He gives himself time to think, thought Rudy.
“I understand,” said Toth, “but give me your guess, and we will see if it matches my own.”
“Forgive me, then, for some of the things I say may seem brutal to you. Having taken the village by force, and with much damage, I would need to control the outraged people there. I would force the surviving counselors to do this or be killed. With my ship gone, marooned on a hostile planet, but with a small, well-equipped military force intact my only possible survival would be to take total control of that planet, bring down the established leadership and rule in its place.”
“So far, we agree,” said Toth, smiling.
“I would lie to the people, blame You for what has happened, bring forth dissenters to testify against The Law, and make promises about a new life with technology. I would do anything necessary to obtain their sympathy. Failing to do that I would use force and those who refused to cooperate would be publicly executed. I would establish a military dictatorship, Lord, and our people would quickly yield, for they have been treated gently and with respect under Your Rule. Their love for You could not stand up to the possibility of their families being murdered. All of this could be taking place even now, Lord, we should move quickly!” Jezrul’s voice quivered, and there were tears in his eyes.
He shows real fear for the people, thought Rudy. Is it possible I’m wrong about his intentions?
“Calmly, Jezrul,” said Toth. “We are speculating here. Now, you say it is necessary to overthrow the existing order. How do we do that?”
“By military action, Lord, even though as Queal I’m aware of weapons powerful enough to destroy my ship. I’m also aware that such weapons are relatively immobile and difficult to bring to bear on a small, highly maneuverable fighting force. I would use a scattered flotilla of boats to find the source of those weapons and destroy it by ground action.”
Now Jezrul smiled slyly. “But where to find these weapons? In the new sanctuary of Lord Toth, far out to sea? The people know that much, Lord. And where might that be? Well, there is one piece of land they see on occasion, a long range of mountains far out on the horizon.”
“The big island!” said Rudy.
“Yes. I would organize my force, cross the barrier and attack the island.”
“What about the Charni?”
“A minor problem with my firepower. I’ve seen what their weapons can do, Rudy.”
“They will find few people on the island, and none who will oppose them.”
“They will be allies if I blame Our Lord for the fighting in the village, and remind them of their history. I will recruit them to increase my numbers, use their boats and whatever technology they have, disguise them as villagers and use them as shields. The islanders know where we are, and also the wanderings of the barrier. I can get here from the big island without crossing the barrier, a frontal diversion with the major force coming in from the south.”
“We’ve seen no advanced technology on the island. At best they’re an iron-age people with simple weapons,” said Rudy.
“Once I reach this rock my own technology is sufficient to get inside, and then it will be hand-to-hand. My people are well trained and seasoned, and here is my real advantage, although I don’t know it yet. If I can scatter my forces and get within five hundred meters of my objective the laser cannon emplacements cannot harm me, cannot be brought to bear within that range because of their height above the water. That is our vulnerability, Lord; we cannot let them get close. Once they get inside, despite their small numbers, we could be lost. Our best tactic is to intercept them at the big island and destroy them there. I suggest we send our forces to the island this very hour.”
“You think they will move this quickly?” said Toth. “They might still have hope for the safety of their ship, and await reinforcements from it.”
“It’s possible,” said Jezrul. “Queal struck me as a cautious man, but he will move against the big island, I’m sure. We take the island today, wait for his forces and destroy them in the water. Retaking the village should then be a simple matter.”
“For the most part you have read my mind, Jezrul,” said Toth. “Rudy, you have seen no signs of boats at sea?”
“None, Lord, but at sea level the range of our scanners barely reaches to the western tip of the island. If they landed on the south shore we would never see them.”
“Unlikely,” said Jezrul. “I would move as quickly as possible, and make a frontal assault. Let me send a fifty-man force this hour, Lord. I will lead them.”
Toth smiled. “No, Jezrul, I will not risk your life, not now. I need you here. But I agree with your plan. You will send the men in three boats, two to the north, and one to the south. See to it, and tell me when they have left.”
“Yes, Lord Toth!” Jezrul walked quickly from the room, leaving Rudy standing in the glow of the throne. Toth slumped wearily there.
“He is a man of thought and action, Rudy. He will lead the people when I am gone.”
“Lord, You will be here long after I’m dead! The people need You!”
“Dear Rudy, you’ve cared well for me, but we both know I’m not immortal. How well you would know this if you beheld me the way I really am, floating in this darkness behind your panels and machines. No, it is Jezrul who will lead the people, and soon. I’d hoped it would be Diego, but then he—”
Toth clutched at his chest. “Rudy, the pain!”
Rudy rushed to a control panel, typed in a command, another injection of Beta-Choline streaming into the life-support system. “Done, My Lord!”
Toth stared at him glumly when Rudy returned to the throne. “These attacks—now coming so close together—I dare not feel emotion. I cannot feel. I cannot be human. See to Jezrul; watch over him, for he is still young and impetuous. But be loyal to him; he thinks only of the people.”
“I hear your words and obey, Lord.” But I’m not sure I agree with you.
