Empire of the One (Wine of the Gods Book 14)

by Pam Uphoff

  "They don't have power, magic."

  "And what good does that do us? We can manufacture microcircuits by the billions, but how many Oners are taught to fight with their magic? How many are willing to be the front line cannon fodder, using their magical battle skills face to face with Earth's armor? How strong are their shields? Strong enough to deflect artillery shells? What does a fireball do to a tank? How close do they have to get, to slice? Your army, what survives attacking Forty-two, is going to get eaten by the Earth’s military. Magic is a close range weapon. There’s damn little it can do that a gun and good body armor can’t duplicate. Attacking Earth is going to be a brutal fight between near technological equals, with you trying to shove enough armor through two, three at the most, gates, to beat them on their home ground. You will lose millions of young men."

  Urfa lowered his brows. "You have studied military science, haven't you? Do you see yourself as one of those front line troops? Or covert, with an Action team?"

  Endi sniffed. "I can manage a bit more than most Halfers. That doesn't make me a Oner."

  "You’re a very good liar when you want to be, aren’t you? Your genetics are interesting. Some of your cells lack the Power gene, others have an excess. It’s almost like you’ve managed to falsify your results. Are you swapping samples yourself, or is there a bribery problem in the lab?"

  Endi’s eyes shifted for an instant.

  He didn’t expect us to find his power genes.

  "If those are your actual genetics, you need to take some lessons in power collection. The results may surprise you." Urfa eyed him. "Or maybe not."

  Endi picked up the brush and thumped it into the tack box. "I have had my fill of tests and trials and training. I have come to terms with who and what I am. And I am very well trained, as you should have already noticed. Thank you very much for offering to use me."

  "You are just determined to give and receive offense tonight, aren't you?"

  "Director, I respect you as a person, and as a part of the support structure for a president who actually seems to have a decent perspective on reality. But trust me when I say that I know my own self."

  "I doubt any of us do that. Endi – watch your step out there. You just pissed off some very powerful people. And think about getting trained, for me or for the army." He turned and walked out.

  Rael was close enough to have heard all of that. So tight he hadn’t realized she was anywhere near. She retreated silently.

  "He’s pretty stressed out, isn’t he?" She barely breathed it, as they stepped out of the barn.

  "I think he’s very isolated. And frustrated. I wish I understood why he is so adamantly against this war."

  "I keep thinking about his scars. I think he must have been in the last one. He must have been evacced, injured, before the gate went down. How many men did we lose, there? How many of his friends? Or relatives? And . . . is he right? About how difficult it's going to be, to get equipment there? Millions of casualties?" Rael looked over at him. Bit her lip as if judging him. "I’ll go talk to him, and report in the morning."

  Urfa nodded. And let her get a ten meter head start before he eased up enough to listen.

  "What did you do to get my boss into such a state? I think he's trying to help you."

  Endi let himself out of the stall. "Urfa has no idea how much help I've received in the past. Mostly people offer to help me when they want something for themselves. I am deathly tired of it."

  "Well, my version of helping starts with a back rub. Are you deathly tired of back rubs?"

  "I might be able to stand just one more. But I'll bet I'll find out that you really want something in return."

  "Will you really mind that?"

  "Only intellectually."

  Urfa leaned back on a stall door and pondered Endi's words. He's right. We're going to start a cross-dimensional war and we're going to lose. At a cost of millions of lives. One Hell. But Orde and I can't seem to talk any sense into the Council. Maybe I just need to get into their faces and be just as blunt as Endi just was.

  He was bumped from behind. The horse in the stall wanted some attention. "Sorry. I don't have any treats. Nor much hope." But he rubbed the horse's itchy spots while his mind chased itself around in circles. "It's time for no more Mister Nice Guy."

  "Going to arrest Endi?" Rael was back quickly.

  "I was thinking Agni, actually." Urfa raised an eyebrow. "Didn't think I'd see you again tonight."

  "When blatant flirting doesn’t work, might as well try for friendship." She shrugged. "One Damn the man."

