"That's right."

"But then you and your partner show up and stop Derec A very from investigating what went wrong with the RI. Then you show up at the clinic where I was being treated and reassign the agents who had been there. And later, you came in and bombed my room."

"You can't prove that!" Cupra bellowed.

Mia ignored him. "Finally, you show up at a facility where contraband has been found, and the very same Managins involved with the assassinations are holding not only the chief roboticist from Union Station and his dead partner, but Derec Avery." She shook her head in mock sadness.

"You seem to be in all the wrong places at all the right times, Otin. And you haven't disputed the fact that it was Golner who did the killing. If you knew that, then why didn't you arrest him? Unless you both take orders from the same source. So, I ask again: Who's giving you instructions?"

Cupra shook his head.

"Bogard, suspend him."

In a swift movement, Bogard let one of Cupra's arms go and grabbed his ankle, then stepped up against the railing and stretched that arm out over the drop. He let the agent's other arm go, and Cupra swung free.

He screamed.

"All the texts tell us that torture doesn't work," Mia said. "But I'm not so sure."

"You bitch!"

Mia frowned. "Oh, that's not what I want to hear."

"Bogard won't drop me!"

Mia raised an eyebrow. "You're sure? Bogard is different from other robots. It's already left details out when you asked it questions, and, of course, a robot isn't supposed to be able to do that."

Cupra screamed again. He stopped flailing and let himself go limp. Mia's estimate of his courage went up again.

"Bogard, how many files are there pertaining to the Union Station assault?" Mia asked.

"Forty-seven, Mia."

"Are they available through the general Service data pool?"

"No. Fourteen are open flies. The rest are security locked and coded to specific agents."

"Which agents?"

"Cupra and Gambel."

Mia smiled. "Gets better and better. Maybe we don't need you to talk at all, Otin. Seems like Bogard got all the data we need."

"Please." The word came out as a thin whine. Cupra started trembling again, then tried to curl himself up to grab Bogard's arm. He could not quite make it and fell back.

"Who's running you?" Mia barked. "Who set it up?"

"I don't know!"

"Wrong, Otin! You and Gambel have been running around putting out fifes. You have to know what you're protecting in order to know what fifes to smother."

"Lemme up. Please. Mia, I-please!"

"I want a name, Otin. And it has to be the right one. If it isn't, we do this again until it is."

Cupra waved his arms desperately. Suddenly, he said, "Mikels! Alda Mikels!"

"Old news, Otin. Mikels couldn't sabotage security. Who else?"

"Please, for pity's sake!"

"A name, Otin."

The silence stretched. Cupra flapped his arms again. If Bogard had not been holding him, he might have worked himself loose and into a fatal fall.

Then: "One! One signed off on the security!"

"Bogard, retrieve."

Bogard brought Cupra back over the rail, snatched his arm, and righted him. The robot stood the agent on his feet and kept a hand on the shaking man's shoulder. Drool ran down Cupra's chin. He glared at Mia with open hatred and terror.

"One," Mia repeated. "And Alda Mikels. How does that work? Make it sing, Otin."

"Can we go inside?"

"After you convince me."

Cupra swallowed, closed his eyes, and nodded. "There's a consortium of patriots. Mikels heads it. One is a member. When Eliton first proposed this conference, Mikels approached One to discuss ways to stop it. One came to us."

"Us? You and Gambel?"

"Yes."

"Why you two?"

"History. We were in the military with Golner."

"Mikels gave Golner a job. How did Mikels know Golner?"

"His… son… was in Golner's unit. He died in the Ganymede action."

"I'm going to check this, Otin."

"It's true! I swear!"

Mia watched the man for a few moments. "All right, Otin. We'll continue this below."

He nodded gratefully.

"Bring him, Bogard."

The robot moved Cupra toward the lounge. Mia caught Michensol's eyes then, and saw the mix of respect and disgust. She felt bad enough without his reproach, so she gave him nothing.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"Of course."

Michensol went first. Mia gave the approaching sunset another look before following.