BooksBarbecue
Back Excession
Chapters (108)
  1. About the Author
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Dedication
  5. 1 - Outside Context Problem
  6. I
  7. II
  8. III
  9. IV
  10. V
  11. VI
  12. 2 - Not Invented Here
  13. I
  14. II
  15. III
  16. 3 - Uninvited Guests
  17. I
  18. II
  19. III
  20. IV
  21. 4 - Dependency Principle
  22. I
  23. II
  24. III
  25. IV
  26. V
  27. 5 - Kiss The Blade
  28. I
  29. II
  30. III
  31. IV
  32. V
  33. VI
  34. 6 - Pittance
  35. I
  36. II
  37. III
  38. IV
  39. V
  40. VI
  41. 7 - Tier
  42. I
  43. II
  44. III
  45. IV
  46. 8 - Killing Time
  47. I
  48. II
  49. III
  50. IV
  51. V
  52. VI
  53. VII
  54. VIII
  55. 9 - Unacceptable Behaviour
  56. I
  57. II
  58. III
  59. IV
  60. V
  61. VI
  62. VII
  63. VIII
  64. IX
  65. X
  66. XI
  67. XII
  68. XIII
  69. XIV
  70. 10 - Heavy Messing
  71. I
  72. II
  73. III
  74. IV
  75. V
  76. VI
  77. VII
  78. VIII
  79. IX
  80. X
  81. XI
  82. XII
  83. XIII
  84. XIV
  85. XV
  86. 11 - Regarding Gravious
  87. I
  88. II
  89. III
  90. IV
  91. V
  92. VI
  93. VII
  94. VIII
  95. IX
  96. X
  97. XI
  98. XII
  99. XIII
  100. XIV
  101. 12 - Faring Well
  102. I
  103. II
  104. III
  105. IV
  106. V
  107. VI
  108. Epilogue

~ Indeed, the ship replied. ~ I find it hateful that the Deluger craft killed the Attitude Adjuster the way it appeared to.

~ They will be chastised when we are in control of the entity at Esperi, never fear!

11 - Regarding Gravious

11

Regarding Gravious

I

I

Genar-Hofoen and the avatar Amorphia appeared in the doorway at the head of the winding stair. ‘Excuse me,’ Ulver said, putting down the comb and patting Dajeil on the shoulder. She walked towards the door.

‘No; please stay,’ Dajeil said behind her.

Ulver turned to the older woman. ‘You sure?’

Dajeil nodded. Ulver looked at Genar-Hofoen, whose gaze was fastened on Dajeil. He seemed to shake himself out of his fixation and looked, then smiled at Ulver. ‘Hi,’ he said. ‘Yes; stay; whatever.’ He crossed to Dajeil, who stood. They both looked awkward for a moment, then they embraced; that was awkward too, over the bulge of Dajeil’s belly. Ulver and the avatar exchanged looks.

‘Please; let’s all sit down, shall we?’ Dajeil said. ‘Byr, are you hungry?’

‘Not really,’ he said, drawing up a chair. ‘I could use a drink . . .’ The four of them sat round the table.

There was some small talk, mostly between Genar-Hofoen and Dajeil, with a few comments from Ulver. The avatar remained silent. It frowned once and glanced at the screens, which showed a perfectly banal view of empty space.

II

II

The Sleeper Service was a few hours out from the Excession now. It was tracking the MSV Not Invented Here and another two large Culture craft, each a dark jewel set within a cluster of smaller ships; warships, plus some GCUs and superlifters extemporised into combat service. The GCU Different Tan was also supposed to be in the volume, but it was not making itself obvious. The Not Invented Here was thirty light years out from Esperi, patrolling the spherical limit of the uniquely worrying engine-field effect that the GCU Fate Amenable To Change had reported days earlier. The Sleeper Service had briefly considered asking that the smaller craft copy its results to it, but hadn’t bothered; the request would probably be refused and it suspected whatever data the smaller craft was gathering weren’t telling anybody very much anyway.

The other two craft - the GSVs What Is The Answer And Why? and Use Psychology - were manoeuvring a half a day and a full day further out respectively. A faint layered smudge in the distance, about three quarters of the way round an imaginary sphere drawn around the Excession, was almost certainly the approaching Affronter war fleet. Around the Excession itself, no sign whatsoever of the vanished Stargazer fleet of the Zetetic Elench.