From there they split briefly into two parties—the tiger man and one drone taking Niko and Dabry, the rest of the drones surrounding the others—in order to access a pair of bubble ships. Not so much ships, really, as bubbles with a guidance panel built into one end and furry green carpeting underfoot. Atlanta peered out her bubble, ignoring the drone’s gaze, and saw the tiger man saying something to Niko and Dabry. The former shook her head in reply, while the four-armed man made no reply that Atlanta could see.

“You know you’re in terrible trouble, dontcha?” the tiger man, who had finally introduced himself as Turo, demanded of Niko. The drone moved silently to the guidance panel and the bubble began to move.

She shook her head. “Been a while,” she said. “I’ve never been one to hold a grudge, really.”

“Ain’t you that should be worrying about holding a grudge so much as himself holding one against you,” the tiger man said. He shook his head admiringly. “They talk about you getting away still, you know. Not that many do. Sounds like you were lucky they couldn’t rouse him to ask. You even hurt him both body and wallet, all those repairs.”

“Didn’t get away with everything I wanted,” she said. “Know anything about that?”

He squinted at her and huffed out laughter, whiskers twitching. “They say you wanted one of his most prized holdings, from sheer contrariness.”

“Not contrariness,” she said.

“What then?”

She let her eyes wander around the compartment, taking in every detail that she could. Old Altairan tech, maybe a few hundred years old, held together with glue and tape. The window showed only bolts and metal surface, no markings, passing as they moved along. This section hadn’t been described in Skullduggery and Sacred Space Vessels.

“Petalia was one of the most prized holdings, as you say. Some might even go so far as to say that they were the possession that he held dearest at the time. I wouldn’t guess as to whether or not that still is true. But if you’re going to make off with something—if you’re going to nip in and piss off one of the most dangerous men around—wouldn’t you pick the most valuable thing you could find, in order to make it worth your while?”

He laughed again, holding a hand to his mouth as though to hide the fangs this time. “Oh, lady, I like your style. Sad we won’t be friends for long.”

“It doesn’t need to be. The gentlebeing who helped us escape would make themselves a great deal of money. Enough to retire elsewhere. Out of Tubal Last’s grasp.”

He shook his head. “No place quite that far. You found a place where you could dream of such an existence only because he let you.”