Page 187 of Carousel

“You heard every word,” I whisper.

Through sobs, she says, “We all liked Dezeeves. We all trusted him.” She loosens from me. “I wish you had managed to kill him.”

“So do I.”

She wipes her face on her sleeve. “We need to tell Ephraine Dezeeves is a traitor. He can tell the Assembly.”

I ponder that. Maybe she’s right. The Assembly can investigate Dezeeves as a traitor – maybe even investigate Vikemy. It will still end with Dezeeves’ death, which needs to happen, knowing everything I know now. The tainted person he really is, the deaths over his head.

It’s ironic. If I’d known Dezeeves was a traitor before I knew what the Queen’s reign is really like, I’d have been thrilled. Maybe this would have ended differently.

“What about the FIs?” I ask her. “I wouldn’t want them to be killed.”

“Maybe they wouldn’t be. They might just be made prisoners of war. Actual prisoners of war. I’m sure they can think of somewhere to keep them. They could even be traded to the Queen, if she had any of our own hostages.”

She has a point. I can’t imagine Ephraine would murder so many people who have already been captured and have, in some cases, actively been fighting for Hevalla, regardless of their true loyalties.

“Let’s go now,” I say.

We don’t need to go into The Bridge. Ephraine and Meg are just leaving it when we arrive.

“Back again?” Ephraine smirks, sweeping back his blonde hair. He would be a handsome man. If he didn’t seem so advanced as a human with his metal eye and threateningly well-built body.

“Can we speak with you?” Riss asks. With a glance at Meg, she adds, “Alone?”

“Why?”

“It’s important,” she says. “It’s about the ship.”

“Then I should be involved in the conversation, too,” Meg inputs.

I face her. She looks completely innocent.

But we can’t trust her. Even forgetting the fact she was encouraging Drake, she’s FI’d. That would mean she knows about Dezeeves, and knows the truth about our country, if she didn’t already. But I don’t see her doing anything to try to help. For all I know, she’s just as loyal to the Queen as Dezeeves is.

“No,” I say, answering for Riss. “This matter concerns Ephraine only.”

I can tell Meg hates that. Her scowl is instant and fossilising.

“All right,” Ephraine grunts. “But this had better be quick.”

“We’ll talk in the garden,” Riss says.

He makes to follow us. But I could have sworn, just for a second, he touched the gun at his side.

The Sky Deck’s humidity gets under my skin as I tell Ephraine everything – apart from the truth about Integration. I want to at least try to protect the FIs.

And I can’t shake it. This feeling that we’re doing the wrong thing.

I wish I had Cosmer to talk it all through with. He would know exactly what the right thing to do would be, with the least loss of life.

But he isn’t here.

My only ally – friend – left is Riss, and since she thinks this is the right thing to do…

I end by telling Ephraine how Dezeeves believes, for some reason, we will be in Rhavna soon.

“Is that the plan?” I ask him. “To fly certain crew members to Rhavna?”