I take out a floppy and pull up the security vid feeds from around the City. The vids show the Food Distro—the rain is flooding it, and the fire is already turning into smoldering ruins. I swipe my hand across the screen to vids of the farms, the Greenhouses, the main street of the City. People are fighting and screaming through the rain. Although there’s no sound on these vids, I don’t need it. I know what a rebellion sounds like.

“I want you to cover the solar lamp,” I tell Larin. She’s been watching me, worried, waiting for my command.

“It’s the middle of the day, Elder!” She looks at me as if I’m crazy.

I suppose I am. The solar lamp is never cut off, but a heavy metal screen covers it during the ship’s version of night. It’s all scheduled, so dark time lasts exactly eight hours and only happens when it’s the proper time. Not now.

“Cover the lamp,” I order again.

“But—”

“Cover it.”

She stands up and crosses the small room to the control panel. Larin’s fingers hover over a switch. She mutters something.

“What was that?” I demand.

“Maybe Bartie is right,” she says clearly.

I stride across the room and slam my hand against the switch. Beneath us, the Feeder Level is plunged into darkness. But here we’re not. I lean in close to Larin’s face. If Marae were here—frex, if Eldest were here . . .

She stares back defiantly.

Then looks away.

“Uncover the lamp,” I order.

Her hand shoots forward, flicking the lamp back on. She stares back at me, hoping that I’m about to leave. But I don’t. Instead, I wait another minute.

On the floppy, the vids show the people staring at the sky, trying to peer through the torrential downpour to see the solar lamp. It has never gone dark other than at scheduled nighttime. At least I’ve shocked them enough to stop the fighting.

“Cover the lamp again,” I say.

She hesitates, but doesn’t protest this time.

I watch the screens black out once more.

And I push my wi-com and do an all-call. “Attention, all residents of Godspeed. Everyone on board the ship—every single person—is to report to the Keeper Level Great Room this evening at dark time.”

“Bring back the lamp,” I tell the Shipper when I disconnect the wi-com.

She flips the switch immediately, but she doesn’t take her eyes off me.

I press my wi-com button one more time. It won’t take Bartie long to come up with his own sort of all-call, something about how I have no right ordering everyone to come to me or something like that.

“Wi-com, Eldest override,” I say. “Authorization code: 00G. Disable all communication; exception: Eldest device.”