“The new Anonymous? I did not know.” There was no surprise in Ockham’s gaze, just digestion, fact catalogued without comment. “Thanks to voter preference, the office of Anonymous may have frequent association with our Vice Presidency, but it is not a Humanist office, nor is Mycroft a Humanist. How do you justify granting the new Anonymous access to the secrets of O.S. given your declaration that you have severed all allegiance to your former offices?”

Ancelet frowned. “It’s my understanding that Mycroft has known of your work and kept your secrets for many years now. It’s not new information for them.”

“Mycroft has had no details,” Ockham answered, “merely the vague knowledge that we were homicides. In the past we secured Mycroft’s silence through two threats: the threat of exposing to the public the fact that Mycroft is a Servicer, and the threat of denying them access to Thisbe. Mycroft and Thisbe are lovers,” he added. “But at this point the public knows the former and I assume Thisbe is either in custody or missing, so the latter threat is also meaningless.”

“In fact, Member Ockham,” I added in quiet Spanish, my voice stirring the prison wraiths to hiss, “Thisbe and I were never actually lovers. But you can trust me with this. That Authority Which, for me, supersedes all has ordered me to tell no one, not even Them, anything I learn here without permission from both yourself and President Ancelet. You may not know What Authority I mean, but I think you do know that you and I both hold equally absolute the command of those authorities we answer to.”

“J.E.D.D. Mason?” Ockham guessed at once.

I could tell from his face that mine betrayed me. My allegiance was not yet public knowledge then, and I had expected Thisbe to keep this revelation private, one more secret to make her spellbook dangerous. Apparently not.

“Mycroft is assembling a history of the past week,” Ancelet interceded, “at J.E.D.D. Mason’s order. The book is supposed to explain events as neutrally as possible, and to include as much truth as Mycroft can piece together. No one but Mycroft will have access to the interviews and research materials, and everyone involved, including you, will have equal and complete veto power over every single line. I personally will not green-light its publication until you have told me that you are satisfied.”

“A history.” Ockham stretched back in his seat as the idea sank in. “Why?”

“J.E.D.D. Mason likes the truth,” Ancelet and I answered in unplanned unison.