“So,” I tried for patient calm. “You’ve never actually done this life-raft chute thing in Drava?”

“Well, yeah, once.” Lazlo scratched his ear. “But I had some jamming help from Suki Bajuk.”

Jadwiga snorted. “That little trollop.”

“Hey, jealous. She’s a fucking good command deCom. Even whiffed off her head, she greased the entry codes like—”

“Not all she greased that weekend, from what I hear.”

“Man, just because she isn’t—”

“Is she here?” I asked loudly. “Now, in the beachhead?”

Lazlo went back to scratching his ear. “Dunno. We could check, I guess, but—”

“It’ll take forever,” predicted Kiyoka. “And anyway, she may not be up for another code greasing, if she finds out what this is about. Helping you get your kicks is one thing, Las. Bucking Kurumaya’s lockdown might not appeal so much, you know what I mean?”

“She doesn’t have to know,” said Jadwiga.

“Don’t be a bitch, Jad. I’m not putting Suki in the firing line without—”

I cleared my throat. “What about Oishii?”

They all looked round at me. Orr’s brow furrowed. “Maybe. He and Sylvie go back to the early days. Hired on as sprogs together.”

Jadwiga grinned. “Sure he’ll do it. If Micky asks him.”

“What?”

There were grins appearing on everyone’s mouths now, it seemed.

Welcome release to the building tension. Kiyoka sniggered behind a hand pressed to her nose. Lazlo looked elaborately at the ceiling. Stifled snorts of hilarity. Only Orr was too angry to join in the fun.

“Didn’t you notice over the last couple of days, Micky?” Jadwiga, playing this one until it creaked. “Oishii likes you. I mean, he really likes you.”

I looked around the cramped room at my companions, and tried to match Orr for deadpan lack of amusement. Mostly, I was irritated at myself. I hadn’t noticed, or at least hadn’t identified the attraction for what—Jadwiga said—it was. For an Envoy, that was a serious failure to perceive exploitable benefit.

Ex-Envoy.

Yeah, thanks.

“That’s good,” I said evenly. “I’d better go talk to him, then.”

“Yeah,” Jadwiga managed, straightfaced. “See if he wants to give you a hand.”

The laughter erupted, explosive in the confined space. An unwanted grin forced its way onto my mouth.

“You motherfuckers.”

It didn’t help. The hilarity scaled upward. On the bed, Sylvie stirred and opened her eyes at the sound. She propped herself up on one elbow and coughed painfully. The laughter drained out of the room as rapidly as it had come.

“Micky?” Her voice came out weak and rusty.

I turned to the bed. Caught out of the corner of one eye the venomous glare Orr fired at me. I leaned over her.

“Yeah, Sylvie. I’m here.”

“What are you laughing for?”

I shook my head. “That’s a very good question.”