the question. It wasn't Talik's singsong voice
so it must have been one of the truly insignificant Councilors, the
chief of air quality, Borath, or the head of external
communications, Lyzet, were likely bets. Both were fools with
positions as pointless as Luca's that insisted on badgering Baucis
with questions they wouldn't understand the answers to.
“I have discontinued direct tampering with an
Evanimal's genetics, given our inferior tools in the Spire, I will
concede it is too... erratic. However Urea's panthera is not
from a lab, but the Earth itself! All we must do is find her a
suitable mate, select the best of their litter and repeat. Urea has
proven the species is quite accommodating of the VRCs. Time and
attention to detail will allow less skilled pilots to handle the
felines. With no more than husbandry, I have given the biselk their second set of antlers, made them more
susceptible to the Field, our commands, and in the process,
bettered our lives.”
That wasn't exactly true, but no one needed
to know that.
“I intend to fix our problems permanently by
restoring the natural order to the earth with my predators.”
The unintended consequences his experiments
caused were infinitely fascinating to Baucis, but he would not
debate them here in the Council's chamber under the gaudy
chandelier. It was a conversation for scientists in a laboratory,
not a bunch of power hungry figureheads in an ancient poker
room.
“You're not worried another individual will
arise from your system that will challenge the order of things?”
Talik’s voice dripped honey.
“And what do I do against an empty threat of
chaos? Admit defeat and surrender prematurely? I'm not concerned
for my Hunters, if that's your insinuation. Fear and power are the
only factors that have ever interfered with either the VRCs or
perfect implementation of my plans. With more sophisticated
techniques and increased power I have solved both of those
problems. Nothing will challenge my Hunters, and they do nothing
without me knowing,” Baucis said, annoyed with their irritating
questions and still angry at the masked opponent who bested his vultus earlier. He loathed the idea of sweet Mavis Talik
finding out about the ape. She'd be delighted in the sheer abandon
of the creature.
"We must see the experiment through for as
long as we are able. Do you propose that I let the predators run
free and the wild descend upon us?”
The council agreed to further the experiment.
It couldn't be stopped now anyway. Baucis would continue the
Hunters program.
Chapter 5
The flood changed them. They are but a shadow of
what they once were. There used to be more than one could count,
more than one could see. They loved the plains but were so many
that the forests retreated and the earth paid them in stone. Some
animals are ghosts of what they once were... others have been
tainted black.
Urea's head reeled from all she had learned.
Were the legends true? Had Nature finally fashioned a warrior to
thwart its mistake? Was that all mankind really was in her eyes?
She knew her brother would only scoff at the contemplation; he’d
call her superstitious, but Urea was not so sure.
The young huntress had been to many of High
Priestess Ntelo's Spirit of Nature services. As one of Baucis's
most prestigious Hunters, she was expected to be a part of the
religion. Since the first time she synchronized with a howluchin, Baucis had expected her to attend the religious
congregations with poise and grace. The High Priestess and
ecologist didn't require any of their other Shepherds to attend
ever service, but her and Skup faced dire punishment if they
missed. They were too important, Ntelo would say. There were
fanatics who worshiped the two's ability to work through the
Evanimals, they were expected to be present for their sake. When
guilt didn't work, Baucis used coercion to force their hand. He
said he expected a lot from his most privileged pilots. Of this,
she was certain: no
so it must have been one of the truly insignificant Councilors, the
chief of air quality, Borath, or the head of external
communications, Lyzet, were likely bets. Both were fools with
positions as pointless as Luca's that insisted on badgering Baucis
with questions they wouldn't understand the answers to.
“I have discontinued direct tampering with an
Evanimal's genetics, given our inferior tools in the Spire, I will
concede it is too... erratic. However Urea's panthera is not
from a lab, but the Earth itself! All we must do is find her a
suitable mate, select the best of their litter and repeat. Urea has
proven the species is quite accommodating of the VRCs. Time and
attention to detail will allow less skilled pilots to handle the
felines. With no more than husbandry, I have given the biselk their second set of antlers, made them more
susceptible to the Field, our commands, and in the process,
bettered our lives.”
That wasn't exactly true, but no one needed
to know that.
“I intend to fix our problems permanently by
restoring the natural order to the earth with my predators.”
The unintended consequences his experiments
caused were infinitely fascinating to Baucis, but he would not
debate them here in the Council's chamber under the gaudy
chandelier. It was a conversation for scientists in a laboratory,
not a bunch of power hungry figureheads in an ancient poker
room.
“You're not worried another individual will
arise from your system that will challenge the order of things?”
Talik’s voice dripped honey.
“And what do I do against an empty threat of
chaos? Admit defeat and surrender prematurely? I'm not concerned
for my Hunters, if that's your insinuation. Fear and power are the
only factors that have ever interfered with either the VRCs or
perfect implementation of my plans. With more sophisticated
techniques and increased power I have solved both of those
problems. Nothing will challenge my Hunters, and they do nothing
without me knowing,” Baucis said, annoyed with their irritating
questions and still angry at the masked opponent who bested his vultus earlier. He loathed the idea of sweet Mavis Talik
finding out about the ape. She'd be delighted in the sheer abandon
of the creature.
"We must see the experiment through for as
long as we are able. Do you propose that I let the predators run
free and the wild descend upon us?”
The council agreed to further the experiment.
It couldn't be stopped now anyway. Baucis would continue the
Hunters program.
Chapter 5
The flood changed them. They are but a shadow of
what they once were. There used to be more than one could count,
more than one could see. They loved the plains but were so many
that the forests retreated and the earth paid them in stone. Some
animals are ghosts of what they once were... others have been
tainted black.
Urea's head reeled from all she had learned.
Were the legends true? Had Nature finally fashioned a warrior to
thwart its mistake? Was that all mankind really was in her eyes?
She knew her brother would only scoff at the contemplation; he’d
call her superstitious, but Urea was not so sure.
The young huntress had been to many of High
Priestess Ntelo's Spirit of Nature services. As one of Baucis's
most prestigious Hunters, she was expected to be a part of the
religion. Since the first time she synchronized with a howluchin, Baucis had expected her to attend the religious
congregations with poise and grace. The High Priestess and
ecologist didn't require any of their other Shepherds to attend
ever service, but her and Skup faced dire punishment if they
missed. They were too important, Ntelo would say. There were
fanatics who worshiped the two's ability to work through the
Evanimals, they were expected to be present for their sake. When
guilt didn't work, Baucis used coercion to force their hand. He
said he expected a lot from his most privileged pilots. Of this,
she was certain: no
Similar Books
