Chapter 78

Nadyr landed them where a squat ugly building sat upon a square of black tarmac, connected to the rest of the world by the black thread of road, but otherwise in an ocean of dry fields. The square of tarmac was fenced with guard towers at each corner. Despite Nadyr calling ahead, their vehicle was immediately surrounded by black-uniformed soldiers who saluted Rikash as he descended. They were escorted into the squat building, which served as a hanger for the vehicles of the soldiers and the housing for an elevator shaft that only went down. They stepped into the elevator and their escort selected a floor towards the center of the buttons. "My father said this morning," Nadyr said as the elevator descended. "That in the time before the Ivarid Doxen virus, the family submissives would gather and spend the day together, sharing labour. Within the palace, the submissives of the Arken, his kin and leaders, would gather in the Arken s wing and the children would ta