“The crew are ready for your inspection, sir,” he said in a businesslike voice.

Hlawnvert nodded and glanced at the line of yellow-shirted men who were waiting by the ship. “How many took the dust?” “Only two, sir. We were lucky.” “Lucky?”

“What I mean, sir, is that but for your superb airmanship our losses would have been much higher.” HlawnVert nodded again. “Which two are we losing?” “Pouksale and Lague, sir,” the lieutenant said. “But Lague won’t admit it.”

“Was the contact confirmed?”

“I saw it myself, sir. The ptertha got within a single pace of him before it burst. He took the dust.”

“Then why can’t he own up to it like a man?” Hlawnvert said irritably. “A single wheyface like that can unsettle a whole crew.” He scowled in the direction of the waiting men, then turned to Sisstt. “I have a message for you from Lord Glo, but there are certain formalities I must attend to first. You will wait here.”

The colour drained from Sisstt’s face. “Captain, it would be better if I received you in my chambers. Besides, I have urgent…”

“You will wait here,” Hlawnvert interrupted, stabbing Sisstt’s chest with one finger and doing it with such force that he caused the smaller man to stagger. “It will do you good to see what mischief your polluting of the skies has brought about.”

In spite of his contempt for Sisstt’s behaviour, Toller began to wish he could intervene in some way to end the little man’s humiliation, but there was a strict protocol governing such matters in Kolcorronian society. To take a man’s side in a confrontation without being invited was to add fresh insult by implying that he was a coward. Going as far as was permissible, Toller stood squarely in Hlawnvert’s way when the captain turned to walk to the ship, but the implicit challenge went unnoticed. Hlawnvert side-stepped him, his face turned towards the sky, where the sun was drawing close to Overland.