"Austin,'" Ahlund had read from Zechariah's letter. "If you are hearing these words, it means you have returned to us. I sincerely pray, if this letter finds you at all, that it finds you in a state of relatively sound physical and mental well-being.
"I once told you that the choice to refuse responsibility, even the gift of life itself, was one of free will. I also told you that individuals are not given such responsibilities if they are going to refuse them. That is the defining quality of destiny. I still believe that statement, and I also believe that you will return to the fight when we need you most, whenever that may be.
"The Oikoumene today hardly resembles the peaceful, bountiful world of my youth. And yet, I fear that the war and bloodshed we have seen in this little corner of
