"Let's put it this way, we might not know why Blaine is that important. But Gilead does. They'd sent eight gun-toting Pearl Girls on a one-way mission to silence him. Not to mention June Osborne. The Bradgelina of international strife."

I had thought that people got less 'loquacious' as they got older. Not more. Not Tuello.

He pulled out his iPad. "Let me read you what one Gileadophile has said."

Ok, so I know I'm not at that meeting, but it seems to me that Emily is the best choice to talk with June calmly. She helped kill Waterford, and has that "Maximum Impact" streak herself. So June should respect her more than the others. It's that, or bring in Nichole/Holly/Daisy Whatever Her Name Is. (Maybe Nick would like to see his daughter? Like once a decade or so? They could share Swiss fondue.)

I had not realized I'd been tapping my cane, the only noise in the room. So after this was read, the silence highlighted my fidgeting. When everyone looked at me, I stopped.

Em's daughter, still on leave from her parliamentary secretary MP in Ottawa in the Commons, piped up. "That's great advice, whoever it was who posted it, let's get her/him in the room. Me, I'm fresh out of ideas."

Tuello repeated, "Gilead thinks Blaine is so important that they're willing to shoot up Ottawa to silence him. I don't know what you people think, but after the siege it's now officially too late for Emily, Nichole, or even Hannah to be any good. Especially Hannah. She's been suspended from social media for comments she'd made about her mother. Gilead's having a field day."

Oliver had showed me those comments. Hannah, still referred to as Agnes in official Gilead releases, blew the whistle on her mother who'd killed friends of hers in Colorado Springs. Hannah had been one of the reasons why June and Nick needed to flee. How about them apples?

So hang Nick, what were we going to do with June. Oooops, no I did not mean that. Don't hang Nick.

Tuello concluded by summarizing where we were, our little unofficial bi-national (CanAm) 'task group' on Gilead, advising the US State Department (through him) as well as the Canadian Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (through Em's daughter).

He said, "I apologize for saying it out loud, we're all thinking it. Dr. Malek is off the table. She's just been widowed. Also, I've always thought that Nichole wanted to join with her mother, not stop her - but she listens to Hannah, too. Let's not go there, not just yet."

At that Emily came to the entryway to the living room, with Tricia predictably on her arm. The two of them had been sitting in the hall, silently around the corner. Emily said, "I'll do it." Tricia added, "I'll do the talking."

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE SOCIAL MEDIA

Tuello was driving me and Em's daughter back to my place. My quasi-niece was a godsend, she was staying with me, 'for the duration'. The Occupational Therapist was coming soon to install bath hand-holds - I got too muddled, so my niece was handling it. She had even arranged for the Monsignor to make a home visit with the Blessed Sacrament, as well as a time for confession and absolution. It was at that visit when he'd told me that he'd administered last rites at Hôpital Élisabeth Bruyère…..

To which he had added with a smile, "If the Holy Father ever allows women to be ordained, you'll be one of the few walking around to have had all seven of the sacraments!"

Back in the car, Em's daughter looked concerned when she said, "So that's our play? Send mom back into the building where mom-Syl was shot? I'm glad I'm not going. How about you, Auntie? You okay going?"

Tuello took his eyes off of the road for the second it took to say to me, "we're asking a lot from people. We're asking Rita to go with them."

Tuello then reiterated what had sold him on this latest plan. What that anonymous Gileadophile had blogged about was true. He said, "Your mom-Em has done some heavy 'shit', pardon the French, with June." What he wasn't saying was that if this had been the plan last time, right now it would be Tricia attached to Sylvia's arm.

I said, "Remind me again why it is so crucial to talk with Nick?" Tuello gave me that, 'Are you kidding me?' look. I simply repeated, "What if he simply wants to get out? What if that's what he and June are bickering about? She, June wants to go back - he's tired as hell?"

I mean, back at the Waterfords, Nick had organized multiple escapes for June, which she refused. People had died for June, for no reason.

