Elizabeth practiced her most severe frown as they made their way to find Jinto. Radek kept glancing at her, until he finally he turned to her, putting a hand on her arm to stop her.
"I'm really sorry, Dr Weir," he apologized again. "I did not wish to make your life even harder than before. I tried to find another culprit, rather than Jinto. Please accept my heartfelt apologies. I did not mean to make you angry."
"Radek," Elizabeth said, a puzzled look on her face. "What makes you think that I'm angry?"
"You have been frowning all the way to here," Radek said, looking puzzled himself.
"Oh, now I'm the one whose sorry, Radek," she said with a smile. "I'm practicing."
"Practicing?" Radek echoed, even more confused.
"Jinto always makes me smile. There's just something sweet about him, full of mischief, and it makes me smile. I don't want to break out in a smile when I'm trying to get to the bottom of this. So I'm practicing being severe."
"Ah," Radek said, light dawning at last. "So you are not angry with me?"
"No, my friend," Elizabeth said, giving him the benefit of her beautiful smile. "I'm not at all angry with you."
Radek looked slightly shell-shocked after that smile. But as they continued walking along the corridor, Elizabeth had to hide her grin. The Czech was obviously practicing too. His mobile face was contorting into grimaces that would make a gargoyle proud.
However, all levity disappeared as they entered the canteen and saw their quarry, sitting with some friends at a table in the corner. The group was laughing and joking, but as soon as Jinto saw Elizabeth and Radek, the grin on his face disappeared, and he got to his feet, as if he was ready for flight.
Elizabeth's frown returned for real, this time. The boy gave every indication of being guilty. As a diplomat, Elizabeth had become very adept at reading body language. And if she was reading Jinto's body language correctly, the boy had something to hide.
"Jinto," she said, softly, but firmly. "Can I have a word with you, please?" The other boys all looked puzzled, but then they gave what was almost a collective shrug, and turned back to their conversation. They were used to Jinto being treated slightly differently from them. His father was, after all, an important man among their people. And they didn't really mind, as long as Jinto didn't get any airs and graces about it.
The only person who seemed unhappy about it, was Jinto himself. His face was long, and his eyes held the edge of fear about them. Elizabeth sighed. She was not looking forward to telling Halling and Teyla that Jinto was a thief, because that was looking more and more likely.
As the two adults and the boy moved away from the group, Elizabeth put a gentle hand on Jinto's arm. It was not enough to restrain him, but it was enough to get his attention.
"Jinto," she continued. "We have a problem, and we were wondering if you could help us with it?"
Jinto momentarily looked relieved, but then Elizabeth continued.
"There have been a number of things that have gone missing recently, and although most of them have been returned, it is still a serious matter."
The boy looked scared now, and all doubts that Elizabeth had about his guilty fled at that look.
"Jinto," she said firmly. "Have you been taking these items?"
The boy was silent for a moment, and that in itself was unusual. She had expected an instant denial, or, at the very least, an element of blustering. It was Radek who filled the silence.
"You have been around on each of the occasions things have gone missing," the scientist said, his voice unhappy. "You are the only person who has been present on each occasion."
"Jinto," Elizabeth said, drawing the boy's attention back to her. "We want to help you sort this out. We need to know why you've been taking these things. And we'll need to tell you're father."
The fear in the boy's eyes deepened, and a look of panic fleetingly flashed across his face.
"Please don't tell my father," he said, the panic also evident in his voice. "Please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. Please don't tell him."
Elizabeth and Radek exchanged a look of surprise. They hadn't expected the boy to confess as quickly or as easily.
"Why did you do it, Jinto?" Elizabeth asked, her voice soft.
A look of panic again showed in the boy's face. "I don't know," he said, wretchedly. "I couldn't help it. It just happened." Then to the distress of the adults, the boy burst into tears.
oOoOoOo
John instinctively moved towards the door. His only thought was that Rodney and Carson needed to be rescued, now! But a large hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to see Ronon. The big man had arrived. Once again, John wondered how such a big man could move so silently.
"Not a good idea," Ronon said, nodding towards the door. It was unusual for Ronon to advocate caution, but in this occasion he was right.
"I know," John reluctantly conceded. "But we can't just leave them there. Michael is going to kill them, before too long."
"And if we go in there," Ronon replied. "We'd be died too."
John opened his mouth to voice his frustration, but before he could say anything, they heard two Wraith approach from the opposite direction from which they had come.
Teyla quickly ran over to one of the doors in the long corridor. She cautiously opened it and then nodded to the men to indicate it was clear. They ran into the empty room, just before the Wraith reached their position.
They seemed to stop just outside the door, because their voices carried very clearly to the people inside.
"He is being too lenient," one of the Wraith said. "The humans are of no real use to us."
"But he says they can make us fully Wraith again," the other replied.
"And why should they help us? Would you help them if you were captured by the enemy?" the first Wraith argued.
"But humans are different," the other pointed out. "They are weak, and have a compassionate side."
"I think Michael's human side is showing too strongly, then," the first retorted. "He is showing too much compassion to those humans."
"But the doctor can help us," the other argued further.
"But what use is the whiny one?" the first asked. "Michael should have let us kill him, right at the beginning."
"And what about the medic?"
"Michael has broken his mind before. He can do it again, and this time he needed be so careful. He should just scrape it clean of all the information we need, then leave him, like the gibbering wreak all humans are."
"Would that work?" the other Wraith asked.
"I'm sure of it," the first one replied. "Then we can leave this hell-hole and return to our own people. But Michael is too soft. He can never be truly Wraith again."
"What are you suggesting?" the other Wraith asked, his voice betraying a frightened curiosity.
"Once Michael has the information we need, we get rid of him, and the two humans, of course, and then return to our rightful place in the Hive."
"Should you be saying such things, here?" the other asked, his voice fearful.
"Why not?" the first Wraith replied. "I'm not alone. There are others who think the same as I do. We are strong. Will you join us? Or will you die with Michael?"
"Some choice," John muttered.
"I will join you," the Wraith replied, in the only way he could.
"Come then, let's join our brothers," the first Wraith said, as their footsteps faded into the distance.
"Interesting," John said, half to himself. "Dissention in the ranks."
"The more Wraith that kill each other, the better," Ronon rumbled.
"Yes," Teyla responded. "But if they kill Rodney and Carson too . . ."
"Teyla's right," John replied. "We must get Rodney and Carson out of there. I don't care if they kill Michael, but we need to get our men out."
Putting his words into action, he quietly opened the door, and checked to see if the corridor was clear. Signaling to the others to follow, he moved swiftly towards the room where Carson and Rodney had been, and drew his weapon. He nodded to Ronon, who took the other side of the door, and then slowly turned the handle. The door swung open, silently, and slowly. But as it opened, all they saw was an empty room.