“These are…special circumstances - there is no doubt. I just hope that [i]particular[/i] appointment doesn’t get in the way of meaningful collaboration...a little bird told me that the area immediately above the Cradle has been evacuated now.” With that statement, Wallace took another polite sip of tea, little finger erect. 

Freyr slurped hers too, cupping the vessel in both hands. She was pleased by the news that people were being moved to safety, but it somehow felt a long way away now. This chair was more comfortable with every passing second, and the atmosphere inside the office seemed intractably cosy. 

Everyone listened in silence to Nirann as he piped up. Freyr noticed a spark of enthusiasm ignite behind Wallace’s eyes. “Now, that’s an interesting subject. What do you think their ‘ends’ are?”