"He was always optimistic," he said eventually. "That was one of the things." He studied the window.
The sea outside, grey and present. "He believed that things worked out. Not naively — he'd seen enough to know they didn't always. But he had the capacity to hold the possibility open." "Seven across. A four-letter word for home." He exhaled. "He would have gotten it."
"He did get it," Alistair said. "Yes." He held the cup. "Yes."
They were quiet for a while.
Outside the sea moved and the coastal light held its grey winter quality and the world continued its ordinary work.
"What comes next?" Lucien asked eventually.
"The inquiry," Tav said. "Fourteen days."
"Testimony."
"Yes."
"And Phase Two," Alistair said.
Lucien glanced at him. "You got the message."
"Yes."
"I don't know who sent it," Lucien said. "The channel was clean — professional infrastructure, external to Ablation. Someone who's been watching since before I was watching." "Someone who wanted the archive released."
"Who also wanted us specifically," Tav said.
"Yes." Lucien watched the table. "I've been thinking about that. Phase One was the archive. Phase Two is—" "Somethingthat requires what you are now. Not what you were at the start of the placement.
What you've become." He looked between them. "Whatever that is."
"A unit," Tav said.
"Yes."
"That chose itself," Alistair said.
"Yes." Lucien held the look. "That's what Cain missed. He thought the Protocol produced tools. It produced people who chose." "Whoever Phase Two belongs to understands the difference."
They sat with this.
The sea. The winter coast. The stone house.
"Whatever it is," Alistair said, "we deal with it the same way we dealt with this."
"Together," Tav said.
"Together," Lucien repeated.
He looked at his brother. Then at the person who had stepped into a bullet for his brother and said I don't leave.
"Yes," he said. "I believe you."
• • •
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
The storm arrived on the fourth night.