Tuello said, "See that briefcase your niece totes around? On behalf of the Canadian Minister of Refugees?" There she was in the backseat, the briefcase in its own seatbelt. "One-third of the intel in there is from Waterford. Another third is from Serena Joy. The last third is from Lawrence. All that, and we're still flying blind, picking up pieces after Pearl Girls storm the palace."

As he drove up to my place he finished with, "You, Rita, you're the ranking expert in Canada on Nick Blaine. We need him to be an open book. With us. Probably even more so than Osborne - assuming we can figure out whose side she is on." Tuello finished by saying, "Blaine could finish Gilead."

I remembered clearly first meeting Nick. It had been so long ago.

NICK HAD BEEN MAYDAY

Nick had rescued me that day at the women's holding centre, the day I had messed myself, the day I had accused Tricia - when Tricia had eyes.

I'd actually not needed rescuing from the Martha Training. My specialty had been pots and potatoes. I could have done that 'til hell froze over. I'd kept my head down, as such got the reputation as not a gossip. Ha! Between the head lady and Nick, I then found myself at the Waterfords. Working under Sarah. Sarah the tyrant.

I was so sure Tricia had been taken out and shot for gender treachery. Whatever that was. Aging is the only traitor to gender. But I had carried that weight, carried that weight a long time.

I'd heard what had happened to Beth. And Sienna. I'd known Beth from Nick's trips to Jezebels, I'd only met Sienna that night of Angels Flight. That night when Rambo-June ran off into the woods to distract the Guardians blocking our access to the airplane. It had been Janine and Sienna who'd rallied the other women, to go help June.

Janine had said in a loud whisper, "C'mon you apes, you wanna live forever?" Sienna, in an equally loud whisper said (uncharacteristic for her, if you knew her), "Fuck yah!" Janine giggled, "I've always wanted to say that!" And off they went to reinforce June, the rest of us got the kids onto the airplane. We all had a role. That night, June had been crazy like Patton.

Through all that was Nick. I'd once said to him, "Your girlfriend is a real badass." He didn't dispute it.

I looked the other way when he engineered June's kidnapping from the hospital room. I knew the delivery guy who had spirited her away. When Commander Cushing had come to the house after the Rachel & Leah bombing, confession time, I weighed my options - I mean, Cushing was shooting Marthas in the street. I almost bolted.

But Nick calmed us all down. He'd conspired with Serena to have Cushing removed. By Commander Waterford's 'order', the Commander himself in a coma in hospital.

And on and on it goes.

Nick had been Mayday. Always had been. His only failure? Trying to save Eden.

Maybe Nick was holed up at the Swiss Embassy because that has finally got to him. I mean, Eden would have been in her 40's by now.

According to the file that my niece keeps, he's married in Gilead these days. To another fifteen year old. Can that possibly be true? Is that why he wants out from Gilead?

What would June think of that? I know exactly what she would think. If being married to a minor means that another F-15 can be blown from the sky, she'd be all for it.

THE METAL DETECTOR

Given that none of the Pearl Girls had got that far, it was strange to have to pass through the metal detector at the Swiss Embassy. (It was also strange to see armed security at the bottom of the stairs outside, whereas before there'd only been a small sign.) Tricia's shades had metal rims, so she had to briefly take them off. It was at those times when it became visible the price Gilead had imposed on her. It was seeing her which reminded me why I drank.

Emily had not said a word on the trip over. No one was sure how she'd handle sitting at the very spot where Sylvia had died. Me, I was worried that I wouldn't keep it together either. Tricia had said that she could handle Em. She would speak for Emily. Who would handle me?

The Ambassador herself came out of the sitting room. She stood for a minute in silence, hands neatly folded in front, then acknowledged and apologized for the pain we must be feeling in this entryway. "Please," she said, "take the time you need. But Ms. Osborne and Commander Blaine are waiting."