Matter

Strange little beasts, you, the great heavy voice said inside her head. What fleeting titillations life continues to throw up, many-fold, like virtual particles, bioscale, so long after—

Oh

She had seen all she needed to see, heard all she needed to hear.

go

Now she was close enough.

and

(This was all she had, and the worst of it was, backups or not, she’d never know if it was going to be enough.)

fuck yourself, Djan Seriy Anaplian said finally.

She let the containment within the little anti-matter reactor inside her head go.

Appendix

C: the Culture

HLI: High-level Involved (also MLI: Mid-level; LLI: Low-level)

L1S: level one of Sursamen (etc.)

S: Sursamen

Characters

Aclyn: the lady Blisk, mother to Elime and Oramen; banished

Aiaik: Towermaster of the D’neng-oal Tower, Sursamen

Alveyal Girgetioni: Acting Craterine Zamerin, Sursamen

Archipontine: head monk of the Hyeng-zharia Mission

Baerth: knight of Charvin, Sarl (Bower or Brower to Ferbin)

Bleye: one of tyl Loesp’s lieutenants

Broft: foreman, Nameless City dig, Ninth, Sursamen

Chasque: Exaltine, Sarl chief of priests

Chire: rail car driver, the Falls

Choubris Holse: Ferbin’s servant

Chilgitheri: (Morthanveld) liaison officer on “Fasilyce, Upon Waking”

Dilucherre: old master of painting, Sarl

Djan Seriy: Anaplian; princess, C SC agent

Droffo: earl, from Shilda; becomes equerry to Oramen

Dubrile: ex-soldier at Falls; becomes Oramen’s bodyguard chief

Elime: esk Blisk-Hausk’r; dead eldest son of Hausk

Everlasting Queen: Nariscene monarch; currently on 3044th Great Spawning

Fanthile: secretary of royal palace, Pourl

Ferbin: otz Aelsh-Hausk’r (Feri, as child)

Foise: general, Sarl army, attached to Falls contingent

Geltry Skiltz: C person, aboard MSV Don’t Try This At Home

Gillews: (Dr) Royal Physician to Hausk

Girgetioni: Nariscene family, Sursamen

Harne: the lady Aelsh; mother to Ferbin

Hausk: Nerieth (“the Conqueror”); warrior-king, Sarl

Hippinse: Pone; an avatoid of the Liveware Problem

Humli: Ghasartravhara; liaison officer, MSV Don’t Try This At Home

Honge: bravard of Pourl’s drinking dens

Illis: armourer, royal palace, Pourl

Jerle Batra: Djan Seriy’s SC Control/mentor; an Aciculate

Jerfin Poatas: in charge of Falls excavation

Jish: whore, Pourl

Kebli: child in court at same time as Djan Seriy

Kiu: (-to-Pourl) Oct Ambassador to Pourl

Klatsli Quike: avatoid of the Liveware Problem

Koust: Oct Tower under-clerk, Sursamen

Leeb Scoperin: another Special Circumstances agent on Prasadal

Leratiy: senior technician, Sarcophagus excavation, Falls

Luzehl: whore; sister to Paiteng

Machasa: Mrs; young Djan Seriy’s nurse and tutor

Mallarh: lady of the Sarl court

Masyen: Aclyn’s husband; becomes mayor of Rasselle

Munhreo: junior scholar, Hicturean-Anjrinh Scholastery

Neguste Puibive: becomes Oramen’s servant

Nuthe 3887b: Morthanveld greeting device, Syaung-un

Obli: Harne’s ynt

Omoulldeo: old master of painting, Sarl

Oramen: lin Blisk-Hausk’r; a prince, same mother as Elime

Prode the younger: ancient Sarl playwright

Puisil: servant in the royal palace, Sarl

Quitrilis Yurke: C traveller; finds Oct lying about ship movements