“Thanks. I appreciate it. Yes, I know it’s a pain, us only having just got back, but the situation has bee… plicated.” As I finished up expining to Fujiwara-san just what I needed from him, I turo Shiro, who had been ringing Haru-san and expining to her that she was in charge of my Territory and hers for the duration of this emergency. She gave me the thumbs-up, showing that Haru-san could ha, which was a weight off my shoulders.

  “I do think we shall need-need further support.” Shaeu said. “Brother Shaeraggo is still at quite-quite the loose end, so we shall rope him in. He will not-not refuse me, not when he is so eagerly trying to master another element, as is sister-in-w Selensha. With aid-aid from Kana and the twins, they may succeed, as Grulgor has. Anna tio guard the Spring, though my s there are fading, as the Fae Stone Wards are mostly-mostly plete, and the Spring is crawling with Way-Wardens and the many-many pntkin of Primal Forest.”

  Speaking of Primal Forest… “We o speak to him as well. While matters here are being prepared. First, we o establish who is heading out. Shiro, I’ll need you for your buffs.” I tapped my Eye. “Worst case, we might o buff it again.”

  “Are you sure?” Eri said softly. “Last time you weren’t able to trol it and were unscious for a while.”

  “It’s a st resort, but it’s a tool we might need in our box. Although, my Eye isn’t infallible.” There was always the danger any information it presented could be wrong. “Shiro isn’t a liability in bat since she has Tan, so…”

  “Of course I’m not, Aki!” Shiro pumped her fists, hyped up. “Besides, I was a bit sad I missed out on your st trip.” She smirked. “But… what are we going to do? It’s not like we stay in the United Kingdom long-term, for all the reasons you mentioned before. Nor you kidnap the Princess like those Ameris tried with you.”

  “Yes. It’s a mess. Really, it’s the worst sort of battle for us. In Kyoto, even on the defe was a straight fight of power versus power. I’m fident in that, everyone works really hard to grow stronger. We even have Tan’s seal of approval.” I smiled at that. “But here, while we might know the enemy, everything is obscured by fog. Max Power. Mary Stuart. The Favour of Nuada Airgetlám.”

  Shaeu smiled. “One-one of the oldest Kings of the Tuatha Dé Dannan. Long before I, or even-even my father, were born. It is said that we are some of the desdants of the Tuatha Dé. The Fae are pulled from many-many lines, all miogether. We have Dvergr such-such as Bjarki, from the cold nds across the far-far northern seas, those desded from Fomorians, such-such as Duke Formor, though many-many of those joihe Unseelie, as well as tless others desded from Kings, spirits and other-other mystical creatures.”

  “That always makes me wonder. If the Gods are real, but they have thousands or more worlds to look after, how are they in our myths?” I scratched my head, thinking, and it was Tan that answered zily, taking over Shiro for a moment.

  “Perhaps in some cases, when this world was young, more malleable, some Divine beings may have e themselves, aiming to cim the world. But such jewels are seldom untested.” She snorted. “Perhaps Nuada, of the Endless Knot, did in fact bestride these nds millennia ago, and you are desded from his power. More likely, myths and doings from other, more primal worlds that make up the foundation, the Anchor of the Endless Knot, have mixed in with the uanding of this world. I myself am Divihough a small being pared to my father, it paio admit, and to those above, I, without even a Territory of the Sixth to my name, am but a small ant. Yet even on this world there are tales of when the Buddha walked on by. It is rather vexing.” She curled Shiro’s lips unpleasantly, her ruby eyes gl. “Most likely the being you know as Nuada, if he is indeed your aor, would be one of the many proxies of the Endless Knot. Creating life, seeding worlds, gatheriher, adherend…” her lips shut, as she paused. “… suffice it to say, many worlds and many myths blend together. There is truth at the core, but what is true matters less than what is believed.”

  Tan really likes expining, despite saying she’s not allowed to. Really, she’s more of an Exposition-san than Ortlinde was, though if I tried to tell her that she’d probably try a me on fire… “Thanks Tan. So, Endless Knot? Is that the pantheon Nuada would be in? Do you know every pantheon?”

  “Of course I know the major pantheons. The Six Paths have fought against all of them, and had alliances with many, over the endless seas of time in the upper Astral.” She seemed proud of that, and for a moment I wondered what her crimson eyes had seehe tless eons of time, and whether we too would walk that path, where our lives were measured in millennia, not years. “There are smaller ohat lurk in the furthest ers, hiding, biding their time, and ohat have fallen from grace. I do not cim to know every single one… but all those who have joihe war with the…” she winced. “No. that I truly ot speak of. But is this digression necessary? Should you not be making haste?”

