Interlude [h.s]

eighty-six

The phone is ringing.

Harry is tapping his fingers on the armrest of the chair he's sitting on. His gaze periodically moves to Alouette, and something inside her flutters every time she catches his attention.

He came to get her in the early evening, only minutes before she was about to change into more comfortable clothes. Without a word of explanation he took her to his office and gave her a phone, and that's where they are now.

Alouette knew her moment to call Ezra would come sooner or later, but this is simultaneously later and sooner than she'd expected.

Now, the line is ringing. There's much to say and nothing at all, she doesn't know where to start.

There's a click. "Yes?" No greeting, no introduction. Alouette lets out a relieved breath. Ezra has given them his private number.

"It's me, A," she replies. She doesn't know if Ezra knows who A is, but still, he should be able to recognise her voice.

There's an instant of silence. Then, "I was starting to think you'd both been murdered."

Alouette bites the inside of her cheek to keep the cruel smile from showing on her face. Of course he was. It would be the perfect reason to break the deal and attack the Palace again. "Just busy," she says.

The line suddenly goes very silent. It takes her a moment to realise that Harry has muted the conversation and isolated them from Ezra's ears.

"Tell him I require all the information his spies have discovered in the last few weeks."

The line comes back to life with a click. "A? Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Alouette says. Having a conversation on speaker with Harry listening in makes her unbearably nervous. He's casually flicking through the pages of a folder of some kind, but she's certain he's paying attention. She ponders his request, turning the words over in her mind until they mean everything and nothing at all, perfect to send over the phone with no risk of the call being intercepted. Not that she thinks Harry's line could ever be, but still. "Send us the file you've created over the last two weeks."

"Wow, are you not even going to ask how I'm doing?" Ezra jokes around. "And don't you think it's time he starts pulling his own weight, too? He's been relying on us this whole time."

"It wasn't a request."

"Neither is mine."

Alouette stills for a moment, and then gives in. "What do you want?"

"Greenside is an area of interest," Ezra speaks quickly. "We need men to investigate."

She raises her eyebrows. There goes security.

The line goes silent again.

"You can speak comfortably. The lines from the Palace are protected and under surveillance twenty-four-seven."

Oh.

"Tell him I'll send ten."

There's another click. "A? Where are you?"

"I'm here," Alouette says. "He'll send ten."

"Ten?! Is he mad?!" An instant of silence goes by. "He's there, isn't he? Have you gone mad?!"

Harry doesn't say a word and glances at Alouette instead. It takes her a moment to understand he wants her to reply, to explain his reasoning. She widens her eyes.

"He..." she starts, but goes quiet right after. She doesn't know what to say. Harry is still looking at her, and suddenly this feels like a test. Think, Alouette. Why would Harry send only ten? "He..."