High Inquisitor Tian Luo descended on a white platform with sixty armed arbiters. He carried a hammer as tall as a tower and a black stone order marked in red.
“The Perseus fault is evidence of Heaven’s final judgment,” he said. “You are delaying the clean end of a failed creation. Stop.”
Around Austin, riggers lowered their tools. Many had grown up hearing that the Tribunal’s word was the end of every argument.
Austin did not tell them their fear was foolish. He stepped between them and the platform.
“You surveyed this universe and found it failing,” he said. “We surveyed one fault and found stone that can carry a pile. Those are different findings.”
Tian Luo’s eyes hardened. “One pile proves nothing against the death of all things.”
“You’re right. It proves one pile can hold. That’s why we test a section next.” Austin held up the crack map. “And this is why we won’t pretend the section is safe before we understand the sideways movement.”
The answer seemed to anger Tian Luo more than defiance would have.
