Half-light brought with it a rapid fading of the heat, especially down in the Reach. Challis, her awareness renewed, watched the change in the jungle's plant life as the day ended. The greenery didn't go dormant so much as the day's implacable fight for sunlight became a more muted, softer, frothing flow of night life. Mystery was master during the night. Bright cooing and chattering shifted tone into eerie rustling moans and chuffing that often came too close for comfort.

A tilting balustrade tree shielded Challis from the open ravine, just high enough to hide the entrance to a little cave behind her. Drunnel and Groffoco hadn't been idle during the few days she and the others were gone, they soon discovered. A cave just big enough for four people to lie down in was hidden halfway up the steepest wall of the ravine. From the outside, it could only be reached by a sheer climb along outcropping treetrunks and protruding rocks, as there was no pathway. A patrol could pass topside of the ravine fifty feet above them, or along the River Vagrant at the bottom, and never sweep its eyes over the exact spot even if it was trying to.

"How did you find this place?" Flantain gasped when at last she was hauled up to the cave's entrance. Groffoco helped her to sit against the wall and made sure she was well wrapped up in her cloak before lowering the sling again for Thax. Drunnel would be last, climbing up on his own after putting Shoots somewhere with Groffoco's thrike and his own horse. Challis braced herself against the balustrade's twisted trunk and swept her mind out in a shallow net into the dark. A brief, thrilling heartbeat of a small hunter slunk down the slope a quarter mile toward Hannowold. She found its hunted, too – a surge of pattering haste, drunk on escape and the terror of being caught.

"We actually followed a patrol of our own," Groffoco said. "Took it for ourselves. They never saw us coming." He turned to Challis when he felt the tug on the rope. "Lass, could you, uh, lend a hand? Pull behind me. On three; ready, set, heave!"

He held a flashlight sideways to the rim of the rock firmly with his foot, and the rope slid over its smooth surface in spurts. When Thax was in reach, Groffoco lifted him bodily under his armpits and unloaded him next to Flantain with as much care as a laborer tossing a sack of fertilizer. When Thax snapped at him to go bury his brain, Groffoco only grinned.

"It's nice to see you too, you arrogant prick," he said. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be stuck with Director Crewcut in a strange place? The guy doesn't even sleep. Ever. You know how creepy that is?"

"You're not wrong," Challis said, not needing to raise her voice to be heard in the little space. Groffoco laughed, stopped, then laughed again.

"Right then. You all hungry? We're stocked up."

"I could embrace you," Thax burst out. Then, "Get the banana blazes away from me. Food, Groff. Please."

What hadn't been ant-ridden in the cave's storage seemed too good to be true. Stacks of mealbread, flat and chewy, were slathered with a bean paste that Groffoco said he had pounded out with a bit of rainwater and cacao powder from Drunnel's private stash. That, topped with strips of crunchy rice seeds, seemed more satisfying than the rare meaty feasts open to the public back in Polescos. Groffoco also produced dried vegetables stuffed into plastic sealant wrap, safe from moisture and refreshingly sweet.

That may have been the reason why nobody said a thing when Drunnel finally joined them, as three of them were stuffing their gobs with a vengeance. He didn't comment, only stood leaning against the wall silently working his jaw. It was already crowded in the cave. But the Director's presence, both physical and subliminal, packed them in like cheese curds. Challis often turned her face toward the opening, as if sweeping for intruders, but in reality, she needed to open her awareness to the wide-open space as if taking a breath of fresh air.

Groffoco filled them in on what he and Drunnel had learned while tailing two different groups of Perraxis raiders. The group members first seen with Shaw were evidently travelling in pairs, rounding up the scattered FHF excursion party to bring them into Hannowold for holding. He and Drunnel had come to the same conclusion Thax had earlier: that the raiders were working for Brumelo now, privately hired to break up the FHF convoy and possibly to charge them with illegal trespassing or something to keep them contained in the military city for as long as possible.

"But that could take months," Challis said. "Would they, whoever 'they' are, keep us detained for that long?"

