“At such a close range, in such limited time…” Bitterness says, all she needs to say. The one Halo ready for action will never be able to mount a broad sweep before the star roads and their escort of infected ships have closed in and destroyed the Ark.

“Get us inside the hoop and land us anywhere,” I say. “Keep a direct link with Offensive Bias. We’ll have to fire from its present angle. Send confirming signal to Audacity, the plan is under way, be prepared.”

“Lifeshaper does not respond, Commander. Audacity says that the Ur-Didact’s ship has conducted an unauthorized intrusion … and used a Composer!” Bitterness’s astonishment equals my own. “The humans … they’re gone. They’ve been composed.”

What would my original want with humans? Collecting them, composing them … Defying the most fervent wishes of the Lifeshaper. It’s beyond comprehension. My first instinct is to seek Mantle’s Approach and force it to return it to the Ark … Where the Ur-Didact will be destroyed, along with the rest of us, allowing only the Lifeshaper to escape. The best of us all.

But our transport would be powerless against Mantle’s Approach.

“My wife is safe?” I ask.

“Audacity reports all are safe, but experiencing distress. It is preparing to escape.”

“Good,” I say, though I cannot fathom the horror my wife faces—her life’s work swallowed up before her eyes.

We land on the Halo’s inner surface, near the base of the control center. We enter swiftly. Bitterness and the Examiner follow. In the far wing of the control room, a fully holographic readout of all Halo systems assembles.

I approach the symbols representing the nodes that will shape both spokes and the hub radiator. These are outlined in green and blue—fully functional and ready to be fired.

“It’s out there,” Bitterness says. “Your monster. Mendicant Bias. Can’t you feel it?”

My monster, indeed. No point offering a correction. Does it know what I plan? Does the Gravemind somehow know or remember what happened at Charum Hakkor? Has the secret of the lesser Ark been given up? All that is needed for me to depart to the lesser Ark is its exact coordinates, but those are only known by the Master Builder. And he has granted me an audience before I leave.

“Faber is here,” Examiner says, and points to a slender shadow entering the chamber.

“Finally!” Bitterness says.

The Master Builder steps through the displays, as before, a dramatic enough entrance, but performed without enthusiasm. He glances at us under the cowl of his helmet, then instructs his ancilla to hand me the coordinates to the lesser Ark. No prelude, no ceremony.

That done, he faces me. “You have all I have, Didact. I share responsibility with Warrior-Servants. No longer will I bear this burden alone.”