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The feed went dark, and Rodin looked up at Don.
“Malise, right?” Rodin said.
“Well done. Yes, that’s Malise. A troubled individual, but she’s keen to please—in her own way. She requires careful handling, of course, but her methods of persuasion can be very effective.”
But not this time. That much should have been clear even to Don. Paskia might have been beaten, but she’d retained control. Malise had failed.
There had been no audio, so Rodin could only go by body language, but it was clear that Malise had been goading Paskia. But Paskia had remained strong. She’d even loosened up, had absorbed those blows as much as she could.
And she was alive. A captive of Authority, but very much alive.
“You’re confused,” Don said. “Understandable, of course. You’re wondering why I’d
