Newer York, 8 Tammuz 2541 AS While everybody seemed to be in agreement that they should continue as they had planned, nobody really seemed to know how to move matters forward. Worse, Singer found she was having a harder time than usual keeping other people's emotions out of

Newer York, 8 Tammuz 2541 AS The next morning was much like the morning two days ago when they'd first traveled to Government Center, except that there was no new report to occupy their minds on the ride. Also, of course, Alexander was with them, this time, zir

Newer York, 8 Tammuz 2541 AS Singer had briefly considered staying to see all the crew processed, but several factors made her reconsider. For one, she did not want to give any impression of distrust between herself and the local authorities. For another, the point of having Alexander come over

Newer York, Botanical Gardens; then Boarding Lounge 42, Aft Docks; 7-8 Tammuz 2541 AS The time spent in the gardens had been as restorative as the museum had been disturbing. Singer was aware that it had not been anyone's intention—least of all Ellison, who had proposed the

Newer York, The Starfall Museum, 7 Tammuz 2541 AS The Starfall Museum proved to be like the administration building, a structure within the core. This was explained easily enough when Ellison, who of course knew the place well, pointed out it predated the buildout of the rings. "They started

Newer York, 7 Tammuz 2541 AS With everything that had happened in the last two days, and everything still waiting to be discussed, Singer had not expected to sleep soundly. That she fell asleep quickly did not surprise her—she'd been exhausted, without doubt. That she stayed asleep

Newer York, 7 Tammuz 2541 AS The rest of dinner was not nearly so fraught with personal revelations. The fact that there were no fewer than four trained diplomats at the table, combined with the collective good will of the entire group, served to move the conversation out of what

Newer York, 6-7 Tammuz 2541 AS Wayra Cadotte was not really much for social occasions, and current events had required them to spend a lot more time around people and not doing their job than they were comfortable with. They were fairly itching for time alone that was not also

This chapter is double-length. I considered breaking it up, but hey, I skipped last week, so you get one big chapter to make up for it! Newer York, en route to Briefing One; 6 Tammuz 2541 AS, midday The ride to Briefing One began much as the ride to the