FABER: The Warden did not preserve me in the midst of all that destruction for reasons of sentiment. It knew my value.

MASTER JURIDICAL: The Warden was bribed.

FABER: How the hell do you bribe a machine?

MASTER JURIDICAL: You found a way. We repeat, these statements are premature. We are drawing our inquest to a close. A few additional details need to be resolved; you may be able to help us in that regard.

FABER: I’m not being charged with any crime?

MASTER JURIDICAL: We are interested in your attempt, after you captured the Ur-Didact in the San’Shyuum quarantine system, to dispose of him in Flood-infested territory—in a Burn.

FABER: I know nothing about that.

MASTER JURIDICAL: What did you do with the humans and the Manipular, Bornstellar, found on the same ship?

FABER: I returned the Manipular to his family.

MASTER JURIDICAL: And the humans?

FABER: They were delivered to a Halo.

MASTER JURIDICAL: Were you aware that that Halo had been commandeered by the Primordial?

FABER: I was placed under arrest. Needless to say, I lost control of my installations.

MASTER JURIDICAL: You did not continue to influence Mendicant Bias?

FABER: Certainly not. He was primarily the Didact’s design … you know that, don’t you?

MASTER JURIDICAL: There is also the matter of Catalog.

FABER: Ah.

MASTER JURIDICAL: The Ur-Didact informs us that Catalog and two others accompanied him into the Burn. Please explain this circumstance.

FABER: Why would I send anyone into a Burn, only to rescue them? I assume my underlings screwed up. Misinterpreted orders. Or, as I say, they all escaped.

MASTER JURIDICAL: How was it, then, after sending the Didact into a Burn—

FABER: I deny that! I’ve said it over and over.

MASTER JURIDICAL: How was it that you found him a second time?

FABER: An accident. I swear on the Mantle. I was busy with Flood defense.

MASTER JURIDICAL: You had assembled your Builder Security and disgraced Warrior-Servants and cobbled together a posse of vessels.

FABER: Cobbled together? We fought the Flood. Even better that nobody knew I was still alive. I could operate with freedom, cut loose from the failures of our old strategies. Given time to think over new strategies. And I was effective! We held that salient for three years. Without credit, mind you.

MASTER JURIDICAL: How did the rescue come about?

FABER: I found the Didact—the original Didact—on a cruiser attempting to break our cordon. We were doing our best to protect a vulnerable flank against the Flood, arriving on Forerunner ships!—a flank opened wide by the failure of the Jat-Krula and its Line installations. I have no idea how the Didact secured that vessel.

MASTER JURIDICAL: A very attractive bit of salvage.

FABER: All of its arms had been stripped away. That’s why we didn’t destroy it. It was harmless.