=I have news for you,= the Ór answered. =The thing has happened that you most fear.=
"The Destroyer?"
=Yes.= The sphere answered from inside the Ór—or was it the Ór itself? No one knew. =The Destroyer has been spawned by the meat-creatures.=
K'da could not help but exude nervous fluid. It ran off her carapace and pooled around her. She would have to clean it up herself: No service 'bots or lesser-creatures entered this chamber, and it would not do to leave it behind.
=You are afraid.=
"Our legends say that the Destroyer will come in fire, and bring chaos and pain. Should I be unafraid?"
=What have I promised you?= the Ór answered, the mind-voice level and untroubled. =Have you forgotten, Great Queen?=
"You promised us that while you lived, we would conquer," K'da responded. "But, the Destroyer—"
=Yes?= the Ór asked.
"The legend of the Destroyer is much older than your promise," K'da said at last. She felt fear in her pores, and thought it might leak out between the plates of her hide once again; but she willed it into submission, replacing it with anger at the presumption of this . . . this thing.
=If it means so little to you, perhaps I should give my assistance to the meat-creatures,= the Ór said. Within the swirling fog, K'da could see shadowy tendrils begin to form, as if the mist were being drawn away to somewhere else. Within the tank, the silver sphere began to descend.
"No! No, I did not mean to offend. Please forgive me." She was angrier still, but forced that emotion below the surface.
The shadows faded to nothing. The mist began to move again, and the sphere bobbed to the surface. =Three twelve-twelves of cycles ago, I arrived on this world and offered you my assistance,= the Ór said at last. =Your near-ancestor, N'th, accepted my offer for herself and her hive-descendants.=
A portion of the wall of the room dissolved to show a sight familiar even to members of the worker caste: the night sky of Homeworld, filled with rainbow light, shooting stars of every hue descending from heaven to earth.
The arrival of the Ór: the beginning of the war of conquest for First Hive, first on Homeworld, then across the colonies, and then beyond.
=Every enemy, every opponent, every race. While I live, all shall be conquered. Do you doubt my word, Great Queen K'da?=
"No, no, of course not." Curse you for forcing me onto my hind feet, K'da thought, suspecting that the Ór might be able to hear this thought, but not caring. "But . . . with the recent defeat of our forces, and this news of the Destroyer—"
=I care nothing for the weakness of your commanders. Your race is stronger and possesses k'th's's to consume your enemies. Why else were you chosen? Do you now think yourselves unworthy, because of minor setbacks ?=
"Eight hive-ships is not a minor setback," she answered angrily. "It was all executed by the plan—your plan. The meat-creature fleet was lured together to be destroyed. But they had the talisman . . . and the Harbinger."
=The Harbinger knows nothing,= the Ór replied, its mind-voice sounding like a sneer. =You took the threat too lightly. These meat-creatures are many and they are cunning. You thought them easy and ripe for conquest, and now, because of your people's failures, e'e'ch'n has brought about the Destroyer. Now you must deal with it.=
"With your help."
=If you wish it.=
"I do," she answered, though it angered her to say these words. "I wish your help."
=Very well. But know this: The meat-creature who will be the Destroyer is now an infant. It will be protected by its very anonymity and it will not be mature for many cycles. You must use all of your force while the Destroyer is not yet a threat. More forces must be sent through the r'r's'kn to the meat-creatures' space while they are still at a disadvantage.
=There are worse fates than impalement, Great Queen K'da.=
K'da turned away from the Ór to look at the wall, where the thing's arrival was still being depicted. A shower of fiery rain, coruscating in every visible color, as if the Homeworld were passing through a cosmic veil. Somewhere among the hurtling particles was the web-wrapped package that had landed in what would become First Hive. Somewhere in the picture was the Ór.
The task before K'da and First Hive was clearly laid out: But as she watched, and felt the faint mind-touch of the Ór upon her, K'da felt a new, more deeply seated fear.
There are worse fates, she thought, than impalement.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Author's Note
Prologue
Ur ta'ShanriGar Piercing the Icewall Part One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Interlude
seLi'e'Yan Standing Within the Circle part two
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Author's Note
Prologue
Ur ta'ShanriGar Piercing the Icewall Part One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Interlude
seLi'e'Yan Standing Within the Circle part two
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Author's Note
Prologue
Ur ta'ShanriGar Piercing the Icewall Part One
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Interlude
seLi'e'Yan Standing Within the Circle part two
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
The Dark Ascent Page 46