Kibitzer. He felt that it would somehow do her honor, as it would
recognize us as having been married and make me his brother-in-law,
which is an important relationship traditionally, as he has no other
siblings. So here I am, technically second-in-command, but because of my
soft lining, I have no real command."

"You would not attack Nunami, then?" I asked.

He chose his words carefully, saying, "More pain will not negate the
pain already in existence, yet war is not always avoidable, and
sometimes it is even necessary."

When we reached the entrance hall, where the raiding party was to meet,
we found that there was already assembled a majority of the force,
including Wagner. The party was only twenty strong, as the atomic
anionizers were to do the main work and the planned raid required
stealth and secrecy, not force or might. Within a quarter of an hour all
the stragglers had arrived and all the anionizers were accounted for, so
Wagner gave a short debriefing to ensure that all the members were on
the same page. We were to sneak into the city when the populous was
distracted by the fire on Lake Umquam Renatusum, which was to be started
at midnight. We would plant the atomic anionizers at the right spacing
so as to bring down the whole city once we were escaped, using the
remote control provided for that very purpose. The suits would protect
us from the blasts, and, as a precaution, the remote had an automatic
five second delay between being pressed and exploding the bombs, though
it was more for form than practicality. After he finished we set off,
being arranged two abreast per row, there being ten rows. Bernibus and
myself were partners, for we had become close friends in the few days
that I had spent among the Canitaurs, while Wagner was once again the