'll want to be sure it's right. Can we dedicate
tonight's service to that intention?"

"I don't see why not," Odeon said. "Sis?"

"It seems most fitting. I would suggest we also ask that the Protector
ordain more priests, either through us or through the Herald, to be
prepared when we may begin Sealing those outside the current group."

"You're Herald, Joanie," Odeon said. "What do you think?"

"Since we don't have any idea when He'll manifest, I'm in favor of it.
Anyone who feels the call should be ordained, even though the only ones
who can feel it are the ones Sealed to Him."

"Right. Everyone ready for services, then?"

For Shayan's reaction: 23a. Waiting

24. Revenge

Thursday, 26 March 2572, New Denver

After Mass and breakfast, Odeon, Bain, and Blackfeather went to the
dungeon. There was no question, Blackfeather thought, of her giving up
her work as Cortin's historian, even though she'd joined Family
Illyanov during her unity with Ivan last evening; while both of them
regretted the separation, it would be only until Family Cortin and
Strike Force HQ moved to Archangel--probably, Cortin and Illyanov
estimated, by late winter or early spring.

To give them time to do whatever Odeon intended to the Brother both of
them had claims on, Cortin went to her main-floor office and read the
morning New Denver Times, which had picked up Blackfeather's reports
and front-paged them, along with news of the Brothers' raid on the
convent and Enforcement's successful defense. The Times maintained its
reputation for strict reportorial impartiality; Cortin had to turn to
the editorial pages to find reaction rather than the facts she already
knew.

Not much to her surprise, the reaction was cautious. The editorial
writers acknowledged that Families probably would stop or reverse the
population decline, but were doubtful that they would be widely
accepted, even though the Pope, when approached, had said he could see
no objection. The creation of her Archduchy and her ennoblement were
acknowledged, along with the creation of Family Cortin, as probably
good for the new Archduchy and definitely good for the Family, an honor
the Inquisitor-Colonel had earned, though she sensed the writer was
relieved not to be in her fief. The Sealings weren't commented on at
all. On the other hand, praise for the convent defense was unstinting,
and Cortin was singled out for taking swift action to protect the
press-gang