She managed a faltering smile. “When I get back, of course. But don’t wait for me.”
45
* * *
CONCORD HQ
Consulate
Mia studied herself in the mirror of her office lavatory. She’d taken care with her appearance today, as befitted the stature of her guest this morning. She wore a black turtleneck crafted of Novoloume silk, what felt like an utterly useless miniature Caeles Prism draped over the cowl, and flowing burgundy pants. Her hair was slicked back in a tight tail secured at the base of her neck. Her makeup routine displayed perfectly, and it almost fixed her pale, blanched skin and bloodshot eyes. Meno was also tending to the bloodshot eyes, though his ameliorative measures only worked until she cried again. But this was the best mask she could don for the world.
She returned to her office, where objectively good news waited for her. Assisted by an AEGIS Rescue and Recovery squad, Vaihe had successfully brought over five hundred Godjans from three villages to Concord soil. Marlee was going to be so proud—because Marlee was alive. Alive and in Caleb’s capable care. She wished so very badly that the knowledge brought more light to her world than it did, but even the brightest lights flickered weakly beneath the shadow of Malcolm’s death.
Her guest arrived a few minutes later to save her from further descent into suffocating melancholy, and she welcomed him into her office displaying proper grace. “Sator Nisi, it is so good to see you alive and well. Welcome back.”
“I am Sator of nothing. Please, call me…” his expression flickered “…Corradeo, I suppose. To reclaim the name feels strange on my tongue, but it is mine, for good and ill.”
“Oh. Of course.” Was his visit to the Concord Consulate something more than a mere formality? Why had he returned now, when they faced their greatest challenge since The Displacement? She tried to work up the will to care, but her wellspring was flat dry. Still, she should be able to fake it for a few minutes, she thought.
She motioned toward the meeting table by the viewport. “Please, join me. I understand you were instrumental in giving the Asterions several hours’ advance warning of the Rasu attack. I’m…” Marlee flying through the air off the arm of a Rasu flashed through her mind—but it was fine, for she was alive “…certain they’re very grateful.”
“Some more than others. I confess my sudden appearance in their midst was not without conflict.”
“Did you expect anything else?”
He looked at her in surprise. She was trying to keep control, but the rough edges continued to lash out here and there. “To the extent I expected anything at all, no. I was a bit surprised to find they count among their number people who haven’t forgotten me, but I can’t fault any of them for holding a grudge. The Asterions have done well for themselves, and it saddens me to find them threatened by an enemy as fearsome as the Rasu.” He settled formally into the chair. “But this is not why I am here. I understand Humanity’s peaceful coexistence with Anadens has hit a rough spot.”
“Is that what we’re calling it?”
He frowned. “Are you feeling well, Senator Requelme? You seem…more on edge than I remember.”
She should resign her position this instant, go home to Romane and curl up in a dark corner for a year. Let Miriam and Dean Veshnael try to save Concord from itself, if such a thing were possible.
“Forgive me for my rudeness. Matters are difficult on multiple fronts at present. Yes, the Anaden leadership, to the extent the term ‘leadership’ can be applied to those involved, reacted to the Senate’s approval of an alliance with the Asterions by coopting Machim military and security forces and attempting a coup. The attempt failed, but we have every reason to believe a breakaway group of elassons continues to foment insurrection among their ranks.”
“Ferdinand elasson-Kyvern represented the Anadens in the Concord Senate, correct?”
“He did.”
“I’m familiar with him. A sniveling bureaucrat, as I recall. Who are his allies?”
“We believe Hannah, Otto and Ulrich Machim are supporting him, and possibly one or two other Machim elassons as well. Casmir has been leading the Machim military forces for Concord, and so far as we know, he remains loyal to Concord. Ferdinand has persuaded at least four Kyvern elassons to support him, as well as between three and five from most of the other Dynasties—but not a majority. In fact, quite a few elassons have contacted us to declare their continuing allegiance to Concord.” She smiled thinly. “Which we greatly appreciate.”
“What about the Praesidis?”
“The Praesidis elassons are gone.”
He flinched, almost as if she’d reached out and slapped him. “Gone? What do you mean?”
“Three were killed—permanently—on Solum during the…well, you were there. Three others disconnected from the integral and committed suicide during the first year after The Displacement, we assume due to the loss of their diati. I understand Nyx has been traveling with you, so this leaves five elassons. To be blunt, we don’t know where they are or what’s become of them. Perhaps they are living out lives of quiet reflection on garden worlds.”
“Or it could be that we Praesidis have always been lone wolves. Never much for joining.”
“Only for leading?”
He shrugged silently.
“It’s a fair point, I admit. But the fact remains that we have no idea of their whereabouts or if they are alive at all. Ferdinand might, but he’s not in a sharing mood—not with me, in any event. You may enjoy better luck with him. There are also two Praesidis elas working for Concord Intelligence. They profess not to know the whereabouts of any elassons, but given your…unique stature, they could be more forthcoming with you.”
“I see. Thank you.” He stood and moved to the viewport, and she recalled that he had always enjoyed gazing pensively out the viewports of his mobile command fortress, if only for the impression the pose created. “This Concord—it’s worked well these last fourteen years?”
