Ignition Point, Part 2

The Flying Squirrel sat with her feet on the desk, entirely hidden behind a sheet of newsprint.

Canada declares war, she read aloud, not for the first time.

"'Dominion stands with Britain in fight against Hitler.'

The Red Panda was pouring over a city map that was stuck to the wall of the small office with pushpins

and did not seem to have hurt her.

"'Do you think it's possible that those are the largest typeset letters they had?

She asked, undeterred, because I am not certain that I could quite read those from space.

It meets with your approval, then, her partner asked, a rare smile playing about his face

just for an instant without taking his gaze from

the map.

"'I just wish it hadn't taken so long,' she said, flopping the newspaper down and taking

mental note of how long he could go without looking at her.

"'You would have preferred a week ago when Britain declared,' he said, very nearly making it to the count of one, but not

quite. I would have preferred a year ago when magic wands were being gathered in saddles for dinosaurs

were being invented. Hmm, a tougher cell than troops on the road to Warsaw, the Red Panda said,

in no hurry to turn back to the map.

But they knew, boss, she said with her brow furrowed.

They knew. You said yourself, that spy, McCoy?

Fitzroy, he corrected, and it was hard to tell what he knew.

He worked very hard to give the impression that he knew everything. I'm not sure he could

have made a case in the press. I guess we'll never know, she said with a frown. I just hope it isn't all

...