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"Why? Who’s going to stop us? More to the point, ould they stop us?" A slow realization was dawning on Jul, that the Sangheili had become so used to the orderly world of command structures that Great Schis their own kind seeheili needed to learn froest that we sio to your ship, and then fly her out of the shipyard"

"Just like that," said Buran

"Apart fro a secure location to hide her, yes Just like that"

Perhaps Buran was persuaded by the fact that Jul had been the shipmaster of a cruiser In the coreater firepower tended to give a warrior greater standing in the eyes of his comrades It was also entirely possible that Buran and his two col eagues were, like so many others, suddenly cast adrift with neither a clear purpose nor the chain of command provided by the San’Shyuum

In a world devoid of ideas, the shipmaster with half a plan was emperor

Buran looked to his two coreement, and then did a little nod of acceptance "Very wel , I shal contact my most reliable crewmen, and we shal simply take the ship I shal also pray that I don’t wake up oneon a nest and transfor-Yar Because this is how those little vermin operate"

"And they’re ive us al heart," Jul said "Contact h this temple when you’re ready to h of a backwater to hide your frigate"

Forze hadn’t said a word He simply stood there at Jul’s side, just as the other two shipmasters flanked Buran, and offered no opinion Jul didn’t even know the names of Buran’s comrades, but then they hadn’t asked his naht, he could teach them to think like the enemy after alHe could teach the characteristics of a culture could be the same ones that proved to be its downfalHumans prided themselves on their compassion and sense of fair play, despite copious evidence to the contrary, so heili measured themselves by their prowess on the battlefield, and in order to deht Jul understood that reflex But he also knew just how successful hu the most underhand and dishonest tactics; not just bluff and feint, but thedeceptions They were prepared to forfeit the lives of their own people to achieve it, too

I think I knohere I draw the line, but until I reach that point--I will employ all necessary means

Buran and his companions moved away Forze cornered Jul "I think we should return home now," he said quietly "Theirs is the nextto do to Raia I’e to mention theof the crypt He’d actual y seen very few Forerunner structures, and never from the inside The quality of the stoneas exquisite The joints of every ancient block were as precise and perfect as the ave hi

"I want to see the rest of the temple," he said

"Please don’t tel me that you’ve had an attack of piety"

"No" Jul looked around to see if he could find ‘Telcam "I’m simply curious Gods or not, we have to at least be respectful of the Forerunners and perhaps discover what becaods, then they would have shown thereatest hour of need Gods were supposed to do that kind of thing But the idea that they were an ancient civilization that had vanished almost without trace except for a few reued Jul far ical divinity He headed for ‘Telca an enthusiast on his favorite topic was a very good way to build trust

"This is how obsessions start," Forze warned, but Jul ignored him and intercepted the monk

"May I see the rest of the temple?" Jul asked "I’ve never seen an intact artifact before We only have ruins in my state But then you already know that"

‘Telcaestured forith a sweep of his arh a honeycoes, al exquisitely faced with stone blocks so careful y laid that it was impossible to put a blade between them There were inlaid panels on the wal s, fil ed with swirls and lines that Jul recognized as Forerunner sy overhead It didn’t look as if any maintenance had been carried out down here for centuries Jul was intrigued by a side corridor that disappeared into darkness, and began to wander that way

‘Telcaht his arm "That’s wal ed off--a dead end," he said "Whatever the Forerunners left down there, eren’t destined to enter"

"Who else comes down here?"

"Nobody," ‘Telcao But we didn’t forget the gods"

That only intrigued Jul more, but he did as he was asked and walked on One panel in particular took his fancy It appeared to be a list The symbols were laid out in horizontal rows at the center, with lines radiating froe of a cartouche Jul put out his hand involuntarily but his thulass screen He hadn’t even seen it It seeht his shoulder "The shield was placed there long before the San’Shyuum arrived," he said "The Servants of the day said that touching the sye effects That seemed like a sensible reason not to interfere with it"

Jul marveled at the odd blend of self-control and lack of curiosity "What do you think it is?"

"Looks like a control panel to me," Forze muttered

"There are those who believe it’s a ods visited and the locations of the holy rings"

Jul counted at least eleven separate rows of syn Was that what this diagram was? He made a note of it

"The Forerunners el traveled," he said If he’d been al owed the ti for six orabout thein to enerous But what do they real y want from us?"

"To wait patiently for their return," ‘Telcam said "To trust the to put in gods ould destroy a galaxy to save it But that was another theological debate he didn’t plan to pursue

UNSC PORT STANLEY, 10,000 KILOMETERS OFF VENEZIA

If only it hadn’t been Venezia

If only