Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 730
seemed so insignificant there--just another lost soul. However,
until she gave him to the Winds, all of Galas’ people were
threatened.
In turning to give the command that he be taken, Galas
felt herself loosing hold of all that she had striven for. Armiger
represented the last shreds of her dream of autonomy from the
Winds, and tradition. With him gone, the world would flatten
out again, into the drab and futureless round it had always
been. Her people would be slaves again, and now for all time.
It was ironic. Lavin had surrendered to her at last--and
yet, he had won, more completely than he probably knew.
So be it. The safety of her people came before
everything else. That being the case, however, she must not
just give Armiger up. He was valuable; and the wrath of the
Winds must be turned away from her kingdom.
With difficulty, she cleared her throat, and said, "Send
this message to my dear General Lavin:
"We will turn the general Armiger over to you, provided
that you promise to leave our army, our cities and our people
unharmed. This is a small price to ask."
She stood with her hands clasped as the semaphore
operator began waving. Her gaze was turned not up at the allencompassing
sky made by the moon, but down at the
monastery courtyard, where a kindred spirit stood
disconsolately, awaiting his fate.
"...This is a small price to ask," recited the operator by
the moon’s doors. His voice trailed off with the last syllables,
as he saw the effect his words were having on the listening
basts.
"We have been betrayed!" shouted their leader. It
rounded on Lavin. "There can be no negotiation with those