“You’re tired, so you took a shortcut by striking a deal with a guy who was really good with blades and the guy who really wanted me cut up,” Rain said.

I glanced at the Undersiders. They weren’t moving much. Foil was bending down so Parian could whisper something in her ear. Both of them were fixing their eyes on Tattletale, even while Parian whispered.

“Not a shortcut,” Tattletale said.

“He knew where to place the blades for maximum effect, drawing it out,” Rain said. His fingers touched one of the wounds. “That’s why they hired him, you know.”

“It wasn’t a shortcut, and it was never intended that they’d go through with it,” Tattletale said. “So please, off the high horses, stop crawling up my ass, and I’ll explain.”

“That you made a mistake,” I said.

“Oh my god,” she said. “If they didn’t hire me, they would have hired someone else. The benefit of them hiring me? I had every intention of steering them away. I offered Cradle something he wanted more than revenge, last minute, after I’d proven I could deliver what he wanted. Well, it wasn’t last minute. Last thirty seconds, because I had to take thirty to put my card in a new phone to repopen communication after someone bricked my good phone.”

Tattletale frowned at Looksee as she said that last part.

“A mistake, then,” I said. “You were tired and you made a mistake, is what you’re saying.”

“Someone else got to Cradle in the meantime, I think. If we had this conversation in five days, I could give you a definitive answer. For now, best I can do for explanations? I figured it out and someone steered him onto a more determined course. I didn’t make a mistake, and no, grab bags aren’t some inexplicable thing for me. I wasn’t shooting blind, thank you very much.”

“Are you saying that because you’re for real or because you’re trying to cover your weaknesses?”

“Gee, Victoria,” Tattletale said. “I could hardly be blamed if it was me covering my ass. The last time I gave you a hint about the strengths and weaknesses of my power, you went full offensive with this bit of theatrics. But no. March was and is an isolated, special case.”

“In so many ways,” Foil murmured.

“Theatrics are one of the best part of being a cape,” I said.

“One of them,” Capricorn said.

“Okay,” she said. “But you’re wrong that I’m covering my ass. No, sorry.”

I was right that Rain had her agitated though.

“What was the plan?” Rain asked.

“Had all gone as intended, you would have walked away. A lot depended on whether your three fellow grab-bags were there together, or which one or two were there, but there was no way I could make the offer earlier.”

“Why not?” I asked.