The Gender Plan (The Gender Game #6)

“What if it’s the Benuxupane?” I asked, looking around the room. “It would make sense, right? Make the population more complicit with her demands?”


“That wouldn’t work either,” said Dr. Tierney. She moved across the room to an empty chair between Thomas and Amber, dropping into it with a sigh. “As good as that idea is, they can’t have had time to prepare a stockpile large enough to dose an entire population.”

Viggo sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “The other problem with using the Benuxupane is that it doesn’t help her public image either. It would cause a panic in Matrus if she did that.”

I nodded in agreement, and then sighed. We’d tried to make an argument for going to the plant, but wound up starting to convince ourselves that maybe there wasn’t anything more going on there than a bunch of stranded wardens. It was odd, yes, but at the same time…

“There’s still a dozen things they could be doing there,” Viggo went on. “Sabotaging systems so that the water halts temporarily, or maybe even trying to rig it so it seems like the system failed. What if they reversed the system and somehow started to drag water in from Veil River? She could chalk it up to an unfortunate accident.”

“There’s no way for water from the river to get into the water in the plant,” said Thomas. “I considered that option, but the pipes leading from the plant to the river for disposal hang over the river, to prevent any chance of contamination.”

A sharp rapping sound punctuated Thomas’ remark, and I shifted in my seat, surprise rolling over me as I saw Henrik leaning a shoulder against the wall, his arms folded over his chest. “Is this a private party, or can I join?”

“Henrik,” Ms. Dale breathed, already halfway around the table in her hurry to get to him. “You really shouldn’t be out of bed,” she chided. Henrik smiled fondly at her, his face softening slightly. He held up an arm as she drew close, slipping it over her shoulder.

“I’m fine, Mel,” he replied, his voice soft. I exchanged glances with Viggo, who mouthed the word ‘Mel’ to me, his eyes as shocked as mine must have been, and I couldn’t hide the smile on my face. “And you guys have been talking so loudly, it’s been impossible to get my mandatory bedrest.”

“Dr. Tierney, back me up here. He really shouldn’t be—”

“Actually, Ms. Dale, I told Henrik he should be getting up and moving around at this point. Although, he is confined to the house.” Dr. Tierney shot Henrik a stern look, and in response he gave her a lazy salute. Ms. Dale’s mouth was pinched, and I could tell she was biting her tongue to keep from arguing with the doctor.

“Is that what I look like when people are thwarting my plans to keep you healthy?” Viggo asked me, his eyes glittering with humor, his voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper.

I gave him a considering look, and then shook my head. “You look grumpier, more like a caveman.”

He laughed, once, and my smile grew. Then he was gone—up and holding out his chair for Henrik. The older man smiled as he approached, and the two drew in for a quick hug. I shifted my seat over a little as he lowered himself in.

Seeing him out of the bed was good. He looked less like he was on his deathbed, and more like the strong, imposing, grandfatherly type I had always seen him as. But still, there was a fragility in him, in how he lowered himself down into the chair in slow motion, or how he seemed winded, in spite of how short the walk was from the hall entrance to Viggo’s chair.

I got out of my seat to make room for Ms. Dale, and moments later I was sitting where she originally had been—opposite Viggo and me—with Viggo leaning in behind me, holding the back of my chair with both his hands. Henrik took a moment to settle in, and then looked around the table with a bemused twinkle in his eyes. “I hope you don’t mind that I was eavesdropping. It was kind of hard not to before you all stopped arguing. Mind if I offer some insight?”

Nobody objected. Who among us had ever had a problem with Henrik’s advice? He’d even been able to talk Amber down when she was in a murderous rage.

After taking a look around the room full of nods, Henrik began, “You guys have been debating this plant thing to death, and honestly, right now, it doesn’t matter. You aren’t in the city, and you won’t be in the city until you can get the rebels on your side. And we won’t have that unless you have something to offer.”

“We are planning to offer weapons, but that’s about all we have,” said Ms. Dale.

“Actually, you have more than you think. You have Thomas.”

“Thomas?” I said, just as Thomas said, “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Henrik confirmed with a nod. “Or rather, your access to the cameras in the city. You can offer them intel on something they desperately need—the city itself. Matrians, movements of rogue factions, even this water treatment plant.”

“But all my stuff… it’s in the city. In my safe house. When I left the sewers, I disconnected it so Desmond couldn’t have access to it.”

“Could someone put it back together?”

Thomas hesitated, and then nodded, tugging his shirt down over his paunch. “Yes. Provided nothing has been damaged.”

“That’s where you start, then. If you give them that gift, then they might be willing to get us more intel on the plant.”

I opened my mouth. Then I shut it. It was as good as plans got, all things considered. And it was an idea we hadn’t even thought of. Looking around the room, it wasn’t hard to see that everyone was in agreement.

“It’s good to have you back, Henrik,” announced Viggo from behind me.

“It’s good to be back, my boy,” he said with a wink.





15





Viggo





“Are you really sure that you want to go?”

I turned and smiled when I saw Violet stepping down off the porch. I gave the bag I had been stuffing into the trunk of the car another shove. “Somebody’s got to go,” I said. “Might as well be me.”

“Yeah, but it’s Maxen,” she replied, her eyes rolling and a look of perfect distaste dramatizing her face.

I fought off the urge to laugh, but a small chuckle slipped through. “You better not make that face when Maxen gets here,” I warned her playfully, taking a step forward and closing the distance between us.

She stuck out her hip and rested her fist on it. “I never agreed to those terms!”

“You will,” I promised darkly. She lifted a challenging eyebrow and took a step closer, her face angled up to meet my gaze, just within the reach of my arms but not touching me yet.

“Is that a threat?”

I smiled, a lazy, slow, predatory smile, all of my teeth showing. “Just a promise, love. Just a promise.”

“Hmmm…” Her eyes narrowed to silver slits, her finger tapping her chin. “All right, then. But if you’re making me promises, will you promise not to punch the king if he annoys you?”