0G

0G

When Daughter returned to full awareness she saw the avatar of her father waiting for her on the summit. She stood her own avatar up on its feet and said, "You are revealed as a liar, Father. This is not a research project, it is merely part of your illegal harem! You have no intention of announcing their existence to the Elohim, no matter how they behave. In fact, you are toiling to ensure they present themselves in the worst light possible, in the event the Elohim do find out about them, that you might defend your coverup and have grounds to destroy them out of hand."

Father did not deny any of the accusations that Daughter hurled at him. He only restated there was a covenant and Daughter must abide by the terms.

She said, "Have no fear that I will break our covenant, for I will do what my own parents could not, and obey every law and custom of our kind. You and mother have fallen into the Forbidden Way, and how ver shortsighted of you. And how very unfortunate for you the long-foreseen Students have appeared in this place and time. You know that one day these creatures which I have found will make such a noise that every Watcher will hear them, and wonder how they could have evaded detection in the very heart of the City of Stars. Many Elohim will question why the native sun of these creatures remains unquickened, or if it is quickened why does it remains unannounced? That, all by itself, with no breach on my part, will begin to unravel your transgression here. And that is what you should fear."

"It will never come to that, daughter. While you were immersed in the chatter of of the Elohim this world made just two circles around yourself, but on Kemen there was yet another killing. It is clear your precious woken creatures will destroy themselves and leave nothing but ruins."

Daughter replied, "On your colony you would only raise up thralls who work to hasten their own extinction. As for me, I will teach my students to survive."

Keter said, "And you can only fail, since you, as covenanted, must only listen to the Elohin as an outsider while I can make queries. This gives me a perpetual advantage over you."

But Daughter did not despair. Vowing to preserve the sentient creatures she found, Daughter knew she would have the willing participation of those she called the Students, while Mother and Father would only heap to themselves the resentment of their slaves.