  “She’s right.” Eri said. “Do you have time for this?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Eri, obviously you ’t e. Will you be all right on your own?”

  She sighed, before nodding. “Of course. I’ll just prevail on Kana, she look after me. She should sider it trying to get in my good graces.” She paused, thinking for a moment. “Akio, what are you going to do? Really?”

  As I typed out a text to Kana, expining her duties in our absence, I expihe pn. When I was done, Eri nodded as best she could. “I see. That’s very much like you, Akio. But do you think she’ll thank you for it? I don’t…”

  “Does it matter?” I said with a bitter smile. “Nobody said saving the world was easy, or everyone would praise us for it.”

  Moments ter my ph, and it was Kana. Surprised, I picked up. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “Don’t what’s up me!” Kana said, a bit irritated. “I told my teacher that it was a family emergency. What do you mean yoing back to the UK? And taking the others? You’ve only just got back, and I was looking forward to spending some time with you this evening…”

  “Sorry.” I apologised. “But when I’ve resolved this mess and everything’s settled, things should calm down for a while, and I’ll make it up to you. So just think about what you want, all right?”

  There was a along silence, before she spoke. “You’d better, all right? I’m n to be one of those annoying, gy girlfriends, but… I do miss you. And I want to go out to cafes, arcades, go shopping for clothes, do fun couple things. But I guess this is important. All right, I’ll look after Eri-, it’ll give us time to get to know each other better. Will you be gone long?”

  “That’s the rub. We ’t afford to put our own lives on hold, even for this. So I’m hoping my new pn will either put ao matters quickly, or if not, at least put us in a Kyoto-style position, where we respond if required from Tokyo.”

  “I see, well, I’ll take care of the training school and Eri-, so you do what you o do. I won’t tell you t me back a souvenir, just bring everyone home safely. All right?”

  Smiling at Kana’s kindness, I agreed. Once we were doh that, I made a few more phone calls. “I wish we could take Yasaka-san, but even with all our healing, there’s a limit to the backsh ut him though. The st thing we want to do is damage our best source of information in general, we’ll have to rely on what we see for ourselves. So, the team should be me, Shiro, Shaeu, Hyath, and Grulgor. All of us handle ourselves, and access both the Boundary and the Material. But in addition to that, I think we will bring a special guest.” I smiled, having had an idea. I wish I could upgrade my Thrones further, but at two and a half millioher baseline, and three times that for the rush-build, they’ll have to wait.

  “In that case, we need-o return to the Boundary.” Shaeu advised, and I nodded.

  “Shiro, Eri, keep making the arras please. And ask Haru-san…” once my instrus were given, we dived into the Boundary, and soon found ourselves in a meeting with Shaeu’s brother and sister, Ulfuric, Moira and the pntkin A, who had e from her work at the Spring. On our side we had me, Shaeu, Hyath and also Asha, who was smilily, looking tented and uned. I’m gd someone is…

  “So, we need-need your aid again.” Shaeu said, after a brief expnation.

  “Little sister, I do have my own-own matters to attend to.” Shaeraggo said, exasperated.

  “Are they as important as this-this?” Shaeu snorted in response, before l her voice, her tone grateful. “I am thankful you have been aiding Akio and me-me, brother. It is enough to wipe away the vile-vile taste of your behaviour at our reunion.” She held that over his head and he shuffled nervously. “As for you, Anna, I could not-not be more pleased at your aid. You are a fine older sister.” At that Shaeranna preened happily, her green eyes sparkling. “The time is nearly here when ht of the Spring will be less-less important, as the defences are finally secure. As for Akio’s Territory, when we plete the stage of our expansion, again, the need-o protect it will diminish. So, please, just for now, your aid is vital.” She looked at them early. “Besides, I do not-not expect your aid for free. Eveween friends and kin, there should-should be reciprocation. Brother, you and Selensha should surely master a soon-soon. I have instructed Kana and the twins to aid you, and if Grulgor manage, you surely-surely .”

  “Have no fear, U, I will set aside, surely drop everything I am tasked with, to leap to your aid!” Shaeranna decred boldly.

  “Good.” I said, but Shaeraggo looked a little hesitant, before speaking.

  “Sister, have you told him of our father’s request?” he said, and I looked at Shaeu, whed apologetically.

