what I am doing.” He waved his hands dramatically as his smile faded. “Is this how you thank me, by sending an assassin to kill me? I chose to leave you in peace and concentrate my efforts with returning the Consortium to its former glory, but you leave me no choice now.” He circled Moro one time before folding his arms across his chest. “And what am I supposed to do with you?”
“You can let me go so I can finish the job,” Moro growled.
Hark-Kalech smacked him on the back of the head with his pistol. Moro looked down silently. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of showing pain or discomfort. I had to admire him for that. He was as tough as he was fierce-looking.
Calypso looked toward the screen. “What do you think I should do with him, Embeth? Should I treat him like the assassin he is and shoot him in the back of the head?” Calypso rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Or perhaps I should consider him a prisoner of war. Are we at war, Embeth? I supposed now there can be no peace between us.”
Before anyone could respond, the image of the three faded and the screen returned to Lianne. “As you can see Vigil, whatever you people had planned blew up in our face. Embeth is already busy trying to provide damage control for this situation.” She paused and her face hardened. “Do I need to say it?”
“No,” Vigil replied. “We know what has to be done. Aligning with the Order of the Sun has now become priority one.”
Lianne nodded and the screen went blank. Vigil looked down at the floor and mumbled something unintelligible.
“What the hell did you people do?” I barked. My anger was rising like a tide. I kept my fists clenched tightly against my sides.
Vigil responded to my anger with a cool, collected look which only served to irritate me further. “We saw a chance to end this war and we seized on the opportunity. Eliminating Calypso would have broken what was left of the shattered remains of the Consortium. Engaging in a long, drawn out war serves no one. What did you expect us to do?”
“Well to be honest, I didn't expect you guys to sacrifice one of your own by sending him into the hornet's nest,” I replied dryly.
“So what's the plan now?” Kedge asked.
Vigil ran his hand over his face. He looked exhausted. Despite his stubborn exterior, it seemed Moro's capture affected him deeply. His somber expression prevented my anger from rising any further.
“We pray,” he replied. “Pray that the Order agrees to our proposal.”
Deception
When Mazu returned, he took one look at us and his smile faded. “Is something wrong?”
Vigil shook his head. “We just received news from our allies. It is nothing to be concerned about and I promise it will not interfere with our negotiations.” He tossed me a hard look and I got the hint: Don't say a word .
Mazu's smile returned and he bowed his head in acknowledgement. “I completely understand. I bring news as well. We will be arriving at the Temple Station shortly.”
The train slowed as he spoke. A voice spoke from the overhead speaker: “ Now approaching Temple Station. All passengers please prepare for final vertical shift .”
I assumed the “vertical shift” was the train rotation that I witnessed back at the ship. Outside, the countryside passed by more slowly. Rolling green hills dotted with yellow and purple flowers blanketed the countryside. Beyond the hills towered enormous mountains with snow-tipped caps. They were larger than any mountain I had ever seen. Its jagged peaks were circled by violet clouds like halos. Several animals below grazed on the flowers, and the scene reminded me of buffalo in the old west. The animals were similar in appearance, fat and slow, with the exception of large curved horns that pointed straight up, like upside down elephant tusks.
I turned from the window, seated myself next to Vigil and Kedge and braced for the impending shift. It wasn't as bad as I expected. It was gentle and felt more
“You can let me go so I can finish the job,” Moro growled.
Hark-Kalech smacked him on the back of the head with his pistol. Moro looked down silently. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of showing pain or discomfort. I had to admire him for that. He was as tough as he was fierce-looking.
Calypso looked toward the screen. “What do you think I should do with him, Embeth? Should I treat him like the assassin he is and shoot him in the back of the head?” Calypso rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Or perhaps I should consider him a prisoner of war. Are we at war, Embeth? I supposed now there can be no peace between us.”
Before anyone could respond, the image of the three faded and the screen returned to Lianne. “As you can see Vigil, whatever you people had planned blew up in our face. Embeth is already busy trying to provide damage control for this situation.” She paused and her face hardened. “Do I need to say it?”
“No,” Vigil replied. “We know what has to be done. Aligning with the Order of the Sun has now become priority one.”
Lianne nodded and the screen went blank. Vigil looked down at the floor and mumbled something unintelligible.
“What the hell did you people do?” I barked. My anger was rising like a tide. I kept my fists clenched tightly against my sides.
Vigil responded to my anger with a cool, collected look which only served to irritate me further. “We saw a chance to end this war and we seized on the opportunity. Eliminating Calypso would have broken what was left of the shattered remains of the Consortium. Engaging in a long, drawn out war serves no one. What did you expect us to do?”
“Well to be honest, I didn't expect you guys to sacrifice one of your own by sending him into the hornet's nest,” I replied dryly.
“So what's the plan now?” Kedge asked.
Vigil ran his hand over his face. He looked exhausted. Despite his stubborn exterior, it seemed Moro's capture affected him deeply. His somber expression prevented my anger from rising any further.
“We pray,” he replied. “Pray that the Order agrees to our proposal.”
Deception
When Mazu returned, he took one look at us and his smile faded. “Is something wrong?”
Vigil shook his head. “We just received news from our allies. It is nothing to be concerned about and I promise it will not interfere with our negotiations.” He tossed me a hard look and I got the hint: Don't say a word .
Mazu's smile returned and he bowed his head in acknowledgement. “I completely understand. I bring news as well. We will be arriving at the Temple Station shortly.”
The train slowed as he spoke. A voice spoke from the overhead speaker: “ Now approaching Temple Station. All passengers please prepare for final vertical shift .”
I assumed the “vertical shift” was the train rotation that I witnessed back at the ship. Outside, the countryside passed by more slowly. Rolling green hills dotted with yellow and purple flowers blanketed the countryside. Beyond the hills towered enormous mountains with snow-tipped caps. They were larger than any mountain I had ever seen. Its jagged peaks were circled by violet clouds like halos. Several animals below grazed on the flowers, and the scene reminded me of buffalo in the old west. The animals were similar in appearance, fat and slow, with the exception of large curved horns that pointed straight up, like upside down elephant tusks.
I turned from the window, seated myself next to Vigil and Kedge and braced for the impending shift. It wasn't as bad as I expected. It was gentle and felt more
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