He woke up the next morning; Amir was waiting outside his room. Vanrra asks him. —What are you doing here?
—Just walking around. Hey, you remember you wanted see my revolver? I'll show you my entire collection.
He led him through the corridors until they reached another elevator; they then descended a tunnel to a hangar. —This tunnel is another entrance to the base; it is much better equipped. The entire staff greeted the prince. They arrived at the shooting range. They entered a warehouse filled with shelves of various weapons. —What are your thoughts? I will show you the revolvers.
—Is not necessary.
—I thought you liked them. —He drew his revolver. He pointed it at him. —Isn't it beautiful? I'll let you shoot it. —He tried to spin the gun, but it ended up slipping from his hands.
—I've never fired a gun.
—I don't believe you. Out in the mountains, everyone carries a rifle. You've never hunted? Look. —He picked up one of the rifles. —This rifle is the most common one out there, with a lever-action bolt. Single shot. —He worked the lever and loaded a bullet into the chamber. —It's called a Martini. —He tossed it into his arms. —I prefer this one. —He took a repeating carbine. He moved the lever. —I love doing this.
They positioned themselves at the shooting range. Amir forced him to hold the rifle; he put him in an optimal stance. —Breathe slowly; don't tense up. Aim at the dummy's chest.
—Is it necessary?
—You want get kidnapped again? You have to be able to defend yourself. —Vanrra fired; he missed the shot. —It's okay. Now lower the lever and load another round.
—Isn't there something better?
—What do you mean?
—Something faster.
—So reload faster; the mechanism does what it can. —He loaded his revolver. —You lower the hammer, fire, and lower the trigger again. It's not magic; it's cutting-edge engineering. Before us, people used flintlock weapons. You'd put the bullet and gunpowder in separately; that was slow.
—I met a girl who…
—A girl? That's good to hear; I was starting to think badly of you. Hahaha! —He gave him a little punch on the arm. —What was her name?
—You don't get it; that girl shot me with a gun.
—Did you go too far with her? What did you do to her?
—Nothing like that; it's just that… she had a strange pistol.
—Strange? What was it like?
—It didn't have a cylinder. It fired very fast. It was black, very dark.
He took a Mauser from the warehouse. It had a long barrel and no cylinder, reloaded with a clip. —How about this one? It's the most advanced we have. It's semi-automatic. I prefer the revolver; it doesn't jam.
—No, it didn't seem to be made of metal; it didn't have a wooden grip either.
Amir saw a familiar figure arrive out of the corner of his eye. He left off what he was doing and ran to meet him. The man was in his late thirties, had brown hair and had a few days' stubble. He looked a good deal younger than he was. He dresses in a black jacket with leather shoulder pads. —Ruaj! —He ran to hug him.
Ruaj was just as excited. —My lord! —He lifted the prince into the air; he was much stronger than the prince.
—Where were you? Why did you leave without saying anything?
He took off his gloves and shook out his hair. —I went even further west; I need to talk to the General.
—Something urgent?
—I'll tell you later. —Both of them headed to the General's office.
Vanrra watched from a distance. Someone spoke to him from behind. —You're the pilot? —He turned; it was the man with the mustache. He was leaning against one of the walls, smoking a cigar.
—Who are you?
—Didier... I'm the armorer. You like what you have in your hands?
—I don't like guns.
—Me neither; I prefer this. —He drew a large knife. —It's a shame it's a bit outdated, but you never know what'll happen in combat. You know how to defend yourself?
—A bit.
—I heard how you fought; I can't wait to see you in the mech. It'll be repaired in a couple of days.
—That won't happen. I'm not getting back in that thing.
—You know nothing here is free, right?
—The prince said we're guests.
—The prince is always running his mouth; it's part of his charm. Even he knows how things work here.
—What are you trying to say?
—You're a special guest, a very special one. So special that you won't be leaving here so easily. Don't worry, as long as you keep cooperating, everything will be fine. —He blew out a cloud of smoke.
Ruaj arrived at the General's office. Airan was standing in front of a long table surrounded by his trusted men. Ruaj told them. —I met with some deserters near Ala Mut before the Gestalt executed them.
—What did they tell you?
—They gave me the contact for the spy; she'll be in the high city of Isfahan. She has very important information.
—How important is it?
—She'll only give it to us in person. I'll go during the festival that will take place in a few days. Thousands of people will fill the streets; I'll be able to go unnoticed.
Amir asked him. —Can I come with you?
One of the men spoke to him. —Are you crazy, my prince? The High Porte's presence isn't like it is here. The Gestalt guard patrols the streets.
—I'll wear a disguise. I'll dye my hair and put on an eyepatch; they won't recognize me.
Arian said. —Be quiet, Amir. You sense anything, Ruaj? What could it be about?
—Something big: Shahanshah will be present at the festival; it's rare see him leave the Dar al-Hikmah. The risk is high, but what's the worst that could happen, knowing that we now have two pilots? Is that true?
Karl said to him. —Correct.
—Well, if things get out of hand, we'll have two DMT giants covering our backs. If we plan it well, we could take out Shahanshah.
The General replied. —You'll go alone.
—It's a unique opportunity.
—It's a suicide mission.
—We do that all the time: many of my comrades are underground; they would have loved this situation. I'll go with the best of the best, get the information, and if something goes wrong, we'll take out Shahanshah.
—You make it sound too easy.
—I've fought as many battles as you; I know how hard it is, and I also know when to seize an opportunity.
The General sat down in his chair. —That's all for today; I'll let you know when I've made a decision. —Everyone left the room except Amir. He said to him. —Seriously? An eyepatch?
—They won't recognize me.
—That's stupid even for you. It's not a rational decision.
—And what if it goes well? Ruaj has never failed a mission. He's the best agent in Ab, a hero.
—I thought your hero was Blaze.
—He's a legend; we don't know if he's still alive. Ruaj is here with us. I'll go with him.
—When will you change?
—How you expect me to change if you won't let me do it? I won't win the throne by staying here and limiting myself to raiding caravans. This is my fight too; I'm determined.
Vanrra climbed a long staircase until he reached a long corridor with railings that ran along different warehouses. Up there, he was far from the noise. He walked until he reached the mecha workshop, the same place Amir had shown him.