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between them—on his part, it held fear, and dislike, but also a shade of uncertainty. “You can keep McGaw’s report overnight, but I need it back tomorrow first thing.” Jani handed him the letter—he slid it back into its slipcase and tucked it into his bag. “I’ll meet you both back at the skimmer.” His shoes clicked on the flagstones. He looked like a well-dressed prep schooler on his way to address student-teacher assembly.
    Derringer watched him. “Think it’s true what they say about him and his boss? He only did time in a couple of dinky colonial posts before he nailed the Chief of Staff job—I mean, he must have nailed her first, right?” Heglanced at Jani. “Cheer up, Kilian. Tsecha bubbles like a fountain around you—once you get him started, you won’t be able to shut him up.”
    â€œDon’t you remember what I said would happen if Cèel suspected him of this level of duplicity?”
    Derringer shrugged. “We disavow immediately. Standard cut and run.”
    â€œNo, not what happens to your operation. What happens to him!”
    â€œI could not care less.”
    â€œYou bastard.”
    Derringer leaned toward her. “No. Not a bastard. A human being. Which is what you still are too, at least officially. I’m just offering you a chance to prove it.” He pointed his fork at McGaw’s report. “You take that home to your posh flat on posh Armour Place, and you study it as much as you want. Then you take a good, hard look at your posh walls and your rapidly growing credit account and your flash lieutenant boyfriend, and then you do what you are told.”
    Jani took a deep breath. She felt agitated enough for her augmentation to weigh in, and an aborted augie overdrive was the last thing she needed right now. “You are threatening a Registered documents examiner. You are trying to intimidate said examiner into making grave and important—I quote these words from the Registry Code of Ethics— grave and important decisions based on the conclusions drawn from a document that she does not trust. That’s a Commonwealth felony, Eugene. I may lose my posh flat when all this settles, but you’ll lose a lot more.”
    â€œYou’re crazy, Kilian. It’s public record. No one will believe you.”
    â€œIf that’s the case, why would anyone believe anything I say I heard from Nema? That little blade cuts both ways.”
    â€œThat little blade is supposed to get lifted from your slender throat by year’s end. Employee assessments are going to have some bearing on whether that in fact occurs.” Derringer sat back and hooked his thumbs in his trouser pockets, like a gambler who knew he held the winning card. “Do not cross me on this. Burkett’s not exactly wild about you—if I push arecommendation that they yank your ’pack, he’ll listen.” He glanced at his timepiece and looked around. “Do it. You have no choice.”
    â€œEugene, the last time someone thought they’d left me without a choice, I wrote a chapter in idomeni mythology.”
    â€œYou wrote a few other chapters, didn’t you? I read that white paper, Kilian—my, my, what a bad girl you were. Combine that with your present emotional state, I see someone who can’t afford to say no.” Derringer stood, removed his garrison cap from his belt, and set it on his head. “I’m willing to let you start slow. Grab a few minutes with Tsecha during a break in today’s meeting, feel him out. He loves to talk to you—you’re his pet. It shouldn’t take much effort to get this rolling.” He started walking in the direction Lescaux had gone. “Now let’s go. We’re keeping Young Peter waiting.”
    Jani watched Derringer stride away. In her ear, she heard her augmentation whisper about pressure points and methods of dismemberment and the