the proper respects, if I knew how. The
right ceremonies, any special devotions . . . You know."

That was something Cortin could understand and agree with; even if the
man was misdirected, piety was important to the Protector's success.
And if one Aspect told her not to deny being its object, surely the
Triune would take it as it was intended . . . She turned to Odeon.
"Will you and Lieutenant Chang see to that, Captain?"

"With pleasure, Excellency," Odeon said, then turned to the man. "Want
a cartridge, until Lieutenant Chang and I can brief you? I usually
carry a couple of spares."

"Cartridge? Oh!" The man's initial puzzlement turned to eagerness.
"Yes, Captain, please. Does that mean you're Her priest as well as
Jeshua's?"

"Lieutenant Chang and I, yes; Her priests'll generally be working in
pairs." Odeon dug into a pocket and handed the man one of Joanie's
holy-medal equivalents. "This isn't as helpful as the Communion of
Promise, of course, and certainly not up to the Sealing, but we'll get
those to you too, as soon as we can."

"I appreciate that, Father." The man turned to Cortin, genuflected.
"Thank You, Lady."

"My pleasure," Cortin replied--realizing, to her surprise, that it
really was. She turned to Bain. "See that he and the rest who turn
out to be press-ganged are interviewed, thoroughly but courteously,
then interned according to the terms Colonel Bradford and I discussed."

"Of course, Excellency." Bain turned to the man. "Shall we go? Her
Excellency has a lot of work to do."

As they left, Cortin signalled for the next prisoner to be brought.
This one also turned out to be a conscript, but the next two were
actual Brothers, and the one after that looked like Shannon, though his
eyes told her he wasn't; he was the leader, despite his attempts to
deny it. She had him held separately, to be taken to the Lodge, then
continued the evaluation.

She'd lost count of how many she'd questioned, but only a few remained
in the holding pen when she realized she'd seen this one before, in far
different circumstances. Smiling grimly, she rubbed the backs of her
hands as though the Seals on their backs were still scars.

"Colonel?" Odeon said softly.

"He helped put the originals there," Cortin said, just as softly. "I
recognize him; I want him to recognize me too, and I look a lot
different from the way they left me." The man's face was burned as
deeply into her mind as the Brother