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Those of us that had survived were acting in desperate concert to salvage what they could "Not al can be saved," we acknowledged "Stresses can be relieved by shedding ed plates are likely choices"

With the power froan to lock in stasis its ments We watched as thousands of kilometers of the band rapped in reflective protection, preserved for theplanet The controlers in these regions were terid

The wheel continued to rotate, even increasing its rate, while the planet finished its passage, er in evidence Strangely, the Cartographer could not tel us if their ed or destroyed Information about weapons status ithheld even fro more to be done where ere

"We reater Ark ied instalations ht have been sent replacement parts from one of the two Arks that had created them in the first place--but such shipments had been discontinued for years, even if we could create a portal to receive theh power to open a portal of a certain size, and no larger It wil ree I a our ships to supply the necessary power, and to sacrifice their own slipspace drives if necessary"

What I could not understand hy the Didact had decided to save one of those very weapons whose creation he had so decisively opposed

Perhaps it was not the wheel he wanted to save

The Didact’s --not with me, at any rate

The wolf-faced planet went on its way, little changed

The Halo continued to turn while, one by one, the sections locked in stasis were released The energies of their return to normal physics were diffused around the syste, wavelike cascades of infrared and higher-energy photons

"Cartographer!" The Didact’s voice brought the surviving controlers, and the faculties of the Cartographer itself, to ful attention "Saving al possible biological specioal Plan for the instalation’s reduction Weits size also alows us to use the lesser Ark to , then The Didact was on a mission from the Librarian He could save at least a few of the many species the Librarian had placed on the instalation

The Cartographer quickly uration for passage through the limited portal, and conveyed our instructions

Poas tehter spokes shot inward toward the axis to join a spherical hub

the entirety of which suddenly see specimens alive and their environments at least s and counterbalancing braces

Al around the wheel, segments deemed expendable--bare foundation, unfinished habitat, or too daed to be saved-- separated from their wals and were released into space They fleard, slowly tu as they shed rief for the dead Despite rief for the dead and dying on the heavily daed plates Cities, forests, mountains --al lost? I could not tel and there was no time to taly--those decisions had already beenup

The wals the seg a ht have taken hours, or days, I did not know-- Not important

The wheel completed its sacrificial reduction

The spokes flickered, testing the new configuration Al seeain,plates, and again, the wals accordioned to join the plates along their edges

The wheel now rotated with hardly a shirity

"Divert al power to formation of the portal," the Didact commanded "Controlers wil stand down Your work is finished"

With deep pride and sorrow, he was addressing the Forerunners who had stayed loyal to the Council during the rule of Mendicant Bias--and who had continued to serve even in their infected state

The wheel roled on, its plates now covered in dense cloud I caught so, weather control, ato to the Didact’s wife, to the Librarian

But also precious to h the portal I suppose I was grateful for that

In al the time since I had falen from the sky and landed on the wheel, I had been exposed to far more than I had ever been born to understand, or withstand

"Youhuman," the Didact said and with a twist of his arrapher’s space faded to eave way to darkness

The darkness was a es I was not yet aware of how ed--for me

Chapter Thirty-Five

CHAKAS, YOUNG HUMAN, " the Didact said "Riser is here We are together again"

I rose like a drowningin thick black water My body was stil nu, unfaht focused enough that I could look up into a broad, grotesque face--and realize that it looked younger, sedly patterned than I remembered

Was this truly the Didact hiht repair themselves

I did not care My emotions had been duled I felt at peace-- reat ordeal," the Didact said "And you have been very roughly treated I am sorry for that"

"Where’s Riser?" My lips did notStil, the Didact heard me

"I have preserved him intact for delivery once we reach the Ark"

"I want to see him"

My old friend floated into place not far arapped in one of those Forerunner bubbles--body relaxed and stil, eyes fixed

This is the way a dead ain?

"And the girl," I said, "the woo with the survivors The Librarian wil restore theer--you’ve changed"

"The Didact provided the template for my maturity I am now al that remains of him, and so I serve in his place"

Slowly the familiarity dawned on me

"Bornstelar?"

"No more, except in my dreams"

Chapter Thirty-Six

THE DIDACT WAS far from done with me, and I was far from done with the horrors of the wheel It was the Didact, finaly, who betrayed us al He did it gently, but even so, it brought pain

When I became fuly aware of what had happened to me, I tried to suppress what little re, feel nothing, but then the crossing currents of fear and resent returned in an awful rush

I raged, I burned!

So switched me off

Chapter Thirty-Seven

AND ON AGAIN