As Edmund watched Ileana walk away with rumpled hair and evidence of tear tracks running down her face, he tried to figure out where things had taken a turn for the worst. One moment he was waking up next to her and she's looking more beautiful, more desirable, and more seductive than ever before. And Edmund was certain she'd been flirting with him and thinking about aspects of their relationship from the other place that they hadn't explored. He even thought he felt her hand moving south, but that could have simply been his imagination.

The next moment she's snapping at him to mind his business. He felt rather like he'd been dumped in the Great River in the middle of winter. And he rather thought he'd prefer the river to her iciness. Then she had turned to him, looking broken and desperate for him to fix it. Trouble was, he didn't know how to fix it.

"What was that all about?" Bea asked once Ileana and Nalsa had turned the corner.

Nor did he know what to fix. "I have no idea." He sighed heavily. "Come, let us see to Sara."

Edmund followed the Hound into Sara's room. Bea's long legs made it easy for her to climb atop the bed, which she did not hesitate to do. She laid her head down next to Sara's. Sara was laying almost perfectly still, her chest rising and falling with her breaths. Her cheeks were flushed a bright red and Edmund could hear a wheezing coming from her chest.

"She sleeps but..."

"...She is no better than she was last night," Edmund finished.

Edmund tried to recall what it was Ileana had done to check for a fever, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer already. He placed his hand on her forehead, palm side down. She was more clamy than hot, but something about his hand didn't seem right. He flipped itover. That was more like it; now she was simply hot, too hot. Edmund pulled his hand back as though her skin had burned him.

What did he do now? He looked to Bea for help, but the Hound knew no more than he did. He'd promised Ileana he would look after Sara and see that she was all right. He'd promised her. "I don't know how to fix this." Fix it. He may not be able to help Ileana fix things with Meri, but perhaps he could help fix Sara's illness.

"Lady Bea," he said. "Find my sister Lucy, and tell her to come with her cordial."

"Lady Ileana refused the cordial last night."

"She did?" Edmund suddenly felt deflated. He was truly at a loss of what to do now.

"But you...you would not know that, because you were not there at the time. And perhaps I detect her body running hotter than it did last night?"

Edmund and Bea stared at one another for a moment. Did they dare to go against Ileana's wish to refuse the cordial? Knowing Ileana, she probably thought a magic healing cordial nonsense. She wouldn't believe it would work until she saw it in action. "Go, Lady Bea."

"Of course, your Majesty." Bea bounded from the room in search of Queen Lucy.

Edmund and Ileana walked through the drab halls of the mobile headquarters for the S.I.S. Ileana walked with an almost giddy pep in her step. It had been many years since Edmund saw her looking so light of feet and free of worry. Edmund knew her giddiness was due to her upcoming flight for Sicily. It had taken time and a good deal of convincing, but he had finally managed to get Ileana to agree to take some time off and return home to see Meri. He knew he would miss her terribly in the two weeks she'd be gone, and he knew he'd likely spend every second thinking about her and hoping she's alright, but both she and Meri desperately needed this time together.

"Pevensie!" A thick voice bellowed across the hall. Edmund and Ileana turned to see Daniels hanging out of his office. He waved Edmund over. "And bring the dame with you!"

"He is aware that I have a name, right?" Ileana asked.

"Probably," Edmund replied. After a bit of consideration, Edmund amended with, "Possibly. I know I've used it around him before, but whether or not his thick head has absorbed the information is another matter entirely. Come on though. We better go see what he wants, and we better hurry. We wouldn't want you to miss your fight."

"You are certain it is a good idea, right?"

"Absolutely! And besides, the tickets have already been purchased. You couldn't back out now even if you wanted to."

"I don't want to."

"Good."

Daniels' office was small and cramped. Most of the space was taken up by an obnoxious wooden desk. There was only one chair available for sitting, which Daniels indicated for Edmund to take. Edmund, being the man that he was, abdicated the chair to Ileana and chose to stand himself.

"Excellent work on the McGuffin case," Daniesl began, looking only at Edmund.

"Thank you," Edmund said after a slight pause; he was trying to give Daniels sufficient time to do the right thing. "But Ileana did all the work." It was true. Ileana had suggested the plan that they ultimately decided to go with. Edmund had simply gone along with it.

"You played your part though." Still, Daniels did not look at Ileana. "Have you had a chance to look over the report?"

"You know I don't have clearance for that," Edmund replied diplomatically. Of course he had looked over the report. To suggest otherwise would be like asking the sun to stop shining. But the agency didn't need to know that.

Daniels smiled. "Pevensie, you disappoint if you let a thing like the proper clearance level keep you from information."

Edmund hesitated. He was being tested; he knew that. The question was, how much should he reveal about what he knew? "I...may have glimpsed it, purely by accident."

"Purely, of course." Daniels paused. "And what are your thoughts on the matter?"

Edmund hid a frown. The report had indicated something rather unpleasant. "If the report is accurate, then it is grave news."

"Ah yes. Very grave indeed." Daniels paused again and still he did not acknowledge Ileana who was sitting directly across from him. Edmund glanced at her. Her foot was bouncing at the spot where it crossed her ankle. She was growing impatient with Daniels' rudeness, and so was he.

