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He turned his attention back to the dropship, where Phil ips was landing at the Arbiter’s keep in Vadam If Phil ips had had a neural implant, BB would have known exactly how nervous he was But in the absence of uess fro of his heart There was a lot BB could glean fro a comms unit in contact with the man’s chest Phil ips had had the sense to leave the unit clipped to his jacket pocket--conspicuous, so that the Sangheili wouldn’t think he was doing any covert recording--and that also gave BB a good view of the environ there, as Mal would say Actually, I ahly polished corridor toward huge double doors at the far end, then stopped for a moht, waiting at the open door to the landing pad, and gave hi back to the dropship The outer doors closed

Phil ips was on his o When he walked through the i entrance, it wasn’t the Arbiter who caheili festooned eapons Phil ips did seem to understand them even better than BB had realized He kne to appear so harmless and curious that it was probably an affront to their masculinity to harrateful for the opportunity to visit Sanghelios," he said BB could tel froe-head’s jaws that he wasn’t expecting a hue "Thank you for your hospitality"

There was just the tiniest hint of sly huheili didn’t spot it Phil ips fol owed hiheili taste for big, echoing, eht Poor old Phil ips was going to be glad to get back to Port Stanley, whatever enthusiastic noises he h aopen a door

"A child’s rooris"

The room contained a functional lance like a fountain No, it was the local plu The bathroom

Oh dear Good luck with that, Evan It was very Spartan, and not in the reassuringly armored and heroic sense

"Thank you," Phil ips said "That’s very thoughtful"

The Sangheili left him there and closed the door Actual y, it real y was rather kind by Sangheili standards Phil ips sat on the edge of the bed and braced his elbows on his knees

"Just the right size, Goldilocks…"

"Sit up," BB hissed "I can’t see a da to keep his voice down "I’ to worry about that I’l just stick to the roast meat"

"Very wise"

They sat there for a long ti to coe to BB--before heavy, plodding steps echoed in the corridor outside and the door opened This tiies for not receiving you, Scholar," he said "You profess an interest in our culture What can we show you?"

Phil ips sounded genuinely taken aback "That’s reat deal toof your ancient history"

He was a little breathless Odd: the higher gravity couldn’t have been taking a tol on hiious, I’d like to see your most ancient cities I’d like to study the evolution of your language"

The Arbiter’s head jerked back a fraction If a Sangheili’s eyes could glaze over, then his just had But it took even a prodigious intel ect like BB’s a second to see as going on here Where would Phil ips be able to see the earliest exae?

Almost certainly at Forerunner relic sites Oh, very clever Very clever indeed

"Then I shal have a pilot show you some of the less contentious shrines," the Arbiter said "Since the San’Shyuuard enerous, sir May I sters have an aru to lend to me?"

The Arbiter drew his head back even farther It was definitely either a sign of wariness or aing puzzle"

"I know," Phil ips said "I’d like to examine one"

The Arbiter inclined his head "Very welAs a favor to the Shipy is complete, then"

The Arbiter left So he had a sense of humor after alPhil ips held his breath for a fewfor," BB whispered

"Ah, this predates our , my little cubist friend The mad monk we do business with claims to have ancient Forerunner relics from their first contact, remember If there’s a trace of that in other locations, then perhaps I can find soinal Forerunner data--like Halo locations"

"Gosh, I think I want your autograph"

"I havetel s me he wouldn’t have volunteered the information And I real y don’t want to run into hier to his lips They waited for another half hour until another Sangheili opened the door, slapped an arum into Phil ips’s hand, and jerked his head at hience to glean from the two-seater transport they boarded, but when the vessel lifted clear of the keep wal s and headed south to the coast, a very different Sanghelios was spread below them Phil ips leaned close to the viewscreen and adjusted his jacket discreetly so that BB could get a good shot

The glare of the sun wasn’t reflecting off the sea Fifteenat least ten square kiloheili had unleashed their oeapons on their neighbors and glassed the the recent civil war

Phil ips did his idiot child act again, playing with the aru here," he said "Was it the Prophets?"

"No," the pilot grunted "It was the war between the keeps And the war continues" He glanced at Phil ips as if he couldn’t believe he wasaround with an arum "Fool You’l never release the stone like that "

Phil ips twisted the arueinners luck, perhaps"

The pilot stared at him It was just as wel the vessel appeared to be on autohelreat discipline," the pilot said at last, with just the slightest hint of awe "Can al hue by similar puzzles we have … but no, they can’t"

"Good," the pilot erous species"

Phil ips had a new fan Brilliant BBhis brain to the AI program when he was done with it

He hoped that time wouldn’t have to come too soon

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

OZ, BIG MAGGIE SAYS YOU MIGHT SWING BY VENEZIA SOME TIME SOON I THINK YOU’LL FIND IT AN INTERESTING DAY OUT