"No, I don't." Stephanie replied. Alistaire could take that as he wished, really.

"Crane. I may not know everything my father's up to, but he's predictable enough on the big strokes. I feel like I have a decent grasp on Essex and Selene's motives. But Crane is a man I do not understand. How he fits into everything, what he wants, his connections with the other major players."

She took a sip of her wine, and spoke in a quiet but emphatic tone. "He is also mine. Mine and Marcelo's, to do with as we choose. Just as Shinobi was yours to deal with."