Read Online Playing God by Sarah Zettel - Free Book Online

family, nor any of our old allies. We only know our cities are emptied, our armies diminished, and our survivors, what few there are, are left scarred, deaf, and sometimes crippled.
    “If the Getesaph chose to attack today, we could repel them, but it would be a close contest.”
    Praeis's ears wanted to fold against these words, but she forced them to stay still.
    “What is not publicly known, of course, is how close it would be, although it is widely suspected. Also suspected is the uncertainty that this year's harvests can be brought in, or that next year's can be assured. No one, of course, could miss how few fishing boats are still able to go out. The shortages are not yet felt, but they will be, in another year. Then there is the fact that our sisters and daughters are still dying.” She raised her eyes and focused them on Praeis. “You can understand, then, Noblest Sister, why we chose to join the Confederation.”
    Praeis dipped her ears in silent agreement.
    Vaier Byu took another swallow of tea. “You can, I think, also understand this. There are those who say the price we have negotiated for the salvation of our Great Family is too high. They say we will not all die from the diseases spread by this new weapon, or even from the famine that may, or may not, be coming. They say we should not bind ourselves to those who have shed our mothers’ blood and robbed us of our mothers’ souls. There are many who lay out these opinions. More, we fear, than there are of those who agree wholeheartedly with us and Confederation.”
    “Among these,” said Aires Byu, “are your blood sisters Senejess and Armetrethe.”
    Praeis bowed her head.
Oh, Sisters, what have you been doing while I've been gone?
    There are not many of us, Praeis Shin,” Aires Byu went on, “who can stand out against our sisters. But you have before, and you are now.”
    Praeis raised her eyes and opened her mouth.
    “Do not say you don't understand.” Aires Byu leaned forward. “You went against your sisters when you traded Urisk Island and four thousand lives for a swift peace. You are an isolated, alien thing in this respect.”
    Praeis felt her fingers curl and her ears try to fold up. She held herself rigid. The Queens spoke nothing but the truth. She could sit and hear it. She could. Her daughters leaned closer to her. She felt their warmth and drank it in. They knew the story, most of it anyway.
    Aires watched all this, but the set of her ears did not change. “Yet, you can build accord like no one we have ever met, and we have met masters of the art. You can deal with enemies and make them come to terms.
    “We sit isolated here for the propaganda of holding our Ancestor's city. Our people work among those who are building consensus against us, in an attempt to bring them to our side, but there is little they can do to sway whole families.”
    Praeis licked her lips. “There is a group of Humans called the Bedouin who have an ancient saying that describes us well. They say ‘me against my sister, me and my sister against my cousin, me and my cousin against the world.’ ”
    Vaier Byu laughed. “Very good. Who knew the Humans understood such things?”
    “Praeis did.” Aires Byu dipped her ears again. “Praeis knows many things, and she will tell them all to her Majestic Sisters, will she not?”
    Praeis's ears flickered back and forth. “About the Humans, Majestic Sister, or about my blood sisters?”
    “Ancestors Mine!” Ueani hurled a scrap of rice cake into the heating pit. “You're being asked to spy for us, Praeis Shin. To get out there and find out who's with us and who isn't. To subvert those who aren't over to our side, if you can, and to give us their names if you can't. You have your own friends out there. Get them. Work with them. We cannot allow this disaster we've created to fall apart. There are too many dead bodies and unattended souls out there as it is.”
    Praeis's jaw hung open. She panted, but got control