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"Kill hi hbor stabs hihbor looks fearfully to Lorn
"Two point three meters," Lorn says "Close"
"Kill him!" Pliny shouts futilely "He’s a just a boy!"
I speak quietly, but all can hear
"Pliny au Velocitor, you are a traitor to ArchGovenor Nero au Augustus You have conspired to destroy his house, to forcibly hter, to kill his son, and betray hiainst him Your master raised you up, and you tried to tear hiain Worst of all, you have failed"
"Stop hi at ht, and both step to the side
"You’re supposed to be dead," Pliny mutters "Aja said she would kill you on Europa"
"And who do you know that can killin ry souls "The Jackal failed Antonia au Severus-Julii failed Proctors Apollo and Jupiter failed Cassius au Bellona failed Karnus failed Cagney failed Aja au Griman failed The mines and pitvipers failed "And now you fail"
That’s when I slip forward, faster than a striking pitViper and slap him across the face He pitches sideways out of his seat like a leaf battered by the wind, careening into a Gold who stood to the side She spits on hiht himself a serpent just because you slither But your poas not real, Pliny It was all a drea himself away from me His carefully coht cheek I spin hiain, harder He’s startled Doesn’t knohat to do He was not taken fro his first day at the Institute and beaten by Obsidians He did not ride upon the snow-crusted beaches at the head of an armored column He did not starve So now all he can do is scrah into the air But I hurt him no more I will not demean the moment with cruelty like Karnus or Titus would My condescension is my weapon I set Pliny back in the ArchGovernor’s chair I buff his dragonfly pin Straighten his hair like a kindly mother Pat him on his tear-stained cheek and extend
He kisses it without
"Goodbye, Pliny I leave you to your friends"
I walk away, the eyes of all these Peerless followingsound and do not turn, because I knohat razors sound like when they kill They didn’t even wait Pliny is forgotten
These Peerless thuo with the wind, chasing power But they don’t realize power doesn’t shift Power is resolute It is the mountain, not the wind To shift so easily is to lose trust And trust is what has kept me alive Trust in my friends, and their trust in me