The woman stepped closer, surprised. 'What is it, love?

'You belong to the Pensare. She traced her fingers across her own breast with her other hand.

Linnea nodded, understanding, and smiled. 'Aaah. Id heard it called different things, but never that. Here we are the Swestr-sisters. The womens lobby. Even on famous Scolar, things are not always equal. Do you bear the marks?

Mira shook her head; another contraction was coming. 'Mia sorella... sister... mine, she panted.

'Roll on yer side. Let me rub your back, little Swestr.

But Mira barely heard her. The individual stab of her contractions turned into one long excruciating pain that shifted to her back. Then a strange sensation overtook her body, as though her pelvis might split apart. Her focus fell to it, and the sense of movement within her.

'Its coming. She thought shed spoken aloud. Had she?

Linnea began helping her onto the floor, into a squatting position. Her st.u.r.dy body bore Miras weight easily.

'Better than on yer back, love. Use gravity to help you get yer little 'un out.

Miras legs trembled with the exertion.

'Its crowning. Now lean on me back, instructed Linnea. 'Im goin to get down low and make sure yer baby doesnt slip.

Mira collapsed across Linneas broad back, fingers spasming into the folds of the cooks overalls.

'Just one little push. Now. Not too hard. This ones slipperier than an eel.

Mira felt disembodied, separate from her skin. Not able to think.

'Mira! Swestr! Push! said Linnea, sharply. 'Bear down.

Miras mind began to slip away somewhere, to a place that shed been before. But then Insignia drew her back from that blissful oblivion, insisted she return.

Mira?

Insignia had been silent in her mind until now.

Our baby is about to be born, said the biozoon. You must help her.

Mira felt something. Her eyes flickered open.

Linnea had gripped her shoulder with one hand, reaching up, her other hand still cupped between Miras parted legs. The thick fingers bit into her flesh with no apology.

'You must push now. This baby needs to be free of yer. Bright eyes and a sweat-glistening face. 'This is yer important job, Mira, Linnea told her. 'The one you were born for. Dont fail yerself. Or yer baby.

The womans intensity grounded her. Suddenly it wasnt Linnea, a stranger, delivering her baby, but her beloved sister Faja. The same look, the same voice, the same determination.

Fa!

Mira let the sensations back in-the pain, the sense of her own body being torn-and pushed down.

She felt her babys head move.

'Babes here! cried Linnea. 'Its here. Once more.

Mira pushed again, and with the sliding sensation came a release from the pain.

'Here, Ive got yer babe in my hands. Linnea lifted a b.l.o.o.d.y bundle up so Mira could see.

With trembling fingers, Mira reached for the tiny body. 'Its a girl, she said.

'Guess so. Cant see no mans tackle down there. Now lie yerself down on the bed while we deal with the afters.

'A girl, repeated Mira, as she weakly levered herself onto the bed. 'Thank Crux!

Linnea smiled, but continued to hold the infant. 'Yer babe looks good an all to me, love. A tad undersized, as youd expect, but its lungs seem to be working fine.

'I wish to hold her, said Mira.

Linnea shook her head and laid the b.l.o.o.d.y babe in the transparent crib. 'Promised Dolin Id put her straight in here, soon as I cut the cord. Its the only reason he let me in. Once the scans done, yer can have her back. How are yer planning to feed her?

'Feed? Mira hadnt even thought of it.

'Yeah. They do need it, yer know, Linnea said with gentle sarcasm. 'And what name have yer picked?

Mira felt her face warm with embarra.s.sment at her exposed ignorance. Estelle wouldnt have been so ill prepared. Nor Faja. Both would have picked their childs name before the birth.

She spent some precious moments thinking about her sister and her best friend, wishing they were with her, longing for their company and advice. Then she let her self-pity go and looked to her child.

Our child, Insignia corrected.

THALES.

'Villon? The detention room was so achingly familiar that Thales felt compelled to say the old philosophers name aloud.

But no aged and gentle person emerged from one of the bedrooms; no refined and thoughtful voice replied. Villon was dead, and Thales found himself back in the exact room he had shared with the great man.

Rene had been in the docking bay when the politic guards led him away. Hed seen her there, pressed back against the wall, a slim almost ethereal figure with her fingers clasped tight. He didnt call out to her or plead for her help. He hadnt endured the last months to return home like a boy needing protection.

