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"I couldn’t have I was in a room with Aja au Grimmus Perhaps if you were there, you could have done better, but I’h
"Even Lorn au Arcos wouldn’t have dared," Augustus mutters "And I once saw him kill Stained without a razor Darrow did as he could" He turns his attention on me "Do you think we should run noell?"
"It makes you look weak"
"We are weak," Pliny replies "But this makes him look wise"
"WiseLorn au Arcos!" Pliny snaps
"I thought you’d be open to all knowledge"
"Your many years of life no doubt s," Pliny says melodically "Do recycle more maxims from old warriors so we may learn more of life and wisdom"
"This isn’t about esture to the ArchGovernor "This is about our liege This is about his fate"
"How theatrical of you to note, Darrow" Augustus rubs his eyes, tired
"The young can’t help but be eager," Pliny continues "But we e Six months’ delay is a sered hands "In fact, time is our friend Octavia cannot afford to scour the Solar Syste hand will be like iron It will rake along the backs of the other ArchGovernors, and it will not be long before those who follow her begin to chafe at her orders They will learn e fight against her; namely that she is not our representative, but is instead an Eive us power Which will give us the ability to sue for profitable peace"
Praetor Kavax slams his fist on the table "Piss on this"
A titan of a man, he’s carved more from rock than flesh His neck is so thick that I couldn’t wrap even my hands around it Unlike most Golds, he has shaved his head and perrow It is thick and dyed blood-red When the lights diers remain on his left hand They say his son, Daxo, bit theh Daxo always ser brother, Pax The Telemanuses are the only Praetors in the room not beholden, in one way or another, to Pliny I like Kavax
"It chafes my balls This Pixie talk chafes my balls!" Kavax sneers "We should not be in this position Give uard to treat with the cowards who did not answer your su," he whispers to his favorite fox, Sophocles, a red-gold, sharp-eared thing that flinches at the loud sound of its master’s voice Sophocles eats little jelly beans from Kavax’s massive palm
We wait for Kavax’s attention to return to his words