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Peter rubbed Estarra's back, and she closed her eyes and smiled at him as if ready to purr. 'Be ready to receive three hundred or so Wise Men,' he teased.

Yarrod appeared at the door, interrupting them. 'A Roamer trader has just arrived from the Golgen skymines. He says he has urgent news.'

'They always have urgent news.' Estarra patted Peter's hand. 'Don't stop rubbing my back.'

'He complains that if they just had more green priests at all the scattered skymines, they could have communicated this message instantly.' Yarrod didn't sound impressed.

'We're working on that,' Peter said. A hundred new volunteers had already been dispatched to sew together the web of communications across the Confederation. 'I'll go see what the man has to say.'

Boris Goff was talking to other Roamers in the fungus-reef city, spreading gossip and telling his story over and over. When Peter entered the throne room, Goff turned quickly. 'Ah, there you are! You know, those giant trees in orbit are enough to scare away innocent traders.'

'Better yet, they're enough to scare away the EDF.' Peter sat comfortably forward on his throne, eschewing formalities. 'Now, what's your urgent news?'

'We've got hold of a former EDF officer named Patrick Fitzpatrick III. He apparently deserted the Eddies and was wandering around, looking for us.'

Peter's brow furrowed. 'Fitzpatrick… I've heard of him. Isn't he the grandson of the former Chairman?'

'Who cares?' Goff was barely able to contain his enthusiasm. 'When he found Golgen, he dropped a bombshell. He started this whole mess! He confessed it all.' ; 'Which part of the “whole mess” are we talking about?'

'He blew up Raven Kamarov's ship. Patrick Fitzpatrick fired the first shot.'

Peter shook his head slowly. 'There's got to be more to it. Was he acting under orders?'

'Says General Lanyan told him to seize Kamarov's ekti for the Eddies and get rid of the witness.'

Peter clenched his hands. During the entire debacle, neither Lanyan nor the Chairman had spoken of this to him. Now it all fell into place. 'So, despite all the denials from the Hansa propaganda machine, the Roamers were correct in their accusations from the beginning.'

'Of course.'

No matter what Fitzpatrick had done, the greater criminal was General Lanyan, who had issued the orders. But the grand monster of all was Chairman Wenceslas, who had created the political climate in the first place, keeping vital information from the King and authorizing the actions of his underlings.

Peter put his chin in his palms and his elbows on his knees, and thought. Basil had become petty and vindictive, losing the insight, poise, and acumen that had once made him a sharp leader. The repeated crises, setbacks, and failures had worn away his open-mindedness. Peter had already been convinced that the Chairman needed to resign, but now it was more obvious than ever. He couldn't just let events take their course, not if he meant to have a solid and strong Confederation. Not if he meant for the human race to have a future.

Boris Goff was grinning with anticipation as he pressed his palms together in front of his face. Peter took a breath and raised his voice so everyone in the throne room could hear. Green priests standing outside the chamber moved closer and used telink to send his words everywhere.

'We have indisputable proof of crimes against humanity on two Hansa leaders. thereby issue an official condemnation of both General Lanyan and Chairman Basil Wenceslas. Henceforth, these two men shall be regarded as criminals and outlaws, who must be cut off entirely from the rest of the Spiral Arm. I'll need support from all Roamer representatives, Confederation colonies, and traders travelling through the Spiral Arm. Distribute my announcement to every world, especially those that still claim loyalty to the Hansa.

'The people of Earth must take matters into their own hands. I am still their King. I call for them to rise up and overthrow