  ***

  :: Q? You awake? ::

  :: I am now. You in trouble? ::

  :: Everything is about to come crashing down, probably with me underneath. You guys better get ready to leave on a second's notice. ::

  :: Right. And you get ready to do some dodging, Big Brother. Don't get so carried away attacking that you forget to shield. Again. ::

  :: Ha! I couldn't ask directly, but they may think the Crossroads is where Earth was testing new Gate tech. It has them running scared, thinking the Earth has a big tech lead on them. ::

  :: Our gates? Well, it's nice to think they had some reason to attack us, other than just the opportunity. I'll think about how to approach them about it. ::

  :: Oh, and they don't know where Earth is. If we get desperate . . . ::

  :: Set them against each other, with us out of the way? ::

  Endi winced. :: I like a lot of these people. Before we incite a multi-dimensional war, that could indiscriminately kill them . . . I have a list of the warmongers. If it's needed, I'll start at the top of the list and work my way down it. ::

  :: If—and it's amazingly hard to research; their Prophets were hiding their origins—all these Oners are the descendants of the Orange Team, like Dad speculated, maybe pointing out that Target Forty-two's Old Gods are probably their Prophets' old friends will help. ::

  :: Those Left Behind. Yeah. ::

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Paris, European Region

  22Qadah 1396 yp

  "I understand I missed an interesting game play last night."

  Izzo swung the door wide. "It had to be seen to be believed. Come and check out these spells Endi put on my sword."

  Xiat followed him into his office, and fingered the sword. "Rael said you handed it to him in the salle?"

  Izzo raised his eyebrows. "She was watching? Yes, it was in the boot of the car until then. He put those spells on it while he was standing there talking to General Akja."

  "Humph. I had duty . . . now I wish I'd swapped with someone and gone along, although Urfa said he was just going to demonstrate a bit of eavesdropping for the younger set." She fingered the sword. "It's like his healing spells. Intricate and pinpoint, no wasted power, nothing that sticks out for easy detection."

  "How does it compare with what the Princess School teaches?"

  "It's . . . the subtlety is similar, what he's actually doing, completely different." She frowned. "Do you know what this reminds me of? Those over-the-top movies where the Hero has a magically enhanced sword or knife."

  Izzo snickered . . . hesitated. "It is almost that far past, well, anything else I've ever personally seen or felt before, isn't it?"

  "Yes. Wretched man. Rael didn't feel him doing anything, from the observation rooms, and obviously they didn't down there, closer to him."

  "And they were focused on him, analyzing him from close enough to touch." He paused. "Urfa's doing his own spying?"

  "Oh, the Jiha Street Gym is Private Members Only, and kept exclusively for their faction. Urfa joined decades ago when he was a rising star of the War Party. And when he quit the party, he, umm, just happened to never get around to cancelling that membership. So legally he can enter whenever he wishes. With guests." She glowered under her brows at him. "Which I really ought not have mentioned to you just now. As soon as they realize, they'll cancel his membership."

  "My lips are sealed. Ju
st for you, of course. I'm not the least bit leery of pissing off the President's Director."

  She snickered. "Needs polish, but not a bad try at flattery."

  Izzo looked over, surprised, as his door chimed. "Who would . . ." his voice trailed off as he flipped to the security screen. "Oh. No."

  Xiat glanced at the screen, looked back and stared.

  Izzo walked over and opened the door.

  " . . . certain it’s good manners to announce . . . Oh hi, Sweetie." Lady Jeep beamed at him. "We couldn’t get that horrible man to listen to us, so we decided to come in person."

  Izzo stepped back. Glanced at the expressionless Xiat. "Umm, Princess Xiat, this is Lady Jeep, Lady Heum and Lady Hoax of the Department of Precognition and Divination."

  Three gasps.

  Heum started first. "A Princess! See, Izzo, I told you that if you’d just move to Paris you’d find true love. Never mind about the rest of it. Probably just a touch of indigestion."

  Jeep looked Xiat over carefully. "You’re not one of those killer Princesses are you?"

