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The White doesn’t believe me as I watch the slaves load into the starship “Are you aware there is a species of bat on Mercury that begins life as mammalian larva?”
I ignore the fool and turn away to look at Fá The odious shit reclines on his throne as braves fro hinity in her little toenail
Xenophon prattles on
“In order for the larva to row inside and then consume when it is ready to fly Fá was a catalyst But a rich, haughty city fallen frorace was the necessary chrysalis for this transformation of the Obsidians to their former selves Where else could a tribal people be nurtured with such discontent? Olympia had every opportunity to spare itself this fate But without a shepherd, reed”
The White surveys my face
“You are in pain How could you of all people look down and wonder how they can do this to a city they uplifted? Fear made Olympia polite, Mr Horn But when they realized there was nothing to fear due to Sefi’s manners, they partook in incremental predation on the Obsidians A Hyperionin should know: a city is a thief Designed in every facet to part coin from purse The only difference is it smiles when it does it Did Olympians thank the Obsidians for ten years of frontline horror? For their generosity in pouring capital into the rebuilding of their city? No No, they gouged them in shops, cheated them in casinos, mocked their race, and then, after all that, turned on them in an instant and chose the Republic that could not even put food in their reater insult is there? The question is not, how could they do this? It is, why did they not do it sooner?”
“Because Sefi was a decent woman”
“No, she was reuilt of being seen as the voice of the man she admired, when really she barely knew him much at all She let her past overrule her nature As do you Why?” I ignore the White until those pale hands grab my scarabSkin “Why?”
“Because we’re so you’ll never be, shithead: hu inside the White Xenophon turns aounded I activate the poitch Pax put in the heartspike “I want to speak to Fá”
“Why?”
“That, dear asshole, is between re”
“Very well” Taking his heart controller in hand, Xenophon brushes past me I turn at the last second and release the heartspike into his pocket He leadsa Pink for his hareirl is dragged away
“Salve, Xenophon,” he says with a suardian returned” He notices the cuffs “Not as friend, it seeery of the heatlands It is no good for him to be on a leash” He motions for his men to remove the cuffs
“He is a substantially dangerous man,” Xenophon warns “Despite his size”
Volsung considers me “So I have heard” His men unshackle me