“I don’t know that it will matter even then,” Cardenia said. “I’m continually confronted with the human tendency to ignore or deny facts until the last possible instant. And then for several days after that, too.”

Attavio VI nodded. “This is why I never said anything about it.”

“Yes, and I’m getting a ration of shit for that, too, thank you very much, father of mine,” Cardenia said. “I have seventy percent of the parliament angry with me because they don’t believe this collapse is coming, and forty percent angry with me because I didn’t tell them about it sooner.”

“That math on that is bad,” Attavio VI said.

Cardenia shook her head. “No, because some people are both. And then there are the allies to the Nohamapetans who either believe Nadashe has been framed either by me or the House of Lagos, or have decided that a little bit of treason and rebellion isn’t that big of a deal. Which is another thing I get to thank you for—letting that house become as influential as it did.”

“I can’t be blamed for that.”

“Of course you can be blamed for it. I just blamed you. I’m getting blamed and now I’m passing some of that blame on to you. I hope you feel bad about it.”

“I’m dead. I don’t feel bad about anything.”

“Must be nice.”

“It’s not,” Attavio VI said.

Cardenia closed her eyes for a moment and rested back against the wall of the Memory Room. “I didn’t want to be emperox, you know,” she said.

“Yes,” Attavio agreed. “I remember.”

“You didn’t want me to be emperox either.”

“I remember that too. But regardless of what either of us wanted there is the fact of what is. And the fact is, you are emperox. Probably the last emperox of the Interdependency. And the question you might ask yourself is whether you would want anyone else to be that person.”

“No,” Cardenia said. “No, I wouldn’t.”

Attavio VI nodded. “Remember there’s a reason I suggested the name Grayland to you. To remind you what had to be done. And to inspire you to be the person to do it.”

“Do you think it’s working?”

“I don’t have opinions anymore,” Attavio VI said.

“Well, pretend that you do.”

“You’re asking a heuristic computer network for its opinion.”

“Yes I am. Do you think it’s working?”

There was a pause and Cardenia could have sworn she saw the image of Attavio VI flicker for the barest fraction of a second. Then, “Yes. I think it’s working.”

Cardenia smiled. “There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“In fact, yes, it was.”

Cardenia laughed at this and then grew silent again. “The Interdependency was built on a lie, you know,” she said, to Attavio VI.