“If something goes wrong with my leashing spells,” said Walden, “you will now, thanks to that oath, be the first to know. I don’t think it’s very likely. It’s been there for nearly fifteen years, you know.” Laura did not seem appeased. Walden changed the subject. “Do let me know if there’s anything I can do to support your career. We work together, and I do have some,” a hand gesture, “some professional capital, I suppose, to work with. I am very happy to, I don’t know, write forceful memos to district commanders and so on. You’re obviously completely right about prevention and outreach.”

“I know I am,” said Laura. But she looked pleased.

“You’ve lost out on quite a lot by sticking to it,” Walden said. Opportunities, promotion, status, respect—you got none of those when you chose the career dead end. “I admire you for it. It’s a sacrifice.”

Laura snorted. “Look who’s talking, Miss—sorry, Doctor—I-could-have-worked-for-the-Pentagon.”

Walden laughed. “I’m pretty sure my ex-girlfriend took that job. Sometimes I think about how much money she must be making by now and want to cry. Not that I do too badly, of course. But even senior management in the private sector doesn’t pay like US military R&D.” She took another sip of her tea. “On the flip side, at least I can say with confidence that I am not responsible for any war crimes. Or even any things that technically aren’t war crimes because no one has tried them yet.”

“So we can agree,” said Laura wryly, “that there are reasons why a highly qualified person might choose the job where she’ll be underestimated and undervalued forever.”

“Hah. Yes. Cheers to that.”

They clinked their mugs together. Then they sat in silence for a while, drinking tea. Walden finished hers and stood to put the kettle on again. She still felt far too edgy to sleep. She kept thinking of more things to do. The thaumic engines will need recalibrating … need to do a full boundary patrol … reset all the incursion wards … write up a safeguarding concern for Nikki—no, two, one for Mathias as well … got to meet with his TAC, is he even seeing a counsellor at the moment … sanctions … emergency assembly in the morning before the student rumours get out of hand … report for the governors … there’ll be an investigation, someone’s going to get the blame, I might—let’s not think about that.

Something reassuring to go out to parents … have to meet with David first thing … double Invocation tomorrow after lunch … why did we leave Charlie’s body in there, can I go back for it … and did I ever mark that problem sheet?

“I owe you an apology,” Laura said, while Walden was staring blankly at the kettle and writing an impossible to-do list in her head.

“What?”