"Very well."

He leads them to the basement of his mansion - where his security are guarding a scrawny man tied to a chair, a heavy bag over his head. The man's shaking. 

So it is an interrogation.

Kaz gives Milana the nod to go ahead.

She eases off his hood - he's been tortured, clearly - and she kneels beside him, closes his wounds and slows his heart, eases his mind and promises him freedom if only he'll say what he saw - 

- He's Alexei, a cartographer in Ravka's army. They were crossing the Fold. The volcra came, and one dragged him off the sand skiff, but a bullet took it out and it dropped him - he ran - 

And then the world was light. 

And in that light - 

Her name is Svetlana Starkov, the newly revealed Sun Summoner.

A Sun Summoner.

Huh.

That could change the balance of power on the True Sea.

Yes.

And Dreesen wants her brought to him. 

For a million kruge.

Yes.

Alive, you see, and not so badly injured she can't use her powers at all. 

Kaz will make it happen.

Cruel smile. "Good."

"Do you have any other questions for our Alexei here?"

"None that he's capable of answering."

"Very well." 

And, almost idly - he signals one of the guards to shoot Alexei right between the eyes. 

Seems like a mercy, in his condition.

(Inej still tenses, ever so slightly.)

And after that - it seems the only thing to discuss is the logistics of the actual contract. 

There's a standard set of terms for this sort of thing in the Barrel- which Kaz is familiar with, of course.

He wants the Sun Summoner quickly, on top of that, or as quickly as can be managed, and in great secrecy. 

Fine. She can work with that. It won't be her crew that leaks.

Off with them, then. 

Back to the Crow Club.

Kaz will suggest that Malina stick close until they can confirm what's happened to the Orchid.

She's fretting, worried about going over time, stubborn about needing to be back - but they can convince her in the end.

Good. One less dead girl tonight.

Yeah. 

(But... They need to decide what they're doing about this mission, Inej knows - just as she knows that Ketterdam leaks, and that Kaz keeps her own counsel, and that morals have been too expensive more often than not...)

Kaz wants to speak to Inej alone about that, actually.

She'll do her best to make sure Kaz's room isn't leaking first, then. (Luckily, Inej has already done a thorough survey of places to spy on Kaz's rooms from.)

Kaz waits for her to finish, then-

"Obviously we're not bringing the Sun Summoner, if she exists, here."