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A face appeared on the inter-Company beam screen. The cold, blank, hard-bitten face of the only Free Company Commander senior to me now that O’Hara was gone, Jake Campesino of the Cygne Black Company. “Are you surrendering, Stone?”

“No. I want to speak to my fellow Companions.”

Campesino’s voice was like ice. “Violation! You know the rules, Stone. Silence cannot be broken in battle. I will bring charges. You’re through, Stone.”

I said, “Okay, crucify me later. But hear me now.”

Campesino said, “Close silence or surrender.”

It was no good. We’d had it. And across the distance of battle Rajay-Ben’s face appeared on the screen. The colored lights that were a Lukan’s face and I knew enough to know that the shimmering lights were mad. “The hell with them, Red, let’s go all the damned way!”

And a new face appeared on the screen. A face I knew too well. First Councillor Roark. “Stone! You’ve done a lot in your day but this is the end, you hear me? You’re defending a madman in a Council crime. Do you realize the risk? Universal imbalance! The whole pattern of galaxies could be destroyed! We’ll destroy you for this, Stone. An ionic project without Council authorization.”