  "I’m just a friend. A professional colleague of the Senior Analyst."

  Hoax tittered, and elbowed Jeep. "Just a friend! But, the reason we came is that we all saw you with that devastatingly handsome young man. Endi Dewulfe."

  "Shhh! Hoax, he’ll think we’re just naughty old women!" Jeep elbowed her back.

  "Ah. I see. Endi has charmed even you three professionals." Izzo looked at Xiat.

  She appeared to be having trouble keeping a straight face. "Perhaps you should introduce your friends to him." She glanced at her watch. "We could get to Versalle about the time most people finish dinner."

  ***

  Rael blinked at the sight of the people with Xiat.

  Endi raised an eyebrow and turned in his seat to look. "Old . . . One!"

  "Oh my! You’re even cuter in person! Who would have thought!" The woman had makeup plastered deep all over her face, three scarves around her neck—pink, green and gold—a red blouse and long black skirt. Her hair was nearly as red as her shirt, with a centimeter of white roots showing.

  Endi stood up rather quickly, and was engulfed in a hug. From the chest down, as he towered over the woman. The second woman, in yellow, reached up over her friend's head and patted his shoulder.

  The one in purple clicked her tongue. "No manners, what so ever!" She stuck out her hand, back of the fingers up, as if she expected him to kiss it.

  He did. Son of a camel damn well bowed down and kissed her knuckles. The old lady fluttered her solid black gummed-together eyelashes.

  "We’re from the Department of Precognition and Divination. I’m Lady Heum, and we’ve come to warn you that you will die next month."

  The yellow lady nodded, "We’ve seen so much of you, in dreams, it’s like you’re our favorite nephew." She burst into tears.

  Multi-color sniffed sadly. "We hoped we’d be struck by a New Idea, if we saw you in person. Instead of looking at your pictures in that magazine."

  Rael shot a look at Endi. Despite his deep tan complexion, his ears were red, his neck flushed. She stifled a giggle.

  He cleared his throat. "So . . . I’m going to lose a duel with a jealous husband, eh?"

  Three shaken heads. "It was a tidal wave, climbing higher and higher, until it crashed down on your head."

  "I could avoid the beach?"

  Heum smiled kindly. "It’s metaphorical, Sweetie."

  "I could go lay on the beach and relax?"

  Yellow sighed, eyes big and leaking. "Being a smart ass doesn't help a bit."

  Multi shook her head. "You think you started it, but you really just came in halfway. You can run away, but it’ll come crashing down anyway, and much worse for all your friends without you to help, and disastrous for the One as well. We’ve seen it."

  Yellow nodded. "I know it’s presumptuous of us to ask you to sacrifice yourself, but if you aren’t there it will be worse, for your side as well as ours."

  Endi cocked his head, no red in the neck now. "I see. Thank you, M’Ladies. I'll stay. May I escort you home?"

  "Oh, no. Izzo will do that. He hasn’t gotten to lecture us yet, and I do like his new car. So sophisticated!"

  He bowed to the three of them and Izzo escorted them back out the door.

  Xiat hesitated, then turned back. "So, Endi. Do you believe in Precogs?"

  "Oh sure. But if there’s one thing nearly everyone notices about Precogs, it’s that their timing is always off, and the symbolism is only obvious in retrospect, and while some things are exaggerated, others are minimized."

  "That’s four things." Rael pointed out.

  "Picky, picky." He sounded thoughtful, and his eyes were remote.

  What are you thinking about Endi? What is going on? What wave is about to crash down on your head? Should I arrest you now and save some time?

  ***

  "Now, there’s no need to cry! You know that a death dream just means something very hazardous is going to happen. Or even just a profound change." Izzo found a box of tissues and handed them out liberally.

  "But we all dreamed it!" Heum wiped a dark streak across her cheek bone.

  "The cook probably dropped the salt box in the soup again."

  That got a giggle from Jeep. "Oh, Izzo! You naughty boy!"

  "Well, I don’t have to tell you three Endi’s history. He’s pretty capable."

  "Amazingly capable!" Hoax nodded. "A hero. A Magician par excellence."

