The Praetor glanced at him for a moment and then turned, speaking loudly, to the room at large, it seemed. ‘It is not for any of us to question the voice of the people, or when they speak. As it turned out, there was a late surge in favour of Vail, and—’

‘That’s rubbish!’ snapped June. ‘You know that—’

‘Aw, shut up,’ snarled one of the guards viciously. ‘Before I wipe the back of my hand across your face!’

‘Silence!’ shouted the Praetor. ‘It is you, soldier, who should hold your tongue! The lady was a member of the Council until recently, and you will treat her with the respect she deserves! Do you understand?’

‘Yes, sir,’ mumbled the guard, looking down.

June stared at the Praetor. ‘Why do they obey you, Praetor?’

‘It is their duty,’ said the Praetor.

‘Why? The Collegium has nothing to do with the force.’

The Praetor drew himself up straight, or as straight as his bent frame would allow him to. ‘My Lord Vail has asked that I join his Council. After due consideration, I have agreed.’

Albert looked at him—at the crafty look that had suddenly appeared in the old man’s eyes, the strange way he looked around the room, at the chairs, the tables, anywhere but at Father, almost as if he was afraid to meet his eye—and then something went click in his head. ‘The Collegium voted!’ he cried. ‘They voted for Vail!’

From the wide-eyed, aghast look on everyone’s faces he could see that most of them had guessed the same thing.

‘Why, Damon?’ said Father sadly. ‘Why?’

‘Because of you! You! It is your fault, Father, all yours! You were too weak to do what needed to be done! We are drowning in ourselves, there is no more we can do. But no matter how many times I, or Castor, came to you, begging you to seal the borders—just for a little while, just so we could keep our own heads above water—you would not listen! And not only would you not listen, you kept letting in the immigrants, taxing us further and further! How long did you think we could keep on going on like this? How long?’

He stopped, red-faced, and took a deep breath, and went on, calmer now. ‘No, we can do this no longer. No longer. The times cry out for change, Father, and the Collegium must heed that cry.’

‘Even if it means breaking with tradition and allying with Vail? Knowing what he stands for?’

The Praetor flushed again. ‘Vail promises change. He promises to free the Collegium.’

‘Free—’