Nineteen

Surur-Tlassen, the highest librarian of the Carryx empire, receives a summons from the private creche to arrange preparations for the Sovran's new daughter. He then reports to the Sovran herself, delivering intelligence about the empire's military campaigns and manufacturing efforts, while receiving her directives in return.

Surur-Tlassen is called to the private creche meeting chamber, where he encounters Urur-Atlak, a former important male now transformed into a scentless monkish being. Urur-Atlak informs him that the Sovran has a new daughter preparing to meet her and orders him to make necessary arrangements. After the encounter, Surur-Tlassen reflects on the creche's mysteries and its exemption from the Sovran's control, experiencing an unsettling sense of dread. He travels through the palace and kills a service animal as correction, then arrives at the Sovran's quarters where her scent triggers deep loyalty. The Sovran—a massive, luminescent creature—receives his full daily report. Surur-Tlassen details the second harvesting body's progress with resources, the stability of the spinward holdings, the replacement of animal populations in Sado and Herusant, a Void Dragon tender's new insights, the discovery of an enemy ship in Ashtin-Kah system that failed to self-destruct, and the enemy's losses on planets in Horol-Sa and Dakku. The Sovran considers his report in silence, then issues directives: pressing the revealed enemy weakness and awarding the subjugator increased resources, noting and resolving the second harvesting body's failure, and preparing witnesses for her daughter's arrival. Her final instruction orders him to redirect enemy attention to allow animals maximum opportunity to examine the captured enemy ship, regardless of cost. Surur-Tlassen receives her words in a state of profound connection and submission.