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might fall behind schedule. He fled.
Haget observed, A dozen ships a year disappear on the Web.
But never a Guardship, Jo reflected. Whatever it was, it did not trifle with
the invincible.
15
Valerena glimpsed motion down the corridor. He decided to come.
Blessed said, This is pointless. You can t suborn Lupo. You can t even make
Grandfather think you suborned him. Lupo is the one man he trusts. And with
good reason.
What do you know? You re still a child.
I know you can t reach Simon Tregesser without going through Lupo Provik.
Lupo can t be bought. If you can t bribe Lupo, you have to kill him. And he
won t let you.
Valerena sneered. She was sure every man had his weakness or price. What
course would you suggest, beloved child?
Patience.
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Patience? What kind of suggestion is that?
Simon Tregesser is old. He has physical problems. Let time do the dirty
work.
He speaks more wisely than I expected. Lupo Provik skewered Valerena with
the ice of his devil eyes. You wanted to see me?
Valerena shivered. That look. It haunted her. It seemed she had faced it
before. Whatis your price, Lupo?
I m priceless, Valerena.
Blessed giggled.
Valerena stifled her anger. There s no hope you d help me take control?
None.
And you d resist me if I tried?
Of course. But you have no need. Your father isn t immortal.
What willyou do when he dies?
Go on. My second loyalty is to the House.
Would that be true if my father didn t die of natural causes?
When the man is dead, he s dead. I ll defend him but not his ghost. I m no
avenger. I m a tactician and strategist. What might have been a smile tugged
at his mouth.
I see. Maybe you re right. Maybe I should curb my impatience. I do have all
but the final power now, don t I?
Indeed. Your father has indulged your every whim. Occasionally he s
regretted that.
And will you support me as devoutly, Lupo? Blessed asked.
Valerena shot him a venomous look.
Of course.
That will be all, Lupo, Valerena snapped. I just wanted to make sure of
what I already knew.
Provik responded with a slight bow. As he departed, he reiterated, Be
patient, Valerena. It s the safer course.
He was gone. She spun on Blessed. You d better watch that sarcastic mouth.
Yes, Mother. What now? I can t picture you taking advice just because it s
good.
Valerena glared. Contrary to what you and they believe, thereare pathways to
my father that don t lead through Lupo Provik.
Blessed smiled at her taut back as she stamped away.
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16
The first refugees reached the ruins soon after the uprising began. The
Immunes accepted them though that meant a drain on resources. After the
retreat to the bunker occasioned by that furious starburst, though, Turtle
announced, We accept no more fugitives.
Lady Midnight, who could find charity toward a viper, asked, Why not?
Because we re going to get hit by a flood. And some will be Concordians. We
don t want them around when the Guardship soldiers come. They assume guilt by
association. They shoot if there s a doubt. The point of coming out here was
to survive.
Midnight argued against turning anyone away. These are the people who
terrorized you! Amber Soul. Come with me.
The fugitives came. Amber Soul drove them away. But before they arrived, the
sky opened and rained sparks on Merod Schene.
The brightest object in the nighttime sky, after the moon, had been the
station, stationary above the equator south of Merod Schene. But now there was
a brighter object. The Guardship, Turtle said.
It must be huge.
It s bigger than anything you can imagine humans building.
A few hairs of fire reached for the rain of sparks. A pathetic few. Most of
the garrison s arsenal had been destroyed in the city s collapse.
Can you sense the city? Turtle asked.
Only as a great fester of fear and pain.
Explosions limned the horizon and illuminated the bellies of scattered small
clouds. The last gasp of the Concord, Turtle guessed. A booby trap no doubt
sprung prematurely. This race never learns.
The Guardships learn. Do they not?
The Guardships are immortal. They do not have to re-learn lessons every
generation.
But they grow more nearly mad.
Some have gone strange, Turtle admitted. Some have grown impatient and
terrible, like vengeful old gods. But mostly they just do what they were
created to do with an efficiency that must keep the ghosts of their designers
in a turmoil. Those old pirates didn t figurethey would have to toe the mark,
too.
You know a lot about them, don t you? Midnight had come out. Lonesome Mike
anchored her against the wind.
Knowing them is my life s work.
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You respect them. But you would put an end to them if you could. Wouldn t
you?
They have kept the peace and expanded its frontiers for four thousand years,
but at the expense of most of humanity and all of everyone else. The
wellsprings of power have become frozen. End some things, yes, I would. But I
would not alter the inability of the Houses, or anyone else, to rampage across
the Web.
Lonesome Mike grunted. I can think of ways to play conquerer without going
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