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She took his hand. ‘Follow, don’t speak.’

He reached for Fariss and felt better when her hand engulfed his. They walked slowly, connected like this, along the side of the house and through the lanes to the edge of the settlement. Magdalen led them with little hesitation, as if she’d practised this dark walk many times.

Not a word passed between them until they belted themselves into a small AiV. Even then, as they lifted into the sky above the town, Thales could barely believe their escape.

Finally, Magdalen turned from the front seat to speak. Thales could see her face a little better now. She was still as slim and pale as he remembered: a similar build to Rene, a one-time friend of his wife’s who had chosen a different philosophical path from them both.

‘This is Linnea,’ she said, indicating the female pilot. ‘She was told that you asked for her in the town. She contacted me. Villon must have been watching over you, Thales. Your escape from the robes was more blessed than earned.’

‘How can I thank you, Magdalen? This is Fariss O’Dea, my … companion.’

Magdalen raised an eyebrow at the soldier bent almost double so as to fit her tall frame into the cabin. ‘Your tastes have changed, Thales.’

‘Many things about me have changed, Magdalen. I’ve seen and heard much while I’ve been away from Scolar.’

Magdalen nodded. ‘I have heard some of it. But you must tell me all.’

‘How could you have heard?’

‘We have some informants among the Sophos personal guard.’

‘We?’

‘It is not only you who has experienced change, Scholar Thales. Our world is—’

‘Our world is being run by Sophos who are not capable.’

Magdalen made a dry sound. ‘And you believe them to be infected by some virus.’

‘I don’t believe, I know. Villon … believed …’

‘Villon? Villon is dead!’ Magdalen exclaimed.

‘Now he is, but not then.’ Thales pressed his fingers against his eyes. ‘Magdalen, there is so much I can – will – tell you, but the most important must take precedence. The Post-Species invasion is very real, and they’ll destroy us if the shift sphere isn’t disabled. You saw the ’casts.’

‘The Eclectics believe the same thing,’ she agreed.

‘So how do we do it?’ asked Fariss.

‘Get to Scolar station,’ said the pilot, Linnea.

They all stared at her. ‘I worked as an IN tech for a while.’ She shrugged. ‘Moved on to essential services a little while ago. Pays more, and comes with transport. Means I get to spend time at home.’

Fariss grinned wide at that. ‘An IN tech. Bonus.’

‘You know how to shut down the sphere?’ Thales asked Linnea.

‘No,’ the pilot replied. ‘But I know how to get up there. Did the shuttle run more times than I could count.’

‘Scolar station sounds good to me,’ drawled Fariss.

Thales took her hand in a gesture of calm determination. He knew what he wanted to do: the same thing Villon had wanted. ‘We will close down the sphere. And then deal with the Sophos.’

MIRA

Mira felt an odd pressure in her head. The beginnings of a headache perhaps, or an adjustment to having Nova’s mind so close to hers. It left her quite detached as she climbed out of the egress scale into the sunset-soaked desert. Leah was below the horizon, but the ambient light was still bright and burning hot.

She took a moment to absorb the impact of the overwhelming heat, and the knowledge that she was home. Insignia had settled on a dune to the north of the Juanita mine, its scarred outer skin glistening darkly against the red sand.

Close by was another biozoon, a hybrid that Mira recognised by sense rather than sight. Sal.

To the south lay another huge, almost endless object, cylindrical in shape and half-buried in the sand. Mira’s detachment faded a little as she recognised the creatures gathered in clusters across its hull.

What is it called? she asked Insignia.

Medium. I docked with it when I was searching for you in Post-Species space. I should add that the other humanesques went aboard.

Josef and Rast Randall? Her heart beat faster. Were they still there? Still