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There were only perhaps twenty five-color polys in the Chro If this boy was cocky, it was for good reason

Insufferable

"You lose a fight?" Liv asked How rude!

"Failed an assassination atteot beaten for h shark-infested waters" He s"

"Terrible sense of humor, if I were It’s not very funny, is it?"

"You’re serious?"

"Second tiet you out of those rag--those clothes and into so"

He was her tutor, put over her by Lord Omnichrome himself, so Liv supposed that ed and followed hih the city The warehouse wasn’t far from the Travertine Palace, because it felt safer to be close to the soldiers Being a wouard

But as Liv followed Zyarb was better than armor "Is everyone so afraid of drafters here?" she asked

"Afraid? They respect us, which is only right, don’t you think?"

"I suppose so"

"You suppose so? Ah So this is why you needed a tutor"

Well that was patronizing, and Liv didn’t appreciate it one bit

"The Chro those it trains being so indebted to them that you become at best an indentured servant--with the ter the rest of your life A slave, in other words The Free reject that We recognize instead the natural order as it is Did you choose to be born a great beauty? Of course not But you are You can do with that what you will Similarly, you were born a drafter We can wish that all were born with our gifts, and the Color Prince is investigating how this ht be done But the fact reift that other ift--we can’t choose to be drafters But we are We don’t ask those who have gifts to chain theet fat so they don’tslow We are e are, as wild and free as nature made us When you walk the streets as a drafter, men know that if they accost you, you can kill them They can fear that or si a pistol With the advantage, of course, being that a pistol only has one shot"

They passed workers clearing rubble-strewn streets and finally arrived at a little store undaood to have business! Thank you, thank you, oh, and so beautiful you are! A marvel I’ll make you I have an order for three dresses, yes?" she asked Zymun

"If that’s what Lord Omnichrome ordered," Zymun said

"Very well then, strip down," she told Liv

Liv looked at her, then over at Zymun, who showed no inclination to leave "Do youmischievously "Very "