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He laughed quietly to hie of losing amble?"

"Cards on the table, huh?" the White said

"I at least appear to have very little to lose"

"Those who fold have no right to see the cards of those who stay in the game," the White said

"Metaphors break down"

The White was quiet for a longinto the depths of hi your ghotra It’s hard to fail to notice such a thing How should I react to that, Commander? Personally, or politically?"

"What do you mean?" he asked

"Politically, you one apostate Most people don’t wear the evidence of their faith on their heads--or take it off when they have doubts You do If the Black lists your apostasy as a reason to remove you from office, you’ll admit it’s true So, politically, you’ve put the knife to your own throat"

He hadn’t even thought of that His religion--or lack thereof--wasn’t some public sho could not the outerthat by si your damn hat back on Explain to anyone who asks that you re for your lost, which is true Partly But you won’t do that"

"To be a ether that which you should be and that which you are Deception is darkness"

"And did not Orhola, so that there reater light and its nightly enerally understood to allow for moral exceptions to the rule in the case of war," Ironfist said, a little stiffly

"Do you think we have not been at war these sixteen years?" the White said quietly

"Does being the Whiteyou want it to be?"

"You met Corvan Danavis, did you not?" she asked "Oh yes, of course you did, at Garriston He used to say, ‘Not all sharks and sea demons swim Ceres’ seas’ "

"We’re awash in metaphors, Mistress I’m a simple man"

"Simplicity has its oer, Harrdun As well you know Yes, then Yes, being White means I decide what is war And when to threaten it" She smiled thinly

Ironfist waited

"As you know, I select the couard, and the Black has the power to remove you It’s meant to balance our power Really, it’s meant to diminish mine But what perhaps you don’t appreciate is that after you are reain"

"And he would re a crisis But if you stayed, retained your quarters, continued giving orders, assigning shifts, how uards would abide by your choice andcould precipitate civil war Ironfist raised his hands "Hold Wait, wait, wait I’ here"

"No, you’re not"