“The Flow is the Flow,” Jamies said. “It doesn’t do anything. Our access to it, on the other hand, is definitely going away. The unusual stability of the Flow streams that have allowed the development of the Interdependency is coming to an end. One by one, the streams are going to dry up. One by one, the systems of the Interdependency are going to find themselves alone. For a long time. Possibly forever.”

“How long do we have?” Vrenna asked.

“Ten years,” Marce said. “At the outside.” He glanced over to his father. “If Dad’s models are perfectly accurate, less than that. Probably closer to seven or eight years before all the local Flow streams are gone. Most of them will be gone before then.”

Jamies turned toward his son. “And that’s why you must go.”

“Wait, what?” Marce said.

“You have to go,” Jamies repeated.

“Where?”

“To Hub, of course. You have to take this data to the emperox.”

“I thought you were sending regular updates to the emperox,” Vrenna said, to her father.

“I have been, obviously. The data is encrypted and sent monthly via outgoing ships.”

“So send this the same way,” Marce said.

Jamies shook his head. “You don’t understand. It’s one thing to keep the emperox updated when I’m just crunching through the data and refining the model. It’s another thing entirely when the model is verified, and real, and a threat to the Interdependency. He’s going to need someone to walk him through it all. And then walk everyone else through it. And then argue with everyone from scientists to politicians who want to poke holes in it for their own purposes. Someone needs to go.”

“I agree,” Marce said. “And that person should be you.”

Jamies opened his mouth but then Doung Xavos, the count’s secretary, poked his head into the room. “My lord, Lord Ghreni Nohamapetan is here to see you. He says he comes at the request of the duke.”

“Bring him,” Jamies said, and looked at his children.

“Should we go?” Vrenna asked.

“I’d rather you stayed.” Jamies gestured at the monitor spilling out the news of the revolution; it switched itself off. Jamies sat at his desk and encouraged his children to sit as well. They did.