Глава 9

Leave it to me... You've traveled far to bring her home.

I will take care of the rest personally.

Ashes... and her personal effects.

There hasn't been an emergency transmission to Rhodes Island's deck for eleven months and twenty-seven days, since the end of the Chernobog incident.

—Who's the victim?

Outcast.

Right. I see you holding her revolver's cylinder.

I don't want to admit it, but I already knew the answer. I figured it out on our way here.

I made a bet with her once—

And it looks like she won.

Kal'tsit, I won't be at that next meeting.

Per protocol, you're in charge of an elite operator's funeral...

But I want to be the one to send her off this time.

I doubt anyone will object. Definitely not her.

Since the meeting's canceled, I'll give you my final decision right now—

I know what you're going to say.

Then I'm sure you know what everyone else will say.

The situation has changed. No one's happy about it, but we all know this is the only choice we have.

—We have to enter Londinium as soon as we can.

I'm sure you know that my position has always been the same—

But regardless of whether the rest of you support my decision or not, I must emphasize that Rhodes Island's direction will not be set on the airing of personal feelings.

You're telling me to forget about avenging Outcast?

Don't worry. I'm angry and hurt, but I know my job.

It's just... I need to see for myself what it was that killed Outcast—

It couldn't have been just one person, or even several of them.

Suppose we don't go looking for the truth. The darkness shrouding Londinium, and even all of Victoria, is only going to get worse.

And at that point, it won't just be Outcast...

I'll die. We all will. No one will be safe.

Just like you said, Rhodes Island isn't about avenging the dead...

But I am sure we all want to let the living live.

Er... Where am I now? Did I make another wrong turn?

Oh, whoops! It's almost time. I have to hurry... *sigh*, Uncle Oliver never told me how big this ship was!

Huh? Are you...?!

Wait, please! Hold on!

Mm...

You...

(Why doesn't she seem to know me at all?)

(No, it couldn't be anyone else.)

(I've been meaning to find out what happened to her ever since I came to the ship, but they either didn't know or wouldn't tell me.)

(Hmm... Maybe it's for the best, for her own safety?)

Hello.

A—Are you reading? 'The Legend of Ivanhoe'... I've read it too. It's one of my favorites.

Don't you think this part of Victorian history makes for a really fun read?

Is it... fun? I suppose... but it's not real.

It's a novel... That's all.

Right... I suppose that is true. Do you want to read something else, too? I have lots of books... Oh. No, sorry. It slipped my mind I didn't bring any of them with me...

If you like this one... you can have it.

Huh? Are you sure? Th-Thanks...

I'll be... going now.

Oh, okay! Bye!

(Will we see each other again?)

(She has another book on her... A poetry collection?)

Seamus Williams... The name rings a bell, and I think I've seen that cover before.

This must be the place...

I—Identification code? What is that? Is it in the 'New Operator Guide?'

Ugh, I don't want to be late. I'll just knock.

Come in!

Good afternoon, Miss Willow... or should I call you Operator Saileach?

Oh... Miss Amiya!

Please, just Amiya. That's what everyone calls me here.

I'm sorry about this, Amiya... You're so busy, I shouldn't have you cut into your work to come see me. When I did my physical the other day, I heard you only got about five hours off a day...

Folinic's always so worried about my health. Don't worry, though. I'm in excellent shape, and I've actually wanted to see you again for some time.

So this used to be Outcast's office...?

Yes, but she didn't get a lot of use out of it. We only just convinced her to accept a title change two months before the incident.

She told me she was essentially half-retired before she came to County Hillock...

But she still insisted on taking the mission.

I often think back to everything she told me in those few days... I think she had probably made up her mind, already, to take on everything.

That's just like her.

All our elite operators are pretty eccentric, but Outcast's particularly special—She makes the kinds of difficult decisions that others would have a hard time with.

Right, she told me... she gave up a really high position in the church because she failed to mediate peace in a war.

Hmm... I know she left the church, but a failed mediation?

I don't remember seeing that in her file. Actually, that sounds more like something that happened to Misery.

Ha... haha... I don't know why, but taking someone else's story sounds like something she'd do.

This may be why some people found Outcast a little insincere...

No, even if you tell me not everything she said was the truth, she's still the most sincere person I've ever met.

You really think so? Hmm... I'm not too surprised. Outcast's always had an eye for people.

I know your time is precious... but would you mind telling me more about her?

I don't mind at all.

This is going to take some time, though—

As long as you have time. I'll always be willing to listen.

Okay. I think... we'll have lots of time on our way to Londinium.

Several months later...

Are you done fixing that yet?

Oh, keep your head on. What's the rush? This town's so far from anywhere, it's tough to find a replacement circuit for our comms...

Let me do it. Any equipment you touch always goes up in smoke. That's never changed.

I mean, it's been forever since the last time this safe house was used...

I should never have listened to you and taken this route.

We've been drifting all over the place for the last few months, and we spent half that time in the middle of nowhere, eating sand!

It's only been a few years... How come my Chenchen's so much angrier in the eyes there?

Stop mumbling... I can hear every word. You've got the loudest whisper.

What's the rush, she says? Why aren't you in a rush?!

You know how long we've been out here? Forget the spectre force. We haven't found anything that even resembles a clue!

If I ran into a situation like this back when I was a cop in Lungmen, I would have told you to give up... No hostage would last this long.

...No.

I know the captain's still alive.

And likewise, she knows I'm doin' everythin' I can to save her, and I know she's lookin' for a way to regroup with me.

Eh, fine, whatever. There's no helping you.

If I could talk you out of anything, you wouldn't have been dragging me all over the place.

Just goes to show how sweet you are on me, Chenchen!

Enough, I understand persistence. All those years, back when I had my heart set on finding her, you always supported me... Anyway, let's not talk about this right now.