"With all respect, Sir, if you wish to discuss the report in more detail, I would be happy to oblige. But Miss Bellariu does not need to be present for that. If you'll excuse us, I must see that she makes it to the airport on time. Her flight leaves in an hour.

"Ah." Now Daniels finally cast a brief but wary glance in her direction. "I'm afraid there really isn't time for that. This matter must be resolved promptly."

"*Che cosa?" Ileana asked.

When he recruited her, Edmund thought it best to keep her diverse knowledge of languages concealed from Daniels, fearful that he might try to use her without Edmund's help. As a result, Daniels believed she could only speak Italian and French.

Edmund looked at Ileana now. He knew she needed some explanation. "We have a rat amongst us," he said in Italian.

"Sì. His name is Marvin; he likes the bread I leave for him," Ileana replied, also in Italian.

Edmund smiled. "Not an actual rat. A mole. A spy."

"We are all spies here."

"Yes, but one of our spies is leaking information to the Soviets."

"Oh." Her mouth formed the shape of a little 'o', then she furrowed her brows. "Do they think it is me?"

"No," he said quickly. "We know it's not." Edmund at least knew it was her, but he couldn't attest to what Daniels thought, and that unnerved him. He turned his attention back to him.

"You are right; this does need to be resolved quickly. So, let me take her to the airport and then you and I can sit down and devise a plan to catch the rat." If Daniels did suspect Ileana as being the rat, then it would be best to get her as far away from him as possible until Edmund could set him straight.

"A plan has already been put in motion," Daniels replied. Edmund really didn't like the look that crossed his face as he said that.

"Excellent," Edmund said through his teeth. "Then you can inform us of it when she returns. In two weeks."

Daniels did not respond; he merely looked at Edmund in a way that said 'sit down, you're not going anywhere.' Technically speaking, Daniels and Edmund held the same rank of Supervisory Agent, but since Daniels had been with the division longer he was the senior agent in charge. Edmund had to yield to his authority. Edmund looked at Ileana and tried to silently communicate his apologies.

"We have a lead," Daniels began, once more only addressing Edmund. "A Polkovnik has pertinent information pertaining to the leak. We need her to extract it." His eyes briefly fell on Ileana.

"Sì. I egg-tract. I always egg-tact." Ileana kept her accent thick. "In two week." She stood to leave, turning towards Edmund. Edmund really wanted to let her walk out, but he couldn't.

"The same simple song and dance routine won't work with the Polkovnik," Daniels continued. "He will require more persuasion."

Edmund did not like the sound of that. "How much more?"

"Substantially so."

Daniels let his eyes hover over and linger on certain areas of Ileana's body, and Edmund wanted to knock the teeth out of his mouth.

"No," he said firmly. "Out of the question."

"That's really not your call, Pevensie."

"We are not in the business of trading sex for information. We will not rent her out like some cortesana. We will find the information another way."

"It's already been done, Pevensie," Daniels said just as firmly. "This is the job. If you cannot see to it, then you will be removed as her handler and we will assign her to Jackson."

"Jackson is reckless. He will get one or both of them killed."

"Then your hands will finally be free of her."

Edmund's face turned to stone.

"It's one night, Pevensie. A girl like her should be used to it by now."

"Che cosa? Girl like me!" Ileana was furious. She turned to Edmund and began ranting in Italian so quickly Edmund struggled to keep up. "Girl like me? No! No, I won't do it. I will not play cortesana to some rat. If he wants the information so much, then he can sleep with rats. Not I!"

"Ileana...Ileana, I know." Edmund nearly had to shout just so she'd listen. "I know. You won't. I won't allow it. We'll find some other way. Please, just let me handle this."

Ileana calmed down slightly but she refused to sit back down. Edmund turned his attention to Daniels.

"The answer is no. We won't do it. There must be another..."

"I've already told you, Pevensie, it is not up to you. It has already been arranged. If you cannot oversee it then you will be removed, and any refusal to cooperate with this investigation will be seen as an act of admission."

"Admission?" Edmund reeled.

"All monies and personal effects will be confiscated, forthwith."

"What! No! That money is for my sister!" Ileana said, forgetting to speak in Italian.

Daniels grinned coldly. "And now she speaks without an accent. I knew there was more to you. And we can drop the sister act, Doll. We know what the girl is to you. If you have lain with men before, then you can do it again, or forfeit our protection and be tried as a traitor to the crown of England. And lover-boy here will go down with you."

Ileana glanced between Edmund and Daniles. Her eyes were clouded and her limbs were trembling with anger. Edmund reached for her hand but she pulled away from him.

"Men are all the same in any world. Fucking pigs with no honor." Ileana stormed past Edmund as she fled the tiny office.

"Lena! Lena, wait!"

"I'll take that as a yes," Daniels said. "Oh, I forgot to mention, the assignment starts this weekend so pack your bags; you fly out in the morning for Kursk. And, Pevensie, this is why you don't sleep with your assets."

Edmund could have run Daniels through with his sword, but he had to find Lena first.

Che cosa: what?