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It takes you a moment to realize that the Palaiologic Eagle on the airship's side is a clumsily painted reproduction of the normal Byzantine sigil, and that the airship looks cobbled together from a mix of modern and local materials.

"Some of the components are from the Specular," Control says.

"There must have been more survivors!" Alexius says, examining the vessel. "And I don't think they're with Stralchus. What have they been up to? We need to say hello!"

The shadow of the airship sweeps across the Bridge Keepers, and they stand to look in awe upon it. You spot their bald leader. Then suddenly he falls, and a moment later the report reaches you: a rifleshot, flat and without echo upon the vegetation and still water of the swamp.

"They're killing them!" Vecla cries in horror as another Bridge Keeper drops. The airship crew, still almost invisible, hoot and shout with delight as they down a third target. Reflecting light gleams on their rifles. Like Byzantines leaning out train windows to shoot caribou and starve Siberians, they start to down the swamp people in a frenzy of sport.

"What is happening?" Therko asks. And then a bullet hits him dead center, slamming him down into the reeds.

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