'Still the devil,' said Pirolo cheerfully. 'That one would have
suicided.'

'I know it. That was why I signalled for the flying loop to be clapped
on her. I owe you an apology for that, Arnott. I hadn't time to catch
your eye, and you were busy with our caitiffs. By the way, who actually
answered my signal? It was a smart piece of work.'

'Ilroy,' said Arnott; 'but he overloaded the wave. It may be pretty
gallery-work to knock a knife out of a lady's hand, but didn't you
notice how she rubbed 'em? He scorched her fingers. Slovenly, I
call it.'

'Far be it from me to interfere with Fleet discipline, but don't be too
hard on the boy. If that woman had killed herself they would have killed
every Servile and everything related to a Servile throughout the
district by nightfall.'

'That was what she was playing for,' Takahira said. 'And with our Fleet
gone we could have done nothing to hold them.'

'I may be ass enough to walk into a ground-circuit,' said Arnott, 'but I
don't dismiss my Fleet till I'm reasonably sure that trouble is over.
They're in position still, and I intend to keep 'em there till the
Serviles are shipped out of the district. That last little crowd meant
murder, my friends.'

'Nerves! All nerves!' said Pirolo. 'You cannot argue with agoraphobia.'