he?”
“The best I’ve ever had,” Austin says from behind his desk. Incredibly, the room is somehow messier and more cluttered than the last time I visited. The papers over the floor are now layered with new documents; in several places, its clear folders were stacked too precariously, tipped over, and were never righted. I step carefully to avoid dirtying anything as I approach Austin.
“Is he … okay with you working with the Order behind the Council and military’s back?” I ask. Noah’s presence didn’t give any indication he was bothered to see me, but …
Several heartbeats pass before Austin answers. I can’t easily identify the emotions coloring his presence. “Even if he objected, I don’t think he’d ever say so.”
“What do you mean?”
Austin sets a file folder on his desk with a swish of air that sounds like a sigh. “Noah’s not a very … open person. Perhaps it comes from being brought up in the military since before he could walk and working directly under the Council since he could wield a weapon, but he never says what he’s really thinking. I get the feeling he thinks his purpose in life is just to follow orders.” Austin’s eyes drift to the window. His presence on my grid flickers with night-black grief before fixing itself back into its usual neutrality. “I’ve been trying to break him out of that way of thinking for years, but given our positions and responsibilities, it’s difficult. Especially now with the war.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I had no idea.” I’d known Noah had been in the military for at least as long as Lai, but I never imagined he was actually born into the military. However … “But if he’s worked directly under the Council for so long, why do you trust him so much? Is it really okay for him to know about you helping the Order?”
Austin merely chuckles. “Working for someone for a long time doesn’t mean you’re dutiful to them. Noah has more than enough reason to despise the Council. He follows their orders because he has to, but he’s proved countless times that he is loyal to me over them. I trust him.” There’s no telltale itch behind my eyes that would indicate he’s lying. At the very least, he believes what he says. And if he’s known Noah and worked with him for so many years, I suppose he would know best. Still, an unknown party sharing knowledge in all this unsettles me. I should try to become better acquainted with Noah. Perhaps then I could ascertain whether or not he’s truly trustworthy.
Austin’s fingers flick through the random-seeming mess of papers on his desk. His presence is sharp with concentration. “I read the coded updates you sent. So, the Order has decided to join the war?”
I nod. “The idea is to make quick surprise strikes. The Order has found a way to somewhat accurately predict when the rebels will make their supply raids—which means we can counterstrike. We believe their next raid will take place tomorrow night. We’ll attack then.” I don’t mention Erik has gone over to the rebels as a spy. Lai and I discussed it, and it feels safer to leave him out of these discussions. No one needs to know he’s with the rebels. It could just complicate things when he returns to the sector.
“So what is the Order asking from me?” Austin’s voice betrays no tension, but his presence gives away his wariness.
I pull a list from the pocket inside my jacket. I memorized its contents before coming here; however, it’s always better to have a backup. “We would like to know the military’s patrol schedule and location of security Watchers, especially Outside. Running into them would unnecessarily complicate matters.”
Austin nods. “I’ll have Noah pull the schedules up for you.”
I hesitate because the next request is more difficult. “Lai would also like to request assistance in the way of weaponry. The Order has always been a peace organization up until now, so our arms are rather limited and basic. We’re worried what little we have won’t serve our members well enough. We also don’t have enough to arm all our members.” Hopefully mentioning that it’s a request from Lai will soften Austin up a bit. He is her adoptive father, after all. Perhaps if he thinks of it as being for her rather than for an organization he knows little about, he’ll be more inclined to acquiesce.
Austin leans back in his chair. His presence remains