And yet. That dream she’d had. Of changing the world, making it kinder, increment by increment, seed by seed, fighting for those who would come after her, for futures she would not live to see—that dream thrummed within her still, in her new and powerful heart.

This part of the fight had ended, quick and bloody, but there was still much work ahead. She turned, at last, ignoring the Red Hands in their confusion and shock, and began to walk side by side with Hook and the others toward home, toward Ayla, the beacon, the true wash of starlight.

Ayla, she had written once. I could stand anywhere in this world and I swear my line of sight would end on you. I swear I’d find you in the dark.

Much work to do. Good thing, then, that she wasn’t alone.

PEACE AND OPEN BORDERS BETWEEN RABU, VARN, TARREEN!

The Scyre Defeated!

The Mad Queen Victorious!

The People Have Spoken!

CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF THE HUMAN-AUTOMA COUNCIL FOR THE THREE NATIONS

Founded by Her Majesty Queen Junn of Varn; Lady Crier of Rabu; Storme, Head Adviser to Her Majesty Queen Junn of Varn; Benjy of Rabu; Ayla of Rabu, Apprentice to Midwife Jezen of Rabu; Brielle, Alchemist of Tarreen; Elan, People’s Leader of Tarreen

In keeping with the spirit of the peace, and the newly opened borders between the Sovereign State of Rabu, the Queendom of Varn, and the Collected Territories of Tarreen, certain players of politic and science from each of the three major nations of Zulla have formed an Alliance, to advocate for the Rights of all Humankind within Zulla . . .

THE TREATY OF THALEN

between

THE SOVEREIGN STATE OF RABU, THE QUEENDOM OF VARN, AND THE COLLECTED TERRITORIES OF TARREEN

The Protocol annexed thereto, the Agreement respecting the operation of Tourmaline mines in the collected territories of Tarreen, which will allocate certain amounts of raw Tourmaline, specified within, to the Sovereign State of Rabu and the Queendom of Varn, for the purpose of alchemical transmutation into the objects known as Tourmaline Hearts; for FIVE YEARS, beginning on the dawn of the Spring Equinox of Year Forty-Eight Automa Era and extending to the dawn of the Spring Equinox of Year Fifty-Three Automa Era, or until an Artificial Life Source is successfully synthesized,

respecting

THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF AUTOMAKIND

IN PEACE AND HARMONY WITH HUMANKIND.

Signed at the Queen’s Palace at Thalen, Spring Equinox, Year Forty-Eight Automa Era

—PAMPHLETS DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT ALL ZULLA, BY THE HUMAN-AUTOMA COUNCIL FOR THE THREE NATIONS, YEAR 48 AE

Traditionalism tells us we can learn from the humans of one hundred, five hundred, one thousand years ago.

Can we not learn from the humans of today?

—FROM NEOTRADITIONALISM AND THE LIBERATION OF HUMANKIND, BY CRIER OF FAMILY HESOD, 9648880130, YEAR 46 AE

Summer,

Year 48 AE

Epilogue

It was summer, and the air in Yanna smelled of salt.

As she half walked, half ran up the white marble steps of the Peoples’ Library, Ayla found herself biting back a smile. The sky was delphinium blue, the sun a high white coin, she’d just come from visiting Storme—bidding him a quick goodbye before he left for Thalen—and the streets of Rabu’s capital city were lined with paper lanterns. Tomorrow night Yanna would celebrate the summer solstice, and the city was already alive and buzzing with anticipation, music rising through the air like steam, or like wheeling seabirds.