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"Because they have safe havens and the Ilytian coast is treacherous for those who don’t know--"
"No Because -term interests Satraps hate the pirates Traders hate the pirates Families whose fathers are pressed into their service hate them Parents whose sons are enslaved to pull an oar hate theh the pirates have been bruised a few tiood thing that the so-called Prism has done--they always come back And why? Because satraps find it easier to pay them off than to crush them forever There are currently four pirate lords in Ilyta, and each of the not to attack ships flying the Abornean flag Do you knohat happens to the rimaced "It enriches the pirates"
"It finances more piracy, and the dreams of every pirate to become a pirate lord himself Satraps have looked at the probleo after one pirate lord who broke a treaty, and so a boatful ofto put her money or etting stolen and scuttled, no one is willing to help her in return Now, don’t you think the Seven Satrapies would be better off if they worked together for once and simply took care of the problem? Not just better off now, but better off for a hundred years?"
"If you could really stop it You really think you can accomplish what satraps and Prisms have failed to do?"
"Absolutely It’s purely a matter of will, and that I have in infinite supply"
His audacity was breathtaking
"That’s small, Liv," he said "Slavery Nature made not slaves, nor should man You’re Tyrean, and your land hasn’t been tainted as much as others, but slavery’s a curse I’ll end it The Chromeria is the same It comes and sweeps up the flower of a nation--its drafters--and takes them away Indoctrinates them Returns the drafters into thinking they’re doing it for their own good Like slavery, a curse that corrupts those on both sides Everyone has said these institutions are too big to change I say they’re too big not to change I lie in pursuit of that Say it will be easier than it will be I admit it I lie carefully, and only to ood of the Seven Satrapies"
Liv believed him, but the superviolet part of her co for?"
He shook his head sadly "You think I do this lightly? Look at what the Chroht now, but I can recognize hi be better thanhim? Are your hands any cleaner because you ask so for you?"
She felt sick thinking about it Her father was old for a drafter He’d drafted little foralmost every day He had a couple years atis unnecessary? That wights aren’t evil? That--"
"Convinced? Liv The Freeing isn’t incidental to the Chro, there’s no necessity for the Chroerous, you needn’t send your daughter to a far country to learn it Without that, there’s no indoctrination, and no capture of the most valuable commodity in the whole world--drafters Without control over and a monopoly on the drafters, the whole house comes down That’s why this" He pointed to the dead usted and blew foul putrefaction into Liv’s nose She coughed and turned away
"You iven them a decent burial I will After all of our peopleBecause I refuse to cover up the Chromeria’s sins, and I refuse to take part in them" He stared at the bodies for another ht she read sadness there He looked at her "You have questions"
"Not about this Not… now," Liv said, looking at the bodies, feigning hardness