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Dergoz sat on Lawrence’s shoulder, fidgeting impatiently. ‘Why did it have to be Parson?’ he said privately.

‘Could be worse,’ said Lawrence. ‘Could have been Jackson. Or Sanko.’

‘We might end up seeing the latter anyway, if this conflict doesn’t get resolved soon.’

‘Something to look forward to.’

‘You do realize that she will kill us both if she learns of our involvement, right?’

‘Of course. I was being facetious.’

‘Hilarious.’

‘Perhaps Parson will protect us.’

‘Now I know you’re joking.’

There came the sound of a distant tearing, that of a jet through the sky, and Lawrence searched the eastern horizon. Sure enough, he saw the speck there on its rapid approach. Rather than a jet, however, it was just one lone man.

Parson didn’t need to slow down at all. He just stopped in an instant and was standing right there on the helipad. And after a beat, a surging gale caught up to him, so strong that it might have knocked Lawrence off his feet if he hadn’t braced himself.

Part of the man was missing. His white-and-gray airman’s uniform flapped against the wind where his legs and arms should have been. After a couple blinks, however, the limbs returned to him--but not by way of regrowth. Rather, the flesh swirled back into existence, as if springing from the wind itself.

As the air settled down again, Lawrence approached to greet him.

Captain General Parson Miles grinned as soon as he saw Lawrence, but before they could exchange words, he held up a hand. His ragged overcoat was still flapping wildly, and Parson reached into it to retrieve something. He pulled out a localized vortex, at the center of which were two undisturbed, double-scoop ice cream cones. His reaper melted out from his back. Overra was her name.

“Pretty good, right?” said Parson. “Now, I know what you’re thinking, and the answer is yes, the second one IS for you. You’re welcome.” He offered an ice cream to Lawrence.

Dergoz sighed publicly, but Lawrence just shrugged and accepted Parson’s generosity.

‘C’mon,’ said Overra, ‘you gotta admit, it’s pretty impressive. He picked ‘em up in Kuros, and they’re not even melting.’

‘What?!’ shouted Dergoz. ‘You stopped in Kuros along the way?! Why?!’

“Uh, to get ice cream. Duh. We were already running late, so I figured a quick pit stop wouldn’t matter.”

‘Tell me you are joking!’ said Dergoz. ‘If you stopped in Kuros, then the Sandlords almost certainly know that you are in Sair now!’