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“What I’m saying is that we must acknowledge we don’t know how many dolls are nested within one another.” She closed the box, pointed at it. “This is the mastermind or minds.” She opened it and selected one of the smaller boxes from inside. “This is the Domino. How many things are inside?”
“More than two,” Eric said.
She opened the smaller box and tipped it. Paperclips clattered onto the table in front of her. “Yes, more than two. The point is, we don’t assume we know how many.”
Now Arthur shook his head. “What you’re saying is we can’t make assumptions, and shouldn’t underestimate him. I think we’ve learned that lesson.”
“I know you have,” Sophia said softly, touching his shoulder. “But not everyone has. My family is paying a steep price for that.” Lines of grief marked her face.
Charlie looked at Eric, whispering, “The admiral of Rome?”
“No change. Still in a coma. Doesn’t look good,” came his quiet reply.
On screen, Arthur and Sophia were also talking quietly.
Eric cleared his throat. “Then what we need to know is what the big pieces are. Maybe we don’t need individual names, though that would fucking help. I want to go back to the dolls. Doll number one is his collection of pet serial killers. Doll number two is the Domino, and inside was a million people who thought they were the Domino’s apprentice. Alicia is in there. Number three is the Bellator Dei, which has at least one bomber inside that nesting doll of horror.”
“According to Alicia, the center of at least one of those dolls is this cataclysm,” Arthur said.
That assessment was grim, and they sat in silence.
“Alicia will need to be questioned again,” Sophia said.
Eric frowned. “Alicia is a strong personality. She’s used to manipulating people. It will be hard to get her to talk.”
Charlie knew what his next assignment was going to be. He glanced toward the door where Sylvia and Hugo left and lowered his voice. “I’ve broken stronger people than her. I’ll get more out of her once we arrive at the Isle of Man. It’s going to take time, extended deprivation techniques.” He wished he wasn’t dreading what was coming. Somewhere during his time in America, he’d lost his edge. He hoped returning to England, being home and Charlie Allerton twenty-four-seven again, would help him find his footing. Part of him knew that wasn’t going to happen now that Hugo and Sylvia were in his life. For them, he would always want to be Lancelot.
Eric shook his head. “Knights don’t torture people for information.”
Charlie frowned. “I had assumed my time as a pretend knight was coming to an end, now that the mission is over.”
Eric pursed his lips. “You might want to talk to your admiral.”
Charlie studied the fleet admiral’s face, then looked at the laptop screen.
“Lorelei told us you weren’t thrilled by having to be a knight,” Arthur said coolly.
“She also said you didn’t like my husband when he was Tristan,” Sophia said.
“Uhh.” Charlie cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.”
“And you chose the name Lancelot because he was Arthur’s foe,” the admiral said.
Charlie straightened, going cold. “Fook, I didn’t mean it like that. You’re just a bit of a prick. No offense.”
“Even I know that was a shit apology,” Eric said.
Charlie resisted the urge to punch the fleet admiral. He ground his teeth, then spoke slowly, choosing each word with care. “I am loyal to England and the Masters’ Admiralty. I have served, and will continue to serve, the territory faithfully and well as a security officer—”
“No. You won’t,” Arthur said.
Charlie’s stomach dropped. He was being stripped of his title as security officer. He felt cold, a little panicky. Minutes ago he’d been thinking how he didn’t want to be a security officer.
But failing the Masters’ Admiralty came with a steep punishment.
Those who failed, be they a knight, security officer, or finance officer, weren’t simply demoted from their position because that wasn’t a punishment. Options for punishment were limited. No one was ever kicked out of the society because they would know too much. For those who broke their laws, or betrayed the society, death was the consequence. But if you were just a person who fucked up badly enough to be stripped of rank, there was a different punishment.
Offenders were denied the trinity marriage.
