I was only supposed to be in the country as long as necessary to complete the formalities for my departure to Wellington, New Zealand. Before leaving the Seychelles, Ernesto gave me some documents that would help me get everything done from Congo. The first thing I had to do was go to the region that connects my country to the Atlantic Ocean, in order to meet some Union officials, who would give me additional instructions. So, three days after my arrival in the capital, I left for Muanda, accompanied by my two brothers. We were going to be there for three nights, staying at a small hotel located ten minutes from the sea. It was summer vacation time, and the small city was full of tourists.

The first morning, while I was having breakfast alone at a pub, a person stopped at my table, clearly wanting to take a seat. Looking up, I recognized the Regional Minister of Mines, whom I'd been waiting to see in person again for over a year. He had grown a beard and looked very relaxed behind his sunglasses. We were both quite happy to meet up again.

Eric told me about himself. He spoke of his experience within the Union and the enormous challenge of maintaining complete discretion while performing official functions, too. He also took the time to finish the story about his grandfather, the ending to which I had already managed to guess, based on facts that had been brought up during the first meeting I'd attended on Veedha's island. Then came the time to meet the Dayli who oversaw the western regions of the country, including the cities of Kinshasa, the capital, and Muanda, where we were.

After a thirty-minute walk through the streets of the coastal city, we approached what appeared to be the largest hotel in town. Eric led me inside. From the hotel's impressive façade, the two worlds that made up Muanda were discernible: the tourist area along the ocean, on one side, and on the other, further inland, the poor neighborhoods with their rustic huts. We sat outside on the restaurant's terrace, which offered a breathtaking view of the beach and the water. The man we were going to meet was the owner of the hotel.

"He provided my training in this field, which he knows like no one else. This country is his home," Eric explained to me.

"Who did he work for first, the British Secret Service or the Union?"

"The Union picked him up first. He specialized in the art of underwater construction," he told me, impressed. "Can you imagine? He is still a prodigious structural engineer."

"How long has he lived in Congo?"

"It has to be at least forty years. Since before I was born, in fact. He knows every possible way to get or do every possible thing in this country. I've learned a lot from him."

"Is he still active at sixty-eight years old?" I asked.

"Absolutely. In the Union, our activities are adapted to our abilities. Earl is therefore still very good at what he is tasked to do. For example, he knows all about you and the people close to you, many things that you don't even suspect."

"Was he one of the strangers who met with my parents when I was born?" I asked, lost in thought.

"Indeed. He was already responsible for this region at that time."

"And when you were born?"

"No. Earl wasn't in the country at the time of my birth. Some of my other close colleagues were, though," he pointed out.

"Is it possible I've seen him before?"

"That would be very surprising. And you'll understand why when we go meet him in a little bit."

"I thought we were waiting for him out here," I said, surprised.

"Earl is currently under surveillance by an organization that is hostile to ours. As a result, neither of us should be seen in his company."

"What brought him to their attention?"

"They're watching him because he has an atypical profile for an English expat. They won't be able to uncover any connection to the Union, don't worry. Old Earl has more than one trick up his sleeve," he told me with a wink of his eye.

"Good. Have you ever met the Guardian?"

"Yes, a couple times. And it's always a very memorable encounter."

"I suspect he's someone very famous, too."

"You'll find out eventually," he told me.

From there, Eric brought me back inside, to a room in the hotel where Earl already was. We sat away from the windows and out of any exterior line of sight. The man looked younger than I'd imagined and spoke all the local languages perfectly. At sixty-eight, he still had the legs of a runner, and then some. He was bald and of average height, and a thick gray mustache covered most of his mouth. He was friendly and had a good sense of humor; he obviously took great care of himself physically, reminding me of the inhabitants of Veedha's island. Of course, we didn't have all day, so he and Eric quickly cut to the chase.

"What do you think about the synopsis of the material evidence against the military officers who are in collusion with the rebels?" Eric asked him.

"I summarized it some more and highlighted certain details, in order to shorten the presentation to the President. I took into account his manner of speaking and his understanding of things. In my opinion, the rest of the plan is all set. I do, however, recommend that we extend the U.S. Secret Service counterattack sabotage period to twice the currently planned duration, in other words to twenty years. Admittedly, this will require more resources, but the advantage is that it'll make it possible to better manage the risks of a change of the regime in charge of these services or of their country," Earl explained to us.

"No changes in the first two phases of the operation, then?"

"Negative, no changes. Once those phases are completed, H Group will augment its spy network, as they'll suspect our involvement in the maneuver. It's possible that Liza might be followed again," he said, his eyes landing on me.

"Which will be an opportunity for us to learn more about their Tehla detection system. It's pretty perplexing to us at the moment," said Eric.

"You will always be both bait and a target to protect, Liza," Earl explained to me.

"Unless I get rid of Tehla, right?" I asked.

"Tehla must remain with you," Eric made clear.

"We protect you, and we protect Tehla," added Earl. "Have no fear. Another reason you're here is because I wanted to see you again before you leave for Oceania. I'm glad to see that your parents did a great job with you, young lady," he said, smiling at me.