"That's—" He stopped.
"Yes?" I said.
"That's not a bad analysis," he said.
From Mitch, in this context, that was the equivalent of standing on a table.
Ryke looked at me.
The look that was complete and personal and entirely his.
"Okay," he said.
"Okay?" Ziko said. "That's all? *Okay?*"
"She's right," Ryke said. "And we go together."
"Operational briefing," Silo said. "Who goes, who stays."
---
The briefing took twenty minutes.
Ziko had feelings about the operational briefing.
Specifically: he had feelings about the part where Silo said the forward party would be Ryke, Neva, Silo, Daven, and Corva — and the compound-stay party would be Mitch, Ziko, Duke, Vael, and Arden.
"I'm staying," Ziko said.
"Yes," Silo said.
"I'm in the compound-stay party."
"Yes."
"While you go to t