“As well as we imagined possible. No members have gone to war against one another. We’ve worked hard to share our collective wealth, resources and technology with all member and allied species. It hasn’t been perfect, but has it worked? Yes.”
“Yet the Anadens remain lost and adrift without the Primors and the guidance of their integrals, just as I feared.”
“We’ve tried to help them where we could. If nothing else, we’ve tried to provide a good example for them to follow. And we have succeeded, here and there. Many are embracing their freedom and individuality.”
“But many are not.”
The metaphorical cracks in her mask grew wider, and she found herself wondering whether Casmir had trained his weapons on Savrak soil yet. “What do you want me to tell you? That the despotic Primors ruined your species? Turned them into dull drones incapable of independent thought or action, of drive or curiosity? Because maybe they did. But Anadens can still adapt, recover, move on or grow past their failures. If they are us and we are them, then they carry within them the capacity to do so.
“But they have to want to do it, and this has been the trouble. Their cursed genetic determinism has trapped them in an infinite loop of indecision and uncertainty, and few have found a way out.”
He nodded deliberately. “What do you suggest I do?”
“You, personally? Sator Danilo Nisi, leader of the anarch rebellion against the Directorate? Or Corradeo Praesidis, father of the Praesidis Dynasty and former Supreme Commander of the Anaden military?”
A shadow passed across his face. “Perhaps it is time I accept that they are one and the same.”
“Or you can choose the best traits of both and create a new persona. Whatever suits you. The point is, you were alive—you were a leader—long before the integrals, before the Dynasties and the Directorate and the genetic manipulation. Remember who your people once were, and show them the path they must walk to become so again.”
“This will not be an easy matter to accomplish.”
&nb
sp; “Nothing worth doing is ever easy.”
Corradeo rented two adjoining rooms at the hotel adjacent to the Consulate. While he waited for Nyx to finish her errands, he fixed himself a bourbon on the rocks and sat on the edge of the bed.
It was strange…this world he’d returned to was not so different from the one he’d left, but it was as if all the lights had brightened by two levels. With the Rasu on the horizon, people had much to fear, but this didn’t include each other or mad, immortal leaders. The Humans had done an extraordinary job of filling the chasm left behind by the Directorate with reasoned judgment, purpose and fairness. The Novoloume had also risen to the challenge of leading, as he’d always assumed they would. This magnificent station, the mighty ships that protected it and the energetic commerce that brought it to life were all testaments to what could be achieved through peace and openness.
Seeing it warmed his heart even as it eased his guilt over having left fourteen years ago. They had done just fine in his absence. But now his people were in trouble. And no matter how many times in his life he’d tried to walk away from the burden of leadership, he always found himself answering when its call grew loud enough. With or without diati, with or without title, he was Praesidis, and leading was in his blood. No scientist had artificially sculpted leadership into his DNA, but it resided there nonetheless.
He didn’t want it. He’d seen so much death, so much loss, at times he could scarcely breathe thinking about it…but running away hadn’t stopped the carnage. The Ourankeli, the Hoan, now his long-lost brethren-turned-enemy-turned-ally the Asterions. If he didn’t step in and save the Anadens from the sins of their mothers and fathers, his own people might be soon to follow.
He ran a hand through his hair, finished off his drink and stood. So be it.
By the time Nyx rang at the door, he’d showered and changed, and he greeted her wearing a smile. “Is everything settled with the Periplanos?”
She took in the room and his demeanor with a quick, practiced eye. “It is. We can stay docked here for as long as we like. How was your meeting with Senator Requelme?”
“Informative.” He took her hands in his. “I want you to do something for me. Five Praesidis elassons are missing. Lost out there in the void, believing they are alone in this world. I want you to find them. Seek out your brothers and sisters, and bring them home.”
She pulled away. “But grandfather—”
“I realize you were not close. I understand well the solitary nature of an Inquisitor. But they are our family nonetheless. They need us, and now we need them.”
“What do we need them for?”
“To be whole again. To be Praesidis once more and, in time, to set an example for our people.”
“You’re talking poetic nonsense. What did the Senator say to you? What are you planning?”
He chuckled a bit wistfully. “You have gotten to know me so well during our travels, haven’t you? I can’t hide behind platitudes and flowery axioms with you. Very well.
“I plan to seek out Ferdinand elasson-Kyvern and his cohorts. I plan to bring an end to this madness of a rebellion he is stirring up, one way or another. Anadens are a proud species, but we cannot allow that pride to destroy a peaceful society full of people trying to do the right thing. Now, when all of civilization is most vulnerable, we have to stand up and be strong for everyone.
“What did Senator Requelme say to me? She confirmed to me that what I feared most would happen has in fact come to pass. The death of the Primors and the removal of their will expressed through the integrals has caused our people to lose their way. Now someone has to show them the way back.”
She gave him a pained grimace, worry straining at the edges of her features. “You are wise, grandfather, and a true leader. I’m confident that if anyone can accomplish such a task, you can. But I should be at your side when you confront these rebels, not off on some sentimental quest for wayward souls.”
“My dear granddaughter, I have lived for a million uninterrupted years. A Kyvern bureaucrat is no threat to me.”
