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‘That organisation is, for all intents and purposes, a Panamerican equivalent of Domino, specialising in counterintelligence against Scion. Some refer to it colloquially as Tinman.’

‘Why?’

‘Lack of heart,’ Ducos said. ‘Tinman is known for being unscrupulous. Its agents will go to extreme lengths for information, have been known to spy on their allies, and rarely assist or cooperate with other agencies that oppose Scion.’

‘We have occasionally liaised with them,’ Pivot said, ‘but we report to different political interests, and do not exchange intelligence. Did any of its agents identify by themselves by name?’

‘Steve Mun,’ I said. ‘Any idea why they’d want me?’

‘Our working theory is that Eléonore Cordier and Harald Lauring were both double agents in Domino, working for separate organisations. Lauring was passing information to Grapevine, while Cordier may have been involved with the Atlantic Intelligence Bureau.’

‘So Grapevine and Tinman might have both wanted me for different reasons?’

‘Perhaps. As I say, it’s a theory. Veronika Norlenghi has agreed to fly back to Prague to retrieve our records on Lauring and Cordier, so my colleagues can investigate further.’

‘You don’t have the files here?’

‘No, and we prefer not to keep electronic records of our agents, in case of leaks or intrusions. This means they can only be transferred by hand. We operate this way in Scion, too.’

‘Harald claimed Grapevine had his family,’ I said. ‘Nick thinks he’s the one who betrayed Docka.’

‘Lauring came here for sanctuary after the collapse of Docka. He claimed to have used his skills as a locksmith to escape. The story appeared credible, so I reassigned him – a grave mistake on my part. He is at least the second agent to have been turned by Grapevine.’

‘What do you know about it?’

‘Grapevine is the network Scion uses to gather intelligence on the rest of the world.’ Pivot assessed me with dark eyes. ‘On that note, we are seeking information on a high-ranking individual known as the Suzerain. I understand that title means something to you.’

I wondered where she had heard it. Nick or Burnish, perhaps.

‘This is where I believe you can be of enormous help to us,’ Pivot said. ‘You’ve met the Suzerain, which means that you have unparalleled knowledge ofAdvena sapiens, as we’ve named her species. Widow believes your auxiliary in Paris was one of them. Is that the case?’

More and more people were learning about the Rephs. The secret Scion had protected for two centuries was gradually seeping out of its grasp. It was exactly what I had wanted when I paid forThe Rephaite Revelationto be distributed in London, but it gave me an odd feeling in my stomach – like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into a chasm, with no idea what could be at the bottom. Once we took this plunge, there was no going back.

‘Yes,’ I said.

‘Dr Nygård has explained how you first encountered them.’ Pivot held my gaze. ‘Flora, this is the most inflammatory and urgent intelligence Domino has ever received about the Republic of Scion. I have not yet conveyed it to the nations that fund this organisation.’

‘Why not?’

‘Lack of conclusive evidence,’ she said. ‘More importantly, I must consider the potential repercussions. Were this information to be widely known, it would change our world irrevocably.’

I thought back to the night I had learned the strange truth behind Scion. At first, the Rephs had seemed distant and terrifying. Some of them still felt that way.

But the more time I had spent around the Ranthen, the more I had grown used to them. Living in close quarters with Arcturus had only rubbed off more of their mystery. I had seen him making coffee in the mornings, leaving the bathroom with wet hair, reading books and watching films. I had slept in his arms. To me, he was half a step from human.

All this meant I had almost forgotten how stunning a revelation it was, that humans were not the only sentient beings on Earth. I had never reflected on how deep its implications went.

I was going to have to make a quick decision on how much to reveal. My instinct was to keep the Rephs under wraps, but I was getting the distinct impression that the horse had already bolted.

‘I thought you were paid to share that sort of information,’ I said, stalling for time. ‘Isn’t that the whole point of Domino?’

‘I answer to the twenty-eight nations that fund and protect the Domino Programme,’ Pivot said, ‘but before I tell them aboutAdvena sapiens, I need to be certain of exactly what I will be reporting.’ She clasped her hands on the table. ‘Can you help me, Flora?’

I raised my chin. ‘Were any of those nations involved in the bombings of Paris and London?’

‘I can’t confirm or deny that. What I can tell you is that King Esteban of Spain had signed a secret treaty with three other monarchies, agreeing to a principle of collective defence. Any Scion attack on those countries would be answered with a joint retaliatory assault on London and Paris,’ she said. ‘After many years of watching Scion, the free world is beginning to react to its expansionism. This is why I must ensure that any intelligence we provide is watertight.’

My nod was stiff.