Trapped lop-6

by James Alan Gardner

  A wind had picked up in the cavern: a brisk breeze pouring through the tunnel mouth, whipping at loose clothes even as we all struggled to gain the upper hand. Impervia was still on her feet, punching and kicking; Sebastian stood now with a family-built saber in his grip, slashing at the hands that tried to grab him; Annah rolled silently on the ground, wrestling at least two opponents; and on the ground beside her, I lashed at every Lucifer within reach, punching, tripping, anything to keep them busy… while all around us the wind increased, stiffening into a gale that whistled past our ears.

  I tried to inhale and the air was as gritty as smoke. It rasped in my mouth and nose, leaving a bitter taste like the crushed shells of insects. Some other place and time, I might have spat it out in disgust… but not now. Now, it filled me with vengeful joy — the nanotech cavalry was charging to our rescue, thickening the air like dust.

  Despite Impervia's best efforts, there was still a Lucifer clutching Sebastian. It grappled with the boy, trying to wrest the saber from his hand — twisting the blade around in an attempt to force the weapon's cutting edge against anything that would bleed: Sebastian's arms, his legs, his throat, whatever target was vulnerable. For a moment the Lucifer loomed over the boy, a head taller, physically imposing… then the alien was nothing but an exploding sandstorm, a bursting flurry of black that blew apart so fast it shredded the robes containing it. The Lucifer detonated into a smeary ash-cloud, splashing out toward the walls of the cavern.

  An instant later, the other Lucifers disintegrated in exactly the same way. Black grains flew past my face and robes ripped to tatters in front of me… but every ruptured particle missed me by a hair's breadth, as if a bacteria-thin barrier had sprung up to shield me from the blast.

  Thank you, nanites. Thank you, Sebastian.

  No sooner had the enemy been dispersed into individual cellules than they began to be gathered again: piece by piece, grain by grain, the cellules were lifted off the ground and swept toward the center of the laser cage — like errant goats being herded back into a pen. I could picture teams of nanotech goatherds entrapping each fragment, levitating it, fetching each cellule back to its designated prison.

  Annah laid her hand on my arm. "Time for us to move."

  We were still in the cage ourselves, both of us on the floor; as we got to our feet, Impervia joined us. Sweat beaded her face, but she looked happy — not in her usual grudging way, but with a genuine smile. "I'm not quite sure what's happening," she said, "but I think we won."

  "Sebastian won," I told her. "But you helped hold out till he got reinforcements."

  "Good enough. Where's the Caryatid?"

  Annah was the one to answer. "The Caryatid is dead… but she died well. If there is such a thing as dying well." She paused. "We thought you were dead too."

  "Don't be ridiculous," Impervia said, her face shifting from that rare smile into a more typical look of disapproval. "I admit I got shot, but it was just a graze. I blacked out briefly, but I'm perfectly fine now."

  I looked at the shirt of her habit. "Perfectly fine, are you?" Now that she wasn't a blur of motion, I could see there was a bullet hole straight through the cloth. I pointed it out to her. "What do you think caused that? Moths?"

  She dropped her head to look at the hole. In surprise, she pulled out her collar and looked down inside her shirt. "There's a wound," she said slowly, "but it's completely healed. Nothing but a scar. Bullet-sized." She lifted her eyes in wonderment… then sudden disgust crossed her face. "It's not a miracle. It must be Sebastian's work."

  I thought about that. When Impervia got shot, a geyser of blood had come fountaining out of her; then it stopped abruptly, as if cut off. I'd thought the stoppage was due to her heart giving out… but Sebastian had still been awake at the time, in full command of his powers. He'd also just realized this was the real Impervia, a flesh-and-blood woman who bled when she cut her arm.

  Sebastian must have told his nanite friends, "Heal her." Immediately nano-surgeons flocked in to seal her wounds, repair the damage, set things right — and while she lay there healing, she'd looked so much like a corpse that neither I nor the Lucifer had bothered to check whether she was really dead.

  I turned toward Sebastian to ask if that's how it happened; but the boy was englobed in a dim golden shell, an egg-shaped container of light that pulsed like a heartbeat. Inside the shell his eyes were closed with a look of deep concentration. I could imagine him giving telepathic commands to the nanotech world… or perhaps just communing with some nano overmind, not handing out orders but amiably discussing what should happen next.

  Smash the dam. Restart the generators. Mend the cables. Restore the laser cage.

  And was he asking for more? I didn't know. Would Sebastian ask his friends to bring Rosalind back to life? Or create a being from nano who looked and acted like Rosalind? Could he do the same for the rest of the dead: raise up doppelgangers of Myoko, Pelinor, the Caryatid? And if that were possible, would I want it? Would I accept artificial stand-ins for my friends, even if the replacements were perfect copies? Would Sebastian accept a replica Rosalind?

