CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kevin considered the world that hung below them with the cool detachment of any member of the Hive. From where he stood, the screens let him see the settlements below, and the flares of movement down there. Once, the sight of it would have filled him with awe, or hope, or wonder. Now, it was merely a problem to be considered.
Once, the results of solving that problem might have made him feel guilty. Now, he just looked for ways to solve it faster.
“Will they try to strike at us?” Kevin asked Purest Lux.
The alien considered it for a few moments. “It is possible. They are unlikely to succeed.”
Ships flew up from the surface, a cloud of them that seemed like a swarm of hornets closing in on the world ship. Like that, there seemed to be so many of them, yet as the Hive u
