Marie looked up at Isabelle and deployed her perfect deadpan, “I see you’ve managed to make things complicated again.”

Isabelle ignored this jibe. “Where’s Rebecca?”

Marie gestured skyward. “Keeping watch on Djordji.”

“Good,” Isabelle said, relieved. Up in the night sky, she’d be almost impossible to see.

“Malgiers is in the warehouse keeping the supplies coming.”

“Well done,” Isabelle said. “Carry on.” She followed Bitterlich and Similce belowdecks to the cells, where a pair of marines guarded the prisoners in their makeshift holds. Bitterlich opened the first cage and said, “Lieutenant, if you will explain the situation to your men.”

Similce glanced up at Isabelle with an expression that suggested she was contemplating rash action, but she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin, and said in Skaladin, “My friends, I have struck a deal with the heretics…”

Similce did not bother to hide her contempt for the Célestials, but neither did she say anything that suggested mutiny. There would be plenty of time for that later, Isabelle suspected. Right now Similce wanted to escape this skyland every bit as much as Isabelle did, and her men hurried to make the ship ready to sail.

Out in the square, the bell sounded an all-clear. Base personnel would be heading back to their regular duties. Eventually someone would notice the brig getting ready to sail or Turenne would find Isabelle gone and that bell would sound again, but human nature being what it was, everyone would be slower to react the second time around.

“We need to open the magazine,” Similce said.

Isabelle hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to start a firefight with the base, but there was no point in having guns she couldn’t use.

She glanced at Bitterlich, who nodded ever so slightly, then said, “Very well, but you will not fire without my permission. Agreed?”

It was Similce’s turn to pause. “I did not agree to die without fighting back.”

“Noted, but I’m not starting a fight if I can help it.”

Similce said, “Agreed.”

Isabelle left Bitterlich to open the powder magazine and keep an eye on Similce. She ascended to the quarterdeck and found Marie keeping order there.

“How far along are we on the supplies?” Isabelle asked.

“They unloaded almost everything in order to do repairs,” Marie said. “Malgiers says we’d need about eight hours to get a full load. On the plus side we’ve got plenty of lumber.”

Isabelle’s nerves stretched a little tighter. They would be better off if they could launch before the alarm went up, but that would do them no good if they starved before they reached a port. It did not help that the wind had died.

She turned her gaze to the base, all the people returning to their normal routine. Who would be the first to notice all the unusual activity around the brig?