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‘Relative location?’ I ask.

‘Roughly three kilometres north by northwest,’ Tia reports.

‘That gives us minutes at best,’ Ophelia says.

She and Luca lock eyes. They seem to come to a silent agreement.

‘Ana,’ Luca says, ‘you have to take theNautilusaway from here, out to open sea. Shecannotfall into LI’s possession.’

Gem steps back as if pushed. ‘Hold on. We don’t even know if the sub willmove.’

‘You were just lecturing us on taking things slowly!’ Franklin agrees.

‘And now we have no time,’ Ophelia says, her voice strained. ‘If theAronnaxput a tracker on theVaruna, they will be focused on Lincoln Base, not theNautilusherself. We have enough defences to keep them occupied while you escape.’

‘We can help you fight them off!’ I say. ‘Why take the risk of leaving?’

I know my real motive for saying this. It’s not about the sub.

I left Dev and HP collapsed around him. I can’t watch the same thing happen to Lincoln Base. I can’t run away and again watch people I care about die.

‘My dear,’ Luca says, ‘the greatest risk is that Land Institute acquires this submarine. That is a risk to the entire world. TheNautiluswill listen to you. I am confident in her seaworthiness. She should have basic propulsion. Her camouflage is operational.’

‘That’s true,’ Tia says. ‘We checked it yesterday.’

‘She can run and hide,’ Ophelia concludes, ‘but her long-range weapons are non-functional. In a fight, she’d be helpless.’

‘Also true,’ Gem says. ‘We don’t know how half her weapons systems work. And those torpedoes …’ He shakes his head sadly.

‘Sitting here,’ Ophelia says, ‘theNautilusis simply a prize waiting to be taken. On the open sea, at least she has a chance.’

The lights briefly dim. There is a clunking sound somewhere in the lower decks. I can’t help but feel that theNautilusis coughing to get my attention.Um, yeah, get me out of here.

The idea of the open sea must be appealing to her aftersitting in this cavern for so long. Still, my heart flops around in my chest. I wish I could let Luca and Ophelia command the ship, or Gem … But I am the only Dakkar. It has to be me.

I hate my DNA.

‘If we do this …’ I say. ‘If– then what about Dr Hewett? We can’t move him.’

‘Oh, I’m staying behind,’ Franklin says, like that should be obvious. ‘I’m not leaving my patient in the middle of treatment. Ester can be acting prefect.’

‘But –’

‘I’m staying, too,’ Tia says. ‘Ophelia and Luca will need help with the island’s defensive systems. Besides, Nelinha is your best combat engineer.’

Tears well in my eyes. ‘Tia, I never –’

‘Hey, it’s fine.’ She squeezes my arm. ‘We all have different strengths. Working on this sub …’ She glances around nervously. ‘Beautiful as she is, that’s not one of mine.’

‘We would welcome your help in the base,’ Luca says. Then he turns to me. ‘Ana, the tunnel from this cavern emerges south of the atoll, directly opposite theAronnax’s approach vector. That should put the island between you and our enemies. We will do our best to draw their attention and buy you time.’

I remember Hewett’s words to the guards on the docks in San Alejandro:Buy us time.

‘But if they take the island,’ I say, ‘or destroy it …’

The memory of Harding-Pencroft crumbling into the Pacific floats in the back of my vision like an old-fashioned photograph resolving in a bath of silver nitrate.

Luca gives me a sad smile. ‘My dear, do not worry. I have no intention of getting myself killed.’