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
“I have something to tell you,” said Nash. But when everything happens, it happens at once. Before Nash could explain, Captain Zosim emerged triumphantly into the war room, saying, “It seems that SSOps is worth their pay after all. They’ve found Almiss and Venahalee.”
And then the message from Thoughtful 45, “We’re being summoned to a special tribunal of the Combine of Sentients to investigate the allegations of SongLuminant interference into the self-governance of other Advanced Sentients.”
And Ta’al Erich: “Rannal Prison reports that Molly snapped out of her trance, and almost immediately tried to hang herself. They’ve got her on suicide watch.”
I was stunned. I shot a glance at Nash and said, “Okay, top that.”
“Ailann found Cillian,” he said.
I shrieked and jumped into his arms.
*****
When I returned from the bath, I was surprised to see Ross. “Then it really is over.”
“Ace, Lens and Marius have given the all-clear,” he said, “and we have some unfinished business.” He crossed the room to me and gathered me into his arms.
“How are things within the pleroma?”
“As soon as we got rid of Molly, a flock of penguins appeared and started to rebuild the pathway to the monastery. The flyer is waiting at the base of the mountain to take everybody home. Except the mecha team. I think there’s some disappointment that they never really got to use it, so they’re taking it to look for the Elusive Queen. Wynne, Ace and Stephen are still going, but Lugh and Owen bowed out in favor of taking Ethan and Barnabas as the resident mechanics since those two still need their achievement. For the same reason, Rand is going instead of Ari.”
“Ash,” I murmured, meeting his lips. “You are so weird.”