Jainan shook his head mutely. If someone had set the explosion on a timer, the explosion could have been caused by anyone at Hvaren Base or anyone in the palace. The garages at the palace were secured, but only from the public, not from the palace’s own residents. Jainan tried to shake off the feeling that it was his fault. He had been the one to stir up the hornet’s nest by going into Taam’s private files.

Kiem gave a crooked smile. “I suppose there’s not a lot we can do about it from here, anyway,” he said. He pulled aside a twisted panel and dislodged the first aid box, a bright red stain against the snow. He made an aha noise, pried out the sleeve of stim tabs, and shoved three on his tongue. He held them out to Jainan. “Probably don’t take three.”

The tabs would give him a slow-releasing drip of artificial energy and reduce the pain in his shoulder. Jainan took the sleeve and detached one. One might not have a great effect, but he was wary of anything that interfered with his perceptions, and he disliked stim hangover. It dissolved into bitterness on his tongue.

Kiem tramped over to the flybug and rested a hand on the intact part of the curved hull, looking into the interior. He shook his head, shot Jainan a rueful glance, and looked up ahead. “Well.”

Jainan came up beside him and followed his gaze. His heart sank.

It was a stunning view, objectively. The patch of snow they had crashed on was halfway up a mountainside. The ledge dropped away ten meters or so from the crash site, and beyond it lay a tumbled progression of black rock ledges half-covered in snow drifts—and beyond that, a panorama of towering peaks and pine-clad valleys. They’d left Hvaren Base at least a hundred kilometers behind them, and it must be double that again to Arlusk. This was untouched wilderness.

It wasn’t hopeless. Jainan rubbed his upper arm convulsively, hoarding the sliver of warmth. Bel and Internal Security were both expecting them. Even if they’d changed their flight plan, it would be fairly easy to guess where they’d gone, and the crash was visible from the air. There would be shelter in the flybug.

Kiem still hadn’t said anything. Jainan risked a glance at him.

Kiem was staring at the expanse of wilderness with a thoughtful frown. He caught Jainan’s glance and shook himself. “Well,” he said again, “we definitely

bought ourselves time to appreciate the scenery.”

“Mm,” Jainan said, gripping his other arm.