Mikhail Ash re-read his hirteen more aeronautigineers are ing to you: These ones are ex-Rancais Nationale Aeroflotte.

  In four days, Iliyal had brought him twenty men. Now more?

  Mikhail wanted his empty workshop back. He got back to redrawing another design for the rifle. Something was missing.

  Ilwin sat in his cell. Olympiada, Lower Prison. It was a small room, with a bed and a desk, two chairs, and grey walls. The pce was made to hold Divihe walls were reinforced with thin webs of silver and steel, the ceiling and door were stupidly high. Even the bed was oversized.

  He had seen Olympiada from the pne, an awe-inspiring mountain trying to reach the stars. All gold and marble at its huge peak, which spanned like a small coastal town overlooking the sea of clouds below it. The air was colder here, the sun harsher, and it was silent.

  If there was one word for Olympiada, that’s the word he would choose. When the pne he was finally on nded, he was greeted to a silent assembly of heavily armed men in unadorned armour. When he was marched through the corridors, maids would turn their heads and pretend not to look. When his guards gave him off to the dashing golden caped soldiers standing watch over the prison, it was done in silence. When they had stripped him of his clothes and given him the grey overalls of prisoners, it was done in silence.

  For four days, he had barely spoken a word to a there.

  Ilwin crossed his arms and smiled and as he returo meditating. Boredom was a tactic to interrogate humans with, not elves.

  An hour passed.

  Another.

  And so on.

  Ilwin ulled bato the world of the living from a kno his door. He thought about remaining silent for a moment, and then decided against it. The boredom was in fact getting to him. “e in.” The door opened and for the sed time this week, Ilwin stood before the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

  Her height: that was it. She was taller. Taller than him. Taller than Ilwin. If there was ao pare her to, it would be Arascus. She stood there for a few silent moments as her pale-golden eyes watched Ilwin. Golden hair cascaded down past her hips and she wore a dress that could have been of woven snow, all ging but yet still somehow modest. Ilwin ined his head almost on instinct, a person so perfect had nht to exist, but now that they did, Ilwin had nht to stand before them.

  And then she spoke, even her voice was a warm wind on a wintry m. “I am Alsaria, Goddess of Light.” She said promptly and theended one of those long arms to the chair. “Sit, your name?”

  “Ilwin.” Ilwin said and the woman nodded.

  “Now, I am sure you know who I am already.” Ilwin nodded, how could he not? The names of the White Pantheoaught to children as they were learning to remember the months. “And you have happeo nd yourself in some rather serious trouble.” Ilwin nodded agairied to hide the sheepish smile growing on his face. It was like he was being talked down to by a teacher.

  Then again, a Divine against an elf? Wasn’t that even worse than a teacher and a student?

  “I will leave you with this.” Alsaria pulled out a notebook and pen from within her dress. “Frankly, I don’t have the time, nor the peaind to run an interrogation. We will go like this: Maisara wishes to interrogate you, then Helenna. Essa is ambivalent on it but she’ll be after Helenna. Ohey decide you have nothing to offer, I will e and execute you.”

  Ilwin sat there and stared at Alsaria. Was this it? Just a threat? Was he supposed to be scared? He croaked and forced an answer out. “I don’t even know why I’m here.” Alsaria stayed motionless but gave a reply immediately.

  “You’re here because Leona believes that you’re not a follower of Anarchia. I’ve talked to your men, they’re obviously not Anars either, and you’ve picked them out well.”

  “They don’t know anything.”

  “No, we’ve already firmed that.” Alsaria said. She took a sigh, crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “You obviously know what you’re doing. You’re not panig before a Diviher you’re stupidly fident, fidently stupid or you have experieh one of us before.” Those golden eyes weighed Ilwin again. “The amount of pnning and anisation in what happened also begs a question: why?” Alsaria idly picked at her fingers. “And there’s also: Astangrad tral, Tress Ceremonial and the Tushev-Malkov Airport. Are they reted?” Ilwin shrugged.

  “You tell me.” Alsaria she air with some humour and tinued.

  “Obviously they are. So the question is, for what?” Alsaria said the words nontly, as if the answer did not bother her whatsoever. It almost made Ilwin want to spill all his secrets to see the woman’s shocked response. Alsaria eventually shrugged and merely wagged her fi Ilwin. “I see your memory isn’t w all that well today. I’ll leave you be. If you remember anything, write it in that notebook and give it to me ime I e round.”

  “When will that happen?”

  “When I have time.” Alsaria cooed. “Tomorrow, or maybe the day after, you have Maisara visiting.”

  “And, should I be scared of her?” Ilwin asked.

  “Oh no.” Alsaria said, her voice rife with sarcasm. “She is only the Goddess of Order, nothing else.”

  “Then we’ll see.” Ilwin pulled every st drop of resolution he had in himself to answer back to the Goddess.

  “We will see.” Alsaria said and sighed. “There are four ways this will end, just so you know.”

  “And those are?”

  “One, Leona will figure out everything we o know, in which case you’re simply wasting your time here.” Alsaria lifted a two delicate fingers. “Two, Maisara beats the truth out of you.” Another finger went up. “Three, Helenna tricks it out of you.” And the fourth. “Or four, you and me help each other.”

  “There is nothing you help me with.”

  “Maybe the Goddess of Order will ge your mind.”