While facing the Councilof Four his restraint hadnot slipped; but afterward,shaking with fury, the Admiralof the Fleets of Sennechslammed halfway down thelong flight of stone steps beforehe realized someone wasat his elbow. He slowed. "Forgiveme, Jezef. They made meso mad I forgot you werewaiting."
Jezef (adjutant throughmost of Tulan's career, andfor some years brother-in-lawas well) was shorter and lessharshly carved than his superior."So they wouldn't listen toyou. Not even Grefen?"
"Even Grefen." That votehad stabbed deepest of all.
Jezef took it with the detachmentthat still irritatedTulan. "The end of a hundredyears of dreams; and wego back under the yoke. Well,they've always been soft masters."
They reached the groundcars. Before getting into hisown Tulan said coldly, "Sinceyou're so philosophical aboutit, you'll be a good one to bearthe sight of men saying good-byeto their families. We'reto take full crews to Coar andsurrender them with theships. Requisition what helpyou need and get everybodyaboard by noon tomorrow."
Jezef saluted with a hint ofamused irony, and left.
Whipping through the darkicy streets, Tulan smiled sourly,thinking how Sennech'sscientists had reversed themselveson the theory of hyperspacenow that Coar haddemonstrated its existence.Maybe the Council was rightin mistrusting their currentnotions. As for himself, hesaw only two things to consider:that with Coar swingingbehind the sun, the accuracyof her new weapon hadgone to pot; and that beforeshe was clear again he couldpound her into surrender.
His swift campaigns had alreadysmashed her flabbyfleets and driven the remnantsfrom space, but the Council,faced with the destructionand casualties from just a fewdays of the weird surprisebombardment, was cowed.
He'd spent the previousnight at home, but wasn't goingback now, having decidedto make his farewell by visiphone.It was the thing hedreaded most, or most immediately,so as soon as hereached the flagship he wentto his quarters to get it overwith.
Anatu's eyes—the sameeyes as Jezef's—looked at himout of the screen, filling himwith the familiar awkwardworship. "You've heard?" heasked finally.
"Yes. You won't be homebefore you go?"
"No; I ..." He abandonedthe lie he'd prepared. "I justdidn't feel up to it."
She accepted that. "I'llwake the boys."
"No! It's—" Somethinghappened to his throat.
She watched him for a moment."You won't be backfrom Coar. You've got tospeak to them."
He nodded. This wasn't goingaccording to plan; he'dintended it to be brief andcontrolled. Damn it, he toldhimself, I'm Admiral of theFleets; I've no right to feelingslike this. He straightened,and knew he lookedright when the two sleepystares occupied the screen.
Their hair was stiff andstubborn like his own, so thatthey wore it cropped in thesame military cut. It couldhave stood a brush right now.They were quiet, knowingenough of what was wrongto be frightened.
He spoke carefully. "I'm goingto Coar to talk to themabout stopping the war. Iwant you to look after thingswhile I'm a