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Fisher's frown had grown heavier with every word, and hestopped to take a deep breath, visibly upset. Looking directly at Madeleine, he forged on.
"Théoden, the Moth who possessed me, loathed the cyclesof death. There is very little each newgeneration can do about their situation, and it was not until the Ul-naa Core was injured by a Blue strong enough toinstinctively defend against possession that Théoden saw any way forward. While ostensibly searching for a way for theCore to overcome that instinctive defence, he worked to create an opening, achance to end the cycles. For hisapparent success in finding a way to disarm that Blue, he was rewarded with anexemption by the Core. Perhaps in othercircumstances he would have taken it, despite his fury and disgust. He did so very much want to live."
Expression easing, Fisher took a moment to meet the eyes ofeach of the Musketeers in turn.
"But during the time Théoden spent carrying out theCore's task he found a source of strength. A cause is a cold thing to die for. To die to protect the people you count as friends, people you havelaughed with, and grown to cherish, that is a gift.
"In an hour it will be dawn, and we will try to bringdown the Spires. We have recordedseparately the methods of fighting. There are countless selfish and obvious reasons for the people of Earthto fight back against the Reborn. Butanother reason is for that one person who found a way, who put our future abovehis own. We mattered to him, and so hebought us this chance. Honour him."
Turning abruptly away, Fisher walked back to the oppositecouch and sat down, looking as drained as Madeleine felt. Noi lowered the camera, and the room satabsolutely still. Then Emily uncurledfrom the ball she'd maintained since she'd been freed, and crossed to tuckherself by Madeleine.
Pan broke the silence. "You expect me to follow that?"
Fisher gave him a dry glance. "You've never been short of something to say. Why start now?"
"Ha. Hell." Pan scrubbed his handthrough his hair. "Okay. Make sure you get my best side, Noi. Nash, stop me if I start ranting."
With a shamefaced grin, he stood, studied his feet, thenmomentarily was the exact image of the sketch Madeleine had given him: LeeRickard as Henry the Fifth. The youngKing. Then just as quickly he was a lessgrand figure, a boy with the face of an imp, but no smile.
"So we're about to go try to bring down the Spires, andif we fail, someone else gets to have to do it. Even if we succeed, there's going to be a lot of fighting ahead. After all the people who have died, all thefriends I've lost, the last thing I want to do, really, is risk any more. I'm betting most of you feel the same way.
"For the Blues out there: we've a lot of advantages youprobably won't have. Strong people,smart people, a team. It makes such adifference when you know someone's got your back, who'll try to bring you upwhen you're down, or tell you to stop when you're going the wrong way. There might be hardly any free Blues in yourcity. You might be alone. But we're passing on Théoden's gift. Take the knowledge, make theopportunity. Find your strongest Blue,your tactician, your strategist. Rescueyour leeches. And stand together andtry. Even if the first attempt fails,even if they take you, don't lose hope. Someone else will come for you, will bring you back like I was broughtback.
"For those of you who aren't infected, those who aregoing to say, no, we can't fight, they'll release more dust, they'll attack us,that it's better to wait it out like a bad storm. Let me remind you: they come back. They'll take all us Blues, and use us up, andthrow us away, and then they'll have a little breather and start all overagain. No-one can think that's a goodidea. This is a war. And they tricked you into not fighting."
He darted a quick look at Fisher, and took a deep breath.
"Moths. BecauseI'm only talking to you thanks to Théoden, I want to make an offer to otherslike him, those Moths who don't want, never wanted this...slaughter. We are going to hunt you down. Those bodies you're wearing belong to someoneelse. But if you turn yourself in, ifyou surrender to us and take that huge risk of dying so that the Blue you'reriding can be free, then we won't attack if you survive. I don't know what the hell we'll do with youafter – put you on an island? But...anyway."
His chin jerked up, as if he was still unravelling theimplications of his offer. Then hisstance shifted, not the king returning, nor Pan, cocksure and defiant, but acold, angry declaration.
"Finally, for those of you who did this to us, for theRemade. Fuck you. We'll dance on your graves."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Half an hour before dawn Madeleine was trying not to breakher ankle. Even though they'd circledaround to the relatively clear eastern side of the park, entering from CollegeStreet, the debris of the Spire's arrival formed a black obstacle course oftree trunks and torn earth, to be navigated by touch and hope.
"Team Dragon and Defenders, stop around here," Noicalled in a carrying whisper. "Spire Squad, you get into position first, then the Defenders willshift into place around you. Goodluck."
Madeleine's searching hands encountered a metal face, and shebit back a gasp even as she realised it had to be one of the statues from theArchibald Fountain. She slid down to sitin a small depression behind it, glad to be out of the rising wind. Sydney nights in early May were jacketweather, cool not icy, but her fits of sleep hadn't fully balanced excessivespirit punching, and the urge to curl into a ball and sob was rising.
During the last half hour Fisher and Noi had worked rapidlythrough endless pre-battle issues which would never have occurred toMadeleine. Release timers andmirror-sites for the four videos, drawing on Nash, Min and others to writequick introductions in multiple languages, asking viewers to redistribute andsubtitle. Choosing the north-east cornerof the park because it was not bordered by residential buildings, and the bulkof the Spire would hide them from early risers in the hotels. Escape routes for those staying on Greenguard duty, and transport strategies for the fighters, should ru
Haron was in charge of the SpireSquad: fifty Blues who were going to try to give an alien tower a heartattack. The Defenders, led by Sarah,would do everything they could to keep attacking Blues and Greens away from Haron's team. A triowith varying levels of medical knowledge waited with first aid kits out on thefootpath, and there was even a pair optimistically cooking up enormous vats ofsoup back at the hotel. The Musketeersand leech Blues, forming the majority of Team Dragon, would try to deal withthe returning Core and his large glowing mount.
Emily, who had been following close behind, tucked in besideMadeleine in the shelter of the statue, and whispered: "I'm sorry forbeing angry with you."
Having completely missed Emily being angry, Madeleine shiftedin confusion, then shrugged mentally and curled an arm around the girl'swaist. "I'm sorry for making youangry." She also wished she couldsend Emily off to safety. Thirteen wasso young. But there was a drive in thegirl to fight which held little of bravado, had a level of necessity.
"I think it's a bad idea, what Pan said," the girladded. "Letting any of themlive. E-even if there are a couple ofnice ones, how will we know? It could beone of the horrible ones, just trying to get away with it."