In the furor of their arrival, and Miras transfer to Mount Clement, Fariss had eluded the guards. Even though she hadnt really understood all the reasons for him risking detention again, shed happily acknowledged his determination. If shed forbidden him, he didnt know what he would have done. His urge to obey her was so strong, and yet his desire to preserve the integrity of his world was equally so.

Fariss had supported him through her nonchalance, and hed seen the sparkle in her eye at the promise of trouble. She relished conflict and battle.

'Do what you must, shed told him before they berthed on Scolar. 'And Ill do the same. Right now, that means not surrendering to your police. Ill be there for you, watching from the sidelines. Her beautiful big eyes widened in thoughtful surprise. 'And to tell you the truth, Im not sure why, except that your skin feels good against mine, and your voice is like a song to me, and my guts tell me to protect you at all cost.

Her unexpected declaration almost liquefied his resolve. Tears had burned his eyelids, and hed knelt before her.

Shed cuffed him gently and pulled him to his feet. 'Pleasure me now, before what will be.

And theyd rolled together in their bunk with a pa.s.sion that had left Thales weak again.

'Msr Berniere?

Thales blinked from his reverie. A guard was standing at the door of what had been Villons bedroom. How long had he been there while Thales was lost in thought?

The red-robed guard gave him a curious look. 'Follow me.

Thales walked between two Robes, along the familiar marble-grand corridors, until they ushered him into an opulent meeting room. This time, though, Thales viewed the whole Pre-Eminence building through fresh eyes, marvelling at the smooth polished flooring, intricately carved window frames and rich textured furnishings.

How luxurious these surroundings were, compared to the oddity of Rho Junction architecture, or Lasper Farrs world of parasite-clean refuse. Now that he was home, he found the aesthetics of the building both soothing and unsettling. We have such wealth, but have lost our wisdom.

'Thales Berniere.

This time it was a member of the Sophos who spoke his name. A dozen of them sat along one side of a long table, as if keeping a deliberate physical distance from him.

Thales recognised most of them: Lauda and Kantos, Averro-ji and Juan Alermo. Sophos Mianos was the notable omission, but in his place sat his daughter.

'Rene, whispered Thales.

His wifes delicate complexion lacked colour, and she moved one hand repeatedly, back and forth, between her lap and her mouth. Thales remembered this agitated mannerism as clearly as if they had never been apart.

His heart contracted for an instant, but then the image of a broad face with thick lascivious lips entered his mind, and the pain eased. Fariss. Where are you?

'Rene Mianos will represent her father on the Sophos until his return.

Thales looked at her, sitting there among the aged male 'esques. Rene had coveted a seat on the Pre- Eminence, and hed worried that shed thought his immaturity would hold her back. To see that shed finally realised her ambition through her fathers misfortune-a misfortune precipitated by Thales-seemed more than ironic. Bitter amus.e.m.e.nt ate into his composure. Would his wife side against him?

Sophos Lauda began to speak. 'The Sophos has reviewed both the recent farcast from the OLOSS summit on Intel station, and the recordings from the OLOSS ship which connected with the Baronessa Fedors biozoon companion.

'Youve made grave accusations and bold statements, Thales Berniere. You secreted yourself aboard an OLOSS ship in order to escape questioning for an incident in a kaffe klatsch, in the Kant quarter. During Sophos Mianoss interrogation of the Latino n.o.ble Mira Fedor you chose to a.s.sist her escape by attacking Mianos, and accused him of murdering our greatest philosopher, Amaury Villon. An offence, I might add, that amounts to treason.

'Having absconded on the Baronessa Fedors ship, and having been absent for some months, you now return to our notice, accusing Sophos Mianos of barbarity. You have also declared that members of the Pre-Eminence, and others in our world, have been infected by a virus that alters our ability to think critically. How would you defend yourself against the charge of insanity?

Thales locked his knees to stop his legs from buckling. He was not afraid of the Sophos, but his wifes presence made this more difficult. He would hurt her when he spoke of his encounters with her father, and then she would choose not to believe him. Whatever... friendship might have endured beyond their separation would surely be destroyed.

'I will not even address the charge of insanity, Sophos Lauda. My mental health is not relevant, as I will repeat my story in my own words, and then offer proof of it.

He looked along the row of faces. Age had blurred their features, as well as something else-disinterest, perhaps. It was as if they were merely going through the motions of a hearing that would never amount to anything. These people would be impossible to convince or move to action; the motivation did not lie within them. They were too comfortable. Diseased.

