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The ships flitting above in the night sky are as distant from the conversation as I My attention has fallen upon the Sovereign herself How strange a thing, to see the woman just there beyond the dance floor, at the raised podiu with other house lords and men who rule the lives of billions So close, so human and frail
Octavia au Lune stands with her coterie of women, the three Furies--sisters she trusts above all others For her part, the Sovereign is more handsome than beautiful, face impassive as a mountain’s Her silence is her power I see her speech is seldom, but she listens; always, she listens to words as theof wind through its crags, around its peaks
I see aalone near a tree He’s near as thick around as its trunk A hand dwarfs his ss, a Praetor with a fleet I approach hi and srowls
I snap oblets froht that before you coht as well share a drink"
"There’s a sport" He downs his own drink and takes the one I offer hilass "You’re not a poisoner, are you?"
"I’m not so subtle"
"Equal corins like a crocodile, dark Gold eyes tracing the ely decadent tonight"
"I hear Quicksilver arranged the festivities," I say
"Only on Luna would they let a Silver pretend he’s a Gold" Karnus grunts "I hate thistray "Food’s too heavy Everything else too light Though I hear the sixth course will be soe tone, I crossaround this hateful man Neither one of us has to pretend to like the other No masks here, least not as much as usual
He chuckles deeply "Julian would have liked this fancy fare He was a si, vile child"
I turn to exas about hih "Cassius once wounded a bird with a slingshot Ca, because he knew he had to kill it to put it out of its misery, but he couldn’t I dropped a rock on it for him Just like you did" He senetic chaff"
"Julian was your brother, man"
"He pissed the bed as a boy Pissed the bed Always tried hiding the sheets by giving them to the laundrywomen himself Like we didn’t own the laundrywomen He was a boy who did not deserve his lass of wine froedy, but it isn’t It’s natural law"
"Julian was ht "Oh, do explain that one"