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“Then keep this one alive and watch for signs of further activity If you sense anything, summon us and we’ll withdraw Is everyone satisfied with that?”

He looks pointedly at Shar the lead, Beranabus picks his way across the bloody, corpse-strewn deck and the rest of us cautiously, nervously follow

My feet are soon sticky with blood, but I ignore s This isn’t the way the world should be, having to creep through pools of blood, past dozens of slaughtered huhtmare you have two choices You can cower in a corner, eyes shut, praying for it to be over Or you can get on with things and do your best to deal with the job in hand I don’t think I’m particularly brave, but I like to think I’ve always been practical

We undertake a circuit of the upper deck before venturing into the depths of the ship,for us up here if we have to etaway We don’t find any deue with the De beneath the merciless sun

We’re passing a row of lifeboats when I feel a twitch at the back of nore it any other ti amiss, so I stop and focus The twitch draws h above the deck

“What is it?” Beranabus whispers I feel y in the air into a force he can use

“So fro spell”

“Get ready,” Beranabus says to the others He points a finger at the hooks They snap and the boat drops abruptly, landing hard on the deck The man inside it yelps and tumbles out as the boat keels over

Shar with pent-up , “I surrender!”

“Wait!” Shar Dervish’s arm “I know him”

The man pauses when he hears Sharmila’s voice He stares at her shakily as if he doesn’t believe his ears or eyes

“Kirilli Kovacs,” Sharmila says

“I… I recognise you… I think,” he croaks

“We o You ith Zahava Lever She was your mentor My name is Sharmila—”

“—Mukherji,” theshly of you She said you were a great Disciple, one of the finest I should have recognised you iies It’s been a hard few…” He frowns “I was going to say days, but it’s only been hours”