{"product_id":"2940014047913","title":"TULAN","description":"While facing the Council of Four his restraint had not slipped; but\u003cbr\u003eafterward, shaking with fury, the Admiral of the Fleets of Sennech\u003cbr\u003eslammed halfway down the long flight of stone steps before he realized\u003cbr\u003esomeone was at his elbow. He slowed. \"Forgive me, Jezef. They made me so\u003cbr\u003emad I forgot you were waiting.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJezef (adjutant through most of Tulan's career, and for some years\u003cbr\u003ebrother-in-law as well) was shorter and less harshly carved than his\u003cbr\u003esuperior. \"So they wouldn't listen to you. Not even Grefen?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Even Grefen.\" That vote had stabbed deepest of all.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJezef took it with the detachment that still irritated Tulan. \"The end\u003cbr\u003eof a hundred years of dreams; and we go back under the yoke. Well,\u003cbr\u003ethey've always been soft masters.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThey reached the ground cars. Before getting into his own Tulan said\u003cbr\u003ecoldly, \"Since you're so philosophical about it, you'll be a good one to\u003cbr\u003ebear the sight of men saying good-bye to their families. We're to take\u003cbr\u003efull crews to Coar and surrender them with the ships. Requisition what\u003cbr\u003ehelp you need and get everybody aboard by noon tomorrow.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJezef saluted with a hint of amused irony, and left.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e       *       *       *       *       *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhipping through the dark icy streets, Tulan smiled sourly, thinking how\u003cbr\u003eSennech's scientists had reversed themselves on the theory of hyperspace\u003cbr\u003enow that Coar had demonstrated its existence. Maybe the Council was\u003cbr\u003eright in mistrusting their current notions. As for himself, he saw only\u003cbr\u003etwo things to consider: that with Coar swinging behind the sun, the\u003cbr\u003eaccuracy of her new weapon had gone to pot; and that before she was\u003cbr\u003eclear again he could pound her into surrender.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis swift campaigns had already smashed her flabby fleets and driven the\u003cbr\u003eremnants from space, but the Council, faced with the destruction and\u003cbr\u003ecasualties from just a few days of the weird surprise bombardment, was\u003cbr\u003ecowed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe'd spent the previous night at home, but wasn't going back now, having\u003cbr\u003edecided to make his farewell by visiphone. It was the thing he dreaded\u003cbr\u003emost, or most immediately, so as soon as he reached the flagship he went\u003cbr\u003eto his quarters to get it over with.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnatu's eyes--the same eyes as Jezef's--looked at him out of the screen,\u003cbr\u003efilling him with the familiar awkward worship. \"You've heard?\" he asked\u003cbr\u003efinally.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes. You won't be home before you go?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"No; I ...\" He abandoned the lie he'd prepared. \"I just didn't feel up\u003cbr\u003eto it.\"","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47145859973360,"sku":"2940014047913","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940014047913_p0.jpg?v=1763599645","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014047913","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}