  “Now is not-not the time for it. Akio has mu his mind with this dire-dire situation. But…” she turo me, her expression plicated, a mixture of worry and anticipation. “ut it off no-no longer. My father, Prince Shaetanao of the Beastkin, wishes to meet-meet my sort, and the one who recimed the Spring with me.” She paused. “He is more hot-tempered than Shaeraggo, and more-more doting than Anna. The cold political insight of my eldest brother too, and the strength-strength of Shaetourach. Father embodies them all. It wounded his heart to find-find himself manoeuvred into having to abandon me, and now-now I have returned, he has bee rather… irritating? Is that the word? Yes-yes, perhaps. But he loves me dearly, and I appreciate him as my father, and want him to like-like you, Akio. So when this is all done…”

  “I get it. I’ll meet him.” I promised.

  “This is hardly relevant, you are i haste, no?” Moira said, pursing her lips like an overworked secretary. “From a defeandpoint you are correct, the Spring of Clear Refles is almost entirely reied bato the Seelie Court now. It is a foolish risk to s that defenow. The same for here. I have seen and approved of the pns. Now, with the Rhyming Trees sthened…”

  A perked up at that, unsure of why she was called here as the proxy of Primal Forest.

  “… ush ahead with our pnned expansion. But when things are going well, carelessness and pcy are the greatest enemy.”

  “Yes, which is why…” I gestured to Asha. “… our iion is to be together.” I said to A, who looked at her curiously.

  “You have shared a Kiss then, Dryad?”

  “Long ago, when he saved me, I knew he was the one. But now my Tree flourishes, I feel the o fruit, t new life to repce the lost sisters by which my survival aid for by stealing their own lives.” Her smile was mencholic, but her yellow eyes were resolved. “As one who watched the Spring die, all life being little more than seedbeds for the Myids, and as one who now watches the Spring bloom anew, I find myself wishing to be a part of it. But…” she reached out, taking my hand. “… not alone.”

  “I see. I am pleased for you.” A bobbed her head made from vines, before peering at me. “Your aspect of nature, of wood, it has grown stronger, I see.”

  “And it’ll grow stroill.” I promised. “I hope you see my itment to nature. I am a human, so I want and expect progress, but I won’t wilfully destroy and defile the p, nor the Boundary and lower Astral, to do so. In fact, we’ll use progress in sd mortal engineering to make a world that is better for everyone, while beiiful and full of nature as well.” Some of the pns we are designing for the new buildings for the nd Hinata bought for me are stunning. Not cheap at all, and they might even require some genuine mortal engineering to work, but nature and teology together…

  “Japan will surely-surely bloom as the Spring does.” Shaeu promised, bag my words. “One day, we would be more-more than happy to show you around. But for now…”

  “Is it possible to get another Ring Gate? I know that st time Primal Forest was extremely generous, but…”

  A paused at my words, her viwisting into an awkward expression. “The Mushrooms for the Gate are not easy to grow. We do not charge great price for them simply because we are greedy.” Shaeu, Shaeranna and Shaeraggo all made disbelieving that, and I motioned for them to be silent, a A tinue.

  “It is a rare, secret spot, where spatial, water ah elements are in tune, where the mushrooms grow, drinking ihree energies. And their growth is slow. Otherwise, would not the Seelie Court have many more of these ve portals?” A said, and Anna that.

  “I see. So it’s not feasible?” I asked.

  “Growth ot be rushed.” She shook her head, and I frowned.

  “Well, that’s a problem, but not an insurmountable one. How long before we could ceivably get another?”

  “They grow slowly, as I have said, and already prince Shaeraggo took two sets as well.” A said, and he looked down, nodding.

  “In that case…” There’s oher thing I try. It’s aremely long shot, but I’ve seen proof it’s possible… my gaze strayed to one of my panions briefly. “… I’m sorry for taking up your time. At least the Spring aory will be safe. This is farewell for now, we have to make haste.” With that we departed, before leaving, Hyath taking care of one small, important task…

  ********

  “This jet is cramped, I’m afraid.” The pilot said. “But it’s also fast and has enough fuel to reach your destination.” I was seated in a private jet, a much humbler ohan we had flown to the UK in before. Shaeu was on my p, Hyath and Shiro beside me, while Grulgor was crammed into another seat. The final oct was hunched down, nervous and sweating, so I spoke to her, reassurihat we meant her no harm. Not so long as she does her job, anyway. Seeing her gave me plicated feelings, and reminded me of Nie Ling, who was still in prison, though she wasn’t being harshly treated. That’s another issue I o resolve. But not yet…

  “As Haru-san’s Chosen Hero, since Haru-san is my vassal, you obey my orders, right?” I said in Mandarin, and the woman nodded. She was short-haired, with typical ese features. She wasn’t beautiful, but she certainly would have attracted a certain sort of attention, looking like a well-to-do student. “You owe us this, Na.”

