“But we don’t have any traitors.”

The middle general blinked. “We?”

“The District of Districts,” Father said. “None of our citizens want that young boy dropped into oblivion.”

“There are probably a few wicked sorts,” his superior said. “But not many, and nobody of consequence, I would think.”

“Why would you think that?” Father asked.

Again, the responses came too quickly—stated and then followed by more clinical evidence that looked sewn onto the reflexive mess. Basically, the men inhabiting those silk uniforms were convinced that they knew everybody of worth and had measured each of their souls without error.

King hadn’t moved since before this meeting began. He was supposed to keep his distance, pulling lessons from this slow, polite interrogation. But then the Archon of Archons now gave him the quickest glance possible followed by a subtle nod, which was his signal to step forward—a tall armored creature with fierce green eyes and two determined mouths.

Generals preferred the company of generals. They tolerated civilian leaders but preferred not to notice the leader’s child. Standing at attention, they faced List while explaining what they knew that was certain and what they could surmise without too much imagination. Conspirators inside the Corona District had used the papio, unless the treachery flew the other way. Terrible weapons had been smuggled into the highest portion of the forest, and while evidence would be uncovered quite a lot might be learned in future days, the generals thought it vital to warn the civilian at his desk that the whole story might never be known.

“Oh, I agree with that,” Father said.

Faces grinned, not relaxed but not scared either. These were creatures with long careers, honors earned without once fighting a serious battle. These were masters in the realms of public speaking and sure, solid words delivered with authority, particularly during practiced meetings. Father would end their careers today. He had explained his plan to King before the men were let into his office. With his voice high and sharp, he had confided, “These are not the men to lead the fleet tomorrow.”

“Where are we going tomorrow?” King had asked.

“Indeed,” his father had replied cryptically. “That’s my point exactly.”

Now King approached the four humans, stopping only when the generals nervously glanced his way.

Father pretended to be irritated by the boy’s presence. He pretended to look at a stack of useless papers. Then he focused on the doomed soldiers, saying, “Perhaps you should explain this papio bomb to me. Exactly how big is it, able to drop all of those trees?”

Tired backs needed adjustments.

“I assumed it was a single weapon. Am I wrong?”

The generals had a lesson to deliver. The youngest said, “There weren’t any reports of papio aircraft. So more likely, our enemies would use a series of demolition charges. Materials could be smuggled through the wilderness in small quantities, presumably over many days and nights.”

“I suppose that is more reasonable,” said Father.

Again, the generals glanced at the peculiar creature standing still as a statue near his tiny parent.

With a sigh, Father said, “Well, at least the Diamond boy survives.”

Everybody but King nodded happily, that lone bit of good news worth repeating again and again.

“So,” Father began.

Nobody spoke.

“Some secretive group planted explosives inside several trees—explosives brewed by our eternal enemies—and then the trees came down, killing tens of thousands of citizens.”

The men said nothing, perhaps hoping silence would help their circumstances.

“Early reports are sketchy,” Father continued. “But I was speaking to Prima just before you arrived. She claims that one of Diamond’s bodyguards tried to trap him on Marduk, assuring his death.”

“Well, a huge plot like this,” the middle general began.

Then he hesitated.

Father called to him by name, not rank.

The man swallowed. “The Corona District is utterly incompetent when it comes to security. As I have said more than once . . . ”

“They are not incompetent,” Father said.

The general of generals scoffed at that statement.

“Shut up,” Father said, leaning across his desk, one stick-like finger stabbing the air. “For the last four hundred days, my office and my good people have worked hard to place agents inside Prima’s security apparatus, and the results have been lousy, more often than not.”

His audience wasn’t happy with that revelation.

“Espionage,” said the middle general.

“Why wasn’t I informed?” asked the top general. “What are we talking about? Intelligence missions against an ally?”

“The work happily wears any name you give it,” said Father.

The general of generals was outraged. “Plots of this sort aren’t supposed to be hatched and nourished by the civilian element.”

“Yet they were,” said the Archon of Archons. “I’m an ambitious, conniving man with thousands on my staff, and I managed to launch a dozen operations under your oblivious noses. Does that adequately define the situation?”

Silence.

“And now you’re so desperate for explanations that you’ll claim that a few treacherous people managed to carry out a grand attack, and a security network that made my life difficult was just as ignorant as you three.”

Generals looked silly when their shoulders slumped, when their busbies tilted and their uniforms seemed to deflate.

King laughed with his insulting mouth.

“There are other possibilities,” said the youngest old man.

“I’m well aware of that,” said Father.

“If Prima is culpable,” said the general.

“Let’s assume that my colleague and dear friend is innocent,” Father said.

“Then the papio are in charge,” the general of generals allowed. “With their military skills and key agents in Prima’s staff, everything is possible.”

Father used the hardest voice he could muster. “Be careful what you believe. Our peace has held for generations. We must be exceptionally cautious when we start blaming one old enemy.”

“The papio helped,” the general maintained.

“Everybody is a suspect,” the Archon declared, finally rising to his feet.

The generals offered weak shows of teeth.

“Of course we’ll mobilize,” said Father. “The Districts have rules, have protocols. My office has called a worldwide alert. Every military resource will be readied. I intend to follow our primary plan for a large-scale attack on an outer district. Half of our fleet must be ready by tomorrow, and because I want to sleep tonight, I insist that each of you resigns before offering yourself to military court, in preparation for a lengthy examination of records and motivations.”

Soft human faces grew softer. Nothing should have been a surprise, yet twice in the same day, these creatures were astonished by a surprise attack.

Father waited for some trembling voice to ask, “Why?”

Two of them sputtered the question, and he said, “I don’t believe any of your stories. We don’t have any substantive evidence, and indeed, as you warned, we might never have a respectable picture of the truth. But you also told me that we have comparable weapons, if only in small stocks. And if there is a conspiracy at work inside my District, my three ranking officers are staggering incompetents who can’t appreciate their deep weaknesses.”

Each general angrily professed his innocence.

But Father was never moved by innocence. And he didn’t care about guilt on this score. He had already explained his thinking to King. War was not equations on a long page. War was brutal and real and urgent, and what mattered was putting younger men in charge of the human fleets. And that was the only reason why the Archon presented the old men with their replacements’ names, waiting for signatures and stamps.