk nodded. “Agreed. Papadelias is downstairs with a crew of polylaws preparing to arrest us. I doubt our people can slow them down much longer.”

“Arrest us? All of us? Our blocs will fall apart.”

Wang Laojing held his head high. “I have plans in place. Replacements. My bloc will stand. If some of you have neglected such preparation—”

“Useless,” Shanghai interrupted.

Beijing: “Useless?”

Wenzhou: “I agree. The whole world heard DeLupa’s speech about murderers training murderers. Everyone who’s in a position to replace us is also on the list Perry published naming those who knew about O.S.”

Young Shanghai: “It isn’t true! I never told any of my subordinates.”

Wenzhou: “That doesn’t matter. I can’t prove my staff and successors didn’t know, nor can any of you. What Perry constructed is a very crafty list of everyone close enough to us to keep our blocs together. Everyone who knows enough to sit at this table is about to be arrested if not lynched.”