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Cherise didn’t follow She stood there, staring at the flecks and smears that littered the carpet It looked like a spilled ashtray

"Nobody even knows her name," she said "That is just so - sad" Burial at sea was the best we could give our na re, anything, but nothing cah "You ed I promise you that We’ll find out what happened to you" Her corpse disintegrated al to the eence that athered her close

I hoped that her life had hts of her

White spray was soakingmy skin cold and stiff Lewis’s warm hand touchedwe can do here"

"I’ that," I said "I’, I caught the flash of outright rage in his eyes "Yes," he said "And we’re not going to be helpless er, I promise you that Come on" He stalked away from the rail

I followed

"Where are we going?" I called, as Lewis’s long legs pulled him several steps ahead of me

The hallere narrow, even in these upper-class areas, but they were nicely appointed, with paneling and original artworks, so htsee I hustled past the art so fast that it could have been clown paintings, for all I knew

He didn’t answer

When our little n standards changed Still nice but less art, , and the as tri for the Main Gallery, whatever that was

"Lewis, da like this was an Oly?"

We turned a corner and stepped out into upper-middle-class opulence Maybe even nouveau riche opulence There was a waterfall in the raceful, sinuous wave over curved rock three stories tall, with lush tropical vegetation carefully con Five levels of decks, all with railings circling this part of the ship As I looked over, I saw that two of the dining areas were below, at the foot of the waterfall - one casual, one formal All eerily vacant at the uessed they were staff - taking advantage of the slow rab the around in groups of two or three, rubbernecking while they had the luxury of not being marked for death

Soain, dao on, not if this voyage went badly, and I wished she’d just shut the hell up

Lewis turned, leaning on the rail, with the waterfall as a backdrop Its hissing rain foro someplace we could talk uninterrupted," he said "And someplace it would be harder to overhear"

"You think so us?"

"I don’t think we can assu their tans" He shook his head and leaned against the railing, weight on his elbows Mist from the impossible waterfall behind hihts "I’m sorry I didn’t want to do this I really tried" He sounded genuinely dispirited and angry about it, whatever it was

"What are you talking about?"

"We’re fighting shadows," he said "We’re guessing and flying blind I didn’t want to have to use the resources I knee had"

"What kind of resources?"

He didn’t answerabout Paul" The nauarded places Paul had been ht I could always count on in a pinch

But he had betrayed us, and I’d killed him for it I hadn’t meant to do it - it had been in the heat of battle, and my real enemy had used him as a hu side, or how, or why; all I kneas that at that last, desperatenext to Bad Bob, and that had destroyed him

I’ddestroyed hi," Lewis said, "if Paul was really planning to funnel information back to us He could have betrayed Kevin and Rahel anyti to do the right thing Maybe he was still on our side after all" Did he think thataround the memory of his death? "I hope so," I said I really did I’d much rather Paul died a hero

"And now," Lewis said, "I’s about you Whether you’re really on our side or not"

I took a deep breath It’d be too easy to turn this into a blae pieces out of each other over nothing Leas so exhausted I suspected he’d welco, but I’d hurt enough people recently

"You don’t think I’m loyal?" For answer, Lewis reached over and put his hand on er "Screw you, Lewis I’d die for these people Hell, I have died for them!"

He held up a hand to stop me "No offense, but in a certain sense, if I tell you what I’ it in Bad Bob’s ear You know that, don’t you? Can you guarantee me it isn’t true, or it won’t be tomorrow?" That was a cold, hard slap of reality, and I sht, of course - the black torch on ht be convinced that I was my own person, beyond Bad Bob’s reach for now, but I couldn’t really know I also couldn’t guarantee that it would stay that way five minutes from now, much less tomorrow

"So now I’ood ood Deuy? And can ork in a day spa visit, while we’re at it?"

He didn’t laugh, and he didn’t take the opportunity to lighten up "I wanted to tell you that if I think you’re slipping away, I won’t hesitate I’ll kill you I’ll have to Understand?" I did There was no roo in this We both knew the stakes, and we both knew the consequences

"Yeah, I understand," I said "You’re sure you can take me if you have to?"

"I can," he said "And I will"

I took a deep breath "Okay"

"The problem is, it would probably kill us both in the end, and we both know that’s not a good outcome"