Kadaria is a fertile and rich planet. The third most important system and planet of the galactic council. Many businessmen wished to have an office on this planet, but not for someone to work there, but for prestige. The population of the planet is mostly wealthy people and their servants also did not live in poverty. Every inhabitant of the planet lived in his own house with a plot. The traveler who first came to Kadaria was delighted and surprised. Clean air, warm sun, bright greenery. The magnificent low-rise architecture gave the sky freedom and silence, occasionally disturbed by students of prestigious academies.

For sixty-eight-year-old Kir Lak, this planet has become home. He had aged but felt much better than when he returned from Grothar eleven years ago. That story changed his life and most people in the galaxy for the better. Then time he managed to contact the pilgrims and tell about the incident on Grotar. As it turned out later, Dr. Heng hid a message for the pilgrims in Sam's body, his fifteen-year work as a researcher of a cure for DNA anomalies. In turn, the pilgrims mastered the manufacture of an intermediate drug that stopped the development of the DNA anomaly. Kir Lak was one of the first to experience this drug, and it gave him and many other people extra years of life. Rumors quickly spread across the galaxy that the gravedigger bug's venom had helped stop the DNA anomaly. And then this almost exterminated insect, despite its danger, became a valuable commodity. Kir Lak invested in one of the pharmaceutical companies and made good money on it. Another important acquisition of Cyrus was the trust of the pilgrims. But for him, all the same, this people remained a mystery, he tried in every possible way to assemble this puzzle.

For the past five years, Kir Lak has served as chairman of the coordinating committee for the galactic council. He earned this position with his talent as a negotiator, he quickly found a solution to problems between the systems included in the galactic council.

Kir reported once a month to a meeting with Count Wins Tolloth, a member of the highest board of the galactic council. After the meeting, Count Wins asked Kir to stay to discuss some of the details of the latest report. Kir found the behavior of Count Wins strange, he was a little excited, which was unusual for such a person. Count Wins Tolloth was six years younger than Kir, but he looked much older. He was tall, thin and pale. His face was so dried up that the aristocratic skull, adorned with curly gray hair, was clearly visible. The count began to speak without looking up from his documents: “In three months there will be a meeting of the high council, at which the appointment of a new ambassador to the Nodian Empire will be discussed. At the council, I will propose your candidacy as a representative diplomat and trustee for the systems of Tolloth County. So now I will give you a message for my man in the empire. After your candidacy is approved, you and I will be closely monitored. You will have to get to the empire before our ambassador.”

The count paused again, looking at Kir, seeing that he wanted to say something, with a gesture he warned that he hadn’t finished yet: “ I understand what you want to say, we kept you away from politics, anyway, you are involved in internal political processes.”

“With all due respect to you, Count, I have to refuse! My age, and the path to the empire is not close.”

“Kir Lak, I know you too well to understand what you want to say.”  The Count smiled. “There is no catch in this embassy, but you are the only one I can trust. You know me, I will not remain in debt.”

“I need to know what's in the message.” Kir replied sternly.

“Fine. The problem is the Astilian treaty between the empire and the galactic council. The treaty is more than forty years old, but the fact is that it has not been ratified, although it is being implemented by both parties without mutual responsibility, you understand. Everything suited everyone, until recently, problems began with the current emperor, Rin Turshi. The Senate of the Empire believes that the power of the previous emperor was not legitimate, he ascended the throne by deceit. The Astilian treaty was concluded during the reign of Rin Tur, so all our investments in some imperial systems will turn into nothing if the treaty with the current emperor is not officially ratified.”

The Count paused, leaned back in his chair and continued: “When the treaty is ratified, there will be bidding from both sides for each clause of the treaty. Nine points about Tolloth County investment, I don't want to share my work with arrogant representatives of corporate systems. Therefore, I am sending you in advance with instructions for my man to discuss these nine points in advance with the advisers of the emperor, on whom the fate of my investments will depend.”

“And if the empire does not ratify the treaty?” Kir asked.

“This is out of the question.” Confidently responded count. “This is not beneficial to the empire and the Senate understands this.”

The conversation was over. Kir was not satisfied with the count's answer, he also understood that his signature would be on the contract. This thought haunted him. Kir again foresaw trouble. As it was then, when he lost his legs, and after, when he lost people on Grothar.

Kir Lak had three months to spare, first of all he decided to study the history of the Nodian Empire, and then study the essence of the contract. Alien history, and even with gaps in the era of dark time, did not give a complete picture of the internal processes taking place in the Nodian empire.  But with the treaty, everything was much more interesting and dangerous, since this treaty in the current conditions could lead to a clash of interests among the systems of the galactic council and corporate systems.

Kir Lak had a mansion with a large lot adjoining the park area. One autumn Saturday morning, Kir decided to take a walk in the park and met a neighbor who lived on the opposite side of the park. It was Tom Sid, professor of history at one of the local academies. He was the same age as Kir. On weekends, the professor went for a walk with his hunting dog, a kind and shabut dog named Bari. Kir invited the professor to visit him for a cup of drink brought from Marsanga. On the way to the mansion, Kir decided to replenish his knowledge by asking the professor about the empire. But the professor was not in the mood to lecture on the day off.  Then Kir remembered Sam's story about his conversation with Dr. Heng, who got angry after Sam's words.

“Tell Tom, why do the Nodians get offended when they are reminded of the emperor's mother's curse?” Kir asked.

The professor did not expect such a question, his eyes widened: “ Have you ever been to the empire?”

“Yes, when I was eighteen. There was a war between the Nodian Empire and the Illites. It was my first combat experience on the side of the empire.”

“Wow!” The professor was surprised. “But I have to correct you, you were at war with the renegade Illites.”

The professor, apparently realizing that it was indecent to answer a question with a question, decided to correct himself: “ I beg your pardon. You asked about the curse. I just thought that if you were in the empire, you should know this story.”

“What are you talking about. War is not a tour.”

“Yes, I understand. To be honest, we don't teach students the details of this story. There are things that should not be discussed with the Nodians, and I warn about this in my lectures.” The professor hesitated a bit. “I'll start with the backstory. From the surviving sources dating back to the sixth century before new era, this is the very beginning of the era of dark time. The population of the empire consisted of Nodians and Illites - this is the main ethnic group. Together they made up two-thirds of the population of the empire, there were two more large ethnic groups Garnians and Valicians, descendants of the colonians. Accordingly, these ethnic groups were divided into dynastic houses and clans. At that time, there were seven dynastic houses and twenty-eight clans in the empire. Only seven houses could claim the throne, these are Soju, Wong, Yuun, Ling, Song, Ning, Amat. The most tragic page in the history of the empire is the reign of Emperor Wong Gao, an ethnic Illite. This story took place at the beginning of the Dark Age, a war raging in the galaxy between the Pilgrims and the Colinians followers of Reman. I made this clarification, since not all colonists were opposed to the pilgrims.