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Back Stringers Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. FRONT COVER
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CHAPTER ONE
  5. CHAPTER TWO
  6. CHAPTER THREE
  7. CHAPTER FOUR
  8. CHAPTER FIVE
  9. CHAPTER SIX
  10. CHAPTER SEVEN
  11. CHAPTER EIGHT
  12. CHAPTER NINE
  13. CHAPTER TEN
  14. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  15. CHAPTER TWELVE
  16. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  21. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  22. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  43. CHAPTER FORTY
  44. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  53. CHAPTER FIFTY
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  63. CHAPTER SIXTY
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Great white spanners blow on the night wind, then in an instant change direction and become incandescent. The orange horizon brightens yellow, yellow sears white. A great flaming arc appears in the sky, burning away the black ahead of it. All in the space of a moment’s fraction.

She understands, as does everyone who sees it, that it will be death by fire. A cleansing flame sent from somewhere far away. An erasing conflagration meant to leave nothing behind. Not the town, not the moons, not the planet.

At some point the music stops. Sound and time cease. Thought and existence evaporate. And at the penultimate moment when she is still something, before all is ash, and then the ash too is obliterated, the Instrument Maker’s thoughts are of a single ukelaklava sitting in the dark of her shop. The three hundred and second. Made for a child who will never be born to play it.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Naecia leapt from the tube and ran to the port where the Silent Child was docked.

Izairis nearly collided with her as she crested the ramp. “The Switch!” she yelled. “It’s gone!”

Naecia knew immediately. “Aptat,” she snarled.

“But–”

Naecia opened the com. “Where is it, fucker?”

“I gather from your tone and word choice that you have discovered that the Switch has been transferred from the Child–”

“I can’t believe you!” Naecia screamed. “Where is it?”

“This... searching about for something we can’t identify. It was a stupid plan.”

“I know,” said Naecia, “It’s all we’ve got!”

“Well, I came up with a better plan the very moment I heard our destination was Aszerat.”

Her blood ran cold. “To steal the drive and abandon us?”

“I told you that Aszerat is a place of commerce–”

“You sold it?”

“Of course not – well, a small, non-controlling interest in the technology – how else could I have purchased a second ship?”

“You bought another ship!”

“I couldn’t sell the Silent Child, could I? You own it along with Izairis and whoever stands to inherit Oush’s estate, may he rest in... whatever.”

“We were going to give it back as soon–”

“Yes, yes, promises, promises... Here we are, a place of commerce, graced with a revolutionary new technology. And here I am, a connoisseur of opportunity. I told you what I would do if I had the chance. And my dear, you should have listened.”