Constructs and personnel climbed aboard the Ancamna. Rust has formed streaks on most of the submersible ship's hull, giving an iron smell that mixed with the river water. Only the vessel's tower-like deck was mostly spared from being moored for too long; much of the gray paint used on it has faded to a rusting white. The cigar-shaped hull of the vehicle could not be hidden even if half of it was submerged. Many of the men clutched and slung guns of various lengths; the stares they exchanged with each other were terse and tense.

Past the formation of men and materiel loaded into the ship were steel crates loaded in trolleys. They bore a smooth construction, rather than the riveted metal make they sported. The green eye of Winston Norton lit up when he stared at the crates; not far from him was the Gray Fox himself.

"Ah, how's your arm, Master?"

"I was lucky that wretched clergywoman did not burn the nerve ending connectors." The crime lord flexed the recently-assembled appendage and moved its fingers about. "I will have to settle with this model until I could get the time for a proper refit."

"The good news is that we could get these loaded faster. I am expecting that the Empire is making its move and has closed in on this facility."

"This facility has served its use. A tragedy that many of Hollengrehn's machinery will have to be destroyed. It will take another few months for the good doctor to be back in full production capacity. At least, we have the most important components dismantled and ready to be transferred to our other base of operations."

"I've assigned three squads of the constructs to guard the approaches. They and their handlers should be enough to hold off the army for an hour at best."

"Hah, half an hour..." the Gray Fox pulled out an aged pocketwatch. An image of a pale-skinned woman was at the back of the dust cover. "I shall take the reins of the Empire and soon, the world. Who knows, Halona? I can be master of time and space. I... I can claim you... from the world of the dead."

"You were saying something, Master?"

"None at all, Mister Norton. Good job. Half an hour or a full hour, there will be enough time for us to move to safety."

The Gray Fox put the watch back in his coat pocket and took the wooden platform to come aboard the ship.