“The cell cannot live without the body. The act of one is the act of all.”

—General Principle of Gens Nethress

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Above Acerbia

Standing Blooming 3, 1885 CE

“Maga Ductrix Eztli Generosus Ortus Nethress, do you deny Gens Nxtlu’s act of altering the genophage into a Nethress-consuming abomination?”

Eztli slid into the seat at the end of the table and looked out the window over the landscape drifting below. “Allow me to reverse your question, Magus Dux Dorsin Generosus Ortus Nethress. I acknowledge the act of one member of Gens Nxtlu in recreating the genophage.”

“The act of one is the act of all.”

“That is one of your General Principles, not mine, Dux. Save for my dear late brother, my family had nothing whatsoever to do with the gengineering of a new genophage. Ilhicamina acted without orders.”

Dorsin leaned over the table. “Your family killed indiscriminately, put hundreds or even thousands of lives at risk. What will happen if your newest creation mutates? How many will die if it ceases to target only me and mine?”

“My brother was of the opinion that this was unlikely.”

“Your brother was a madman!”

Eztli’s dark hair silhouetted her against the reddening sky. “Then why do you believe he would wait for orders in this?” She turned back to him. “Dux, I am as innocent in this regard as your own wife.”

“Do not ever compare yourself to Oralie.”

“My apologies, Dux. Allow me to approach this from a different direction, since simple protestations of innocence appear to leave you unmoved. Your daughter stole the genophage research from a Nethress facility.”

“Which Nxtlu had appropriated.”

“Quite right. Nxtlu had appropriated it when Nxtlu reconquered Acerbia. Have you asked yourself why Maga Senrii found that information in that facility? Tell me, Dux Dorsin, who was it that indicated to you that there was vital research to be found in that facility?” Hearing no answer, Eztli continued, “Allow me to speculate for a moment. The intelligence indicating that data’s crucial relevance to your family came from within your family.”

“Of course it did. Who else would give us such a tip?”

Eztli smiled. “You misunderstand me. What I mean to say is that the intelligence came from within your own family. Your family, Dorsin. In your facility.”

“Are you accusing me—”

“I am accusing you of nothing. It would be foolish of me to accuse you of having involved yourself in genophagic research when I had no evidence of it, and when you yourself protest honorably against such a claim.” Eztli sat back and smiled.

“What do you want, woman?”

Eztli rose and placed her fingertips on the table. “I want a truce. I want not to have to proceed to register a complaint with the Sodality and the other Gentes to the effect that Gens Nethress was engaging in genophage research.”

The presumptuousness—! “You could not possibly prove such a thing.”

“No more than you could. Do you think, Dux Dorsin, that even now, Gens Nxtlu has managed to decrypt even one hundredth of your research? We could call in the Sodality to mediate if you like. You could provide your Keys. We could decrypt some of the yet-to-be-analyzed data and see just what Gens Nethress had been pouring its collective intellect into before my Gens took Acerbia. Tell me, Dux, would you like that?”

Rosabella broke in. “You were saying, about a truce?”

“Yes. A truce. The rest of Tellus remains none the wiser about the activities of either Gens Nethress or Gens Nxtlu insofar as my brother’s mad scheme is concerned. The rest of Tellus remains none the wiser about the fact that you subverted a Sodality Ambassatrix and used her to distribute weapons to the common folk.”

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“I didn’t—” Rosabella said.

“You tortured Rosabella!” Dorsin roared, leaping to his feet.

“Absences are not so unusual for a woman of her position. Mainly because the Sodality accepts minor subversion as a matter of course, at least so long as it is kept under wraps. Is that not so, Rosabella?”

Rosabella nodded cautiously. “To a degree, although I fear that my involvement in these goings on has been atypical in scale.”

“Naturally. If the rest of us thought that the Sodality could not be trusted, on the whole, to be impartial, you would have no power whatsoever. For which reason I think it best that we keep the details to ourselves. We remain quiet about the genophage. We remain quiet about the extent of the Ambassatrix’s involvement in this misunderstanding; I see no reason to have her stripped of her position. Nor do I see a purpose in destroying Gens Nethress unnecessarily.”

“Your family has never shown such scruples before.”

