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disappeared into Palace life years ago.
    Then she frowned. She’d checked her email just before leaving her office. “No, I didn’t.”
    “Yes,” he insisted. “You did. Here it is.”
    Up on the monitor was a screen grab of a message from her Hotmail address.
    Dear Lucy, It’s been so long since we talked! Things are very different now at the Palace. Jomo is very ill and caring for him takes up most of my time. But lately I have been thinking of our time together so many years ago. Do you remember how much fun we had in the days of May?
     
     
    I’m hoping we will see each other soon. Do you remember the legend of the Snow Dragon? An ancient parchment of the legend has been discovered in a cave in the north and I told them you were one of the best manuscript restorers in the world. So the government would like you to restore it to its original glory.
     
    You will be receiving an official invitation today.
     
    Why don’t we Skype? My Skype name is Parachutegirl. Let me know yours and I’ll put you on my contact list.
     
    Paso
    “The Smithsonian received an official request to have Dr. Lucy Merritt seconded to Nhala for an assessment and possible on-site restoration of a parchment discovered in Darjiba, in the north of the country, several weeks ago. The Smithsonian has already agreed to the secondment.”
    A familiar anger burned in her suddenly, dispelling some of the vast chill that had invaded her core. The CIA was once again messing massively with her life.
    “Of course, no one thought to actually tell me this.”
    “Because it was—”
    “Top secret,” she finished bitterly.
    “Indeed.” Uncle Edwin didn’t even make a pretense of an apology. “One thing. Princess Paso only joined Skype yesterday, when she opened an account. She opened a Gmail account at the same time. Our understanding is that she was not allowed to have email and certainly not allowed to Skype. Until now. So, Lucy.” Uncle Edwin drummed his fingers once on the shiny teak tabletop. For him it was the equivalent of pacing up and down the room. “What do you make of this?”
    She bit her back teeth and tried for a normal tone. “First of all, what I make of that is that I am incredibly resentful that the CIA is reading my email. How long has this been going on? Have you people no shame?”
    Her heated words had no effect on him whatsoever. And no, the CIA had no shame at all. They wanted an in to Nhala, and Paso had given it to them. The fact that they’d invaded her privacy was not even a theoretical concern. It was what it was.
    She huffed out a breath, feeling suffocated. But . . . her country was in danger, and now it was clear that Paso was, too.
    Man up.
    She folded her hands on the table, each hand clutching the other to stop the trembling.
    “Okay. That message tells me two things. First of all the reference to the fun we had in the days of May means nothing. However, I did teach her the meaning of Mayday as an emergency signal and so she’s asking for help. And choosing Parachutegirl as her Skype name . . . She always said that the one sport that terrified her was parachute jumping. So she’s also signaling danger. But then we know that.”
    Suddenly, Uncle Edwin rose. The meeting was at an end.
    “Lucy, Captain Shafer, you each have a file in front of you with the information you’ll need. I expect you to study it and master it before you leave. Captain Shafer, you are now Michael Harrington, investment banker. In your file you’ll find a US passport, credit cards in the new name, salient points of your new identity. You are Lucy’s fiancé, and as such you are accompanying her to this new job in Nhala. Your role is to protect Dr. Merritt and to find that flash drive. Both of you will find undetectable receiver/ transmitters and a netbook, which has a hidden, encrypted hard disk for comms. A car is waiting for you two outside to take you to Dr. Merritt’s apartment, where a team of people will come to turn