Thirteen

This chapter shifts perspective to Surur-Tlassen, a high-ranking Carryx administrator, who processes empire-wide data through dreams and maintains the hierarchical structure of their civilization. Meanwhile, the human prisoners and other subject species aboard the Carryx warship experience their first direct combat when enemy forces attack, causing significant spatial distortions and injuries despite the ship's countermeasures.

The chapter opens with Surur-Tlassen, regulator-librarian to the Sovran, waking from dreams where he recalls his rise from brood mother to his current position of power. His role is to consolidate vast streams of imperial information through sleep and present daily briefings to the Sovran, who then disseminates commands throughout the empire's billions of subjects across thousands of worlds. Surur reflects on ambition, hierarchy, and the Carryx concept of war as synonymous with service to the empire.

The focus then shifts to the prisoners held aboard the Carryx warship. Campar and Ghati discuss the ship entering combat space, debating whether they are actually in danger. Initially anxious about imminent violence, Campar gradually becomes accustomed to the threat. Their calm is interrupted when four Budon of Luus spontaneously begin singing—a beautiful, harmonious performance that draws other prisoners and crew members to witness it. During the song, the Soft Lothark guards mysteriously lie down on the floor. Immediately after the singing ends, the ship is struck by violent attacks. A bizarre phenomenon involving incomprehensible sensations—a rushing non-sound, annihilating blue light, and internal violence—overwhelms the prisoners. The deck lurches violently, throwing bodies around.

Rickar, having felt the Lothark guards' inexplicable reaction to the song, realized something was wrong and attempted to warn the others. During the attack, he loses consciousness and later wakes on the deck with injuries including a swollen knee and a bleeding ear.

After the attack subsides, the prisoners assess injuries. Rickar experiences unexpected joy at surviving, surprising himself with genuine happiness. Campar checks on everyone's welfare. Vaudai, the massive alien slug, explains that the Budon's song detected enemy projection fields setting a trap, triggering Carryx countermeasures. The "overspill" was unavoidable collateral damage. Vaudai reveals the Budon serve as sensors detecting quantum flux variations, and that the creature itself analyzes battle patterns for their keeper-librarian. When Rickar asks what purpose humans serve, Vaudai suggests they are present "to see whether there is a reason to send humans out here." The Budon mourn their two dead, ceasing their singing.