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He leaned forward, setting the slip of telegra his hands into that roof-top point that ai, Miss Boyd Should you apprehend or detain the captain of this pestering vessel, and should he turn out to be, in fact, the notorious Croggon Beauregard Hainey, I don’t care what you do with hi your pardon?"

"Listen, the Union wants hio away The Rebs want him, and they want him badly as a matter of principle--in order toelse"

"You’re telling ia, if I catch hi that if you want to, you can Whatever’s riding aboard the Cle and clobbering a bank robber--"

"More like a pirate, I thought we agreed"

"So er," Pinkerton said "He’s a badup sonment And if you think you can score a few points with your old pals down in Danville, then if you can catch hiain she fell into quiet, uncertain of how ht to respond When she spoke again she said, "I’m not often rendered speechless, sir, but you’ve nearlyyou the saive all my men Do what’s convenient and what’s successful And if you find yourself in a position where you can nick a little extra for yourself, I’ too close and I won’t stop you If it makes you happy and if it’s easy, score back some of the credibility you’ve lost with the Rebs The more friendly connections you have under your belt, the more useful you’ll be to me in the future"

"That’s very kind of you to consider," she said carefully

And he said in return, "It’s not reize for a bit of it"

"Nor should you And I appreciate the vote of confidence, if that’s what this is"

He waved his hand dismissively and said, "I appreciate your appreciation, and all that back-and-forth politeness that people feel coe But for now, you’ll find a folder on the last desk on the left--and inside that folder, you’ll find everything you need to know about the Clementine, the ship that chases it, and everyone within them both"

"Really?" she asked

"No, not really The folder will barely tell you anything more than I’ve told you in here, but it’ll tell you how the et started You’ll report every developoor else I’ll assu yourself killed, lest you causein a new operative is expensive and annoying It’ll gripe ood Be ready to hit the road in forty-five minutes"

He paused to take a breath She took the opportunity to stand, and say, "Thank you sir, and I’ll take that under consideration You have etting killed, even though nment will throw me into the path of a hardened criminal and his crew of bloodthirsty air pirates"

Pinkerton’s face fashioned an expression halfway between a grin and a sneer He said, "I hope you didn’t think I was asking you here to sit still and look pretty"

She was poised to leave the office but she hesitated, one hand resting on the back of the chair She turned to the door, then changed her mind She said, "Mr Pinkerton, over the last twenty-five years I’ve risked my life to pass infors, and been to prison more times than I’ve been married I’ve shot and killed six men, and only three of those events could lawfully be called self-defense I’ve been asked to do a great nus in my time, and I’ve done them all without complaint because I do what needs to be done, whenever it needs to be done But there’s one thing I’ve never been asked to do, and it’s just as well because I’d be guaranteed to fail"

He asked, "And what’s that?"

Without blinking she said, "I’ve never been asked to sit still and look pretty"

And before he could for sideways to send her skirts through the doorway

Outside the office door, the colanced up and didn’t glance away until Maria stared him down on her way past him Two other men chattered quietly over a fistful of papers, then stopped to watch the lady go by She gave them a quick, curt smile that didn’t show any teeth, and one of them tipped his hat