It’s #BookQW and is our hero ‘test’ing Eve?
More from Chapter 6:
I sighed. “You don’t suppose his presence here is related to the protocol meeting?”
“Bloody good point. Those ministers”—he checked the list again—“Quinn, Quala and Quetta, might have set it up as a front, freeing them to do field checks. Our man Quinn wanders over to Zeffir, one of the women somewhere else. Quaene might have arrived with the others and be functioning behind the scenes. Grünmann only knows what goes on in that fortress. And what about the other fellow?” Evard asked. “Quil. If Quaene is here, Quil is probably skulking around G47, too.”
I shook my head at his wild speculation. I didn’t care where the fifth minister was. As long as he stayed away from Zeffir. “It’s far too complicated. I wouldn’t know how to begin to discreetly ask, especially when Quinn’s not too eager…uh, willing…or even agreeable to meeting with me again.”
Evard looked pensive. “With Evangeline, you mean. And she is away. We don’t want to be viewed as renegade. In fact, if he wishes to maintain a covert identity, I think it wise to humor him for this surprise assessment on our care of the Zeffirites.”
“I’m not so sure it’s simply a test. I sensed a genuine stress over Quaene’s injury. Like he really believes she’s his grandmother.”
My gaze met Evard’s concerned one. This was serious. A failure regarding the native people would lead to a ’torg’s deactivation.
“If he returns,” I said, “we must be careful what we say. I wish you had found photos. I’d like some proof Quinn is a minister, too.”
“You could get proof.” Evard’s brows rose. “At Dome. Say, what if this chap has kidnapped a minister? We’d be in worse trouble for not rescuing her.”
I groaned. Neither of us needed to revisit this morning’s conversation. I had to go to headquarters, a safer prospect than confronting Quinn. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tilted back my chair.
~~~
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