The Testimony of Her Eminence and Most Puissant Sentience Tara del D’myn, Matriarch of Skarsia and All Humanity, Nuncio to the Combine of Sentients
The thing I had to do in private was a message to Almiss. What I had to say to him, I wanted to say alone. I didn’t think Ash would approve – not that Tielo was in any state to approve anything. I didn’t think any of my advisors would, either.
“To Retired Admiral Payter Almiss from Her Eminence Tara del D’myn, rightful Matriarch of Skarsia, greetings. Now that the formalities are done, let’s cut the crap. I didn’t kill your mistress or your daughter twenty-three years ago, when common sense said I should’ve. I didn’t take retribution on Venahalee for her presumption in challenging me for Kyrae, either – I figured a broken knee was enough punishment for a sixteen-year old brat. Part of it was that maybe I’m soft, as you accused me of being, if soft means I’ve learned some compassion from my husband, Ailann Tiarnan, Living God of Skarsia. But another part of it was the same reason that old bat, your sister, left me alive – not screwing billions of people with the catastrophe that would happen if the Domha’vei was left without someone capable of controlling the Staff.”
“Here’s the thing. By now, you’ve heard about les loverbois’ counter-plot to make Nan-Zee the Matriarch. If they can pull it off, it means that the genetic code of any woman could be altered. Any Cu’enashti could make a Matriarch on demand. As you might imagine, I don’t particularly want that secret to get out. But it does mean that I can always make an emergency backup. In other words, Venahalee’s life is worthless.”
“You’ve been played by the SongLuminants. They don’t give a scrubbing bubble whether it’s Venahalee or Nan-Zee on the throne, as long as it isn’t me. They don’t care if the Domha’vei goes to hell, or even CenGov comes in and takes over the Domha’vei. After all those years of service to the Matriarchy, are you prepared to see that? As a descendant – even as I am – of Ernst Sider, are you prepared to see that?”
“This is your only chance. Help me, and I’ll see that you are banished. You and your daughter can go to Earth, to the IndWorlds, to a commune on Frangfrang, for all I care. If you don’t, she’ll be a twenty-three-year-old corpse before the week is out.”