Amaury? Give me guidance. But Amaury Villon was gone. Mixed emotions swirled within him. He would let them see what it was to question. Remind them of the nature of pa.s.sion.

'After leaving Scolar, circ.u.mstances saw me in the company of the Baronessa Fedor. Though the decision to break away from the OLOSS ship that transported Sophos Mianos out to question her was the Baronessas, I would have supported her action. I regret the injury caused to my father-in-law, but he... intended to impound her ship and hold her in detention. The Baronessa was desperate and frightened.

He told them of Miras story and the invasion of Araldis, but throughout his tale the faces remained unmoved, almost bored.

'How did the Baronessa become pregnant in this untenable situation? asked Rene.

Thales looked directly at her for the first time. Her eyes seemed dull to him, her sharp intellect hidden behind cloudiness. 'That is her story to tell, if she so wishes, and in truth I did not know of her pregnancy until our paths crossed again more recently.

'Where did you leave the Baronessas company?

'On Rho Junction. She was abducted by a Post- Species sect, and I met a tyro from Belle-Monde who offered me quick pa.s.sage back to Edo.

'Belle-Monde? It was Kantos who spoke, but they all adopted a similar disdainful expression. 'What would one of the famous Belle-Monde tyros be doing on Rho Junction?

Thales told them about Lasper Farr and the DNA.

'You expect us to believe that weve been infected with a virus that affects our desire to question, that softens our intellect. Kantos burst into laughter. 'Of all the preposterous accusations! This one borders on hallucinatory.

Thales expected the others to share this open scepticism. 'The virus affects the orbitofrontal cortex, where decision-making occurs. Have you noticed a change in each other? A reluctance to make decisions? A tendency to maintain equilibrium? A fatigue that takes you when deep thought is required?

The Sophos members exchanged eyebrow-raised glances.

'There is something else you can check. Fortunately, I chose not to carry the DNA in my bloodstream, as Commander Farr wanted me to. That, coupled with the virus the Commander administered to force me to comply with his wishes, would surely have killed me. As it was, it left its legacy. He touched his cheek. 'Necrosis. The Baronessas biozoon has helped the healing.

'But surely your Health Watch would have protected you? said Rene.

He stared at her intently. 'It had been tampered with. Commander Farr scanned me when I returned to Edo. He told me that my most recent update had been sabotaged.

Renes pale face flushed. Her hands flew to her cheeks. 'Impossible. You used the Sophos clinic.

'Someone deliberately interfered with my renewal, Rene Mianos. Scan my immunity and match it to the batch I received.

A murmur spread along the table. One to the other, they whispered and conferred.

'Gutnee Paraburds premises were in the port terminal. Search his office and question him, Thales continued. 'You shall soon see the veracity of my story.

'Who would have created such a virus, and why, Msr Berniere? asked Rene. She seemed to struggle to form the simple question.

'I met the tyro Tekton of Lostol. He was able to trace the chain of business from the laboratory on Rho Junction to the original supplier.

'Which was who? demanded Lauda. Of all the Sophos, he seemed the sharpest, the most energised.

'Her name is Miranda Seeward, a dieter of some note and also a tyro on Belle-Monde.

The Sophos began to murmur among themselves again. Clearly many of them knew of Dieter Seeward.

Finally, Lauda stood up. 'We shall consider your claims. Withdraw to the anteroom until you are called.

Thales nodded and followed the Robe out. Was the Baronessa right? Were the Sophos beyond making intelligent or balanced decisions? Were they beyond hope? And how did she fare right now? Had the baby been born? Had it survived? Thales felt weighed down by concerns.

The bond between him and Mira was not romantic, as his feelings had been for Rene. Nor did it resemble the deeply pa.s.sionate way Fariss moved him. It was more a genuine warmth, and a desire to see things go well for her. Friendship, he thought, one that would grow and endure, given a chance.

He sighed and turned his attention to the two Robes waiting with him. Had the virus affected all walks of Scolar life or merely the philosophers? The politic guards seemed as composed and expressionless as he was accustomed to seeing them, but were they as committed to upholding the law of the Sophos as they had always been? Or had the ennui crept in among them too?

'You heard my story, said Thales. 'Whats your opinion?

The guards showed no indication of hearing him.

'Have you seen a change in the people you serve and protect? Do you see that your world is different?