He didn’t respond. Two seconds later, he twitched.

“Blind and deaf,” Tattletale said. “He sees only what she wants him to see.”

“Which is what the Simurgh wants him to see?” I asked.

“The world’s going to end!” the jabbering cape screamed. His hand moved, and the point caught on. She twisted her head to follow the knife, then the point dragged through skin sideways, returning to her throat.

I turned my attention away from Rain.

“Hey, Zugzwang,” Tattletale said.

“Fuck you! I know you’re the Undersiders’ head fucker! Open your mouth and I’ll open her throat!”

He cut Dinah, along the jawline. As Grue started forward, Zugzwang returned the knife to her throat.

“You’re being awfully stupid for a mastermind,” Sveta said.

“I know what you do too, Sveta Karelia,” Zugzwang said. “I bet my hand’s faster than yours. I also know you all need her.”

Tattletale looked back at me.

“Hey, Dinah,” I said.

“No games!” Zugzwang raised his voice.

“Things are bad,” Dinah said. “They hurt my parents.”

“Any guidance? Any predictions?”

“I’m burned out. Asked too many questions. The giant makes it harder. I think that’s why the Simurgh grabbed her.”

I frowned. “If we—”

“Stop!” Zugzwang raised his voice.

“If we tried defeating the giant, do you think you could do it?”

“I don’t know. But if you don’t defeat it then there’s no chance I can do it.”

Couldn’t get Dinah’s help without defeating the giant. Couldn’t be sure I’d defeat the giant without Dinah’s help.

“No other input?” I asked her. “Questions you asked before you got shut down?”

“No, not really. I’m sorry.”

Rain made small sounds.

“Rain,” I said, crouching down. “Rain, hey. Look, I’m going to use my aura. You don’t need this.”

I used my aura, calming him. I let the range extend to Zugzwang.

“Hey!” Zugzwang called out. “Hey! Listen!”

“What?” I asked, toning it down slightly.

The group of people who’d gathered a distance away from Zugzwang parted, so I could see him while crouching down, and he could see me.

Lights flicked off. When they flicked on, I saw Dinah’s throat slashed.

It wasn’t. My eyes adjusted, and I saw that blood had run down from one cut, then stretched across a crease in her neck when she’d bent down.

“Zugzwang, there’s a way for us both to get exactly what we want.”

“You don’t even know what I want!”

The lights went out. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to slash her throat for real, and I wasn’t sure if that was because of the earlier prompts, of whisper, attack, whisper, attack.

I couldn’t be sure of anything.

The lights came on, and I saw Dinah’s eyes widen.