‘Trine,’ Solace said warningly.
‘I cannot imagine under what circumstances this suspicion has come to fall on me,’ they protested.
‘Wait . . .’ Olli looked between them. ‘You . . . were stealing the things? Like, from us?’
‘That is an entirely unwarranted suggestion,’ Trine said weakly. ‘However, someone must think of the benefit to science of such irreplaceable objects. They must not simply be sold to the highest bidder. Fellow cognoscenti, I am sure you appreciate this.’
From their expressions, nobody seemed to appreciate it. Not even Solace.
‘Objects where precisely? Elaborate please,’ Kit asked urgently. ‘Life-death level of import hangs on this.’
‘Science demurs,’ Trine told them flatly.
‘Science will not stop them from taking you from your frame, and murdering you piece by piece,’ Solace snapped. ‘Trine, will you just—’
The Hiver pointedly turned their face off, and stopped the juddering hum. Presumably this made any further conversation vulnerable to outside surveillance. Everyone lapsed into silence.
They heard movement, on and off; the business of the ship going on about them. Even gangsters needed maintenance crews and duty rosters, Kris supposed. But every sound raised the spectre of Mesmon and the guards coming to haul them all out, or maybe just one of them, never to be seen again. If Solace was expecting some grand Partheni cavalry charge, that didn’t seem to be happening. The Harvest hadn’t dropped back into unspace and tortured them all that way, that was the only positive. Presumably Aklu wanted to secure his toys first.
Then they had a visitor. She heard the sound of sandals scuffing at the rounded floors and straightened up, hissing at the others. Someone came into their suite of cells, garbed in bright red and purple. Kris had to blink at this vision in Hegemonic livery a few times, before quite accepting he was there.
It was Sathiel, the hierograve from Lung-Crow – just as mild and avuncular as before. A handful of cultists clustered at the doorway, possibly keeping Aklu’s people out and giving their leader privacy. Unless . . .
‘You were working with it all this time?’ she demanded. ‘You and Aklu?’
Sathiel shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not, or we would be meeting in more comfortable circumstances. When your captain and I made our contract to free the Oumaru and your ship I had no idea the Unspeakable was involved. My people died too, when the Hook stole the Vulture.’ He sighed, shaking his head. ‘It’s all very distressing.’
‘How are you even here?’ Olli demanded. The others were just watching, waiting to see whether this might be their break, somehow.
‘A diplomatic courtesy,’ Sathiel explained. ‘The Hegemony has many formalities that may seem curious to outsiders.’
‘But Aklu isn’t in the Hegemony any more, right? It’s gone rogue. Isn’t that the point of the whole “Unspeakable Razor” thing?’ the specialist pressed.
‘Ah, well . . .’ said Sathiel, and Kris knew a lecturing tone when she heard one. ‘The mistake is to characterize Hegemonic systems as if they were human ones. The Essiel have been ruling a vast and diverse empire for centuries. They have persisted because they have a system for everything. That is how they work. They prefer not to have to react. Instead, they foresee. This applies even to aberrations within their own species. Perhaps some of you are students of religion?’
‘Among other things,’ Trine put in, sounding mulish. ‘Who is this greybeard and what relevance has he to our predicament?’
‘Many religions have an antagonist figure, a Devil, or perhaps a whole class of demons whose job it is to tempt and torment us poor mortals,’ Sathiel explained, speaking over Trine. ‘And yet, these adversaries remain part of the system they mock. They act as an example of what not to do, a foil to higher powers. As such, Aklu has a place within the Hegemonic firmament. So, when the Razor and the Hook comes to a system, it announces its arrival to any Hegemonic presence there. Which in this case is myself, here to represent my masters in the negotiations regarding the Architects’ return.’
‘You’ve gone up in the world then,’ Kris noted acidly.
‘A sign of the times,’ Sathiel agreed. ‘However, all to your benefit, as I may be able to help. Under normal circumstances, your position here would be bleak. You’ve taken something belonging to the Unspeakable. Examples would be made. But perhaps I can intercede, as one part of the Hegemonic system to another. For old times’ sake. You’d have to return the regalia, obviously.’