07/03/2026 11:35

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The dead guilty peoplemust be delivered at the gate of the military compound by midday the dayafter tomorrow. He'd approved the training of Smoleni ranger units, men selectedfor their wilderness skills, their marksmanship, and their warrior auras. He looked at Kelmer. It led into a chamber like something from a nightmare, weakly lit by twosmall tubes, one next to the companionway, the other above a gauge ofsome kind.

Then the sergeant major toowithdrew his attention, definitely the T'swa form of dismissal, and Varlikleft behind a quick-footed, if limping, Bao-Raku. Kusu looked at the third man, whose face was the color of bread dough inthe artificial light. And there had been several smuggling convictions by the ConfederationTax Commission, though the Splennite reputation was worse than a fewconvictions would account for. Mellis had thought aboutgoing to the messhall with those guys, but was afraid that if he did, he'dbe caught.