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"Maybe, but it’d take an army And lots of ers on the table "There are ways around that Assu would we need?"

"Years Hell, maybe decades We’d have to drain her, build a drydock, float her in And that’s just for starters The da"

"But it could be done"

"In theory"

Michael studied his friend’s face They had yet to touch on thepiece, the one question from which all the rest descended

"So how much time do you think we have?" Michael asked

"Until what?"

"Until the virals coht away "I’"

Greer looked up Michael saw relief in the"Tellthat makes sense The question is, how did you?"

Greer drained his whiskey, poured another, and drank that, too Michael waited

"I’, Michael, and you can never tell anybody what you know Not Sara, not Hollis, not Peter Especially not Peter"

"Why him?"

"I don’t make the rules, I’m sorry I need your word on this"

"You have it"

Greer drew a long breath and let the air out slowly "I know the virals are co back, Michael," he said, "because A as Alicia approached the city Seen froined it: wide, dark, ceaselessly flowing Beyond it rose the spires of the city, dense as a forest Ruined piers jutted froainst the shoals In a century, the sea had risen Parts of the island’s southern tip looked subs

She picked her way north, hopscotching through the detritus, searching for a way across The rain stopped, started, stopped again It was late afternoon when she reached the bridge: twothe decks aloft with cables slung over their shoulders The thought of crossing it filled Alicia with a profound anxiety she dared not show, but Soldier sensed it anyway The sain?

Yes, she thought This

She veered inland and located the raun emplacements, military vehicles stripped bare by a century of weather, so on their sides: there had been a battle here The upper deck was choked with the carcasses of autos of birds Alicia dise With every step her apprehension increased The feeling was autoy, a sneeze barely held in abeyance She kept her eyes forward, putting one foot in front of the next