The power of death is in the shadow it casts. Raine could not help but think of one woman, whose death had cast a world in shadow for four thousand years, and she found she rather agreed with Solomon's observation. Martel's absence had been so much more than the simple fact of her death.

She fastened her collar up properly again, hiding the exsphere away. It wasn't something she was especially sanguine about advertising. "That was much my line of thought, when we first learned just what they were. If it had been me, I would prefer to be of use."

Raine watched him for another few moments more, still thinking. Solomon's pragmatic assessment had warmed her to him, illogically, as had his failure to press for detail regarding exspheres. "Are you well?" she asked finally, indicating the scar that remained. He seemed perhaps a bit subdued, though admittedly she had very little knowledge of his usual behavior off which to base the theory.