“I’ve been holding it as a good idea not to know too much,” said the private investigator to his disguised royal charge, “but where are you taking us?”

A man of similar age and reasonably comfortable stature looked over at Derringer from between a bowler hat and mustache. He had an appropriate-sounding voice, but it was really Princess Soleil, Magus Ascendant, under her chosen illusion as a respected and regular mid-clearance official in an office suit. “You may not like it,” she warned him.

They were on a serpentine walk from block to block between capital districts, with Soleil leading. She had a purpose – getting the lay and timing of the area before staging some form of infiltration, while collating all her relevant knowledge into the correct moment of approach. In other words, she was figuring it out as she went along, but as if she knew what she was doing. Derringer understood this, he knows about this. He was beginning to get a sense of where they were and might be going, along with the satisfying feeling that what he wanted was similar to what everyone wanted.

Soleil-as-Dalib-or-call-him-Chip made a conversational stop outside a residential front garden gate. “Okay. I’m nervous. I want to tell you what I’m trying to accomplish, because now I believe you should be informed.”

Cristobal had been adding words to the comics battle he and Toller drew yesterday. His new friend had thrown in some total non-sequiturs with a serious look, as though these particularly imaginative images were important. Without lifting his eyes, he tuned his hearing to the adult discussion. “…need to have a discussion with the new student at our office location, about possible sensitive information related to his admissions.” It seemed that anybody could hear the man’s words in the quiet of the classroom.

The teacher, Jae, replied, “Toller has been a great addition to the class, a knowledgeable student and positive presence. I hope the discussion goes well. We’ll be happy to have him back here anytime soon.”

Toller made no effort to hide his attention when they walked up to him. He was glad he’d given his notebook comics pages to Cristobal yesterday. Glad he told the older brother how to be prepared without alarming him, by sharing imperatives as though they were a nonexistent father’s lesson. The urgency of caring for another in dangerous times. He wanted to help this kid from being trapped in safety when safety might be shattered, though the guy seemed to have suspected for a while already.

“Apologies for taking you from class Toller, but we need to ask you further details about the circumstances that brought you here.” The suited man addressed him softly but firmly. The adolescent turned to his cohort and winked with brave nonchalance. Carlo, the younger prince, was looking at him with friendly attachment and fidgeting with discomfort over the unfamiliarity of this scenario. Other classmates were also rapt to this scene with undisguised trepidation. Toller picked up his few things and went quietly. He noted the faces of his classmates and teacher. He noted every visibly detachable item on his escort.

They were in the middle of unstructured classroom group solitude when the agent escort arrived, let up by security but unexpected by the teacher. He entered through the rotunda double doors in an officially unintimidating suit, a presentation which made Toller duly suspicious. When Princess Soleil had given him her special seal, he’d studied her uncertainty, and weighed it against his road wisdom to understand what amount of trouble might come with this decision to make a visible exception of himself. The amount of trouble would be greater than none, yet so far socially he’d encountered the ease of an honored guest and a welcome addition, even with the young Princes. Now on his third day in class, here came the trouble, in a suit disguised as subtle though actually equipped and wired, as the observant eye noted.

The ground beef had been massaged with a little bit of pepper and salt. Draig washed his hands and wiped them on his barbecue apron. He brought the bowl outside, to where the grill was already warmed. It was set to overlook his small but nice fenced backyard, hemmed by the roofline of the dense, well-to-do residential area situated between the Imperial Court and the Spear. The gardener had just been there, so the two rosebushes looked vibrant. He sighed, half contented and half unsettled, and began the rotating process of forming patties and grilling up a plateful of burgers to himself. This was a perfect time to sink into his thoughts.

I know the story of my great-grandfather. It was told to me once, but now and then I’d ask to make sure I had the details right. He escaped an inquisition chamber when Rianoire was ruthlessly crushing dissent under her drastic misrule, and he helped others into hiding. When I dreamed I was fleeing, recently before the fleet strike, it felt just like the story. I was holding a child and a gun. I can still feel it, knowing what I had to do.

I remember when the Princess worried that she might turn out like her least-loved predecessor. I don’t think she guessed that her father, not of that blood, would approach it so nearly. Now he wants me to direct undercover questionings of average citizens. I catch myself asking why this is happening, why things are going this way – as if by knowing why, I could stop it. I’m not sure if why matters.

Maybe Vario’s broken-hearted. I can’t heal that. Maybe the only thing I can stop is my own hand in it. What if I would have more compassion than anyone else given the position? Could I deliver the least possible cruelty? How much worse would my functional replacement be? Functional replacement, wow, I sound like I’ve got one foot out the door.

What if I do give up everything I’ve worked for… I would be shamed, but would I be ashamed? Not with the shame of doing to others what was done to my own. I don’t have long until I’ve decided my guilt.

The meat came from a heritage local farm near the outer edge of the Capital. When the first had cooled just enough, the bite was fresh and juicy. He held the burger patty in one hand and munched while finishing up the batch.