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"The vord are eternal The vord are everywhere Aainst us, no victory is possible You may withstand us for a time, but in ten years, in a hundred years, in a thousand years ill return, stronger and wiser than before We are inevitable Your kind is doomed"

Another silence Tavi looked around at the crowd Every face was fixed upon the ie of the vord Queen The Alerans looked pale, or sickened, or sie was more difficult to read, but even the arriors seemed subdued This was the face of the creature who had all but wiped out their entire civilization - millions upon millions of Canim, entire nations, the se as Alera herself

But regardless of the individual reaction, every person there watched

They listened

"I bear you no personal hatred or ani upon any individual I do what I do to protect acy They will have it"

The i her slender, pale hands She drew back her hood, slowly, to reveal the exotically beautiful face of a young woman - one who looked, in fact, very like Kitai She had the sa, fine white hair, the same sharp cleanliness of features softened by full lips and wide, canted eyes But where Kitai's eyes were brilliant green, the vord Queen's eyes were black, faceted like an insect's reflecting the light in ato offer you this chance, Alerans There need not be war between our peoples I will take your cities But for those with the wisdom to bow before the tide of history, I will provide places of safety in which you will be perovern yourselves, to support your families, and to live out the natural course of your lives in complete autonomy, save for this: You will not be permitted to bear children This is withincan end The death and fa can end I will open the Amaranth Vale to be resettled by your people And while you are there, you will have my protection No outsider will be perht of the vord will shield you My poill allow you to live long lives, free of every pestilence and plague known to your kind

"I beg you to see reason, Alerans I offer you peace I offer you health I offer you safety Let the strife between us end Your leaders have not protected you Your Legions have been laid waste Millions of lives have been lost to no purpose Let it end

"I make you this offer Any Aleran ishes to enter my protection must do only this: Come, unarmed, to any part of the world within the sphere of our control Tie a band of green cloth around your arnal to my children that you have bowed to the natural order You will be fed, given care, and transported to places of safety, freedo but silence

Bloody crows, Tavi thought That's brilliant

"Fail to set aside your irrational need to continue this conflict, and you will leave me no other choice" Her hands rose to replace the hood, veiling her alien beauty again Her voice dropped to a quiet, calm, uninflected murmur "I will co, but only barely Max didn't bother to try

"Tell your neighbors Tell your friends Tell any ere not here to see that the vord offer you peace and protection"

Silence reigned No one moved

Max said, very quietly, "Peace and protection You think she's serious?"

"No children," Tavi er to kill than does a clean thrust - but it o, either," Max replied