Excerpt
from Grand Master’s Game
In this early scene, they are in Violet's small room outside the Terran Space Academy. They are relaxing after tidying the mess left by the vindictive Red Queen, their enemy with the glowing red eyes, four arms and strawberry-blonde braids.
Violet flipped on the Galactic Network News
and perched on her small bed to watch the display on the opposite wall. When
Athanor stepped across the room to join her, the bed creaked under his weight.
He swore under his breath, “By the Dagda’s horns, the bed’s unstable.
Knowing he could replace the bed if he chose,
she ignored his complaint and listened to the news. The reporter, an Aman-ellan
with handsome tiger-stripes on his orange fur, said, “No communications have
come from Outer Sagittarius for the past ten days. We’ll give you in depth
coverage of the portal problem after the news at eighteen.”
The scene switched to the familiar gold
sphere of the rotating Presidium Galactica where the Galactic Congress met.
“Debates in Congress have reached no consensus on action.”
“Terrans have not escaped the threat,”
announced the Aman-ellan. He waved a hand at the people milling around the
front of the Capital. “Thousands demonstrate about food prices.” The view
switched to a mob wrestling with guards.
Violet shivered at the sight of the rioting
people. As an empath, she hated the noisy emotions of large crowds. She inched
closer to Athanor for comfort. He obliged by wrapping his arm around her and
sending sympathy, “I share your dislike of
crowds.”
“Allegations of negligence denied by Space
Corps.” The view showed the administrative building of the Space Corps on Terra
with the gold star emblazoned on the front of the imposing glass tower.
“I don’t believe Space Corps is so
incompetent,” Violet remarked in disgust, remembering the survey teams she had
met on the planet of Cinerea.
“Massive incompetence would be required to
break the portals over a quarter of the galaxy. A cunning mind, and not
negligent maintenance, is behind the failures.” His eyes flashed a spot of
light onto the com controls. The display blanked, cutting off the nasal voice
of the announcer. “I’ve had enough of the paltry news reports!”
Book 1 is available:
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