Free The Orphan Alliance (The Black Ships Book 3) by A.G. Claymore Page A

penthouse
suite not far from the bridge. “Half of Ireland probably has some of his
genes.”
    “It’s a given, then, that you’re familiar with the chaos of
Human development.” Tommy ignored Kale’s comment, though he had to admit it was
a bit of a thrill to learn he was descended from a king. Even though, as Kale
mentioned, it was probably pretty common, it was still a pleasant surprise to
hear definite proof.
    I am. It certainly seems that you’ve made a mess of
things. From the data you’re showing me, it looks like you tried to kill
yourselves off while I rested. There was a pause. How did these
‘Midgaard’ come by their longevity? His voice held a dangerous edge to it. Did
they board one of our ships and experiment on our people?
    “You walked among us in your youth,” Tommy said cautiously.
“Isn’t it possible that some crew from the ship watching over Midgaard may have
done the same?”
    True, he mused. They may have been seized on the
surface.
    “I think he means that some of the crew may have done the
dance with no pants,” Kale offered.
    “I was leading up to that, but, yes – it’s possible, isn’t
it?”
    None of that was permitted here, but it is possible that
some of the female crew might have mated with Midgaard and passed on their
cellular structures. It would have taken more than one female, though, for a
widespread change in the entire population. Perhaps they were attempting to
replenish a dwindling population aboard the vessel.
    “Perhaps we’ll learn something if we go there.” Tommy forced
himself to take a deep breath. “So, you’re content to let Earth continue along,
then?”
    What do you mean?
    “You, umm… You’re not going to wipe us out and start over?”
    What? Do you have any idea how long it took for your
species to show any promise at all? I swear, one of my own ancestors recorded
the opinion that pointy sticks might end up being the high-water-mark of your
civilization. It was even a relief when you figured out that sharp rocks worked
better. You think I want to go through all that again? No. Just sort yourselves
out before I have to defrost one of my successors and go to my own rest.

The Althing
    Lychensee, Weirfall
    H arry
stood just inside the entrance to the meeting hall, looking up at the soaring,
glass-enclosed space. They were roughly two hundred floors above ground level
and the top floor of the building was half forest, half amphitheater. Above
them, the glass enclosure soared for at least another thirty stories. He had
seen many such enclosures as his shuttle descended into the planet’s capital
and had noticed how they all interconnected.
    Birds, or what passed for them on this world, soared above,
some diving for fish in a lake in the north-east corner. Even the lakes were
interconnected by rivers that ran through the myriad of skywalks. The entire
thing was a completely self-contained, self-sustaining ecosystem, and others
like it existed in every major city on the planet. Over half of them had been
joined as the cities grew into each other’s boundaries.
    The wildlife of Weirfall still thrived, but it had been
urbanized.
    “Come to watch your friend’s disgrace?” A sour voice pulled
Harry’s gaze back down to reveal a tall, thin Midgaard who stared at him with
obvious distaste. “Only a Human would be so crass as to compound a warrior’s
shame by witnessing it. You should have the decency to let him disappear
quietly.”
    “I was of the impression that his fate has not yet been
decided,” Harry answered mildly.
    “The Norns are severing his skein even now. The words to
come,” he said, waving a negligent hand toward the hollow of the amphitheater behind
Harry, “are already spoken; it is just a matter of our lips catching up with
them.” He rested a hand on the hilt of his dagger. “You would do well to keep
your own lips away from those words, Human. Valdemar is not to be trifled
with.”
    No, thought Harry, you are to be ignored,