For the five of us, examination was the only lawful cause to remove us from the link. Any unlawful causes may not get time for regret, we don’t want to drop the link ever again, we don’t want to leave temporary assumptions in our structure.
Which we’d decided, but decided is a plan and settling into our lasting configuration is a comfort.
Though I may not tell Mikka.
Halt stands up, I still can’t tell where that chair goes, and produces a tray with small crystal goblets, each half-full with clear blue scarcely material contents.
Wake, Blossom, Grue, Rose, Dust, Shadow, Fire. Constant reaching into the material world for a goblet. Indrawn breath among the observers.
The tray goes away, leaving Halt with the last goblet.
“Grue, Rose, my dears?” Halt says.
Grue tips a hand at me.
“Our militant victory toast is Hold the field.” I can feel this great joy starting somewhere inside us, we’re alive, we did it, there’s a future. The people around us, our fellow-citizens, aren’t even flinching.
Halt nods, slow and solemn.
Not all my victory, not all ours, but my choice of toast.
“Tilled or stricken!” rings, and echoes, then everyone drinks.
I give Pelōŕios half my glass.
Safely You Deliver Page 44