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have been multiple cleansings of the Agaric.”
    “You know what this vessel can do, Companion Arid,” Milt replied. The smile again. “This new weapon is potent beyond anything we’ve ever used before. The Mutualist cancer must be cut from the people. The wound must be cauterized.”
    “I see,” Ricimer said. “We’re going to turn the Kilcher artifact upon the Agaric. Erase it from the sky with no warning.”
    Milt nodded, an expression very similar to a human’s. “Yes, Companion Arid. That is the gist of our orders.”
    Ricimer laughed. It really was a laugh. Of relief. He’d had so many doubts. So many second thoughts. Now those worries were taken away.
    He’d made the right call, at the right time.
    “What’s so funny, Captain?” Milt said, taken aback by Ricimer’s laughter.
    Ricimer contained himself. Enough. Back to business. “Your superiors think I care ?” he said. “Now that she’s gone? Why should I care what happens to that cursed pustule of a place?”
    “That’s . . . good to hear.”
    “This has become a meaningless conversation, Receptor. I will carry out my orders. You needn’t have abased yourself.”
    “I . . . I did nothing of the sort.”
    Ricimer smiled, spoke as gently as he could. “No, of course you didn’t. Companion Crossgrain, speak your part, please. Let’s get on with this.”
    Milt stared at him a moment longer. Made a decision. Ricimer couldn’t hear it, but from the expression on Milt’s face, he knew Milt had sent his key to Governess. After the briefest delay, the surface of the projection table blistered with words. Ricimer gently pushed the ammonium nebulizers to the edge of the table, then reached down and stroked the reading blisters to release their vanilla-laced esters. He read his orders.

    PROCEED FROM SHIRO SYSTEM D+SIRIUS. RETURN VIA LEO LOOP APPROACH PATH. PROCEED AT HALF SPEED TO SHIRO MYCELIUM ARC 7, POD 35.9.7.—

    Arc 7. This was the giant causeway that connected the Agaric effusion to the rest of the Shiro habitat.

    —SEVER POD 35.9.7 FROM MYCELIUM BODY EMPLOYING POINTBLAST TECHNIQUE ALPHA. ISOLATE POD 35.9.7 WITH GLEANED ARTIFACT K5055. EMPLOY SAID WEAPONRY TO DESUBSTANTIATE POD 35.9.7. EXIT VIA LEO LOOP. RETURN SHIRO PORTAL D-SIRIUS. NOTE 1: COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT IN EFFECT FOR MISSION DURATION. NOTE 2: VESSEL COMMAND TO BE CEDED TO DDCM RECEPTOR FOR DURATION OF MISSION AT RECEPTOR DISCRETION, ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM VERDICT 3. THESE DIRECTIVES PER BLAWFUS, SIRIUS SEC-COM ON T 1.4.2.3, 1946.

    Blawfus had signed the orders—Blawfus who most recently had been shuffled out of sight as proconsul on long-occupied Deneb 2 C. Which meant that Sirius Armada Flag Commander Admiral Brand had been removed. Killed, of course, if he hadn’t taken his own life. So the politicals within the Sporata high command were making their move.
    “Now you know,” said Milt. “I was so dreading this moment. I was afraid I would have to evoke Verdict Three protocols and have you arrested or worse. This is going so much better than—”
    Ricimer drew his captain’s knife from its scabbard with a practiced sweep and plunged it into the receptor’s throat.
    Milt started back in shock, and Ricimer let go of the knife’s handle. Milt spun around, headed for the hatch. Ricimer saw the knife tip protruding from the back of Milt’s neck. He’d made a clean strike.
    “Lamella,” Ricimer said. “The gravity, please.”
    For the first time, Ricimer breathed in the citrus voice of his vessel’s individual a.i. speaking aloud.
    “As per our agreement, Captain.”
    Ricimer felt the additional weight in his body immediately. The effect was like pulling g-force on an aerial flight, but he was not moving. The artificial gravity in V-CENT had suddenly tripled.
    Ricimer was ready. He’d trained for this. Gravity malfunction was a standard emergency drill in all Sporata craft. Ricimer was already thin as a rail, and the extra weights he’d lifted for the past months had