“I must rest now. Awaken me when Jezrul returns.” The hologram faded as Toth spoke, and the throne was empty again. Rudy went to a terminal, and accessed a routine to monitor Toth’s finger movements, for they were closely associated with his bouts of pain, and he interfaced it with the Beta-Choline supply package for automatic injection. Beyond the panel he faced, perhaps a meter away, His Lord dwelled in darkness, alone in transfigured isolation. Only four screws and a centimeter of metal separated him from the man he had served for years without direct contact. What was he like? What was the transfigured state of Lord Toth?
Rudy forced the question deep into his mind, left the room to find Jezrul, and found him in the launching bay.
Fifty armored and visored troops were clambering into three boats and the door to the sea had been raised. Jezrul was talking to three officers, but broke off the conversation as Rudy approached. “When you return,” he said, slapping the men on their backs and shaking hands warmly. “Good hunting.”
One loaded boat was already being lowered by elevator pad to the sea. “A quick response,” said Rudy.
“I have anticipated Our Lord’s wishes. The men were alerted before we spoke to Him.” Jezrul waved an arm and the other two boats moved into position, a roar from outside as the first sped out to sea. In two minutes they were alone in the bay and the big door was closing. Jezrul put an around Rudy’s shoulders. “They are good men. Your training and discipline has been thorough, Rudy. I congratulate you. Despite your youth, the men respect you, and that is a real accomplishment.”
“My appearance is deceiving, since I haven’t spent so many days at sea as you, Jezrul. There are only a few years between us.”
“Your apprenticeship began early, Rudy. Our Lord saw good things in you even as a boy and that is why you have been closest to Him these many years. He places His very life in your hands, and his choice has been a wise one.” Jezrul patted him affectionately on the shoulder.
“Thank you, Jezrul,” said Rudy, flattered.
“Let
us look in on our guests quickly before returning to Toth. Come with me.” They left the bay and walked a long corridor to the staircase. “I am concerned with something, and your close working with Lord Toth makes you the person I must direct a question to. I hope it is a foolish question, but I’m deeply troubled, and my instincts may be wrong.”
“What is it?”
“Since coming here this time I’ve detected a kind of lethargy in Our Lord, a fatigue that comes and goes, yet at times he’s the man I’ve known for years. I’m concerned about his health. Is he ill?”
Rudy hesitated, a deep instinct he could not define rising to caution him about a response.
Jezrul looked at him. “When I first arrived today, He seemed exhausted and in pain. You know as I do that His image is a reflection of His true Self: emotions, feelings, mental and physical. It is a fundamental part of our communication interface to His transfigured being. I am First Counselor, and my life belongs to Toth, and right now I—I fear for him.”
Rudy’s cautioning instinct died at the sight of tears in Jezrul’s eyes. “There have been problems,” he said.
Jezrul stopped him on the staircase, put hands on his shoulders. “What? Please, tell me!”
“Attacks of some kind, and they’re growing more frequent. Pain—it comes and goes, for years now, but since the starship came it is daily, sometimes twice in a day, and severe. It must be stress, and I’ve been using Beta-Choline continuously now for the past two days. It helps, but the pain is still there. I can see it in his face. Jezrul, I don’t know what else to do!”
Jezrul closed his eyes, a tear resting on a cheekbone. “Oh, Dear Toth, Lord of my life, is suffering in silence when I am here to serve Him. Why didn’t He tell me?”
Rudy felt tears in his own eyes. “He seems resigned, Jezrul, He feels the hour of his final breath is approaching. This very hour, when you had left us, he said that—that you would lead the people. He said I was to look after you when His hour had come.”
Jezrul burst into tears.
He buried his face in Rudy’s shoulder, and cried like a little boy.
Rudy put his arms around the bigger man and comforted him, ignoring his own tears.
“How can I do it, how can I take the place of Our Lord? I am only a man with faults, weaknesses. We must do everything to save Him, Rudy, everything!”
Jezrul grasped Rudy by the shoulders, his tear-stained face close. “The hour may come when there will be fighting here. You are first to be protected, Rudy, for Toth’s life depends on it. But if something happens to you, what do I do? How do I preserve the life of Our Lord? Show me what to do!”
“I will, Jezrul, I will.”
“Quickly, then, we’ll check on our guests. After that, you will instruct me,” Jezrul said breathlessly.
They went to Diego’s room first, and found him sleeping, his breathing slow and regular. “He recovers,” said Jezrul, closing the door softly.
“What will become of him?”
“He will live out his days right here and away from the people. He can no longer be trusted, but Toth again shows His mercy. Once he was Our Lord’s Prime, a man of strength and character who could make the hardest of decisions without hesitation, including the sacrifice of his own family. Did you know that?”
“Yes. Toth has told me.”
“For me, he was more than First Counselor. He became my tutor, my mentor when my parents were concerned only with their own lives, and I was a boy not yet old enough for apprenticeship. I revered him. He was like a father to me. His neglect of the people, his breaking of The Law, the yielding to those who would destroy our society, all these were terrible disappointments to me. I stand in his place, yet I grieve for him. He was a good man.”
Rudy was moved by the sorrow in Jezrul’s voice.
