This was different from what we had figured. George Prince had come in from his own room, had tried to rescue his sister, and in the scuffle, Anita had taken the shot instead of George.
"I did not even know I had hit her," Miko was saying. "Not until I heard she was dead." He added sardonically, "I hoped it was you I had hit, George. And I will tell you this: you hate me no more than I hate you. If it were not for your knowledge of ores—"
"Is this to be a personal wrangle?" Rankin interrupted. "I thought we were here to plan—"
"It is planned," Miko said shortly. "I give orders, I do not plan. I am waiting now for the moment—" He checked himself.
Moa said, "Does Rankin understand that no harm is to come to Gregg Haljan?"
"Yes," Rankin said. "And Dean. We need them, of course. But you cannot make Dean send messages if he refuses, nor make Haljan navigate."
"I know enough to check on them," Miko said grimly. "They will not fool me. And they will obey me, have no fear. A little touch of sulphuric—" His laugh was gruesome. "It makes the most stubborn, very willing."
"I wish," said Moa, "we had Haljan safely hidden. If he is hurt—killed—"
So that was why Miko had tried to capture me? To keep me safe so that I might navigate the ship.
It occurred to me that I should get Carter at once. A plot to seize the Planetara—but when?