“Let them rip things up. The repairs afterward will keep them busy. And a good riot will purge emotions for a time, wear them out physically. Then we turn it to our advantage, but only after well-reasoned consideration.”

Oakes listened for some response from Lewis, but the ‘coder remained silent.

“Jesus?”

“Yes, Morgan.” Lewis sounded out of breath. “I think that you . . . had better move . . . to the Redoubt immediately. We can’t wait for dayside, but you’ll . . .”

“Where are you, Jesus?”

“Old Lab One complex. We were moving out the last of . . .”

“Why must I go to the Redoubt now?” Oakes blinked and turned up the illumination in his cubby. “The riots will pass. As long as the perimeter’s secure we can . . .”

“They’re not stamping their feet and whining, Morgan. They’re killing people. We’ve sealed off the gun lockers but some of the rioters . . .”

“The Redoubt cannot be ready yet! The damage there was . . . I mean, is it safe?”

“It’s ready enough. And the crew there is handpicked by Murdoch. They’re the best. You can rely on them. And, Morgan . . .”

Oakes tried to swallow, then: “Yes?”

Another long pause, garbled snatches of conversation.

“Morgan?”

“I’m still on.”

“You should go now. I’ve arranged everything. We’ll flood ’em out of the necessary passages. My people will be there within minutes: our usual signal. You should be at the shuttle hangar within fifteen minutes.”

“But my records here! I haven’t finished the . . .”

“We’ll get that later. I’ll leave a briefing disc for you with the shuttle crew. I’ll expect to hear from you as soon as you get to the Redoubt.”

“But . . . I mean . . . what about Legata?”

“She’s safe shipside! Call her when you get to the Redoubt.”

“It’s . . . that bad?”

“Yes.”

The connection went dead.

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Though a pendulum’s arc may vary, its period does not. Each swing requires the same amount of time. Consider the last swing and its infinitesimal arc. That is where we are truly alive: in the last period of the pendulum.

—Kerro Panille, The Notebooks

LEGATA LOOKED past Oakes to the sea below the Redoubt. It was an orderly suns-set out there, Rega following Alki below the rim of the sea. A distant line of clouds boiled along the horizon’s curve. Long waves rolled in to crash on the beach of their small bay. The surf lay out of sight beneath the cliffs upon which the Redoubt perched. Double walls of plaz plus an insulated foundation screened out most of the sounds, but she could feel the surf through her feet. She certainly could see the spray misting her view and beading the plaz along the view porch.

Orderly suns-set and disorderly sea.