How many times had Touraine told her the Sands were always at the front?
And if the Sands were at the front, they would see the most. Luca knew just whom to send for.
When Lieutenant Pruett arrived at the compound the next morning, Luca tried to put Aliez’s revelations about Beau-Sang aside. If he was behind the assassination, to deal with him would take resources she didn’t currently have. Luca invited Pruett to take a promenade around the top of the compound walls, with Gil and Lanquette following behind. From that height, the desert scrub stretched toward the south and east until it rose into dunes. Toward the north, they could see the sea, a blue stretch beyond the Quartier.
Luca and the lieutenant walked the rampart with cool cups of avocado juice sweating in their hands. At the first sip, the lieutenant shivered in delight.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Luca smiled, as if they weren’t both remembering the last words she’d spoken to Pruett at the main guardhouse in the city.
Pruett smiled with closed lips. “Delicious.”
Luca waited until they passed the soldiers at the southwestern corner before speaking.
“How are your soldiers finding the situation in the city?” Luca had not gone back since reports of the first hints of discontent had come in. Gil had forbidden it; it wasn’t worth the risk. Guérin was too near her memory for her to argue.
Lieutenant Pruett’s eyes barely lingered on Luca before casting back out over the wall as if she expected an attack any moment.
“We’re holding well enough. Captain Rogan has us on double guard shifts, everyone. With the other guardhouse platoons, we can cover most of the city…” She trailed off.
“Yes?”
“If there’s gonna be a riot, Your Highness, it’s not coming from the sky-falling Qazāli.”
Behind them, Lanquette cleared his throat roughly.
Lieutenant Pruett smirked and took a delicate sip from her juice. “Pardon my language. All I mean is, your Balladairan civs aren’t too good at telling the difference between my soldiers and the rebels. Things might get messy if this food business doesn’t get sorted soon.”
“You are still well fed, aren’t you?” Luca looked meaningfully at the other woman. She wanted to let the threat linger. “If you need further provisions, write directly to me.”
Pruett raised an eyebrow but nodded. “To what do we owe this kindness?”
Luca smiled tightly. “It’s my duty to make sure my soldiers can do their jobs, not a kindness.”
“And our job?”
“Do you have any idea who’s doing this? What’s causing this?”
“Huh. It’s just animals, isn’t it?” Pruett raised her eyebrows in mock surprise. “Inept Qazāli farmers not keeping hold of their herds, the broadsides said.”
“But if it isn’t,” Luca said sharply. “If it isn’t, I want to know who and I want to know how.” She softened. “I know this must be difficult. I’m asking you to turn on your people.”
The lieutenant grunted. “They’re not our people, Your Highness. Not anymore. And anyway. It’s not food we’re hungry for.”
“Then what are you hungry for?” Luca asked. “The pay raises weren’t enough for you? You seem to be enjoying your new uniform well enough.”
The soldier stopped midstep and looked down at herself. The horror blooming across her face like spring tulips set a smile growing on Luca’s. The new uniforms weren’t quite as well made as Touraine’s had been, but they were a far cry from the scrap material their regular uniforms had surely come from.
“You’re welcome,” Luca said.
Pruett’s nostrils flared. “Your Highness.” She ducked her head once then looked away, intensely focused on the vista beyond the wall.
And then, inexplicably, Luca felt ashamed. Touraine had accused her of buying away her guilt over Guérin’s injury. This wasn’t much different. Luca hadn’t decided if Touraine was right or not.
“I’m sorry,” Luca said. “I know I don’t deserve your approval and that I do deserve the things you said before. I’m working to earn your loyalty from now on.”
For several steps, Pruett didn’t respond, the silence bordering on insulting, but Luca waited.
Behind them, the men’s boots scuffed gently. The sun burned down, so she tilted her tricorne down low over her brow. Lieutenant Pruett kept her face turned so that Luca could see only the other woman’s sweat-darkened curls clinging to her neck, and the muscles clenched in her jaw.