"That is not good -- and he knows it. That is the good news -- he is fighting himself, as well as the four of you."Nana smiled sadly. "It may be only ...hree. The Decurion tricked Estrellita and only used her orally -- so she is likely to be stubborn about Javier." Would it help if the Decurion were present, do you think?" Yes." Nana thought about it. "I think she might be browbeaten into it then." Do you want to tell him, or should I?" I asked."I approved of the tactic; I may as well admit to. ’ ‘Yeah – gasp – think so. Side hurts.’ Burnett moved to York’s side, it was a bloody mess above his left hip, and the unseen wound was bleeding profusely. Burnett felt another presence, it was the old man from across the alley. He dropped to his knees beside Burnett and ripped open a pack of gauze and slapped it on the wound. Then he heard another set of footsteps running up the driveway. ‘You OK, Burnett?’ he heard the shift Sargent calling out. ‘I haven’t checked the house. Or the van. Hang. He spoke of the things you’ve done to Lady Maria and that you certainly wouldn’t stop there. That you were the one who would turn this crisis into a bloody war to gain more power and needed to be eliminated.”“I see. Well, what better way to conceal his plans than to tell you that they’re mine? So that was the real reason why you insisted on ‘giving me my privacy’ when I offered to let you and the men sit in First Class with me: because a man of honor couldn’t sit with a woman he’s been ordered. And frankly, I don’t find you quite that interesting, to be honest.”“No, the person who seems to be wholly fascinated with you is my leader, Sol Syntrivon.”I needed to buy time, that much was clear. The closer she got to me, the more overwhelmed I got. At that moment, she seemed to be strength personified.“Why?”, I asked, hoping against hope that Samuel brought someone strong enough to actually take on this force of nature. I was afraid that anything other than a Council Member would be nothing.