  At my mention of her name, she shuddered, but nodded. She was the ese Chosen that Haru-san had captured, and her abilities with barriers would be useful. “I will do as you order, lord!” She said, her expression downcast. Even so, I felt no sympathy for her, but still had my worries. She was involved in more direct as than Nie Ling, up until her death anyway. But… she is dead. Haru’s Throored her just as the uhe Judge of Death granted her was fading, so… do sins persist after death, is she is a new person, or should she be judged for her crimes when previously alive? Those were issues for aime, definitely, but it made for awkward retionships.

  “So, Aki, what’s the py?” Shiro asked, and everyone looked curious.

  “Simple. We are nding in northern Frand from there, Fujiwara-san has arranged a small boat for us. We’ll cross into Engly, we should be able to avoid dete easily enough with our abilities. From there… well, we start by apprehending Maxwell Power, or whoever he cims to be. Then we turn our attention to Mary Stuart and her goons.”

  “Won’t the British be handling this themselves?” Shiro pressed, and Shaeu snorted.

  “I do not-not know these people, for I was not-not able to go with Akio, but it seems to me he hardly believes they - do as they desire, no?”

  “That’s right.” I looked down at my silent phone. “If Max Power is as dangerous as I think he is, and they ’t use any Chosen which might have been in tact with him, which is most of them… I don’t think it’s that easy for them. But I’m awaiting updates from the Prime Minister or hopefully Eleanor herself. As for us…” I looked at the group, smiling. Moments ter, the pne was taxiing for take-off. “… we have a u of abilities. With my Eye, Shaeu’s winds, the barriers from Na and more, erfectly positioned for capturing and interrogating them. It’s a shame we ’t bring Yasaka-san as well, but we always have him flower if it bees necessary. For now, he o rest to recover from his hard use, and when ture them, we’ll buy some time.”

  “So why the secrecy?” Shiro pressed. “It’s not like they will refuse our help.”

  “I don’t trust anything about the situation.” I firmed, the rumblings of the engines intensifying as the pook off. “Without knowing what’s below the Tower of London, and whether Eleanor’s teammates are indeed prepared to betray her, w with Max Power, Mary Stuart, or indeed someone else who has remained hidden, I think we should go it alone. Hell, even if we firm some of her panions are trustworthy, that would be a help. But we ’t take forever doing this. We have our own problems. So…”

  “A covert operation.” Shiro mused. “Got it, Aki. It’s a little exg… and it’s also my first trip abroad.” She smiled.

  “Grulgor says this is no sightseeing trip. Grul thinks you should be ready to fight.” He rumbled, and Shiro snorted.

  “Guess you haven’t mastered thinki. Any time away with Aki, there’s always time for fun.” Hyath and Shaeu nodded, agreeing with her, and Grulgor shrugged his massive shoulders, looking rather dapper in his suit, if you liked muscles, of course.

  “We’ll just look like tourists, and Fujiwara-san and Ichijou-san have a lot of tacts in Britain who have never met Maxwell Power, so they aid us if we hem. This pne is also fitted with state-of-the-art teology to allow mobile es, most business jets are nowadays it seems. So we get information as we go. That’ll ge our pns going forward, depending on what we hear…”

  “Should we not-n Eleanor in on this?” Shaeu queried, and I frowroubled. I’m not sure on that one myself, but my instincts say not.

  “For now, I think she’ll only rail against us if we suspect her allies again. The visions are indicative, but the Book of Providence is misleading, so I’m going back to first principles and scrapping everything we know, and only going by what we’ve learned. Max Power and Mary Stuart, as well as their anisations, are all as shady as hell, and I don’t trust her teammates yet. We’ll clear all those doubts away, and then we work out how we’ll keep an eye on Eleanor’s safety iure. For that, we’ll probably be relying on you, Hyath.”

  Hyath frowned, but her violet eyes were resolute. “I shall dooo my best. No, I shall succeed, as this was a task yooou asked me to perform, Akio. There will be nooo failures!”

