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Shroveland Street, we heard Tracker pursuit whistles and Myrmidon battle sound in the fog. We then observed that they were chasing a human—Gold-Eye. He tried to climb the embankment but was in the wrong spot, and the Myrmidons were about to take him. So I used a flash bang—the last one, I’m afraid—and we pulled him up on a rope while they were disoriented.”
    Gold-Eye suppressed a shiver that ran right through him as Ella’s words brought it all back. If the others hadn’t been there, he would be in the Meat Factory now….
    “Excellent,” approved Shade. “And then you fought some Trackers, took refuge in a building that proved too low to be safe from Ferrets, and had to do some fancy rope work to get away.”
    “How did you…” Ella began, but Shade was laughing, obviously pleased with himself.
    “I have finally perfected my new Eyes,” he said, clicking his fingers.
    The click was answered by movement in the shadows, and a nervous shiver that rippled from Gold-Eye to Ninde. Characteristically, neither Drum nor Ella twitched.
    Shade’s new Eyes looked very much like large rats. In twilight or fog, they would be indistinguishable from the real thing—but as they scuttled into the light, their eyes and legs shone metallically and their bodies were too rigid to be flesh and fur.
    Three came from each side of the room; then all six ran in a line to the foot of the desk and turned to face Shade, their pink, rubbery tails draped out toward the couch. Ninde shuddered again and drew her feet up.
    Gold-Eye thought they were repulsive too, but for a different reason. He actually liked rats, and over the years had trained three of them as pets. They had been his only real friends, and he had cried when each one was lost in the all-too-frequent moves between hiding places. These robot rats reminded him too much of the Overlords’ creatures and their relationship with humanity. Like, but not like…
    “Can you see through them all at once?” asked Ella. There was no hint of revulsion in her voice—just the curiosity of someone shown a new tool.
    “Not yet,” said Shade. “My parallel-processing capabilities need further enhancement. I can use six at a time, switching between rats every millisecond. I should be able to reduce that to a switch every point-two milliseconds—which will effectively give me constant vision and allow me to use twelve of them at a time. Or more, if we can get the materials to make them.”
    “They should be very useful,” Ella said thoughtfully. “Can they carry anything? Do any manipulation with their paws?”
    “Not yet,” replied Shade. “Which may be a good thing. If they depart from typical rat behavior and are observed by a Myrmidon Master—or worse, an Overlord—he would quickly work out what they are. Then he need only scan the radio frequencies or check the old Comincsat satellites to discover that their controller is here. That I am here.
    “In any case,” he continued. “They are extremely useful and add greatly to my ability to gather intelligence. Which leads me to the next mission for your team, Ella. It will begin tomorrow—”
    “But we’ve only just got back,” interrupted Ninde. “Shouldn’t it be someone else’s turn?”
    Her words trailed off as Shade fixed her with a cold gaze, and Ella half turned toward her.
    “This is a reporting session,” Shade said sternly. “If you have something to add to Ella’s report, or a question for me, raise your hand.”
    Ninde didn’t reply. Gold-Eye looked at her out of the corner of his eye and for a second met her gaze. In that instant she curled her lip, obviously angry. Gold-Eye looked away immediately, but he had the irrational feeling that she had suddenly taken a dislike to him.
    “You must take your team out tomorrow,” continued Shade, ignoring the stiff body language that declared Ninde’s outrage, “because there has been a major battle at the University today between Blue Star and Silver