“Personally, I think we should rout the bastards before they’re able to dig in hard at the tower. But,” Angeline added with a raised finger, “it’s hard enough to get a handful of people—like me and the boys—out to the north end of the city. It’d be even harder to move enough men and arms for a fight.”

“I have some thoughts on this matter.”

It was Yaozu. All the chatter, and all the rising pretense of excitement, went as stone quiet as if it’d been shot dead.

For the first time Rector could recall, Angeline looked uncertain. She didn’t respond except to stare at him tensely from the edge of the bar.

Yaozu stepped forward as much as he was able. “I do not want these men inside this city any more than the rest of you do. I am here to be of assistance.” He was vastly outnumbered by the Doornails, and was widely known as the man who’d stabbed the princess last year—so even people who hadn’t been sure about him before that hadn’t cared much for him since. But he said “Pardon me,” and he came forward. Rector thought there might be ill to be said of the man, but he wasn’t a coward.

The crowd parted, men leaning backwards to clear a path as if they were afraid to touch him. When he reached Angeline’s feet, he stared up and her and asked, “May I say a few words?”

The room held its breath, and Angeline took a deep one. Then she said, “If they’re helpful words, then you should probably share them.” Then she hopped down off the bar to linger at its end with Lucy O’Gunning and Briar Wilkes, retreating to the little knot of femininity that accounted for every woman Rector knew of in the underground save for Mercy Lynch, over by her daddy.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Yaozu murmured. He turned around and jumped backwards onto the bar with a quick little leap that left him sitting on its edge. He climbed to a standing position and assumed Angeline’s spot at the center of everyone’s gaze.

“All the way here from King Street Station, I considered this problem—and I considered what we know. We know the broad strokes of their plan, yes. But we need more information before we begin countermeasures. First we should spy on the newcomers and make sure we know their strength and their resources.”

Someone complained aloud, “But they’re going to blow us up!” and immediately shrank in upon himself, as if he wished he hadn’t said anything.