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And sos couldn't be said They had to be done
Bloody crows He'd never asked her what the ht to ask
"Crows," Tavi said, calmly "I Max, I think you have a point"
Max spread his hands "Yeah Sorry"
"All right," Tavi said "Then I suppose that while I'et the rest of Alera to accept the Cani up with enough support to actually be the First Lord, I'll have to work an epic romance into the schedule"
"That's why you're the Princeps, and I'm just a humble Tribune," Max said
"I I don't really knowromantic," Tavi said
"Neither do I," Max said cheerfully "But look at it this way It won't need to besound and reached for his eht fist against his ar openly at Tavi "I'll see to the incohness, and make sure everyone finds his way to your cabin"
Tavi held on to theIt wouldn't do to throw it at Max in plain view of everyone on deck He put the ave Max a look that promised eventual repayment, and said, "Thank you, Tribune Shut the door on your way out, please"
Max departed and shut the door, and Tavi sank tiredly back onto his chair He looked at the maps spread out on his desk - and drew out the one he hadn't shown the others Alera had helped him with it It showed the spread of the vord croach over the face of Alera, like gangrene oozing into the body from an infected wound
The vord had to number in the hundreds of thousands by now, perhaps even in theabout the world, he thought, that the vord threat was arguably the secondproblem he had He wasn't sure what, but it definitely said so
Chapter 2
"Gentle" He looked around his cabin at the gathering of what he'd con council "In the next few hours, your troops will be learning what I'm about to tell you You'll need to know it first"
He paused to take a steadying breath and to e were calravity of what he was about to explain And it wouldn't do to let the Canim see him nervous under any circumstances
"The vord have already attacked Alera," Tavi said "The first assault was beaten back, but not broken Ceres has fallen As has Alera I home, other cities may have fallen as well"