The Heavenly armada’s icebreakers shriek and boom, furnace-heated bronze hydrofoils throwing gouts of steam, but they’re not fast enough to reach the Mjish Binn base: that’s what their cargo is for. The noise of the war-saddled mammoths charging matches even the ships.

See Me straps into his snowsled while Scoop Dozen runs up the sail. “Feeling all right, sir?” Scoop calls.

“Just like new, Scoop. How about you?”

“Right now I feel I could take on the Heavens myself!”

“I know what you mean,” murmurs See Me, his blood hot and thrilling with the memory of his Princess’s skin.