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“Damn it.” Kara looked at the sphere again and an idea struck her. “Give me your laser-blade.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Something I got pretty good at when I was marooned. But I haven’t done it for a while.”

Vysh handed over her weapon and Kara switched it on. She adjusted the blade until it was about the same length as the handle.

“The general definitely said the only requisite was to have a sphere, right? Nothing about the condition it had to be in?”

“No, we just need a sphere. Why?”

“Because this one might get a bit fucked.”

Balancing the blade in one hand, Kara gauged its weight and moved a little closer to the sphere. She stood sideways on and sighted down her arm as she took aim. Then she hurled it like a dagger.

It flew through the air, turning end over end until it hit the target dead centre.

There was a splutter ofpopsand a shower of sparks. The ball fell to the ground, its casing skewered and cracked, as dead as a doornail.

“Wow,” breathed Vysh in awe. “That was amazing.”

“Trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are. I haven’t done anything like that for ages. Now let’s get out of here. You okay to jog?”

“Lead the way.”

It started raining again shortly after they set off. They both took a few minutes to gulp down water and Kara was relieved to see Vysh’s scales return to a healthier shade.

They headed for the rendezvous with renewed energy, and made it over the finish line in sixth and seventh place. Layahn’s face darkened as she watched them come in. When Vysh caught sight of her, she went straight up to Ela and complained.

“She stole Kara’s sphere,” she said loudly. “She cheated. Kara would have been back first if thatfa’krak nesmaghhadn’t threatened to maim me.”

“I was bluffing, of course,” Layahn said acidly. “And you fell for it.”

“You weren’t bluffing,” said Vysh furiously. “General, she should be disqualified. She held a blade to my throat.” She pointed to her blistered skin.

“Is this true, Layahn?” asked Ela.

The other Potentials who’d made it back gathered round curiously. Layahn glowered.

“What if it is? You said there were no rules.”

“Harming another Potential is forbidden, you know that.”

“It was an accident. She’s making it out to be more than it was.”

“That’s a pile ofdankar zift,” Vysh retorted. “You hit Kara on the head. Was that an accident too?”

“Enough, both of you.” Ela turned to Kara. “Do you have anything to say about all this, human?”

Kara looked at Layahn with narrowed eyes. God, she’d love to have the bitch disqualified. But there was the bigger picture to consider, one Vysh was too angry to see right now. Galling though it was, she had to take the high road.

“If Layahn says it was an accident, then that’s what it was.”

Vysh was aghast.

“But…”

“Silence, all of you,” barked Ela. “That’s an end to it. Kara, where are your spheres?”