“Bandit, ma’am.”
“You’re not City, are you? Where you from, Bandit?”
“East Bank, ma’am.”
She was looking him in the eyes now. It felt like she was looking through his eyes into whatever grey matter had somehow accidentally lodged in his skull. And through that feeble excuse for a brain to the top of his spine where a lizard was curled up and its name was Cunning. And she was sniffing him imperceptibly. She reached out and fondled his ear.
“How did you get into the Honour Guard?”
The two High Guard commanders moved in, sensing a traitor. Their eyes squinted like the headlights of the Primate automobile that pasted Uncle Wily.
“Ma’am. I was personal bodyguard to The Protector’s designated escort, until he … took her over. They had nothing for me to do, so she asked him to put me in the Honour Guard.”
“Okay. Honour Guard dismissed. Assemble here at nightfall. You. Remain here.”
“Me, ma’am?”
“Yes, you.” Her voice seemed relaxed now. Even gentle. He kept his eyes looking over her shoulder.
“Can I trust you with a mission?”
“Yes, ma’am. But begging your pardon, if it concerns the business of the City, maybe you should give it to one of the cadets.”
“I am the City.”
“Whatever you say, ma’am.”
“There is a small gap right now between the City Elders and the Protector. You’re going to squeeze through it. The others can’t be asked to. Instead, they’ll be assigned to lead units of the Peoples Corps.”
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“These so-called Citizens Brigades did not spring up spontaneously like mushrooms. They’re being organized by a Resistance cell. They know how to exploit the media. Your mission is to find out where that cell is and report it to me. Clear?”
“Very clear, ma’am.”
“You know how to talk to people who live in chimneys. Honour Guard brats can’t do this. You know how to talk to drunkards and burnouts. They have a nose for criminal behaviour; they’ll tell you where the cell is. Then you go there undercover and penetrate it and obtain the names of the leaders.”
“You’d like me to identify the leaders. What if they think I’m a spy?”
The Director looked at him sweetly. It was as if she loved him for his innocence. “The one thing we know about them is that they are the authors of all the statuettes of The Protector. They call themselves the Makers.”
“Makers,” Bandit said. He hoped he really did sound as if he didn’t know what the word meant. He was a raccoon without guile. “Can I ask something, ma’am?”
“Of course.”
“I understand that I’m acting under your authority. Is that because The Protector will be out of town?”
“He may be temporarily … indisposed. As City Director of Security I’m assuming his authority until the Protectorship is declared official.”
“When should I complete the mission?”
“Before the sun is down. Off you go.” The Director wheeled around with a surprising agility and walked stiff-legged to join the two officers. He watched them disappear around the restaurant.
Deep breath. Smells like an autumn day. Now, where to get started? The traffic bridge, of course.
“Here you are!”
Bandit jumped. He knew that voice. It was …
Friskywits looking up at him with her kid sister eyes.
“I knew I’d find you. But I never thought you’d turn up in an Honour Guard. Isn’t the city glorious? I told you you’d find freedom here. Nobody cares where you’re from or how you look …”
“Sssh, Frisk. Not now.”
“Well, maybe they don’t care deeply. They aren’t sensitive to kinship relations. But they are marvellously open to strangers. I’ve made five friends already. That’s how I found out about the rehearsal. How did you get to be a cadet?”
“Can we talk somewhere else? I’m working undercover.”
“Oooh! That’s a slack wire to be out on. Are you guarding Bells?”
“Sssh! Walk with me.”
They ambled north through the park towards the traffic bridge. Beside them came the hum of the refrigerated trucks – food for tonight’s feast.
“Bandy – you mustn’t worry about Bells. She’s is a professional romantic, but that doesn’t mean she’s dumb.”
“I don’t want to talk about her – okay?”