  Annah nudged me. "We have to get out of the cage; the lasers might start any second." I nodded and let her lead me off… but as I did, I couldn't help gazing at her in doubt. Was she real? Did the original Annah truly ‹BINK› to safety in time? Or did the League create a duplicate to smile and greet me once I reached the moon? And what about Impervia? Did she really survive or was she some League simulacrum, sent to buy time for Sebastian?

  Ridiculous things to think about. If the League wanted Annah and Impervia to survive, the universe would oblige. Annah would have an escape route, and she'd use it with milliseconds to spare. Impervia's wounds would heal at exactly the right speed for her to recover and charge in like an avenging angel. There'd be no need for artificial replacements.

  And yet…

  I looked at Annah again. She smiled back, but there was questioning in her eyes, as if she wondered why I was staring at her so oddly. "It's nothing," I said. "It's nothing."

  With a crackle and hum, the lasers pulsed on. Sebastian remained in the cage, still surrounded by his shell of golden light. Several seconds passed, then ‹BINK›… and suddenly, there were twice as many cellules within the prison cube. The saintly Lucifer had returned from the moon. With no visible hesitation, all the black grains flowed together into a single heap — the formerly evil cellules instantly converted by the force of the angel's mind.

  "And there we go," I said. "Mission accomplished."

  "Quest accomplished," Impervia corrected. "But there'll be more quests to come."

  "Why do you say that?"

  She nodded toward the mouth of the cavern. Two figures had appeared in the entrance, lit by lamps left behind by the Lucifer-Keepers. One of them wore green plastic armor, similar in style to Dreamsinger's but not endowed with female appurtenances; it had to be Science-Lord Rashid, the Spark who'd passed me by in college. The other person was more familiar: Opal Quintelle, Chancellor of Feliss Academy. When she caught sight of us, she whispered to Rashid — probably telling him who we were. Then she hurried forward to greet us.

  Rashid stayed behind… maybe getting ready to shoot us if we turned out to be Lucifers in teachers' clothing.

  "Sorry we didn't get here sooner," Opal said. "The High Lord decreed that Dreamsinger had to handle this mess on her own. I think he was following a request from… higher up. Anyway, we had to wait till it was over." She smiled apologetically. "But you're alive. That's wonderful."

  "We're alive," Impervia answered. "The others weren't so blessed."

  Opal dropped her gaze. She had the good sense not to recite that inane phrase of hers about being expendable — Impervia might have punched her. After a moment, Opal lifted her eyes again. "What about Dreamsinger?"

  "We haven't checked on her yet," I said. "Last I saw, the evil Lucifer was still trying to smother her. I suppose that's a good sign — if the Lucifer had actual
ly killed Dreamsinger, it would have gone on to other things."

  "Where is she?"

  I gestured to the rear of the laser cage. From where we were standing near the chamber entrance, I couldn't see the Sorcery-Lord's unconscious form. Opal couldn't see either; she tried for a moment, then waved to Lord Rashid. "Your sister is around at the back. They think she might be alive."

  Rashid nodded but didn't move. He was still staring at us; I suspect he was scanning us with devices in his armor, making sure we were actually human.

  "What's going to happen now?" Annah asked.

  "I discussed that with Rashid on our way here." She glanced at the Science-Lord as if asking permission to speak; he made no sign one way or another, so Opal continued. "Rashid thinks it might be best if everyone went to Spark Royal for a while."

  Impervia's eyes narrowed. "How long a while?"

  "That depends." Opal gave a sheepish look. "You're lucky Dreamsinger isn't on her feet — she'd probably just kill you. But Rashid is sane… and inclined to be softhearted when there's no need for ruthlessness."

  "Can't this Rashid speak for himself?" Impervia asked.

  A chuckle came from the green armor. "Of course I can," the Science-Lord said. "But I thought I'd go with the strong silent act. My family thinks I should be more imposing."

  He came forward with a light step, removing his helmet as he did. When he'd visited the Collegium Ismaili, Rashid had never taken the helmet off; now I saw why. Judging by his face (with a droopy mustache and Asian features, framed by long black hair), I guessed he was at least five years younger than me… which meant he must have been Sebastian's age when I was in university. Wise of him to remain a mysterious armored figure back then — if he'd shown he was just a teenager, he'd have received far less respect from us "sophisticated" twenty-year-olds.

