“Every time I have to stop to respond to you, Snag, it slows us down. Be a good boy and be patient, trust us. We’re making progress, even if you can’t see it.”

“If we get caught between the new player and Bad Apple’s team—”

Nursery let go of her shawl to reach out, placing her hand flat on Snag’s face, covering eyes, nose and mouth. He pulled back, and I ducked back behind the corner, so he wouldn’t catch a glimpse of me.

“Hush,” she said. “We’re safe even if that happens. This is my sanctuary.”

“I will bite you if you touch my face again.”

“You’re not as scary as you pretend to be, Snag. I know scary. You’re just a man that’s dressing up,” Nursery said. She sounded gentle, calm even after being threatened.

“Try me.”

“Please, hush,” she said. “Let me do my work.”

“If you take any longer, I’m going to push for plan B.”

Nursery resumed humming.

No more feedback from Crystalclear. The group at the end of the hall weren’t doing much of anything.

More to the point, I was rather concerned that the area of the building I was in didn’t entirely map to the layout of the building that I’d seen from the outside. There was just a little too much room to either side of Nursery and Snag.

“Tell me the details,” Snag said, his voice growl-like even when he wasn’t threatening Nursery. He’d walked a distance away from her and toward me.

A pause, long. Snag picked up a child’s plush and threw it down the hall, bowling over a stack of thin hardcover books.

“Well, it’s taking plenty of time. So is Nursery,” he said. “What’s Kingdom’s status?”

Another pause.

“At this stage I’d settle for plan B,” he said. “I’d pay for the property damage.”

Pause.

“They’re trying to buy time and it’s working. Tell Blindside to hurry up.”

Blindside.

I stood with my back to the wall, listening in. Crystalclear hadn’t communicated, but I wasn’t sure he could. Fume Hood and Tempera weren’t doing much but holding the fort and delaying.

Nursery continued humming, but she piqued the last hum with an inquisitive note.

“Blindside faked being out. Should arrive soon. We’ve got some details on our mystery guest. Dressed like one of the troopers I stashed in the room back there. Untouchable but still wary of being hit. Emotion control.”

The humming stopped.

I expected Snag to complain. He didn’t.

I chanced a look around the corner.

Nursery had turned around. She faced me. Snag was gone.

I stepped out of cover, one hand on my gun, glancing around to see where Snag had disappeared to.