They stopped and waited outside while one guard went in to check it out and clear a table if necessary. He came out a few minutes later and sent the other guard to the back door while Abby, Marcus, and Murphy went in.

The owner met them and took them to one of the more private tables. As soon as they were seated, he left and a server brought mugs and two pitchers. All three started with wine. A few minutes later, heaping plates were brought to them.

"Why did Clarke send you, John?"

"There's a lot of crazy shit going on, and she's going to ask for your help. Please help her."

"Of course I'll help her."

"Not like that, Abby. She needs to tell someone what's been going on, and you guys can't tell anyone what I'm going to tell you or what Clarke's going to tell you. It could get you killed. Clarke's sending me away with the Azgeda king because she thinks I'll be safer out of here, and she doesn't even like me."

"But you know something," Marcus said.

"Yeah, Clarke and I saw something that I can't tell you about. But I can tell you about the City of Light."

Abby rolled her eyes, but Marcus looked at Murphy, appraising him. "Go on," he said.

"I left with Jaha because there wasn't a place for me with you guys. He's seriously, seriously disturbed. The City of Light is probably real, but it isn't a physical place." He drank some wine. "I'm getting ahead of myself.

"We walked and walked and walked. We walked across a goddamn desert, but only he and I survived that because it was mined and people panicked. And then out of nowhere, a drone appears. We followed it into a bunker, and he trapped me in there for three months while he went completely off the rails with this hologram. He made her portable and tried to get me to swallow one of the chips, but I got away with this girl I met.

"We came back here. She's from here, and we knew Jaha was coming here, and she hoped we could get her brother away from him. We were ambushing people and stealing their stuff, and I got caught, but I think she got away.

"The guys who caught me searched me and found the chip in my pocket and that's when things went all to hell," Murphy sighed. He stopped long enough to eat some food and wash it down with wine. He emptied the mug and refilled it with water. "They found a chip in my pocket, like the one you gave Clarke," he said to Marcus.

"They asked what I was doing with the commander's sacred symbol and dragged me here. Next thing I know, I'm in some weird ass shrine, tied to a chair while some wacko dude with crazy head tattoos is beating the hell out of me. Wants to know how I got the chip. I told him. I told him the truth the first time, and he kept coming. I got loose while he was out one time and got to look around."

Murphy leaned across the table. "He had an escape pod from Polaris, except the A and R got burned off. On the wall, there were these huge murals. A woman under a mushroom cloud, and the same woman getting some people to come to her. They didn't look like people, and
Titus said they were the first Natblida, whatever the hell that is."

Abby and Marcus looked at each other, then at Murphy.

"There's more," Abby said.

"Yeah. We kinda have to do a time jump thing, because that's the part that will get us killed. Titus locked Clarke and I up and left us in the dark. I don't know how long we were down there before Roan came and let us out. Clarke agreed to be his ambassador and he agreed to protect us from Titus."

"How much does he know?" Marcus asked.

"At least as much as I'm telling you. I don't think Clarke told him a lot more." Murphy wasn't hungry, but ate more from his plate.

"Finish your story, John," Abby prompted.

"Like I said, the City of Light is real, but it's not a physical place. You swallow the chip, I don't know what it does to your brain, but it lets you into the City of Light. I saw the A.I. while we were at the bunker, but after he packed her up, I think the only way to see her was if you had a chip in you. I don't know what they want, but I'm going to tell you what Clarke told me this morning. Go to the market. Get a weapon. There's a smith out past the market that has good blades. Ask one of the Azgeda guards to take you there or give you directions. Tell them you're Skaikru, with Wanheda."

"Weapons won't help," Abby said.

"I'm not willing to die without a fight, and whoever comes is going to be armed."

"Does this have something to do with Lexa's death?" Marcus asked.

Murphy nodded, but didn't say anything. He emptied his plate and added wine to the water in his mug. He sat back in his chair and looked at them. "Clarke isn't my favorite person, but I owe her. So I'm asking you again to be the people she can trust with this. Not like you trusted her at Camp Jaha. Trust her for real."

"Thank you for telling us," Marcus said.

Abby looked at him and scoffed. "You believe him?"

"Why else would Clarke try to protect him?" Marcus answered.

"We only have his word for that."

"I'll be gone tomorrow," Murphy told him. "I gain absolutely nothing by lying to you. You can verify everything with Clarke after I'm gone. I know you don't trust me, and I don't blame you, but like I said, I owe Clarke. She could have left me down there, and she didn't." He got out of his chair. "I'll ask one of the guards to stay to take you back to the tower."

Marcus stood, too, and held out his hand. Murphy shook, and they both said, "May we meet again."

Murphy nodded to Abby and put the pouch of coins on the table.

100 – 100 – 100

Clarke had a headache, and Lexa insisted on talking all through the dinner with the other ambassadors. Clarke did her best to pay attention, but quickly came to the conclusion that the others wanted to crow about having an ally in power. They made not so subtle suggestions about the ways their relationships with Azgeda could benefit their clans.

Trust her. We will keep you safe, Klark. We love you. These branwada waste your time. Spicha. Love you. Nomonjoka. We will take his tongue.

Experience with meetings involving Skaikru allowed her to look like she was staying on task. She smiled, agreed, nodded, and um-hmmed at appropriate times, and drank enough to stay pleasantly buzzed. Roan kept looking at her like he was afraid she would do something inappropriate, and Clarke mulled that idea between Lexa's running commentary.

By the time Clarke and Roan left the dinner, the other ambassadors were completely tanked and singing bawdy songs together. In the hall, Roan told her, "In another hour, they will be trying to attack each other with knives, and an hour after that, will swear undying loyalty."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You are not yourself tonight, Clarke."

"I'm fine."

"I will take care of the problem with the guards before I leave."

"Thanks."

Neither of them said anything else until they reached their suite. Murphy lounged in the common room. Clarke ignored him, and Murphy got up and followed her.

"Well?" Clarke asked as soon as he closed the door.

"Kane will have your back, but your mom doesn't believe me. Maybe he'll change her mind. They were talking about it when I left."

"Figures."

"You all right?"

"No, Murphy, I'm not all right, thanks for asking."

He put his hands up, although Clarke hadn't turned around and couldn't see him. "I'd ask if there's anything I can do, but I know better. Take care of yourself, Griffin. May we meet again."

She turned around. "May we meet again, Murphy."

He nodded and left her. A few minutes later, Clarke went to the common room in search of more wine. Roan was sitting at the table reading the reports that came in since they left for dinner. The pitchers held nothing but water, and Clarke knew Roan cut her off. She glared at him.

He ignored her. "Why was Murphy waiting for you?"

"To say goodbye."

"Are you certain you don't wish to tell me why he is so valuable?"

"Yes."

"Or why you are attempting to drink yourself insensible?"

"Yes. Where's the wine, by the way?"

"Put away for a few days. You need to be alert."

"I haven't been drunk since the first time I caught out in acid fog. That was, I don't even know how long ago. Both of the people who were with me are dead. More than half the people who came down here with me are dead. Almost every fucking person on every fucking station is dead."

"Angry is good. Drunk is not. You will sleep tonight, and go for training tomorrow. I will wait for you to return so we can go over last minute things. Go to bed, Clarke."

Clarke was about to say something she would regret. We cannot protect you from yourself. Instead, she said, "Good night, your majesty," and stomped toward her room.

Roan waited to laugh until Clarke closed her door.