"It's likely that city management would treat us like visitors rather than prisoners, to avoid such a perspective," the Director sighed. "With access to food, temporary job placement, that sort of thing. But I'll bet you ten to one that thrikes and horses are off-limits until the stratocracy allows us to leave. After gaining as much information as possible about our expedition, of course."

"Would they go after the maccotons?" Challis asked doubtfully.

"They'd alert their factions in every city from here to Eddistas," he said firmly. "And smother any chance of the FHF getting any credit for maccoton experimentation and innovation."

Thax let out a low whistle.

Flantain spoke up after a hesitant pause. "Sir, if the rest of us are all in the city, captive or not, why don't we just turn ourselves in? Then at least we'd all be in the same place."

The question lingered in the air until Groffoco added, "I was wondering the same thing."

"It seems to me, sir," Flantain went on slowly, "that your discernment, and tact, might be exactly what our people inside Hannowold need to turn the situation back into our hands."

Challis tried to keep her smile to herself, though she wasn't sure if the cave was lit enough for anyone to see her expression.

"Perhaps," Drunnel said, with just the right amount of modesty in his tone. "That's something to consider. But…"

There was a shuffling noise as he squashed down next to Groffoco, pushing away some of the cave's supplies on his other side to make room. His long legs took up half the space until his boots were almost on Challis' knees.

"But what, sir?" Thax pushed.

Drunnel paused and cleared his throat, then enunciated his words so there was no mistaking him.

"But, I need to do something of… controversial legality."

Silence dropped onto all of them like a weighted blanket. They subconsciously drew closer together, heads turned, and a hushed sense of camaraderie brimmed up between them like nothing else had up until this point. Then, with a chill that iced up her stomach, Challis realized he was looking at her. They were all looking at her. Complex layers of emotion rippled out from each of them.

"And you'll need my cooperation?" she asked, trying to keep her eyes away from any faces. The tripwire tingled into her neck, her heartbeat drumming up into her patch until she was sure the vitasnaps were glowing like tiny orange beacons.

Drunnel "hmm'd" before saying, "More precisely… we will need your cooperation."

Challis rubbed at her forehead with both hands. "Director Haske, this won't be like the last time you asked for my help, will it? Back in Mawsch?"

He had the decency to keep his tone carefully even. "That… is up to you."

The implication of his words hit her. In other words, Challis realized with a swallow, if she watched her mouth this time, none of her companions would be killed on her account. She was glad she couldn't see his face.

"Terrific," Thax cut in. "Is this going to be another one of those you-distract-them-while-I-hypnotize-the-horses plans? I'd remind you, lest anyone forget, that Hannowold is a hella lot bigger than a pack of raiders."

Drunnel abruptly leaned forward, plunking his forearms on his knees. "Tofflar, how many bullets do you have?"

"One," he said miserably.

"I thought so. Shut up."

"Yes, sir."

The little lantern flickered, and Groffoco nudged it and tweaked a knob. A ring of green light, as big around as his spread hand, shone down inside an inflatable plastic cylinder, the sides catching the light until the whole thing glowed cheerily. Another little knob puffed out a bubble of warmth.

"You're sure about that light frequency setting, Captain?" the Director asked, looking out toward the entrance. The closest part of the balustrade tree lit green, though the light didn't seem to reach the branches further back. The black night outside the cave looked two-dimensional and could have been a painted paper screen against the wall.

Groffoco nodded. "Pretty sure. I powered on my slot screen and pulled up its gadget reference today. Only for a few minutes," he said quickly when everyone looked at him. "But it's easy to check. Whoever needs to go water a tree next can tell us if it works."

"Groff," Thax said. "There are women present."

"Toff," Groffoco said, matching his tone. "Women do it, too."

"Anyway," Drunnel said a little louder. "We need to be certain about how well that setting works. I'm going to go check on the animals and see if it isn't lighting up this little hole like a torch."

He stood, the top of his head nearly brushing the roof. "Challis and Tofflar, when I come back, we need to talk." The others watched as he disappeared outside to climb down the ravine wall.