  Now a full-grown adult, Rashid gave a placating smile. "I'm not here to drag you off kicking and screaming… nor do I make a habit of killing people to keep them quiet. If you promised not to divulge the true purpose of this power plant, I'd be inclined to let you go. But," he said, glancing at Sebastian (who still glowed in an aura of light within the laser cage), "there's the boy to consider. We can't let someone that powerful run loose — not when he's only sixteen. The world is full of unprincipled people and someone's bound to trick or seduce him into things we'd all regret. So Spark Royal wants Sebastian under its wing till he can be trusted not to cause trouble."

  "You mean you want to enslave him?" Impervia asked.

  "Don't be ridiculous. Why would we antagonize someone so powerful? If we tried to put Sebastian in chains, he'd hate us for it; even if we succeeded in locking him up, we'd have to expend a great deal of effort keeping him quiet, after which he'd probably escape anyway and become a dangerous enemy. So what's the point? I won't pretend that Sparks are too noble to imprison an innocent boy, but why provoke needless hostility? We want Sebastian on our side as a willing ally. That's where you come in."

  He looked at us expectantly. Impervia bristled, but Annah only returned the look. "You want us to persuade Sebastian to do what you want?"

  "Not quite. I want you to be Sebastian's chaperons. His teachers." Rashid smiled. "You'll come to Spark Royal where you'll help the boy gain maturity… and of course, my fellow Lords and I will provide any assistance you ask for. You and Sebastian will be respected guests — no bars on your windows, no locks on your doors, no obedience spells, no blackmail. Opal tells me you're talented people. That's good; we always have jobs for talented people."

  "In other words," Impervia said, "you intend to use us."

  "Exactly," Rashid answered with a grin. "Don't you want to be used? Damned near everyone longs for something meaningful to do — a reason to get out of bed, a justification for living. This is your chance: not just looking after Sebastian but helping Spark Royal keep the planet from falling apart. I admit we Lords aren't saints; we're ruthless bastards and we always play dirty. If you agree to work for us, half the time you won't know the purpose of your duties… and when we do explain, we might not be telling the truth. But that's the real world, folks: not quests, but strategic missions. And I promise, you'll always be able to say no."

  "How much are your promises worth?" Impervia asked.

  Rashid laughed. "I break promises as easily as I break wind, but only when it makes sense. It's seldom sensible to betray a useful colleague… and that's what I hope you'll be."

  "Impervia," Opal said, "if you work for the Sparks, you'll truly make a difference. And they do let you say no. They won't coerce you into assignments you hate, because they know your heart won't be in it."

  "And of course," Rashid added, looking straight at Impervia, "your first assignment will be to look after Sebastian. Surely a Handmaid of the Magdalene would have no qualms about that. Helping mold the character of a powerful psychic? Teaching him right from wrong? Need I point out that if you don't do it, someone else will?"

  Impervia's eyes narrowed… but the ghost of a smile played about her lips. "Lord Rashid, you have the serpentine voice of worldly temptation. However, if I were allowed to consult about this with my Mother Superior…"

  "Do you think your Mother Superior will refuse a chance to win favor with Spark Royal? Not to mention you'll be in a position to obtain useful inside information and to influence Spark decisions for the greater glory of your Holy Magdalene. But if you really think you need to talk to your boss, I'll arrange it." He turned toward Annah and me. "As for you two… Opal tells me you're a scientist, Dhubhai. It so happens I need a personal assistant; my last one didn't work out. Would you like the job? You'll learn more in two weeks with me than you would in twenty years at your precious academy."

  "Uhh…" I looked toward Annah.

  "Oh, Ms. Khan can help too." He smiled at Annah. "Opal says you're musical. Do you happen to play violin? I love the violin. In fact, I have an uncanny fondness for male and female assistants who know science and play the violin." He gave a sly look at Opal, then turned back quickly to us. "Ignore me — I'll explain some other time. The question is, are you interested?"

  I looked at Annah. She returned the look and shrugged. The shrug turned into a smile — a lovely smile.

  Impervia gave a loud sniff. "Stop that," she said. "If I have to go to Spark Royal, you both do too. Do you think I want to drink tea alone on Friday nights?"

  I whispered to Rashid, "Do you have bar brawls in Spark Royal?"

  "Not in Spark Royal," he said. "But when you work for the Sparks, you'll get plunged into brawls all over the world. I pretty well guarantee it."

  I winked at Impervia. She gave another loud sniff.

  Annah put her hand in mine and kissed me on the cheek. "We can do this," she said softly. "What is there for us back at the school?"

  "Nothing," I answered. Not Myoko or Pelinor or the Caryatid. Not Gretchen either. I'd cry for them in the days to come; but the past must yield to the future.

  The future was Spark Royal, Lord Rashid, and Annah. I smiled at her.

  "Oh for heaven's sake," Impervia groaned. "Just kiss each other and be done with it!"

  Laughing, Annah and I kissed… but I hoped we'd never be done with it, ever.

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