They came to the woman’s room, and Jezrul knocked softly three times. No answer, so he opened the door. The woman was in bed, looking fearful, bare arms pulling the covers up to her chin. “Are you comfortable?” said Jezrul.
“Yes,” she said. “When can I leave the room again?”
“Perhaps this evening. I’ll return for you then, and food and wine is coming for you. Rest yourself in the meantime.”
He closed the door, locked it and they started towards the staircase again.
“She doesn’t know,” said Rudy.
“Know what?”
“She doesn’t know she will die when the fighting is over.”
“Toth has not condemned her to death,” said Jezrul softly.
“He said she’s to be eliminated along with the others. All the un-baptized are to be eliminated. Isn’t that death?”
“For the entire unbaptized, yes. They are not The Chosen.”
“I feel badly about her, she’s no threat to us, and she’s a scientist, a botanist. She could be useful here.”
“I agree,” said Jezrul, “but Toth has spoken and I obey his words.”
“You will kill her, then. How?”
“The Law forbids me to raise my hand against her, but a sleeping drug in her wine, casting her adrift along the barrier; I will leave her to the appetites of the Charni. She will feel nothing.”
“A difficult decision that a First Counselor must make, one I could not make. She seems so innocent.”
“Again I agree. She is a pawn used by those who destroyed the village and seek to destroy us. Your logic is strong, Rudy. If she were baptized, Our Lord might feel otherwise about her. Perhaps you could make a plea for her on the basis of her usefulness as a scientist? I would support you, of course, for she has been placed in my care. Would you do this for her?”
“Yes, of course I will, and soon.”
“For the good of our world.”
“And to continue the work of Our Lord,” said Rudy.
“Excellent,” said Jezrul, and put a warm hand on his shoulder. “Now, take me below and show me what I must do to preserve Toth’s life if anything should prevent you from doing it.”
Rudy took Jezrul to Toth’s throne room—and showed him everything.
* * * * * * *
Nathan Feld stood at the bow of the speeding boat, and stared fixedly at the sea so the men would not see his own fear. Captain of the lead boat, he had not experienced a single day of combat in his life, and yet here he was, leading fifty men into what could become a war. The third boat had already split off from the other two to make a wide sweep around the south side of the island before joining them at the approximate site of the settlement along the north shore. His first concern was the dead time in their communication while the island was between them. His second was the possibility the visitors had already occupied the island, and were there waiting for them. Laser rifles bristled behind him, but not one had ever been used in battle. The troops were mere boys trained for island defense, and without drill in aggressive tactics. Their leader was no better off, but with one difference. He was aware of his ignorance, and they weren’t. In the final hour of his life, Nathan Feld stood at the bow of his charging vessel, the spray in his face, and thought of the command Jezrul had promised him, a command over all the island forces when Jezrul was in control, and Toth, an ancient relic of a man incapable of other than electronic control, was gone forever.
The big island loomed ahead and the two boats sped towards it in echelon formation, crossing the snaking barrier with the great transponder below the hull sending forth The Pleasures to the Charni, and lulling them to listlessness. No sails were in sight in any direction, and Nathan had reason for hope. Alone, the islanders could offer little if any resistance against their weapons. He’d seen them from afar, a ragged lot on the edge of survival. He would place his forces in the trees above the beach coming into view and catch the visitors while they were still in the barrier. What his laser fire didn’t do the Charni would quickly finish.
Several people were on the beach, and they ran for the trees in fear. “Straight in!” he shouted, “right up on the beach!” His men readied their
weapons, pulled their visors down as they came within a hundred meters of the sand at full speed.
Flame belched from the trees in a dozen places, concentrated laser fire coming from a gully running back from the beach. The roar reached Nathan’s ears as the armor-piercing projectile of an M-34 assault rifle struck him in the chest and exploded his heart, and all around him were the screams of dying men.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Michael and Derald talked for two hours that first day on the island. Osen sat quietly, radio protruding from one ear. Eves left after a few minutes, and returned with three plates of food: small potatoes and a thin slab of Lonia meat, sweet and rich. Derald told the details of their expulsion from the mainland: growing disbelief in a leader who appeared only as a hologram, strict rule of the counselors, rigid laws against technological advancement, and the people facing a future of menial labor. Derald was an inventor and tinkerer, and he knew how to read, a skill discouraged by Toth for all except the counselors who received their education in the sanctuary under close supervision. Derald had taught Diego how to read at age four, and by the time the boy was twelve and beginning his apprenticeship his knowledge of nature, the stars and technology had been far beyond that of the adult counselors. He had been a bright, ambitious boy, quickly coming to the attention of Toth.
Diego had served four years in the new sanctuary of Toth before he was eighteen, and when he returned home at age twenty one he was a changed man: strong minded, decisive, a zealot in enforcing The Law, a young person who had faced Toth and been chosen as His right hand. The Law would be enforced. It would be obeyed. The previous First Counselor had disappeared the night before Diego’s return.
All dissenters were expelled within the month, including his own parents, but even in this first, decisive act Diego had broken The Law. He had disobeyed Toth by providing the means of safe passage through the barrier. For this, Derald had long ago forgiven his son’s ambition and sought only to create a new society on the island, a society without The Law, without Toth.
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