So she was simply in their way. “Then what did you ask us here for?”

“I want to propose a temporary truce. You’re trying to establish your rule. I’m trying to expand the presence of the Shardless Few. We don’t need to fight one another right now. We can live peaceably, under certain conditions.”

Of course. Conditions. “Which are? We allow you to roam all over Nephilanu?”

“No, of course not. We’ll keep to our caves and avoid your cities. We won’t interfere with your rule. I’ll ask you not to turn us in to the Emperor, of course.”

The missive from the Emperor felt heavy in Phalue’s pouch, a presence she couldn’t stop thinking about. “And that’s all?”

“One more condition: you halt this year’s caro nut shipment to Imperial and the surrounding islands. You can afford to put off the profits until later in the wet season – I know your father built quite the treasury. I intend to pressure the Emperor into abdication. Her grip on the Empire is weak. No one knows who she is. Unless she can garner support, this Empire will fall to pieces, each island fending for itself. With the wet season upon us, everyone will be clamoring for caro nut oil. If they don’t get it, they’ll blame the Emperor.

“The Shardless Few is close to its goal. If we can force her abdication, we’ll be in a better position to propose a Council. We’re building an army on Khalute and those governors who won’t fall into line can be further pressured with force. We’re too interconnected to not have some centralized decision-making power. The governors may not understand that, but I do. Only I don’t want it to be an Emperor. I want us to rule ourselves.”

She felt foolish for hiding during Gio’s previous meeting now. Of course he wouldn’t have cared if they’d walked in on him; he was asking the same thing of the Ioph Carn. Phalue met Ranami’s gaze and could see the caution behind her eyes. What was she trying to warn Phalue about? She regarded Gio, who awaited her response. Of course. Who would Gio turn his attention to once the Emperor was gone? “So you wish to pressure the governors. I’m a governor. Where would that leave me?”

“As I said, a temporary truce. It may be we can find some use for you in this new government, or make some sort of exception for Nephilanu.”

Phalue wondered if her skepticism was plainly visible on her face. She wondered if it mattered. There were two options here, and Gio understood that. Either she could accept the temporary truce and continue to establish herself, or she could throw herself into conflict with the Shardless Few under a rule that had just begun and with a list of tasks that wouldn’t stop growing.