“So, one of us has to—” Holse began.
“I can’t ask either of you—” Anaplian started to say at the same time, then gulped and shouted, “Ferbin!”
The suited figure was already rising above the shield of the vane, upper body exposed to the flickering radiations beyond, throwing away the weapon he’d been carrying.
She must have been hit hard. When she awoke it was to find herself in the grip of something adamantinely hard and utterly unforgiving. Dear fuck, it had eviscerated her. The suit was shredded, torn apart, and her body inside with it. All that was left of her was her head — half flayed, skin burned off — and a short tattered tail of spinal cord. This bloody scrap was what the Iln thing cradled.
Eyelids burned away, she couldn’t blink; not even her tongue or jaws were responding to orders. Djan Seriy Anaplian felt more helpless than a newborn.
The Iln machine above her was dark, not big, vaguely triangular. Her eyes were damaged, the view hazy. So much trouble from something so small, she thought, and would have laughed if she could. Its slickly bulbous shape was lit from the side by the cage of light surrounding the Xinthian and from below by the scintillations sparking from the containment holding the growing sphere of anti-matter.
Strange little beasts, you, the great heavy voice said inside her head. What fleeting titillations life continues to throw up, many-fold, like virtual particles, bioscale, so long after—
Oh
She had seen all she needed to see, heard all she needed to hear.
go
Now she was close enough.
and
(This was all she had, and the worst of it was, backups or not, she’d never know if it was going to be enough.)
fuck yourself, Djan Seriy Anaplian said finally.
She let the containment within the little anti-matter reactor inside her head go.
Appendix
C: the Culture
HLI: High-level Involved (also MLI: Mid-level; LLI: Low-level)
L1S: level one of Sursamen (etc.)
S: Sursamen
Characters
Aclyn: the lady Blisk, mother to Elime and Oramen; banished
Aiaik: Towermaster of the D’neng-oal Tower, Sursamen
Alveyal Girgetioni: Acting Craterine Zamerin, Sursamen
Archipontine: head monk of the Hyeng-zharia Mission
Baerth: knight of Charvin, Sarl (Bower or Brower to Ferbin)
Bleye: one of tyl Loesp’s lieutenants
Broft: foreman, Nameless City dig, Ninth, Sursamen
Chasque: Exaltine, Sarl chief of priests
Chire: rail car driver, the Falls
Choubris Holse: Ferbin’s servant
Chilgitheri: (Morthanveld) liaison officer on “Fasilyce, Upon Waking”
Dilucherre: old master of painting, Sarl
Djan Seriy: Anaplian; princess, C SC agent
Droffo: earl, from Shilda; becomes equerry to Oramen
Dubrile: ex-soldier at Falls; becomes Oramen’s bodyguard chief
Elime: esk Blisk-Hausk’r; dead eldest son of Hausk
Everlasting Queen: Nariscene monarch; currently on 3044th Great Spawning
Fanthile: secretary of royal palace, Pourl
Ferbin: otz Aelsh-Hausk’r (Feri, as child)
Foise: general, Sarl army, attached to Falls contingent
Geltry Skiltz: C person, aboard MSV Don’t Try This At Home
Gillews: (Dr) Royal Physician to Hausk
Girgetioni: Nariscene family, Sursamen
Harne: the lady Aelsh; mother to Ferbin
Hausk: Nerieth (“the Conqueror”); warrior-king, Sarl
Hippinse: Pone; an avatoid of the Liveware Problem
Humli: Ghasartravhara; liaison officer, MSV Don’t Try This At Home
Honge: bravard of Pourl’s drinking dens
Illis: armourer, royal palace, Pourl
Jerle Batra: Djan Seriy’s SC Control/mentor; an Aciculate
Jerfin Poatas: in charge of Falls excavation
Jish: whore, Pourl
Kebli: child in court at same time as Djan Seriy
Kiu: (-to-Pourl) Oct Ambassador to Pourl
Klatsli Quike: avatoid of the Liveware Problem
Koust: Oct Tower under-clerk, Sursamen
Leeb Scoperin: another Special Circumstances agent on Prasadal
Leratiy: senior technician, Sarcophagus excavation, Falls
Luzehclass="underline" whore; sister to Paiteng
Machasa: Mrs; young Djan Seriy’s nurse and tutor
Mallarh: lady of the Sarl court
Masyen: Aclyn’s husband; becomes mayor of Rasselle
Munhreo: junior scholar, Hicturean-Anjrinh Scholastery
Neguste Puibive: becomes Oramen’s servant
Nuthe 3887b: Morthanveld greeting device, Syaung-un
Obli: Harne’s ynt
Omoulldeo: old master of painting, Sarl
Oramen: lin Blisk-Hausk’r; a prince, same mother as Elime
Prode the younger: ancient Sarl playwright
Puisiclass="underline" servant in the royal palace, Sarl
Quitrilis Yurke: C traveller; finds Oct lying about ship movements
Ramile: lady of the Sarl court
Renneque: the lady Silbe
Savidius Savide: Oct Peripatetic Special Envoy, Sursamen
Seltis: old tutor of Ferbin’s — now Scholastery Head Scholar
Senble: Holse’s wife
Shir Rocasse: tutor to Oramen
Shoum: director general of Morthanveld Strategic Mission
Sinneclass="underline" ancient Sarl playwright
Skalpapta: Alien Greeting and Liaison Officer, GS Inspiral, Coalescence, Ringdown
Sordic: old master of painting, Sarl
Tove Lomma: childhood friend of Oramen; later his equerry
Tulya Puonvangi: C ambassador, on Inspiral, Coalescence, Ringdown
Tagratark: Towermaster of Vaw-yei Tower, Sursamen
Tareah: Sarl doctor