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the Cobra project is too expensive and that they want to shut it down, what they really mean is that Caelian is too expensive."
    "I know," Freylan said heavily. "I also know you and your family have a long history with the Cobras."
    "Never mind the history," Jody said shortly. "We need the Cobras, Freylan. The Trofts aren't our friends. We trade with them, and we have good diplomatic relationships with maybe three or four of the demesnes. But even those three or four aren't really our friends. And there are hundreds of demesnes out there."
    "And there's Qasama," Freylan murmured.
    Jody felt her throat tighten. Qasama. There was a lot of family history tied up in that world, too. Way too much history. "And there's Qasama," she agreed. "The point is that we can't afford to stop the Cobra project. Ever." She ran her fingertips gently over the stainless steel of her trap. "That's why we need to solve the problem of Caelian. If we can find a way to finally tame that world, it'll knock a lot of the props out from under the anti-Cobra argument. Some of the Caelian Cobras could be retasked, the world could be opened up for new colonization, and we could start pushing out the boundaries on Viminal and even here on Aventine. It's not the Cobras themselves the public doesn't like, it's the feeling that the whole program's become nothing but a sinkhole for everyone's hard-earned money—"
    "Hey, hey—steady," Freylan said, holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "We're on your side, remember?"
    Jody made a face. "Right. Sorry."
    "That's okay," Freylan said, a little awkwardly. "Passion is good. That's what Geoff always says, anyway. Passion is why people do stuff like this."
    Jody cocked an eyebrow at him. "You mean aside from the fame and fortune parts?"
    His smile this time was a lot more relaxed and genuine. "Aside from that, sure," he agreed.
    Across the room Geoff gave a sudden war whoop. "We're in!" he shouted, lifting his comm in triumph. "That was Governor Uy's office. The project's been approved. We're going to Caelian!"
    "That's great," Freylan said, his eyes lighting up. "Jody—we're in."
    "Yes, we are," Jody agreed. "Congratulations."
    And hoped that her own smile looked as genuine as theirs.

Chapter Three
    Uncle Corwin had moved to his estate at the southern edge of Capitalia nearly thirty years ago, a week after his fifty-seventh birthday and less than two years after his political enemies had forced him out of his governorship. That loss had ended his political career, a life he'd led as long as Jin had been alive, and even after all these years she still couldn't think about that without feeling a twinge of guilt for her part in the whole thing.
    Corwin didn't blame her, she knew. Never had, for that matter. But knowing that was only minor consolation.
    The gate opened as she and Paul walked toward it. Either Corwin had set it on automatic or else someone inside was keeping close watch. "Did you ever get hold of Jody, by the way?" Jin asked as they passed the gate and started down the twinkle-lit walkway toward the dark, looming structure ahead.
    "Yes, while you were showering," Paul said. "She doesn't know what this is about, either. But I do know she's been trying to talk Corwin into coming in on her side on this proposed Caelian trip of hers."
    Jin grimaced. Caelian had been the third world settled by the Dominion colonists who had come here nearly a century ago, right after beachheads had been established on Aventine and Palatine. The first two worlds, despite occasional bumps along the way, had eventually become unqualified successes.
    Caelian, unfortunately, hadn't.
    The planet had a hundred different bitter-edged epithets among the Cobra Worlds' population, most of them variants on the words money pit, home of damn fools, or hellhole. Out of a high-water population of nearly nineteen thousand, only forty-five hundred still remained, all of them too stubborn or stupid to give up and move back to Aventine