Michèle Laframboise The Imperial Preserve, on the Root World Sirius kho Delsi swam in the muddy water filling the abandoned conduit leading to Wisdom Lake, a tear-shaped pond enclosed inside the Imperial Preserve. Fingering the cracked walls in total darkness and bumping against gooey obstacles had taken longer than he expected, pushing his lungs’ patience to their limits. The hairnet pulled at his roots, a weight on his nape. The questor had had no choice but to stuff his wealth of hair inside this ugly lump, lest his seductive braids be snared by the numerous roots piercing the ancient duct