“The cleanup was pretty bloody and that’s causing trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“The surviving clones, even some of our people . . . well, you can imagine how I had to clean up the place. There were necessary losses. Some of the surviving clones and a few of the more irrational among our people have . . .” He shrugged.

“Have what? Explain yourself.”

“We’ve had to handle several petitions from clones and there were even a few of our people who sympathized. I have Murdoch down there standing in for me while I came up to report.”

“Clones? Petitions? How are you handling them?”

“The same way I handled the food problem.”

Oakes scowled. “And . . .the sympathizers?”

Again, Lewis shrugged. “When we sterilized the area around the Redoubt, the other demons returned. They’re a fast and efficient way to solve our problem.”

Oakes touched the scar of the pellet at his neck. “But when . . . that is, why didn’t you send someone up to . . .”

“We stayed until we were sure we were clean.”

“Yes . . . yes, of course. I see. Brave fellows.”

“And can you imagine what would happen if word of this leaks out?”

“You’re quite right.” Oakes thought about what Lewis had said. As usual, Lewis made the right decisions. Astringent but efficient.

“Now, what’s this I hear about Legata?” Lewis asked.

Oakes was outraged. “You have no right to question my . . .”

“Oh, simmer down. You’re going to send her to the Scream Room. I just want to know if we should prepare to replace her.”

“Replace . . . Legata? I think not.”

“Let me know in plenty of time if you need a replacement.”

Oakes was still angry. “It strikes me, Lewis, that you’ve been very wasteful of lives.”

“You know some other way I could’ve handled this?”

Oakes shook his head. “I meant no offense.”

“I know. But this is why I don’t report such things unless you ask or unless I have no choice.”

Oakes did not like the tone Lewis took there, but another thought struck him. “One of us has to stay at the Redoubt all the time? What about . . . I mean, Colony?”

“You’re going to have to wind things up here and come groundside to manage Colony. It’s our only answer. You can use Legata for shipside liaison, provided she’s still useful after the Scream Room.”

Oakes thought about this. Go groundside among all of those vicious demons? The periodic demonstration-of-power trips were bad enough . . . but live there full time?

“That’s why I asked about Legata,” Lewis said.

Mollified, Oakes ventured a more important question: “How . . . are . . . conditions at Colony?”

“Safe enough as long as you stay inside or travel only in a servo or shuttle.”

Oakes closed his eyes for a long blink, opened them. Once more, Lewis demonstrated impeccable reasoning. Who else could they trust as they trusted each other?

“Yes. I understand.”