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I shrugged No sense arguing Beacons across the wheel, sending out conflicting signalsNot impossible

"You’ve fed us and let us rest," I said "What do you intend to do with us? Add us to your speciarded hts and ht-stretched skin-- nothing could be hidden fro Sickness," he said

"That’s what humans caled it"

"The Flood? My old spirit certainly thinks so," I said--then wondered if I had revealed too much But Genemender was not surprised in the least

"Indeed Your old spirit, as you cal it, one of the archived warriors stored in your genetic materialHow many of the closely for my answer

We had walked to within a few meters of the smoothly reflective mass suspended above the wal of tree trunks and branches

"One, I think," I said

"No ht have felt others at firstnow, there’s just one What use are such things to Forerunners--or to the Master Builder?"

"Let us begin with Erde-Tyrene," he said "A young Manipular was led to your birth-world by his ancila"

"The blue lady," I said

"Yes When you iven to you by the Librarian, was activated You and the smal Florian named Riser led the Manipular to Djamonkin Crater"

I wasn’t about to tel him the Florian was here I stil wasn’t convinced erminated when you met the Didact, and flowered when he took you to Charum Hakkor There, the imprint took on a distinct shape--a personality was revived A species is not just the record of how to make a male and a fereatness of humanity has been stored within you, and so very little is actualy lost

Briliant!"

His admiration bothered me I was alowed to feel, to worship, on the Librarian’s behalf, but for a Forerunner to share those deep- held opinions--to look upon n--I found that disturbing, even disgusting

Geneh the branches and trunks--not between, but through I tried to folow but came up short, convinced I would be bruised or poked in the eye

"Co," he caled "It’s safe"

I closed estion of hard bark and twigs

"The great anthropoid could not do what you just did," he inforin point of radiating corridors lined with tal, twisted cylinders The cylinders had an odd, translucent quality that ca--solow acco as that one," I said, talking just to hide my worry I wondered if these cylinders were containers, instruments--or perhaps some kind of cereed in that kind of art

"The last of her kind," Genemender said "She once lived on Erde-Tyrene, not so far from where you were born Even at their pinnacle, her people seldom numbered more than a thousand

When the Lifeshaper caather what could be saved, she found only five Now, unfortunately, the others are dead"

I could not bring myself to ask how they had died Perhaps in the Palace of Pain? "Are you not in the habit of wearing armor?"

"Al armor and ancilas on this instalation have been corrupted

Not even the monitors are completely trustworthy, but those that re the reserve"

"What corrupted thereen eye? Or-- the Captive?"

There--I had blurted it out

Gene My flesh crawled He did not have a smel and he did not kno to react to certain questions

Incapable of telling a lie, but unwilling to reveal all? This is no Forerunner!

I stil reserved judgment--but I was definitely unhappy in Genemender’s presence, however ood ti Halos were the priainst the Flood, which was already ravaging parts of the Forerunner realreat Arks outside the ned to destroy life in milions or even bilions of star systems, should the Flood spread out of control

"The Didact opposed their construction and planned instead a very different ca and positioning Shield Worlds--even more massive and in so out , the Lord of Admirals said within me, and I was distracted by a sudden vivid burst of charts andspheres of an interstelar war It was his way to isolate, besiege, and lay low, at the ic inore the rest

"The Master Builder convinced the Council that the eency was already too extreme," Genemender continued, "and that the Didact’s Shield Worlds were not the answer The Didact’s plan was denied In protest, and to avoid serving the Master Builder, he went into exile, entering his Cryptum, where you and Bornstelar found hireat profit of the Master Builder and his kind

"But after concealing her husband’s location, the Librarian went to the Council and invoked the Mantle--the fundamental duty of Forerunners to nurture and protect life The Council forced a bargain with the Master Builder and decreed that Halos would also serve as sanctuaries for species froainst almost universal destruction, should the instalations be forced to carry out their mission

"The Librarian has always favored humans, reeiven space on several of the Master Builder’s instalations Huht to this one--over one hundred and twenty varieties, many hundreds of thousands of individuals Others were placed on the great Arks where Halos are built and restored Al were designated as reserve populations, not to be tampered with But the population of imprinted humans on Erde-Tyrene were not ht here-- until recently"

Not even the Librarian would risk my presence on such a weapon!