Ram Odin gave a little bark of laughter. He thought it was funny, apparently, but that’s because he didn’t know the mice.

Noxon walked to the box, sat beside it, and leaned his head against it so he would be able to hear their tiny high voices, if they should feel inclined to try to explain themselves. “Well,” said Noxon, “you violated our agreement the moment you thought you could get away with it. I think you know what that means.”

There was begging and pleading, all the voices at once. And then one emerged stronger than the others. “You don’t tell us your plans, we don’t tell you ours.”

And another mouse voice: “We didn’t try to attack you. We could have.”

“Not twenty of you,” said Noxon. “And you know I slice much more finely than Param did back when you killed her.”

“And I would have removed any metal they placed in your space,” said the expendable. “They knew that, of course.”

“I assume you’re talking to the mice,” said Ram Odin.

“Human ears can’t hear their conversation,” said Noxon.

“But your facemask—”

“Loaf’s ability to hear the mice and keep track of them was one of the reasons I knew I needed to have a facemask of my own. For this voyage.”

“Kill them,” said Ram Odin. “I know they’re not ordinary mice, but this was treason.”

“I’m not king,” said Noxon. “Well, technically I suppose I am, in Aressa Sessamo, but that’s a dangerous thing to be. I’m not going to kill them. I might need them.”

“For what?” asked Ram Odin. “You can’t trust them.”

“I can trust them to do what they think is in their own interest,” said Noxon.

“In the interest of the world of Garden,” said a mouse.

“In the interest of the mice of Garden,” Noxon corrected him.

There was no argument from the mice.

“But now I’m sure that I will slice time with you,” said Noxon to Ram Odin. “Only we’ll bring the mice with us. The less time they have to figure out ways to fiddle with the ship, the better off we’ll be.” Then Noxon turned to the expendable. “Thank you for your quick action.”

“It was the obvious thing to do,” said the expendable. “Remember that I have a complete record of all the things the mice have done. Including the attempt to send a devastating plague to Earth, and the murder of Param. I have been watching the mice continuously since you appeared here. I recognized them as soon as the memory transfer was complete.”

“Thank you for taking the obvious action, then,” said Noxon.

The expendable nodded graciously.