  "A god among men." Heum coughed. "Well, metaphorically."

  Jeep sighed. "Pity he couldn’t bring his own horse. I think he’s lonely."

  Izzo sighed. How much could he safely ignore? "How many actual precogs have you had, versus daydreams?"

  Three sets of giggles.

  Heum blew her nose. "And that's the main reason we miss you so much."

  Jeep sighed. "I can't imagine why we were in such a rush to get you to Paris."

  Hoax snorted. "Don't be silly. Izzo's found true love. I'll bet we were right to be in a hurry. She might have fallen for someone else."

  Izzo cleared his throat. "Endi's sister lives barely an hour away, he can call her anytime. And he’s got plenty of friends, and more lovers than a champion Arabian stallion."

  "Spoilsport. I do feel better for having spoken to you, though."

  "And I’ll feel better for knowing you’re safely home. What did my poor replacement do, to have you three playing hooky?"

  "He wouldn’t listen!"

  "We just wanted to phone Endi."

  "But this worked out so well. You were always so sensible. You took us right to the man we most needed to talk to."

  Jeep sniffed and dabbed at her eyes. "So brave. And he believed us, too."

  Izzo turned into the airport. "Do you ladies have your return tickets? Umm, you might want to check your makeup, all that crying and hugging Endi, you know?"

  He ought to have kept his mouth shut. They used his rear view mirror and kept him sitting at the curb for fifteen minutes, until he feared they’d miss their flight. Jeep patted his shoulder. "It’s running late, Sweetie."

  "A personal Precog, Jeep?"

  "No Sweetie, my comm."

  Izzo snickered. And swore he was never ever going back to Precog and Div.

  He escorted them to their plane and made sure they boarded.

  ***

  Izzo spent the next day with his mind racing.

  I really cannot dismiss all these precogs . . . Endi is apparently the key to something important. And his goal seems to be stopping the war. What he said to General Akja . . .

  Troops at full strength.

  Logistics train free of attacks.

  Element of surprise.

  "Damn it to hell and gone, Endi makes sense. Akja noticed it too. One Damn it all. Why is the Party pandering to politicians who care more about their honor than winning?" Izzo paced across his office and back. "I suppose that is the only way to get their backing. But in that cas
e, is the war worth fighting?"

  That thought stopped him in his tracks. I used to be so sure. Damn Endi, he's got me thinking about the Natives. I grew up around Natives. But on Homestead, the Oner presence is small, barely noticeable outside the three largest cities. They added our knowledge and markets to their mid-industrial revolution and made their world into an economic powerhouse. The Governor rarely interferes with anything. It's different on the other Colonies with more primitive Natives. But I was as blinded by my own experiences as any homeworld Oner.

  "But I don't have all the information." He paced down to the break room, poured a cup of coffee, stalked back to his office, and closed his door. I'm probably bugged by at least three groups, but at least my neighbors won't know I talk to myself. "That is what I need to do. Get all the information I need to make an informed decision. I need to be inside the loop, not outside. I want to know the President's motivations and the reasons for the decisions he makes." He nodded decisively and sat down. Satisfied.

  That lasted about two minutes.

  "I also need to figure out the War Party's motivations and their tactics. Is it all talk and no action, to gain political power? If it's genuinely to protect us from Earth, why are they doing it so stupidly?"

  "And I want to know Endi/Okni/Onry's aims and purposes. At least that should be easy to deduce, if I just look at it solidly."

  What is the worst possible case? Izzo threw himself back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. Maybe Endi's a maniac, a pacifist who would kill in the name of peace. He certainly attacked the War Party last night. What had General Akja said? "You've studied military science, haven't you?" Was he right? All Endi's points about logistics and surprise sounded solid. But where did he get the training? And what side is Endi on?

  Am I where I need to be? I could transfer to External Relations. Or go the other way and work directly under Urfa.

  A tap on the door. Glue stuck his head in. "Is it true that your buddy Endi put Arlw in the hospital? Didn't think a Halfer could do that."