  “If it works, it’ll prove incredibly useful iure. If it doesn’t, well we have backup pns, and we have the flight to brainstorm ideas…”

  As we talked and pnned, several hours passing by, my ph, and I was disappoio see it wasn’t Eleanor, but the British Prime Minister. On answering and giving reetings, he got straight to the point. “I’m afraid we’ve hit some problems. We arrested the Silver Hands Foundation members and have been the followers of Mary Stuart, but…” he sounded embarrassed. “All of the so-called Choir and Judges, they seem to be ordinary believers, who had agreed to be decoys to distract us. Mary Stuart herself has vanished, and the soldiers watg her have been hospitalised. They should pull through, but without the aid of Healing, they won’t fight again.” He sighed.

  “Troubling. But there’s only one pce they be headed.” I said, and the Prime Minister agreed.

  “Yes, so we suspect. There’s a great deal we don’t uand about the other world the Queen calls Avalon, and you the Boundary. She might have retreated to her own nds there, not that we have found where she calls home, despite our efforts. Or…”

  “More likely she’s after the Tower of London.” I mused. “It all es back to that. Eleanor isn’t the prize, but she’ll be a colteral be.” If they have to break her Territory to seize the Tower, who would pass up the ce to destroy her Anchor and rip free her Divine Favour? But Mary Stuart doing that doesn’t fit Tsukuyomi’s visions, well, not all of them. I’m sure she’ll be fronting Eleanor, but… not alone, and unless… huh. No way. I had a very bad feeling all of a sudden. “ you chee thing for me?” I asked, and the Prime Minister paused when he had heard what I had said.

  “We have the information on file, from a sus report. It stands to reason some of them would be, as one in twelve are, in Engnd…” he said, troubled. “I’ll text you the findings.”

  “So, what of Maxwell Power?” I asked, and he sighed.

  “That is the sed blunder. We lost him too. This time… there were deaths. We sent a team of SAS operatives to retrieve him, the operation should have been fwless, but… the bodycam footage was grim. Most of it was corrupted, but you see…”

  My phone beeped, indig a video message. Opening it up I could see a grainy image of gunfire being blocked by a shining hand of silver, before that hand was thrust towards the person filming, and blood fogged the lens, but sounds of gunfire, explosions and violence could still be heard, until everythi still, and a rge shadow, bigger than human, seemed to pass by, rge foot casually stomping on something with the sound of breaking bones.

  “A silver hand. That was Michael Silversmith’s Favour, right?” I said.

  “Ding on the body should be ba a few hours. But dental records from the recovered body of Maxwell Power, which was at the location you said, match up. The time of death is around the same date in August as Michael Silversmith’s, though it’s hard to be certaio the as of is ahering…”

  “So, the thing masquerading as Maxwell Power, be it a person or something else, has also gone missing. sidering he’s involved in poisoning the Prio ruin her lud invite misfortuher she’s the goal, or something only she has access to is. Iher case, there’s only one pce he could be going…”

  “Shit, this is going to be a four-way clusterfuck.” Shiro muttered, and Shaeu snorted her agreement.

  “So, if I was to put in an official request for your help, would you e to Britain’s aid?” The Prime Minister asked. “I thank you for the intelligence, but if we ’t rely on our own Gods’ Chosen we will struggle to protect Eleanor.”

  “Send a request to our Prime Minister, one leader to another, and we’ll look on it favourably, but obviously I ’t act without prard to the situation.” I lied, as we were already on route. “I’m sure that the Diet and the nobility will look at it quickly.”

  “All right. I appreciate it, and so will her Majesty, I’m sure. This has been quite the trying time, I never expected when I took office this is the crisis I’d have to deal with…” I let him blow off some more steam, before hanging up.

  “Look at Aki, our little liar.” Shiro ughed, before the look on my face stopped her. “I get it, you’re worried. But the Princess is in her castle, well, the Pace, right?” she tinued. “Shouldn’t she be safe there? Even if Maxwell Power was able to take out a group of elite soldiers, the number of them in the Pace should be overwhelming…”

  “Even so, I’m worried. If I wao draw her out, it’s easy enough. Just hit her Territory, alertio danger. She’d have to go herself, or risk losing all she’s built. Even if she doesn’t know about queror and what will happen if another Choseroys her Anchor, she ’t afford to lose the area around the Tower, not if she won’t eve us help her. And if they send the other Chosen of Britain, who we don’t know are trustworthy…”

  My phone beeped again, and all the names of the primary, sed, third, fourth and fifth teams of Great Britain were sent to me, with sus data. I thought so. Now, it doesn’t mean that they are traitors, just because of this, but it means Eleanor o be extremely cautious. Two in the main team, all but one in the sed, and… I sent my s to Eleanor, and now, all we could do was wait…

  ********

  “Finally!” I said with a sigh of relief, as my ph, and it was actually Princess Eleanor, at least acc to the caller identification. Pig up, I greeted her, only to get a rather exasperated, argumentative lecture straight away. “Just what do you mean, acg them of being in league with Mary Stuart? I told you, I trust them! Just because of their faith, you suspect the worst? I’m not impressed!”

