From the back of the crowd, standing near the door, Tamara Gupta saw me and her eyes went round.

“Mind if I offer my assistance?” I asked the crowd.

CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT:

Sister

The mission’s captain, or commander, or whatever the hell rank, was named Jack Carson.

“I want to know who the hell you are and why the hell you’re on this ship,” he commanded, one of his… under-officers, or whatever, holding a gun menacingly to my head. Behind them both, Tamara Gupta attempted alternately to telekinetically alter the angle of the gun pointing at my temple, and kill me herself with the power of her glare.

At least my arrival had temporarily halted the suicidal mission to force open the door, which had been the goal all along. I smiled up at Mister/Officer/Commander Carson. Captain? General? General seemed too high. I’d consider Lieutenant but he seemed to outrank Tamara.

“I was sent here by the Republic to precede your arrival,” I told Carson. “Didn’t your superiors inform you?”

He exchanged a glance with the soldier holding a gun to my skull. “For what purpose?”

“To lure the Ministers in,” I said. “Something that worked a little bit too well. And to provide back-up to Lieutenant Gupta. I can speak Ameng. Isn’t that right, lieutenant?”

Carson turned around to look at Tamara. Several of the soldiers around us, grimly listening in, turned to look at Tamara. I was pretty sure the would-be executioner holding his gun to my head turned to look at Tamara. “Is that true, lieutenant?” Carson asked.

Lantern-Eyes looked at me hard, like she could see past my face into the machinery of my mind, like she could pick out my intentions from the clockwork. Certainty shook through me, ice-cold, that she would not confirm my cover story—that she’d expose me to this Captain-Commander-General-Whatever Carson, and I’d have a lot more verbal dancing to do to prevent that friendly soldier from shooting me in the head.

“It’s true, sir,” Lieutenant Gupta said.

There was no time to indulge in surprise or gratitude. “We were attacked on our way in here,” I explained, as Carson turned back to look at me with slightly less suspicion than before. “The monsters got the better of me, and then chased off Lieutenant Gupta. I believe she thought I was dead.”

I gestured to the vivid mark splitting my throat, still streaked with blood even though it was closed up now.

A little stiffly, and with murder hidden in the consonants, Tamara said, “Seeing you here is something of a surprise, Mr. Wren.”

“Mister?” Carson questioned.

“I’m a civilian consultant,” I said quickly. “What’s important is that I can get you through to the Philosopher Stone safely.”

Carson exchanged another glance with the soldier holding his gun to my head. His second-in-command, I guessed. I had no idea what rank that made my executioner. Maybe I should call them Violet and Indigo, just for old time’s sake. “And how would you do that?” Carson asked.