"Mostly an assurance that you're not going to do anything... premature. And I may need to borrow your apprentice for a while."

"...what for?"

"Just to be another face for people to talk to. I can't be everywhere at once. It won't be dangerous. Or difficult. I'll tell you what to say."

"Okay, I can do that."

"Wonderful."

"Do you have any interest in personally managing the group?"

"No. Assign them to Pyron." Pause. "And see that they set up on Hyrdil."

"Heh. I can do that. Any other special instructions?"

"No."

"Then I'll be in touch."

"It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise."

And off she goes.

"So that happened."

"Yes, it did. Surprising."

"I don't expect those to be the entirety of her motivations, for some reason."

"Wise of you. It's hard to underestimate a Cipher."

"Do you have any ideas what else could be?"

"I don't have nearly enough information. But that she showed up in person implies tacit support at least of our short-term goals."

"How well-known are your long-term ones?"

"Fairly."

"So people will in fact at least wonder whether she approves of those, too."

"Her superiors, perhaps. I doubt anyone else will ever know."

"But then at least her superiors must be mostly okay with this."

"Let us hope so."

"How trivially could they stop you otherwise?"