"Your father's time grows short," Heyne said, his voice measured, though there was a clear note of urgency beneath it. "And from what I understand, you alone possess the knowledge required to guide him. If you cannot establish a suitable system, he will likely resort to a republic—perhaps modeling it after the United States or Britain."
Francisco gave a slight shrug.
"If that is his decision, I have little reason to oppose it," he replied. "It may even prove advantageous. It would allow me to devote more of my attention to my experiments."
Heyne regarded him with a mixture of concern and curiosity.
"Are you still pursuing that theory of yours—the great metal machine that moves across the land?"
Francisco nodded, his expression sharpening with quiet conviction.
