to the trouble of squashing a single fly when you’re about to exterminate the entire species? And if we’re going to do something about them, we have to start thinking a little bit like them. We need the cache, Captain.’ The room shuddered; the display illumination and the surrounding lights failed. Volyova looked at her bracelet, unsurprised to see that the ship was in the process of going catatonic again. Servitors were shutting down on all levels, abandoning whatever tasks they had been assigned. Even some of her bilge pumps were dying; she could hear the subtle change in the background note as units dropped out of the chorus. Warrens of shipboard corridor would be plunged into darkness. Elevators would not be guaranteed to arrive. Life was about to get harder again, and for a few days — perhaps a few weeks — merely surviving aboard the ship would require most of her energies. ‘Captain… ’ she said softly, doubtful that anything was now listening. ‘Captain, you have to understand: I’m not going to go away. And nor are they.’ Alone, standing in darkness, Volyova smoked what remained of her cigarette then, when she was done, she pulled out her torch, flicked it on and left the bridge. The Triumvir was busy. She had much work to do. Remontoire stood on the adhesive skin of Skade’s comet, waving at an approaching spacecraft. It came in hesitantly, nosing towards the dark surface with evident suspicion. It was a small ship, only slightly larger than the corvette that had brought them here in the first place. Globular turrets bulged from its hull, swivelling this way and that. Remontoire blinked against the red glare of a targeting laser, then the beam passed, doodling patterns on the ground, surveying it for booby-traps. ‘You said there were two of you,’ said the commander of the ship, his voice buzzing in Remontoire’s helmet. ‘I see only one.’ ‘Skade was injured. She’s inside the comet, being looked after by the Master of Works. Why are you speaking to me vocally?’ ‘You could be a trap.’ ‘I’m Remontoire. Don’t you recognise me?’ ‘Wait. Turn a little to the left so I can see your face through your visor.’ A moment passed while the ship loitered, scrutinising him. Then it eased closer and fired its own set of grapples, ramming them hard into the ground where the three severed lines were still anchored. Remontoire felt the impacts drum through the membrane, the epoxy tightening its grip on his soles. He tried to establish neural communication with the pilot. Do you accept that I’m Remontoire, now ? He watched an airlock open near the front of the ship. A Conjoiner emerged, clad in full battle armour. The figure glided to the comet’s surface and landed feet first only two metres from where he stood. The figure carried a gun that he pointed unwaveringly at Remontoire. Other guns on the ship were also trained on him. He could feel their wide-muzzled scrutiny, and had the sense that it would only take a slight wrong move for the weapons to open fire. The Conjoiner connected neurally with Remontoire. note 201 Closed Council business, I’m afraid. All I can tell you is that Skade and I were here on a matter ofConjoiner security. This comet is one of ours, as you’ll have gathered. note 202 That’s where it gets a tiny bit complicated . Remontoire tried to push into the man’s head — it would make it so much easier if he could just dump his memories directly — but the other Conjoiner’s neural blockades were secure. note 203 Clavain came with us. He stole the corvette. note 204 I can’t really tell you, not without revealing the nature of this comet. note 205 You know what it’s like. note 206 Remontoire smiled; there was no point in playing further cat-and-mouse games. Probably towards the inner system. Where else? He won’t be going back to the Mother Nest . note 207 More than thirty hours. note 208 I did my best. We had something of a medical crisis to deal with. And the Master of Works needed a lot of persuasion before it would allow me to send a signal back to the Mother Nest. note 209 Remontoire gestured back across the scabbed and gashed surface of the comet, towards the dimpled entry hole where the Master of Works had first appeared. As I said, Skade was hurt. I think we should get her back to the Mother Nest as quickly as possible . Remontoire began walking, picking his way gingerly step by step. The ship-mounted guns continued to track him, ready to turn him into a miniature crater if he so much as flinched. note 210 Remontoire shook his head. Nor at the moment, no . CHAPTER 12 Clavain woke from a period of forced sleep, rising through dreams of collapsed buildings and sandstorms. There was a moment of bleary readjustment while he synched with his
