"Be better for the children, too," Bain put in. "Like my brother's family--when he was killed, they lost the only adult male, and were left with one adult to care for three young children, no steady role model for the boys. Jo--the Colonel's way, that'd be a whole lot less likely. One parent's death would still be tragic, of course, but it wouldn't cause complete disruption." "Which," Cortin said, "--and I admit to considerable personal interest here--would mean Special Ops personnel could have families. That includes my team, though according to what I saw it doesn't include me." It wouldn't, Odeon thought regretfully, at least not until the real Protector manifested. Her family, until then, had to be all the humans in the Systems; she couldn't be restricted to a few individuals. If he were permitted a family, though, Joanie'd be as much a part of it as he could manage--and he had a pretty good idea how. The Royal couple whispered to each other for a few moments, then Prince Edward looked back at Cortin. "We agree, Excellency. Show us how it can be done legally and without sin, and Ursula and I will bring others into our family." He raised an eyebrow at them. "Although we have come to love each other, it's common knowledge that isn't necessary to a Royal marriage, the primary purpose of which is to beget heirs. If a polygamous marriage can permit us to fulfill that purpose it is--as you pointed out--our duty." Cortin swallowed, uncomfortable. "I intended no offense, Your Highness." "None taken, Your Excellency. Although it's not by intent, we have failed." He turned to Bradford. "How do you think Enforcement personnel and their families would react to the idea, Colonel?" "Favorably," Bradford said. "Many of us already have such arrangements informally, as I'm sure Your Highness knows, and quite a few--myself included--would like to formalize them." "And most of the nobility," the Prince said, "would be more intrigued than offended, if it could be shown not to be sinful. The Church would resist that, though, I'm afraid, and the landfolk would probably have strong objections." "I know," Cortin admitted. "I don't have any choice but to try, though. I saw two possibilities in the vision, or whatever it was, and I've got to work for the second. In the first, humanity kept on the way it's going now, a slow decline with the terrorists getting stronger until they reach a critical number and Shayan takes them over openly, uses them to wipe out the rest of us in a final bloody massacre, then amuses himself by torturing them to death one by one--which he and his demons continue, of course, once they're in Sheol. "The other wasn't quite as clear, maybe because there's more than one way for it to go--I can't be certain. In it, we recognize the Satyr Plague for what it is--" "Shayan's attempt to corrupt us," Princess Ursula declared.