“I see your team made it out intact,” I observed. Off to my left, Chris walked away, traveling the perimeter of the area where the overhang kept the rain off. Foil changed position, ready to take a shot with her crossbow if she had to, and one of the dogs that had been lying down stood up.

“We get by,” Tattletale said. “We were playing it careful, we even tried to warn Prancer that something was wrong. He didn’t buy it. That’s the issue you run into when you surround yourself with villains and deceivers. You can’t be sure they’re for real when they tell you something important.”

“Is it isolating, Tattletale, sitting there surrounded with your deceivers and villains?” I asked.

“No. I’m pretty content right now, actually.”

“Weld says hi, Foil,” Sveta said. “He wishes he could have talked with you while you were there.”

Foil nodded, but she remained silent.

“This is kind of a favor, us stopping while we’re partway home, waiting for you, giving you the deets you’re so eager for.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I really do appreciate this. I know it’s a really difficult thing, acting halfway decent. Do make sure you keep pointing it out, any time you do it, and gloss over the parts where there’s tacit manipulation or something in it for you.”

Tristan leaned over and murmured, “Are you sure you’re good taking point on this?”

“Yeah,” I murmured back.

“She and I, we have a rapport, Capricorn,” Tattletale said. “It’s not a healthy rapport, but we are who we are. Oil and water.”

“Can we be the oil?” Imp asked. “Slick, dark, with wealth implied?”

Beside me, Looksee had her camera. She hefted it up and set it down on the table.

“No recordings, please,” Tattletale said. “Or this conversation is over.”

“It’s not a recording,” Looksee said.

“Strange tinker devices? Not a great way to open this discussion,” Tattletale said. “At least it’s interesting. I thought this would be the usual predictable thing with you sniping at me and then asking the questions. Why did I help you, why did I help Cradle, what are the Fallen doing, what are you missing?”

“No,” I said.

“If you’re not giving me Cradle, this is going to be a short meeting,” she said.

“Explanations before we give you anything,” I said.

“And we’re back to the script,” Tattletale sighed the words, barely audible. “Normally people pay me for my information. But for you, and for hometown pride…”

“Not me,” I said. “The explanations aren’t for me.”

I looked at Kenzie.

She hit a button on her camera. When it didn’t boot, she hammered it with her hand a few times.