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"And Juliette?" Mayor Jahns still didn’t understand the connection

"There was a failure with the incubator When Nicholas--" the doctor turned his head to the side and reached halfway to his eyes, but was able to compose himself "I’m sorry I still call hi Deputy Marnes’s hand She wasn’t sure when or how that had happened The doctor didn’t seem to notice, or more likely, care

"Poor Juliette" He shook his head "She was distraught She blamed Rhoda at first, this experienced delivery nurse who had done nothing but work a ive our boy the slim chance he had I explained this I think Juliette knew She just needed soe, you know?"

"Believe it or not, I remember" Jahns forced a smile and Doctor Nichols returned it She felt Marnes squeeze her hand

"It wasn’t until herthe incubator that had failed Well, not the incubator, but the poor condition it was in The general state of rot all things become"

"Your wife died from the complications?" It was another detail Jahns felt she must have missed froain, the clinical detachment Jahns wondered if this was a survival mechanism that had kicked in after these events, or a personality trait already in place

"Seems like I would remember that," Deputy Marnes said, the first words he’d uttered since introducing himself to the doctor

"Well, I wrote the certificate myself So I could put whatever cause I wanted--"

"And you admit to this?" Marnes seemed ready to leap off the bench To do what, Jahns could hardly guess She held his arm to keep him in place

"Beyond the statute of limitations? Of course I admit it It was a worthless lie, anyway Juliette was se She knew And this is what drove her--"

He stopped himself

"Drove her what?" Mayor Jahns asked "Crazy?"

"No" Doctor Nichols shook his head "I wasn’t going to say that It’s what drove her away She applied for a change in casters Demanded to move down to Mechanical, to enter the Shop as a shadow She was a year young for that sort of placeet soht the freedoood for her"

"And you haven’t seen her since?"

"Once For her mother’s funeral, just a few days later She , then marched back down All without rest, froue in the deep nursery ire now and then with a bit of news It’s all focus, focus, focus with her"

Nichols paused and laughed

"You knohen she was young, all I saas her rew up to beyou know that would preclude her from or make her ill suited for the job of silo sheriff? You do understand what’s involved with the job, right?"

"I understand" Nichols looked over at Marnes, his eye drifting to the copper badge visible through the open, shoddily tied robe, down to the bulge of a pistol at his side "All the little law commands, is that it?"

"More or less," Jahns said

"Why her?"

Marnes cleared his throat "She helped us with an investigation once--"

"Jules? She was up here?"

"No We were down there"

"She has no training"

"None of us have," Marnes said "It’s ree to it"

"Why not?" Jahns asked

Nichols shrugged "You’ll see for yourself, I suppose" He stood "I wish I could give you lanced at the set of double doors "We’ll be bringing a family in soon--"

"I understand" Jahns rose and shook his hand "I appreciate you seeing us"

He laughed "Did I have a choice?"

"Of course"

"Well, I wish I would’ve known that sooner"

He s to As they parted cos and return the robes, Jahns found herself ued by this nomination of Marnes’s It wasn’t his style, a woe She wondered if his judgment was perhaps clouded by other factors And as he held the door for her, leading out to thewith himent was clouded as well