“A Kyvern bureaucrat and a cadre of armed Machim elassons.”
“All the same. I will be fine. Please, Nyx. You have indulged my every fancy for fourteen years now. Indulge me one last time. Find the other Inquisitors and bring them home.”
46
* * *
EARTH
Greater Vancouver
She reached for the Daemon at her hip, only to find it had become a third tentacle winding around her waist. It squeezed, denying her air, as more tentacles reached her neck, then her face. Liquid metal poured into her ears, nose and finally her mouth.
“You think you are alive, but you are mistaken. You never left us. We will never let you escape—”
Miriam’s eyes popped open in a panic, and she choked off a cry in her throat. But she’d been here before, and lucidity returned more swiftly every time she awoke. She stared at the ceiling of their bedroom, inhaled deeply and worked to slow her racing heart. Beneath her, the sheets were soaked in sweat yet again.
Finally she sat up and rubbed at her eyes—and jumped half out of the bed at the sight of a shadowy figure sitting on the chaise opposite the bed. “David?”
He sat with his elbows on his knees and his hands fisted at his chin, watching her. “You’re still having the nightmares?”
She nodded.
“I’m so sorry. For me, they stopped after about a month. Mostly.”
“It’s okay. I’m adjusting.” She took a sip of water from the glass on the nightstand. “What are you doing up?”
“I have something I need to tell you.”
She curled her legs beneath her and gathered her hair up off of sweat-damp shoulders. “You mean you’ve been sitting there ruminating on the best way to tell me what you need to tell me.”
“Correct.” He sighed. “First thing: I used Richard’s CINT access code to help Caleb steal a Ghost to take to Namino.”
She hadn’t given much thought to the details of the specific manner in which Caleb had reached Namino. Too many selfish cogitations had taken precedence. But it made sense. “That’s why Richard is cross with you.”
“No, that’s why Richard was cross with me. He has a new reason now.” He started to stand, then eased back onto the chaise. “You know that everything I do, I do for you. I will go to the ends of the universe in order to ease your burdens.”
“David, you have been amazing since I…since the regenesis. I don’t have the words to properly thank you for everything—”
“Stop, please. There’s more, so best to get it all out in one go. I’ve been going behind your back to act on your behalf. I pled your case to Bastian and to the Earth Alliance Prime Minister. I also asked Richard to leak the locations of the remaining Savrakath antimatter facilities to the Anadens, so they could destroy them for you. To ease your burdens.”
Her gaze fell to the bedcovers, and she absently bunched them up in her hands. For a moment they resembled someone else’s hands, cast as they were in shadows and silvery moonlight…but no. They belonged to her, and she was real. “He said no.”
“He did, both before and after sharing his uncharitable thoughts about my recent behavior. Probably for the best…in retrospect, I was wrong to suggest it. But did you know? Did he tell you?”
“No. Richard is treating me with kid gloves nearly as soft and gentle as yours. Which needs to stop, but it’s a conversation for later.”
“You don’t seem surprised. And you’re not using ‘the voice’ on me.”
“I may yet. No, I didn’t know this, but I do know Richard. He is fiercely loyal to me—to an even greater extent than he is to you, it turns out.”
“The two of you had to look out for each other for a long time. Without me.”
“We did. As for why I’m not surprised?” She smiled haltingly. “You are and have always been an open book to me. Your strengths overwhelm me, and your weaknesses…sadden me. But I accept that I can�
�t change your instincts. I’ve ventured down that maze of a road before, and it dead-ends just short of a cliff.”
Now he did stand, rushing over to fall to his knees next to her side of the bed. “My instincts are to protect you with every fiber of my being. No, you can’t change those.”
“And I suppose I shouldn’t. So somewhere along the way, I decided that except when your actions threaten my ability to do my job, I have to let you run wild. You see, you are my weakness—my Achilles’ Heel. Don’t tell the Rasu. Or the Anadens or the Savrakaths. Definitely don’t tell Bastian.”
“On my oath.” His throat worked as he reached out and wrapped his hands over hers atop the covers. “So you’re not angry?”
She laughed; it sounded frayed at the edges, which she blamed on the lingering ghosts of the nightmare. “I am angry—angry that you feel you need to clear the road for me. Angry that those closest to me are treating me as if I’m brittle and frail—”
“No, we don’t think you’re—”
“Absolutely you do, because I have been brittle and frail, not to mention half insane. I’m lucky you haven’t committed me to a padded room. I expect the only reason you haven’t is because you have walked this path ahead of me, and you have faith I’ll come out the other side.”
“You will.”
“I wasn’t certain at first, but, yes, I believe I will. So I forgive you for protecting me, while begging you not to go behind my back again, while realizing you will always do what your heart and conscience demand of you.”
He climbed onto the bed in front of her and retook hold of her hands. “I love you, moya vselennaya, and I am sorry for not trusting in your intrinsic strength enough to come to you with my wishes first. To counsel you rather than manage you.”
“Well, you are both the first and only person to ever successfully ‘manage’ me, so I can understand why you would choose to go this route.”
Inversion (Riven Worlds Book Two) Page 28