They were lost to him already, in a sense. The Hindmost controlled Needle’s medical facilities. If they saw that he used his power for extortion, they saw nothing but the truth. But he had been too direct. Chmeee and Louis had both refused medical attention.

They were walking briskly down a shadowed corridor, Louis Wu and Chmeee. Reception was poor in so little light, but they wouldn’t see the web. The Hindmost caught only part of the dialogue. He played it back several times afterward.

Louis: “-dominance game. The Hindmost has to control us. We’re too close to him, we could conceivably hurt him.”

Chmeee: “I’ve tried to see a way.”

Louis: “How hard? Never mind. He left us alone for a year, then interrupted himself in the middle of an exercise routine. Why bother? Nothing about that broadcast looked urgent.”

Chmeee: “I know how you think. He overheard us, didn’t he? If I can return to the Patriarchy, I won’t need the Hindmost to recover my properties. I have you. You do not exact a price.”

Louis: “Yeah.”

The Hindmost considered interrupting. To say what?

Chmeee: “By my lost lands he controlled me, but how did he control you? He had you by the wire, but you gave up your addiction. The autodoc in the lander was destroyed, but surely the kitchen has a program to make boosterspice?”

“Likely enough. For you, too.”

Chmeee dismissed that with a wave. “But if you allow yourself to grow old, he has nothing.”

Louis nodded.

“But would the Hindmost believe you? To a puppeteer… I do not insult you. I’m sure you speak the truth, Louis. But to a puppeteer, to let yourself grow old is suicide.”

Louis nodded, silent.

“Is this justice for a trillion murders?”

Louis would have broken off conversation on another night. He said, “Justice for us both. I die of old age. The Hindmost loses his thralls… loses control of his environment.”