I look away, my heart beating faster than it was moments ago. Ravensloe clicks his fingers and Dr Dolores Seymour begins distributing files. Mine is covered in brown paper with my name scrawled across the front in black ink.
‘You will read your respective files once before they are destroyed,’ Ravensloe says.
Marquis raises an eyebrow at me as the room fills with the sound of front covers being turned. I flip my file open and begin to read.
NAME: Vivien Marie Featherswallow
SHIFT: 5 a.m.–12 p.m.
SHIFT LOCATION: Glasshouse
JOB CATEGORY: Codebreaking
Codebreaking? My eyes tear back through the words, looking for any information I might have missed, but there’s nothing. My stomach drops. Wyvernmire said she needed someone who speaks dragon tongues, a polyglot. I don’t knowthe first thing about codebreaking. Maybe I’ve been given the wrong file. Hushed whispers fill the room. I look across at Marquis. He’s shaking his head in disbelief. Sophie has closed her file and buried her face in her hands. Only the boy in the white collar seems serene. In fact, he almost looks amused.
‘Guardian 601 will help you locate your accommodation,’ says Ravensloe as Owen reappears at the door. ‘Shifts begin in the morning. I would advise you to bear in mind that you are undertaking top-secret government business that is to be completed with the utmost urgency. You have three months.’
Three months? Three months to win a war?
‘Unfortunately, the previous team did not heed my advice.’
A cold chill runs down my spine. So we’re not the first. I stare at the three category leaders, but their faces betray no emotion. Did they work with theprevious team, too? How long, exactly, have they been preparing for this war? The other recruits are glancing round at each other, as if looking for reassurance that they simply misheard.
‘Remember, recruits, that what you do here will help determine the course of the war.’
With that, the Deputy Prime Minister and his Guardian leave the room. The category leaders begin to collect the files and my mind races. Three months. It’s not enough time, and yet it’s too long to be away from Ursa. I’m suddenly desperate to get to work, to know exactly what this job will entail.
‘Well?’ Marquis murmurs, checking the category leaders aren’t watching before approaching my desk. ‘What did you get?’
‘We’re not supposed to talk about it,’ I snap.
‘Come now, cousin,’ Marquis says with a wink. ‘For once in your life, trynotbeing teacher’s pet.’
We’ve been here five minutes and he already wants to break the rules.
‘We signed an Official Secrets Act,’ I whisper. ‘Ravensloe said—’
‘That we can discuss our work witheach other,’ Marquis says, perching on the edge of my desk. ‘We both know you’re going to tell me. So just bloody hell get on with it.’
‘Fine,’ I say. ‘I’m a codebreaker.’
‘A what?’ Marquis says loudly.
‘Shhh!’ I hiss as several heads turn towards us ‘Are you not, then?’
‘No,’ Marquis replies. ‘They’ve put me in Aviation.’
I snort. ‘As in flying planes?’
‘How am I supposed to know?’ Marquis replies. ‘You did tell them I’m studying dragon anatomy, didn’t you, Viv?’
But I’m no longer listening. As the recruits begin to file out of the room, Sophie walks past us without so much as a glance.
‘Sophie!’ Marquis calls.
She ignores him and he turns back to me with a look of outrage.
‘So she hates us now?’
