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Back The Collapsing Empire
Chapters (26)
  1. Cover
  2. The Collapsing Empire
  3. PROLOGUE
  4. PART ONE
  5. Chapter 1
  6. Chapter 2
  7. Chapter 3
  8. Chapter 4
  9. Chapter 5
  10. Chapter 6
  11. PART TWO
  12. Chapter 7
  13. Chapter 8
  14. Chapter 9
  15. Chapter 10
  16. Chapter 11
  17. Chapter 12
  18. PART THREE
  19. Chapter 13
  20. Chapter 14
  21. Chapter 15
  22. Chapter 16
  23. Chapter 17
  24. Chapter 18
  25. EPILOGUE
  26. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“And it’s the Nohamapetans who stand in our way,” Marce said.

“Yes,” Grayland said, nodding.

“So what do we do?” said Upeksha Ranatunga, after a minute. “What do we do now?”

EPILOGUE

“Don’t you have better things to do than to sit around here?” Attavio VI asked Cardenia, as she sat in the Memory Room.

“Are you expressing judgment?” Cardenia asked.

“I remember asking you that question once when you were spending time with me as I was dying. It’s assonant to ask you again now. It gives the appearance that I care. Which is a thing you need.”

“You know you ruin it when you put it like that.”

“I apologize. But the question still stands.”

“I do have better things to do,” she said. “But I’m going to sit around here anyway.”

The simulation of Attavio VI nodded and then sat next to her—or at least, the simulation of him gave the appearance of sitting next to her. “I came here too,” he said. “Whenever I was overwhelmed or exhausted or just needed to be away from other people. I would come here and talk to my mother or grandfather or any of the other emperoxs.”

“Did it work?”

“It worked about as well as it’s working for you right now,” he said. “But I decided it was good enough.”

Cardenia smiled at that. “It is good enough,” she agreed.

“You haven’t been in the Memory Room as often recently.”

“Do you miss me when I’m gone?”

“I don’t exist when you’re gone, so, no,” Attavio VI said.

“I’m busy with the end of everything,” Cardenia said. “I had Lord Marce give a presentation to parliament. I’ve ordered the military to create a plan for taking back End. I’ve suspended the operations and monopolies of the House of Nohamapetan and given them to the House of Lagos to administer.”

“I’m sure that went over well.”

“It went well with the House of Lagos, at least.” Cardenia remembered the meeting with the Countess Lagos and her daughter Kiva, both of whom were profanely delighted at the fall of the Nohamapetans, and the rise in their own fortunes. The countess gave Lady Kiva responsibility for the Nohamapetan monopolies, with Cardenia’s permission. “Marce’s presentation was not nearly as successful. He laid it out as simply and in as straightforward a way as it could be done, and the majority of the parliament still thinks it’s nonsense even though we have proof.”

“But you don’t have proof yet,” Attavio said. “It hasn’t been more than two weeks since Lord Claremont arrived. The ships from End could still be delayed by the civil war. The Flow stream to Terhathum is still open.”