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He watchesfor some time

“You look very n nobility, you know” He ponders over a fig “It won’t be an assault I have recently concluded field testing of a new che it, so she does not destroy Heliopolis’s wealth before taking it as her own The Master Maker atch as his city eats itself”

“What does the chemical do?”

“Omnicide”

I see it already

A catalogue of horrors wracks Kalindora’s face I see her convulsing and vo on her skin I see the skinaway I did not know until this moment how much I would do to stop that She is a killer But the weariness I saw in her eyes, the way she looked atclose to pride I can’t let her die, or Rhone or ht between two giants Too many lives have already been spent too easily by people who should know better

“Did you learn omnicide in the Kuiper?” I ask

“No I learned to outsource”

Cryptic “You mentioned a Master Maker…”

“Ah, yes Your old friend Glirastes He’s no longer just an artificer He’s proven himself a traitor He abetted the enemy’s use of the Storm Gods”

“I don’t believe it”

“Trust s out of fear Noill die with them And his pre

cious city” He does not sound happy about the last part “Nohere arewe’ll be departing for the Annihilo, but I’m sure Atalantia will cause a fuss if I haven’t fed you” He fetches a bowl of fresh bread and two boiled pieces of meat

“What is this?” I ask as I chew

“What does it taste like?”