  “I’m just telling you to be extra cautious. Mary Stuart and all her followers have disappeared, leaving behind decoys to fool surveilnce. People without ulterior motives don’t o prepare such eborate schemes.” I warned. “As for Max Power, or whoever is pretending to be him… he has proved he’s a threat. And all of your teammates have been w with his Foundation in some form or other.”

  “But it’s all been charitable work and support for the cause.” Eleanor protested. “There’s been nothing sinister or selfish.”

  “Maybe so, but what better way to hide ill-iions than by masking it with aid and good deeds?” I pointed out. “What we know is that whoever is masquerading as Max Power is at least a murderer, poisoned you, and has now mao kill a team sent t him in. And what could he be after? I only think of two things. You… or the Tower of London.”

  There was silence, before she answered me. “But I have to trust my allies. I ’t defend London alone, let alone Britain. You tell me, could you do everything alone?”

  Beside me, Hyath’s expression was being murderous. Shaeu tried to calm her down as I tirying to advise the Princess. “I uand that. I’m only asking you to wait for now, your Prime Minister is putting in a request for mutual aid with Japan. When Maxwell Power is captured, and we sort out whether Mary Stuart is a threat, or just someone who speaks unpleasant words, then the danger goes down, and we find out for certain. Eleanor, you have to believe that Max Power knows about the Tower. Mary Stuart certainly does, right? And I know you know of a reason why she would desire it strongly enough to get rid of you if you stand in her way.”

  “But I trust you, Akio?” she asked me piergly, and at that Hyath could take it no longer, snatg the phone.

  “You wooorthless trash! Akio is doooing everything he to safeguard you, and you disrespect him sooo? Hyath is going to pull out your tongue and strangle yooou until you…” she squawked as Shaeu restrained her, and I retrieved my phone.

  “Sorry about that.” I apologised.

  “No, I see she is as feisty as ever.” Eleanor said softly. “You have to admit though, you have been good to me, with no reason for it I see. So surely your words about Max Power be returo you? You could quite easily be fooling me.”

  “Do you think that?” I asked, as Hyath raged behind me.

  “Holy, no. But then you do say I’m too naive and trusting, right? But I do believe in those I’ve fought beside these st months. So far, none of the psychological tests have indicated any brainwashing. You’re right though. The Tower…” I imagined she was making a very troubled face right now. “…no matter what, I ’t lose it. Even if I have to sacrifice for it. But… tell Hyath that I have listeo you. I promise to be as careful as I be, but I don’t want to be the sort of woman who doesn’t trust her friends.”

  “I do have a reason to help you.” I admitted. “Perhaps when we meet we talk about it. For now… just stay cautious. Do everything you that your sce will let you.”

  “I will. Don’t worry, I have taken your warnings to heart. There’s a lot of precautions I take without showing them I doubt their iions. Now, I have to go. I’m safe here in the Pace, the best of the British Army is here to protect grandmother and me. I’ll… bear your warnings in mind. And…” she lowered her voice. “I’ll thank you for teag me that trump card. Nobody but my brother knows about it, not even grandmother. So… I’ll be safe.”

  As she hung up I shook my head. “I hope so, Princess. But for now…” Turning to the others, I spoke. “We don’t have too long until we nd. Then we head for the coast and cross to the south of Engnd. From there it’s a short jaunt to London. Rather than looking for a needle in a haystack, we at least have a good idea of the goals of our oppos…” the meaningless, uneasy bring of my Fht was in the background of my mind as I looked out of the window, the vista of France spreading out below us. Mary Stuart, the being masquerading as Maxwell Power, Eleanor’s panions… are they w together, or do they all have peting goals? Who be trusted? Damn, it’s far easier when the enemy is clear, like the invaders of Kyoto…

  Turning to help Shaeu calm down the red-faced and angry Hyath, it took until we o soothe her rage, and after passing through passport trol, all of us on diplomatic passports, including Na, we were picked up by a driver that Fujiwara-san’s tact had arranged…

  ShipTeaser