Eztli slammed both hands down on the table. “For the last time, Dux, I am not my family! I have my own will and my own thoughts, and it does not please me to kill hundreds of men, women, and children whose only crime was being born to the wrong blood! Your General Principles hold the whole accountable for the actions of a single part, so let me tell you what my General Principles say. Listen well, Dux.

“I am holy. I am divine. My will is the will of a goddess, and my will sees no purpose in wiping you from the face of the earth.

“I am not my brother; Rosabella will attest to this. I am not bound by his lunacies nor by his whims. I say that there is more to be gained from cooperation than from further violence and mistrust.”

Eztli flicked her wrist, and a blade shot into her hand from some mechanism concealed within the sleeves of her robe. She held it out in her palm. “Do you distrust me? Do you think me a liar? There is an easy way to see to it. Take this blade and kill me now. Kill me, and you will ensure war to the last. Gens Nxtlu will stop at nothing to retake Acerbia, and once they succeed, there will be no cure remaining to stave off the genophage. Yes. Even now, it multiplies. One infected animal here, a leaf brushed by a tear carried on the wind there: there is no escape for your family, not until the whole world can be sterilized.

“So go. Take the knife. Bring it to my neck and prove that you mean what you say about your mistrust. It has never been shameful for Nxtlu to shed blood, others’ or our own, as an offering to posterity. Otherwise, agree with me to these terms.”

“Put your knife away,” Dorsin said.

“No? All the better, then.” Eztli took the knife in hand and dragged it across her arm. She held the dripping blue wound out over the table. “Then let us make our oath here. The genophage remains a secret, for the sake of Gens Nxtlu and Gens Nethress. The Ambassatrix’s involvement remains a secret, for her sake, the sake of the Sodality, and the sake of both our Gentes. Gens Nxtlu yields to Gens Nethress the Duchy of Acerbia as spoils lawfully taken in war.” She held out the knife. “Share my blade and share my blood.”

Dorsin took the knife, cut his arm, and let his blood drip onto the table to mix with Eztli’s.

Eztli snapped her fingers, and a slave stepped forward bearing two documents. “Our agreement. Forgive me for having the temerity to draw them up beforehand. Let the Dux read them.”

When Dorsin had done so and pronounced them satisfactory, Eztli withdrew the ouroboros seal of Gens Nxtlu and pressed it in the blood, then stamped them. Dorsin did likewise with the wolf’s head image of Gens Nethress. Rosabella witnessed with the Sodality’s double helix.

“Acerbia will require much work to restore,” Dorsin said, when it was done.

“I will lend my crews to your use, if you will have them. Remember the blood oath, Dux. I am not my brother. I would atone for his wickedness.”

“This treaty will not end conflict between our people, Ductrix.”

Eztli raised an eyebrow. “I never imagined it would, Dux. Can the wolf not cease its growling for even a moment?” She rolled up her copy of the agreement. “I have a great deal of work to do. I shall have the effects of Gens Nxtlu withdrawn with the greatest possible speed from your new Duchy, Dux.” She pulled away from Rosabella’s hand on her arm, bowed, and left the room.

“Rosabella,” Dorsin said, when Eztli had gone.

“Yes, my heart?”

“I would extend to you the invitation to stay in the Palace of Governance while the Sodality restores its Chapterhouse.”

Rosabella smiled weakly. “I am afraid I have hundreds of novices, Acolytes, and Priests needing a home.”

“Then we will provide it to them as well. Bring them. Bring your people.”

“The Sodality would frown if I accepted such great hospitality from you, Dorsin.”

“The Sodality has no place left in Acerbia. I am sure your superiors will understand.” Dorsin knelt by her chair. “And I would consider it a personal favor if you graced me with your presence for a few days. While Oralie is gone.”

“A personal favor from me to you?” Rosabella smiled widely. “To stay by your side while your wife is indisposed? Dorsin, what would the General Principles say about this?”

“I intend nothing—”

“Hush, my heart. Of course you don’t.” Rosabella kissed Dorsin’s forehead. “But you cannot owe me such a favor.”

“But—”

“Because it is impossible for a master to owe his slave anything. You had only to ask, Dorsin, and my heart immediately said, ‘Yes.’ I am your faithful slave.”

“Because it pleases you to be such.”

“Only because it pleases me, Dorsin. For in my years of chains, I never experienced a slavery so free as that of my heart to you.”