“Yes,” said Felicity. “Why?”
The Rook leaned back, frowning. “This is not to be shared with anyone,” she said finally. “But in the months leading up to the negotiations, the Grafters deployed several weapons throughout the country. One of them was a gigantic cube of living matter. A flesh cube.”
“And it summoned recipients of organ transplants?” said Felicity, mildly confused.
“No,” said Thomas grimly. “It consumed people — tentacles came out and pulled them in.”
“Well, there were no tentacles, but I think Pawn Odgers had concerns,” said Felicity. “She ordered the team to report to the Rooks — and only the Rooks — everything that happened. But they died.”
Thomas nodded, and Felicity continued with her story.
Hours passed as the Rook took her over every detail, again and again. At one point, Mrs. Woodhouse brought in two delivery pizzas, one vegetarian and one that was the antithesis of vegetarian.
“What time is it?” asked the Rook, looking startled.
“Six o’clock,” said the EA.
“All right,” said Thomas. “Thanks, Ingrid, it’s fine for you to go home. We’ll be finishing up soon.”
“I can stay if you need me.”
“No, we’re almost done, but thank you. Give my best to Gary.” The EA nodded and left. As they ate the pizza, the Rook continued to ask questions, and then she drew a firm line in her notebook. “Okay, I think that’s it, unless you have anything to add?” Felicity shook her head. “Then thank you. I’ll make a copy of the recording and my notes and give them to you before you go home.”
“What should I say in my debriefing with the division head?” asked Felicity.
“Tell him everything,” said Thomas. “It will all come out in the investigation of the ruins, or it might prove important for him to know. I just ask you not to mention the possibility of the Grafters being involved. If he figures it out, he’ll come to me, and if he doesn’t, well, even better.” She got up, picked up the tablet computer, and padded over to her desk.
“Do you think Pawn Odgers was right?” asked Felicity. “Do you think it was the Grafters, that they’re betraying us?”
Thomas’s shoulders slumped a little. “I don’t know,” said the Rook. “Maybe.” She sounded tired. “But maybe it was something else, completely unrelated.”
“You need more information,” said Felicity.
“Yes,” said Thomas, plugging the tablet into her desktop computer. For all her authority and confidence, at that moment, the Rook seemed very unsure, almost lost.
“But you can’t tell anyone else your suspicions,” said Felicity. She felt a growing sense of certainty. “Not even the rest of the Court. That’s why you’ve just gone through all this to get my story. If word were to get out about even the possibility of the Grafters leading us up the garden path, everything would fall apart. People here will jump at any excuse to stop the negotiations, and dead Checquy agents would just make it worse.”
The woman watched her with no expression on her face, and suddenly Felicity made a decision. “Let me help you.” For a split second, she had the satisfaction of seeing the Rook look completely flabbergasted before she mastered her features.
“Help me? Why?” asked Thomas, her eyes narrowed. “For vengeance? To punish the killers of your team?” Under that intent gaze, Felicity felt a shiver go through her, as if a hand had closed gently around her entire body.
“We don’t know that they’re the killers of my team, not for certain,” said Felicity. “And I won’t be a party to injustice. I hate the Grafters, but I won’t hold them responsible for something they didn’t do.” The other woman was still looking at her suspiciously. “Rook Thomas, you need help. You are a Rook of the Checquy, and I am your soldier. Let me be of service.”
The Rook regarded her for another long moment.
“Normally, after this sort of event and this sort of trauma, you would be removed from combat service to receive counseling,” she said finally.
“I don’t want that,” said Felicity. “I can’t sit at my old desk and look at all the empty chairs where my people used to sit. Or go on anguish leave, where I’m paid not to come in to work. I’ll wander around my flat and watch television and go mad.” The Rook sat back in her chair and steepled her fingers. Her eyes were distant, and Felicity could almost hear her future being decided.
“All right, then,” said Thomas. “I accept. Thank you.” Felicity felt a rush of relief.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I already have an idea. Do you know Pawn Oliver Bannister?”
“In the Diplomatic section? Yes, he was in my year at the Estate,” said Felicity. “He’s a wanker — pardon my language.”
“No, it’s fine, that’s the impression I’ve gotten as well,” said the Rook. “He was assigned as minder to one of the Grafter delegation — Odette Leliefeld. Today he managed to lose track of her, and she wandered into the Apex medical wing, where she stirred up some trouble and freaked everyone out. The whole organization is buzzing about it. Apparently, she has abruptly become the poster girl for anti-Grafter sentiment. You’ll be replacing Bannister as her minder.”
“What? I mean, I beg your pardon?”
“You’re going to be accompanying her, keeping her out of harm’s way, and observing her. You will report regularly to me.”
“How are you going to explain my replacing him?”
“I don’t have to explain anything. I’m the Rook,” said Thomas comfortably. “But the official reason will be that, because of Miss Leliefeld’s newfound unpopularity, she needs to be accompanied by someone who is more equipped to protect her. I know you don’t have any bodyguard experience, but you have greater combat training than Bannister does. Plus, you’re a woman, so you can keep a close eye on her even in more... sensitive settings. The unofficial reason, which I will allow to percolate through the Checquy, is that Bannister’s incompetence put his charge, and therefore the negotiations, at risk. It will be believed because it happens to be true and because he is a dick.”
“So, I’m going to guard her but also spy on her?” said Felicity warily.
“In a sense,” said Thomas. “You look perturbed. You did say you wanted to be of service.”
“Yes, but I didn’t expect —”
“What were you expecting?”
“I was really just thinking that you could use me to beat information out of people. I’m not an espionage kind of girl.”
“You are now. But maybe we can arrange for some beatings later.” The Rook flipped through the pages of a file. “I’ll have a briefing package on Leliefeld put together for you, and you can spend tomorrow reviewing it. I’ll need to make arrangements for your reassignment, so the earliest you’ll be able to start is the day after tomorrow. Will that be enough time for you?”
“I — yes, I can do that,” said Felicity. She was beginning to wonder what she’d gotten herself into.
“You’ll still need to go to counseling,” said Thomas. “That’s nonnegotiable, but we’ll schedule the sessions around your duties with Leliefeld.”
“Very well,” said Felicity glumly. The prospect of talking about her feelings filled her with almost as much dread as the idea of hanging around with a Grafter.
“You look a little dazed,” said the Rook kindly. “I know it’s a lot to take in, and the fact that this operation has undercover elements might make you uncomfortable.”
“Maybe a little.”
“I’ve found that in these under-the-table arrangements, there can be a lot of vagueness. People won’t say exactly what they mean, and that can lead to misunderstandings. Someone is ordered to arrange a warm welcome for a delegation, and instead of hiring a chocolate fountain, he sets the guests on fire. But you and I can’t afford any misunderstandings. So I’m going to be very clear.”