Polity Agent (66 page)

As a further five days passed, Orlandine realized she was procrastinating. Eventually she threw a hard question at herself.

‘Okay, Orlandine, what is this numinous thing you are going to build, and who’s going to appreciate it anyway?’ She paused, gazing out through
Heliotrope’s
sensors at the cold light of the stars.

‘Oh hell,’ she finally muttered, and turned the ship around.