Titans of Chaos

I said, "Okay, troops, I am open to suggestions. For one thing, how are we being tracked? Whydid Mavors pick this moment in time to come get us?"

As soon as I had asked the question, phrased in that way, the answer came to me. I threw back myhead and laughed and laughed, and the others looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

I put my hands overhead. "Victory is ours! Any of the ideas we attempt will work. All we have todo is make it look as if we are even half-serious. In fact, if we just point the prow of the shipbetween two of those black pyramids and make a break for it, with a little curving and dodging, Ithink you will find that the black ships will be strangely incompetent. For some reason they willfall behind."

Victor looked at me, puzzled. "Why in the world are you saying that, Amelia?"

"I could be wrong, and if I am wrong, we will all be captured again, have our memories erased,and get turned back into unhappy children. Maybe Vanity and I will end up as Boggin's sex toys,and Colin will have to marry the wrinkled old Mrs. Wren. So what do we have to lose? Vanity, setyour course! Full speed ahead! Ramming speed! Just ignore the enemy. I am sure they will goaway if we just don't pay them any mind!"

Colin said, "She's gone nuts. I vote we vote her out and put in a leader who is more on thenon-nuts side of the nuts/non-nuts spectrum."

I pointed a finger at him: "You are still going to stand court-martial for your disobedience of adirect order, mister! So don't you give me any lip."

Victor was smart. I saw his eyes twinkle, and he snorted. "No. The leader is right. Vanity, juststeer between them. They will part and let us pass." He looked at me: "Assuming they have notsuffered a change in policy in the meanwhile."

I spread my hands. "I admit it is a risk. I am making an assumption."

Vanity raised her hand. "Ooh! Me next! My question! What assumption? What the heck are youtwo talking about?"

Quentin was standing with his head cocked to one side, as if listening to a whisper that no one elsecould hear. He had one hand on his staff, which was set firmly against the deck to help brace him,and the other hand was cupped in front of him. Perhaps he was reading the lines of his own palm.

Quentin said, "I think fate just altered. I would have to do a more detailed reading to get a clearresult. Something just happened." He looked up at me, and looked rather impressed and rathersurprised. "How did you do that?"