“Oh! Cornel! Are you alright?” Madame’s touch was all nursing, pawing at the Emperor’s forehead where it had struck the stone. “Your poor head! Let me see. You’re bleeding!”

“I’m fine!” MASON stormed back, batting at the security robots which swarmed in from the corners, bleeping. His guards burst in at once, Spain’s too, followed by both their on-duty physicians and a flock of Madame’s maids. An absurd pause held us as the doctors scanned and bandaged Caesar’s forehead. I did not watch. I had a wounded Saladin to soothe and taste, and blood salt dissolved the present as sun dissolves sleep. My name awoke us.

“You’re right, I misused Mycroft,” Madame was saying as the door thumped shut behind the last departing guard. “I presumed you’d permit it to save dear Jehovah, but it was still presumption on my part. Either bring me to court for abusing a Servicer, or decide you’re not going to prosecute and move on, but don’t expect me to feign contrition, and don’t pretend you too don’t want to ignore the law and kill our Son’s enemies.”

“An Emperor does not ignore the law; I make it.”

She brightened. “You mean Natekari’s motion to declare Sniper an enemy of the Alliance? Oh, pass it, Cornel. Pass it, please! It would make things so easy!”

“I may pass it, but there are other ways, within my laws. The Empire faced assassins long before we built Romanova. We are not unprepared. That’s why I don’t want you interfering.” He peered at her portrait face. “I want you to promise me you won’t try anything like this again, and I will hold you to it.”

She blinked. “To keep away from Mycroft? If you insist.”

“Mycroft is not the issue. After this I’m not lending Mycroft to anyone again, no matter the errand.”

“But Caesar!” I dared cry.

“Silence, Mycroft.”

“The others need me! Ancelet! Achilles!”

MASON’s kick flew with the full violence of hate, not at me but at Saladin who held me, slamming him square in that jaw which had ripped Apollo’s flesh. Saladin yelped, and Madame clicked soft disapproval through her frown, as one should at misbehaving pups whom a guest has justly disciplined. I gave Caesar his required silence.

“Madame,” the Emperor demanded anew, “promise me you won’t try to use your own means against O.S. This isn’t just bribery and nepotism anymore, it’s war. Leave it to government.”

Madame crossed her arms in a sparkling, lacy huff. “You want me to keep my hands out? Cornel, I don’t play at that era when the lady was shut up in a dollhouse fussing over the silver; I play at the era when she had a secret hand in every plot. Whatever you may say, I shall pursue Jehovah’s enemies to the world’s end, with my full resources and liberty.”