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‘As most of you will be aware, this country has both a President and a Prime Minister, respectively Beatrice Sala and Lorenzo Rinaldi,’ Pivot said. ‘Our doublet in Rome was recently approached by a whistle-blower. This source claims that Sala and Rinaldi have signed a secret treaty with Scion, giving two Italian islands to the anchor.’

Speculative murmurs went up all over the room.

Ducos tapped her data pad, and a map of Italy appeared. Pivot used a pointer to indicate three small islands.

‘Capri and Ischia, part of the Campanian Archipelago in the Bay of Naples. The Italians among you will know that both were evacuated at the end of August, along with nearby Procida.’

‘Rinaldi said the volcanic complex under Ischia was stirring,’ a man said. ‘The bastard.’

‘The press has been asking why it was necessary to evacuate Capri,’ Ducos said, ‘which is about thirty kilometres away from Ischia. Rinaldi has sent talking heads to explain that the government is simply being cautious. Ischia has not erupted since the Middle Ages, so they have no idea what to expect. We suspect at least one geologist was bribed.’

Pivot looked to the defector. ‘Aparna, what do you make of this?’

‘I fail to see what Scion would gain from possessing those islands,’ Wells said. ‘There have been some territorial disputes between France and Italy, but the Campanian Archipelago lies nowhere near French waters.’

I listened in silence. None of this was my area of expertise. I might style myself as a rebel commander, but I had no actual military training.

‘So far, this development has stupefied everyone,’ Pivot said, interlocking her fingers on the table. ‘The general public has no idea these islands belong to the Republic of Scion.’

‘Yes, because there would be a huge outcry from Italians, including this one. It implies that Italy is also about to convert,’ Verca said, to mutters of agreement. ‘Rinaldi is weak on Scion, but Sala—’

‘Let us not rush to conclusions, Veronika,’ Pivot said. ‘Almost as soon as President Sala ratified the secret treaty, she cancelled all of her public engagements and disappeared. The official reason is illness. We have concerns that she is either in danger, or preparing to defect to the Republic of Scion, perhaps as Grand Inquisitor.’

‘The second option is not possible,’ Verca said firmly. ‘Sala is a vocal and lifelong critic of Scion.’

One of the other Italians huffed. ‘And have you never known a politician to lie?’

‘But President Sala has been outspoken on the subject, even when it didn’t serve her politically. A few years ago, she made such a combative speech about Scion that she was accused of overreach and threatened with impeachment. She would never give any ground.’

‘I would have said the same of Groven,’ Opseth said.

‘Italy has been a high-priority target for decades,’ Wells said. ‘If Scion were to occupy it, the remaining free states in the western Balkans would be forced to capitulate, finding themselves virtually surrounded.’

‘We are now in the unpleasant position of having to spy on one of our own benefactors,’ Pivot said. ‘Since it is possible that both leaders are compromised, we must do this with the greatest caution. We have a duty to protect our headquarters and this organisation, but also to protect our allies. It falls to the people in this room to understand what is happening and stop it.’

Nick cleared his throat. ‘Do Rinaldi and Sala know where headquarters is?’

‘Sala is aware that Domino is based in Italy, but not where. Only the doublet knows that,’ Pivot said. ‘Rinaldi has no idea about Domino.’

‘And the doublet stayed in Rome?’

‘Yes, so as not to raise suspicions. He sent the whistle-blower to Venice in his stead.’

My gaze lingered on the map, measuring the distance between the islands and the mainland.

‘We have three key questions to answer,’ Pivot said. ‘The first is why President Sala has disappeared, while Rinaldi continues to go about the daily business of government. The second is why Scion wanted these islands. The third is what sort of weapon Scion acquired to make Operation Ventriloquist possible, and how it works on politicians.’

The more I looked at those islands, the more I understood. The fine hairs on my arms rose.

‘Perhaps this Operation Ventriloquist is simpler than it looks,’ Maria said. ‘Is it just good old-fashioned blackmail?’

‘Norway had a strong democracy,’ Opseth said. ‘It is not so easy as blackmailing one person.’

‘Domino has already taken steps to answer two of the questions,’ Pivot said. ‘Our operatives are searching for Sala. I also dispatched a team to investigate Capri and Ischia, to see if Scion has stationed troops or left supplies. They used propulsion vehicles to approach Capri underwater, endeavouring to avoid detection. They did not return. Neither did a second team. I prohibited any further attempts.’

Ducos brought up a new image of Italy, adjusted it to account for the darkness and homed in on the right coordinates. Once Capri appeared, she made the image three-dimensional.

According to the onscreen data, Capri was about four miles long. Mountainous in the middle, scattered with small white buildings; it had previously had a population of seven thousand.