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“It’s a date.”

Wanuri and I head for the bow.

I say, “Get some people on the ship with the flatbed. I need them to pull the tarp off. We’ll only scare these bastards if they can see the gun. I’ll be there in a minute.”

I look around for Alice and find her with the other angels near the mast. Vehuel has conjured a map of the river in the air between them. It floats, transparent, showing our ships and the ones heading for us. She moves her hand back and forth across the map, laying out a battle plan. When she’s done, the map vanishes and the angels head to the side of the ship. I run and catch up with Alice.

“Be careful, you,” I tell her.

“You too.” She looks at me, confused. “How come you’re not armed? Where’s your gun?”

“They’re getting it ready for me.”

“Keep your head down.”

“You too. Things are going to get loud.”

But she’s already in the air with the other angels and doesn’t hear me. I jump from the front of the ship onto the one holding the vehicles, weave through and onto the ship with the flatbed. It’s almost completely uncovered when I get there.

I head for the breech. Wanuri and a few other people are waiting.

She says, “How exactly do you plan on using an unloaded gun?”

“It doesn’t have to be loaded. They just have to think it’s loaded.”

“All right. How are you going to do that?”

“I’m not a hundred percent sure. I’m making this up as I go along.”

“I don’t believe it. Daja was right about you.”

I take out the plastic bottle of Aqua Regia and have a pull.

“I’m going to try something. You might want to move back in case I don’t get it right.”

“Faith is dwindling in you, Mr. fucking Pitts.”

I pull open the breech and get down on my knees. I can see the other end through the barrel. It looks a mile away.

“Well?” says Wanuri.

“I don’t think it’s going to work from this end. I’m going up front.”

“Make up your damned mind!”

She follows me up to the muzzle. The ships are still a good distance away, but closing fast.

“If you’re going to do something, do it,” she says.

I watch the ships for a minute.

“We should wait until they’re closer.”

“Why?”

“’Cause I’m not sure how far I can do this.”

“Do fucking what?”