Anderson spared a glance at the window above them, seeing Jason and Princess there and groaned.
"Too much for you, old friend?" asked Cronus.
"You? Hardly. It's that pair I'm worried about," he replied, gesturing at the window.
"Jason and Princess? I can understand Jason, but why would you worry about Princess?"
"How little you know," muttered Anderson. "All of my grey hairs and most of my worry comes when those two team up. Princess has the ideas, and Jason carries them out. Trust me, she only looks like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth." He smiled briefly. "Just like her mother," he said softly.
Cronus picked up on it, and looked sharply at his friend and at the window.
"You think they're up to something?"
"I know they're up to something. You did notice Princess' little display earlier."
Cronus grinned. "I most certainly did."
"Don't even go there, Cronus. You put a move on Princess and I really would have to kill you."
Cronus flung himself down against the wall, and looked again up at the pair at the window and at his oldest friend. A horrible suspicion started to move through his mind.
"John, where did you find those two? I'd lay several large bets that neither of them are fully human. Jason's obviously got quite a lot of Spectran blood in him, and Princess, well; I'd have to say she's Rigan. Not the normal sort of orphans you pick up off the street."
"You know that information's classified. I can't tell you. Even if I wanted to."
"If not me, then who? You want them to find out themselves? Jason, I think I've worked out. His parents were obviously from Spectra. From what you have told me, they tried to defect. Princess on the other hand, is the real mystery. Even she doesn't know who she is."
"How do you know that?"
"Mark. He's quite a font of information about her. Or at least, what there is to know about her."
"Princess' background is none of your business. When she wants to know, she'll be told. Just keep away from her. I meant what I said before. And if you try anything with her, don't think that I'll be the only one after your red hide."
Cronus looked at Anderson, who was looking uncharacteristically fierce.
"You know, if I didn't know better, I'd swear that you had certain aspirations towards her yourself. If not that then..." he paused and looked directly at the girl above. "My god, John. Why didn't I see it before? Everybody thought she died with her mother. How the hell did you manage to get hold of her?"
"Do you really think I'm going to answer that?"
"No wonder you won't let her attend Rigan functions."
"I don't let her attend because she's been too young. That's the only reason."
"And you can't keep an eye on her. Can't make sure that she's not recognised."
Anderson looked at Cronus and told the most barefaced lie of his life. "I have no idea what you're talking about."