Morning Star: Book III of the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown Page B

andcover,ifthat’sallrightwithyou.”
    “It’sallright,”Sevrosaysquickly,thoughTheodorawaitsforDancertonodhisagreement.
    “Thankyou,”Isay.“IalsoneedyoutobringMickeybacktoTinos.”
    “Why?”Dancerasks.
    “Ineedhimtomakemeintoaweaponagain.”
    Sevro cackles. “Now we’re talking. Get some man-killing meat on your bones. No more of this anorexicscarecrowshit.”
    Dancer shakes his head. “Mickey’s half a thousand clicks away in Varos, working on his little project. He’s needed there. You need calories. Not a Carver. In the state you’re in, it could be dangerous.”
    “Reapcanhandleit.WecangetMickeyandhisequipmentherebyThursday,”Sevrosays.“Virany
    hasbeenconsultingwithhimanywayaboutyourcondition.He’llbetickledPinktoseeyou.”
    DancerwatchesSevrowithstrainedpatience.“Andthelastrequest?”
    Igrimace.“Ihaveafeelingyou’renotgonnalikethisone.”

    IfindVictrainanisolatedroomwithseveralSonsguardingthedoor.Shelieswithherfeetsticking offtheedgeofamedicalcot,watchingaholoatthefootofherbedasSocietynewschannelsdrone on about the valiant Legion attack on a terrorist force that destroyed a dam and flooded the lower MystosRiverValley.ThefloodinghasforcedtwomillionBrownfarmersoutoftheirhomes.Grays
    deliveraidpackagesfromthebacksofmilitarytrucks.EasilycouldhavebeenRedswhoblewupthe dam.OritcouldhavebeentheJackal.Atthispoint,whoknows?
    Victra’swhite-goldhairisboundinatightponytail.Everylimb,eventheparalyzedlegs,iscuffed tothebed.Notmuchtrusthereforherkind.Shedoesn’tlookupatmeastheholostorykicksoverto a profile on Roque au Fabii, the Poet of Deimos and the newest heartthrob of the gossip circuit.
    Searching through his past, conducting interviews with his Senator mother, his teachers before the Institute,showinghimasboyontheircountryestate.
    “Roque always found the natural world to be more beautiful than cities,” his mother says for the camera. “It’s the perfect order in nature that he so admired. How it formed effortlessly into a hierarchy.Ithinkthat’swhyhelovedtheSocietysodearly,eventhen….”
    “Thatwomanwouldlookmuchbetterwithaguninhermouth,”Victramutters,mutingthesound.
    “She’sprobablysaidhisnamemoreinthelastmonththanshedidhisentirechildhood,”Ireply.
    “Well, politicians never let a popular family member go to waste. What was it Roque once said aboutAugustusataparty?‘Oh,howthevulturesflocktothemighty,toeatthecarcassesleftintheir wake.’ ”Victralooksatmewithherflashing,belligerenteyes.ThemadnessIsawinthemearlierhas retreatedbutnotvanishedentirely.Itlingerslikemine.“Mightaswellhavebeentalkingaboutyou.”
    “That’sfair,”Isay.
    “Areyouleadingthislittlepackofterrorists?”
    “Ihadmychancetolead.Imadeamessofit.Sevroisincharge.”
    “Sevro.”Sheleansback.“Really?”
    “Isthatfunny?”
    “No.ForsomereasonI’mnotsurprisedatall,actually.Alwayshadabiggerbitethanbark.First timeIsawhim,hewaskickingTactus’sass.”
    Istepcloser.“IbelieveIoweyouanexplanation.”
    “Oh,hell.Can’tweskipthispart?”sheasks.“It’sboring.”
    “Skipit?”
    Shesighsheavily.“Apologies.Recrimination.Allthetriflingshitpeoplemuddlethroughbecause
    they’reinsecure.Youdon’towemeanexplanation.”
    “Howdoyoufigure?”
    “We all enter a certain social contract by living in this Society of ours. My people oppress your tinykind.Weliveoffthespoilsofyourlabor.Pretendingyoudon’texist.Andyoufightback.Usually very poorly. Personally, I think that’s your right. It’s not good or evil. But it’s fair. I’d applaud a mousethatmanagedtokillaneagle,wouldn’tyou?Goodforit.
    “It’s absurd and hypocritical for Golds to complain now simply because the Reds finally started fightingwell.”Shelaughssharplyatmysurprise.“What,darling?Didyouexpectmetoscreamand rantandpissonabouthonorandbetrayallikethosewalkingwounds,CassiusandRoque?”
    “Alittle,”Isay.“Iwould….”
    “That’sbecauseyou’remoreemotionalthanIam.I’maJulii.Coldrunneththroughmyveins.”She
    rolls her eyes when I try to