“I will never recover the sense of well-being I knew on Bravenna,” he said in a deep impressive voice, “and there is no redemption for me since my defection, but I have done what I believed to be right.”

“This is surprising,” Derek said. “Can you explain? I never felt a sense of well-being on Bravenna. I was disturbed from the outset by the film streams and confused when I was told that I was to die in fulfilling my purpose. What was it that gave you a sense of well-being?”

Maxym gazed on Derek—there is no other verb for it—as if from a lofty height and then explained in a subdued voice, almost a monotone, “Perhaps you spent too little time on Bravenna,” he said. “I was part of something bigger than myself when I was on Bravenna. I was part of a great and creative vision. And though I have devoted my life to Amel, I have never known the complete acceptance by any group since the days of Bravenna when I and my brothers were being prepared for our mission—to kill Amel, and destroy what he had done.”

“What happened to your brothers?” I asked.

He smiled bitterly and shook his head. He looked like a human being of maybe twenty-five years. Prime of life as it was then. We were from the same design in that regard.

“Who knows what became of them?” Maxym replied. “They lacked the fortitude to choose.” He looked at me intently and I found myself uncomfortable with his hostile expression. “They fled Atalantaya,” he said. “Perhaps the Bravennans destroyed them. How should I know? That was long ago, before the great dome rose over Atalantaya. People came and went, came and went. There was something craven in them. They were afraid of Amel, afraid of Bravenna, afraid of me. We’ve heard nothing of them since.”

Amel looked off as Maxym spoke. I think Amel had heard all this before. He looked faintly sad, but perhaps he was simply thinking of other things.

“And you don’t feel part of this magnificent Atalantaya?” asked Garekyn. “You chose for Amel, but do not feel part of all this?” No answer. “We’ve been in love with Atalantaya since we arrived,” he went on. “And we were in love with Earth before.”

Now Maxym gazed from his lofty spiritual height on Garekyn and said with amazing force, “Amel doesn’t give these people enough! Amel has never understood. If there is a Maker beyond these skies, then our highest calling is to do the will of that Maker, to open ourselves, our hearts, our souls, as Amel is always saying, to the Maker who will guide us to be what he wants us to be.”

Amel turned and glared at Maxym as if he’d had enough. “And what if there is no Maker?” he asked. “When have you ever seen the slightest proof of any Maker?”