Alanka had barely left when Connie walked in.
As the Intelligence Officer of the Military Affairs Department's Intelligence Bureau, a senior officer overseeing all its intelligence agents (even if the bureau was still a department in name only), Connie had the privilege of meeting Chris directly without first requesting an audience.
"I'm very sorry, Your Highness."
Connie wore a dark blue velvet coat with shoulder boards bearing two bars and one star, and her face was full of remorse.
"I failed to discover the problems in the refugee camp. I knew nothing about Alanka's actions, or even that there were so many followers of the Goddess of Agriculture there."
"That isn't your fault. I never ordered you to monitor religious matters in the refugee camp."
To be honest, Chris had never expected Connie's intelligence office to accomplish much at this stage. Apart from giving her money, he had offered her no other support.
Having grown up among Inyama's lower classes, mingled with all sorts of petty crooks, and developed a taste for digging up information, Connie might well have the makings of a good agent.
But she had little education, and this was her first time taking on such work. Chris had no expectations about how soon she would produce results.
So Chris had never blamed Connie, but she blamed herself deeply.
After a series of shifting expressions crossed Connie's face, she raised a hand and drew it across her throat with a sinister look.
"Your Highness, quite a few of the lads under my command don't believe in the Earth Mother Goddess, and they're very good at keeping their mouths shut... I could choose a Lamplighter from among them to put out a light in the middle of the night."
Chris waved a hand, signaling Connie not to do