Maybe it was just the way the light came down through the canopy overhead, but the little statue on the table beside the stone chair seemed almost alive. Liya leaned close to inspected it while Helygen read over the letter Marinos had sent.

The statue was a smooth red clay made greenish under the light; its eyes were coppery bulbs with many facets, like an insect's eyes. That was all it was, she was positive--clay and metal--but she couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than that.

"Hmm," Helygen said at length, and Liya looked up.

"What?"

"The captain says you're quite the fighter," Helygen explained, and Liya couldn't tell if they were amused or not, "You broke a few noses, at least. Not only that, but it took Private James standing on you to subdue you."

Liya's lip curled. "The bear lady?" she asked. "She cracked three of my ribs doin' that."

Helygen didn't seem to hear. "This also says you flash-healed a fractured leg," they said after a moment, sounding concerned. "Did you?"