“Gerewho,” Aminata breathed. Why had she just thought of Gerewho?

Because he’d reported that Shao Lune was signaling to him. I’m drowning: throw me a line.… Which Aminata had interpreted as a plea for rescue from Baru.

But what if Shao Lune wanted to get away from Ormsment? What if Shao Lune had seen Ascentatic crew and assumed they weren’t under Ormsment’s control? And that was why she was asking for help?

Why would she expect a lieutenant commander to fall outside a province admiral’s command?

Because she knew something, a secret which would invalidate Ormsment’s authority. If Aminata could only prove that, she could convince Captain Nullsin to help Baru—

No. Aminata beat at her temples with the heels of her hands. She was rationalizing! She wanted Baru to be innocent—framed—she hadn’t blown up the transports at Welthony, hadn’t manipulated Ormsment into that disaster on the Llosydanes, it was all a trick—but that was selfish fantasy. She had to do her duty.

But her duty was to gather all the information … and Shao Lune might know something …

It was a hunch worth checking on, wasn’t it?

“Lieutenant Commander Aminata!” a seaman shouted. “Sulane’s sending a party! Province Admiral Ormsment’s aboard. Says she wants to talk about combining our efforts. Cap’n wants all officers on deck!”

Aminata pulled the broken feather from the planks and tucked it into her collar. It itched against her throat. She swallowed. It tickled her chin a little, like a gentle finger-touch, and she had to smile.

She would find the truth. And if Baru were still alive, somehow she would pick up her friend’s trail, wherever it led.

She said aloud what she wished she had cried out to the world as she leapt into the dueling circle. She said it and it felt more right than duty.

“I … stand for Baru Cormorant.”

*   *   *

BARU surfaced into sunlight and shouts.

The embassy on Hara-Vijay cast a bar of smoke against blue sky. Past the reef, Loveport crackled with signal fireworks: booming fusillades requesting reinforcements from Sulane, from Ascentatic, from Helbride, ordering Kyprist loyalists to the shorelines, to the barricades, to their spears and machetes.

Far in the west, single yellow starbursts burst over dark villages. A Masquerade code. Quarantine broken.

The Canaat were coming out to claim their freedom.

Baru desperately wanted know what thing had towed her. Back in the cave a pull like a draft horse had snapped the rope taut and drawn them all down. The tunnel was too dark to see ahead, but there came over Baru a rhythmic wash, the stroke of a huge fin. As if the rope were not being hauled in by a winch or crew but towed by an animal.