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"We take ‘Telcam down there and wait for his ships to drop out of slip," Osman said "Then we thin out so that he doesn’t have any e questions to answer Prepare for a few dreary weeks of evaluating troop strengths and counting hul s"
She patted al of the forearo and leave her to deal with the Sangheili Phil ips didn’t He looked her in the eye and tapped the daed radio stil clipped to his jacket
"I coot the intel, Captain I know it’s not been everyone’s top priority over the last few days, but I’ot locations and other data we can’t even begin to guess at Can I cal in some analytical support from Trevelyan?"
"Certainly" Os, Evan Real y I didn’t And I’lad we didn’t have to needle you
Thanks"
Phil ips’s , but looked as if it was going to be too difficult just then He did a little resigned sether, then handed her the radio
"Mind your fingers"
Naomi climbed back into the crew bay and Osman sat down opposite ‘Telca cuffs, so the tie had obviously passed BB watched intently
"I’ot three of them clear, and put a dent in the Arbiter"
‘Telca his words careful y "Why did you not warn me exactly what Infinity could do?"
"Because I wasn’t sure what she would do, but also because I’l be shut down if Hood works out what I’" That wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t whol y true She knew she was doing it, though The tension in her jawon to that lifeline of self-awareness "The deal stands My life’s been co to track down Pious Inquisitor before she beco you"
"But a you?"
"You tel me, Field Master"
"I believe I may need a ship now, or the ability to seize one from the Arbiter"
"Okay I’l see what’s around"
"And Philliss has areat deal of scripture"
"You want that as wel ? Done I’l see that we get a translation done for you"
‘Telcam waited Osman waited Naomi looked as if she could have waited al week, but then she was a self-contained person in every sense
"Take me to Laqil," ‘Telcam said "And leave me there Don’t wait, just in case Jul ‘Mdaht wel know of this assembly point by now"
"Friend of yours?" Osman asked
"Associate"
Osot up to leave "We’l be discreet, then"
BB took the precaution of locking down Tart-Cart’s systems just in case Naomi couldn’t hold ‘Telca to stifle his anger to get what he wanted While BB kept an eye on the two of the over the rest of the squad and general y looking as if she hadn’t had a single doubt about any of this
It’s easy, Captain Just look in the mirror and tell yourself a lie every day You think you have, but you’ve only just started
And don’t worry I’ll be here
BB noted that she’d put the daed radio in her pocket Sooner or later, he’d have to look in that mirror, too
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
HE SPENDS A LOT OF TIME IN THE FORERUNNER STRUCTURES, BUT THEN I SUSPECT HE’S MORE LIKE A HUMAN THAN HE WANTS TO ADMIT IN PRISON, YOU TEND TO FIND GOD MORE EASILY BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING ELSE THAT CAN MAKE SENSE OF THE FACT THAT YOU’VE BLOWN YOUR ONE AND ONLY LIFE ON A STUPID INABILITY TO JUST PLAY BY THE RULES
(DR IRENA MAGNUSSON, ONIRF TREVELYAN, REPORTING ON JUL ‘MDAMA’S PROGRESS TO ADMIRAL MARGARET PARANGOSKY)
ONIRF TREVELYAN
The humans came in to Trevelyan, and--presurass, trying to convince his eyes that the blue sky above hih, whol y unnatural roof They refused to believe him There were times in recent weeks when he wondered if this was al part of soame and that this was actual y an ordinary planet after al , not a sphere But the Forerunners had left other feats of ialaxy, such as the Ark, and he could see no logic in using such a lie to lever so from him
It could just have been s He’d seen enough of them in their colonies and now on Trevelyan to know that They were pointlessly cruel, as if violence had once been an essential part of their evolution but had now beco that they didn’t even notice or control