“That’s just what I called them because they reminded me of these Azteca ants. Anyway, the queens looked a little different from the rest, but they didn’t treat the others as subordinate, nor were they really elevated above the others. Everything on the ship was entirely equal and codependent. Didn’t you think it a little strange that none of the individuals tried to fight us until they’d merged into one creature?”

“I was running for my life at the time,” said Aptat. “But the thought had crossed my mind.”

“My point is that one of them wasn’t going to break away and steal the Chime so that they could become powerful.”

“You think whoever took it was trying to stop the Scythin, not to gain power themselves?” said Naecia.

“I do.”

“But then, why hide it? Why wouldn’t they just destroy it?” asked Izairis.

“Maybe it’s not so easy to destroy.”

“Throw it into a star,” said Aptat. “Works with most stuff.”

“I’ve thought about that,” I said, grunting as I shifted to relieve the pressure emanating from the sutures in my ass. Aptat had graciously 3D-printed small hemorrhoid pillows for myself and Patton. “This might sound crazy,” I continued, “but we can’t assume a star would have done the job. These guys are extra-dimensional – you saw the material the Timelance was made of. Ever seen anything like that? Any of you? Do you know what the melting point of that stuff is? Sounds crazy, but maybe launching the Chime into a star wouldn’t do anything more than keep it warm. Look: if a star would have worked, it would be in a star. I can’t think of any other reason why it would be at Aszerat other than to bury it where no one would ever find it. I’m the guy on the cord with this person and even I can’t find it.”

“So, what if we do find it?” asked Izairis. “Apparently we can’t shoot it into a star...”

I’d thought about the answer. Still felt weird to actually say it. “We use the Switch to hop to one of a trillion galaxies and shoot it into a black hole.”

The galley went quiet.

“And... it can’t be me who does it. Or Naecia. Or Izairis,” I added. “The location information has to be fully extinguished. We’ve got to leave a dead end. A non-Stringer has to do it.” I was looking right at Patton.

He uncoiled from his usual hunch. “Me?” he asked, face brightening. “I get to do it?”

The others audibly scoffed, and understandably. I’d just proposed handing the future of the galaxy to a guy in a shark-tooth necklace. Yes, he still had it.

“That’s a little much, if I’m being honest,” said Aptat. “With all due respect, and no offense intended, Patton is an idiot.”

“Idiot savant,” said Patton.