Havlock stood up, his mind reconsidering the compulsions he had felt that day. He took a few steps, then turned back to her. “My Lady, I would give anything to have an explanation for what I did, but this? It’s too easy.”
She nodded, enjoying the opportunity to finally share with another potential Seer. “Actually, having visions is not easy, but this particular one could explain something that had no explanation. If I’m right, if the Leaf People really sent you a vision, it’s not necessary that you understand. I rarely understand.”
“Then what good are they?”
“You’re still alive, aren’t you? Without the compulsion, you would not be. For me, the Leaf People knew I did not understand their messages, but they promised to send me a Guide, someone who would interpret my visions. Tarn is the Guide.”
The visitors from Tranxte all looked to Tarn. He looked back at each one of them and nodded. “It’s true. Even I don’t always understand the visions in their entirety, but because of Krys’ visions, we won the battle you were a part of at Aldebaran I. It turned into the largest battle ever fought in space at the time. Since then we’ve guided the Queen, her First Knight, governors, admirals and generals, and many others. It’s not us guiding them, of course. It’s the Leaf People.”
“Tarn is the Guide,” Krys added, but in truth he’s not my guide. He guides the people who are the objects of my visions. Governor, the only requirement I place on you concerning future visions is that you pay attention to them.”
“If any of this is true, how will I know?”
“The Leaf People are persistent. If there’s something they want you to do, you’ll know it.” She changed the subject. “Let’s discuss the vision I just had of you.”
Havlock shook his head. “What?”
“Actually, it was not a vision of you, Governor. I believe it was a vision for you. Before I tell you about it, I have to warn you that for some quirk of fate known only to them, the Leaf People usually communicate with me through riddles. I sometimes see snippets of events as well, but my vision for you consisted only of words.
‘Cry the forgotten, smile the misbegotten. Secrets abide, hunters thrive.’”
She sensed his confusion and repeated the words, then asked, “Any thoughts, Governor?”
Havlock went internal and considered the words deeply, then shook his head as he returned mentally to the room. “No thoughts at all, My Lady.”
“Tarn?” she called.
Tarn was already pacing with his hands behind his back and his head down in concentration. Havlock went back into himself, questioning not only this vision that seemed to apply to him but the whole concept of visions.
Hawke spoke up. “I’m not a great riddle-solver, but if this applies to him, it might apply to Tranxte. He’s trying to find a new hunting ground for the gleasons and it mentions hunters. Could this be a roadmap?”
“Possibly,” Tarn said, looking up, “though visions do not always apply to current issues, so we want to be careful we don’t go off on a wrong tangent. Let’s see where we go with this one, because there’s more evidence to back up your assertion. We had one other vision that referred to hunting, a vision that was definitely about gleasons. The rest of the words are a little more challenging.”
He looked around the room. “What if it said, ‘The forgotten cry, the misbegotten smile?’ Does that add any clarity?”
No one responded, so he continued thinking aloud. “If we can figure out who or what’s been forgotten, it might give us a location. Any ideas?”
Atiana spoke up. “Of all the things I’ve seen and experienced since the arrival of you sky knights, this might be the strangest. Do you really believe all this?”
“It’s not a game,” Tarn said, his gaze boring into hers. “Not only is it real, it’s important.”
She lifted an eyebrow to show she was cooperating under duress. “Well, in that case it might apply to Tranxte. We are definitely crying. We know with certainty that the gleasons are hunting happily. Whoever brought them here probably did so in secret and might have forgotten about us.”
Tarn continued staring at her, but his mind was elsewhere. He nodded, but he seemed uncertain. “Your logic is good, Your Majesty, but the gleasons coming to Tranxte is past history. I believe we’re searching for something that lies ahead. If the forgotten are crying, it might be because of the misbegotten. What’s a misbegotten?” he continued.
Hawke answered. “I consider gleasons misbegotten, though abomination better describes them. If this is a roadmap to something the gleasons want to hunt, they’d both be abominations.”
Tarn nodded, though he did not appear convinced. “That feels partially right to me, but I get the feeling none of this vision applies to gleasons.” He looked up sharply to Hawke. “I could be wrong,” he said, then he went back to contemplating. “If the gleasons are going to hunt the object of this vision, I agree with you that the creature will be an abomination. Who’s crying, and who’s holding secrets? I feel like both of them go together.”
Atiana spoke up again. “I can tell you that my province had problems before the arrival of the gleasons, problems I’ve forgotten about now because they’ve lost significance. You’ve been in the midst of a rebellion. Could something or someone have been forgotten in the crush of events?”
Tarn’s eyes shone. “You might be on to something, Your Majesty. Well done!”
“Please, Sire. I’ll only play your game if you agree to call me Atiana.”
He nodded absently, something Atiana found intriguing. Within her province no one treated her absently. These people really did not care the slightest about pretense or privilege.
“A forgotten secret?” Tarn mused aloud. “George,” he asked into the air, “do you find anything that might fit that description in your data banks?”
“Checking . . . Yes, there are a number of possibilities. I do not see any connections to gleasons, however. I do not have access to rebel data bases, of course.”
Tarn snapped his fingers. “That fits! And it feels right. The rebels have been on the run and might have abandoned a number of projects, some of them secret.” He continued musing aloud. “Secrets abide, and it’s present tense, meaning they’re current secrets.” He looked up toward the ceiling. “George, if the Rebels, or better yet Struthers himself, formed such a project, a secret project, how would we find out about it?”
“We can search records on Triton. It might be quicker to ask him.”
Tarn’s eyebrows lifted. “He’s still alive?”
“I can’t say with certainty.”
Tarn looked to Havlock. “You need a location for the gleasons. The fact that a vision is involved raises the stakes, making it an Empire issue. Something else is going on here that I don’t see, something the gleason issue might be just a part of.” He stopped talking and paced the room for a long time before saying, “I’m sensing a research project. If we can find the project, we have a location. Beyond that, I’m not sure I can take this one any further.”
He stepped behind Krys’ chair and put a hand on her shoulder. “Do you sense urgency?”
“No, but I’m certain the people of Tranxte consider this urgent.” She looked toward Galborae. “I received three visions today, the most I have ever had at one time. The third vision was yours.”
Galborae’s eyes widened. “Surely you jest, My Lady. I’m the least of everyone here.”
“Are you?” she asked. “Consider this: out of a whole planet of people dying at the hands of gleasons, we found you that night. You should be dead. Instead, you were essentially brought back to life and taken on a long journey to a new civilization. You returned to your homeland at the head of an army and have struggled on many levels since then to fulfill what you believe to be your duty to your people. Your queen claims you are the glue that’s holding Governor Havlock’s operation together. Do not sell yourself short.”
She looked to Havlock. “When we told you the Leaf People were ma
nipulating a lot of what goes on in the cosmos, we meant what we said, and this is just one example. They know you, Governor, and they know the rest of you,” she said, looking at the other five from Tranxte.
Galborae started to retort, then closed his mouth and folded his arms across his chest. Krys could not see him, but she sensed his pensiveness. His had not been an easy road, and because of her visions she knew it was not going to get any easier.
“My vision of you was, I believe, meant for others as well. It consisted only of words.
‘Eight was six, mentors fix. Speaker unites or civilization ignites.’
“I believe I actually know what this vision means, but we should hear what Tarn has to say about it—unless you know what it means?” she asked Galborae.
He held out his hands in surrender. “Sorry, My Lady.”
“Are you?” she asked. “Are you unhappy with the position you occupy?”
He shook his head. “No, My Lady. That’s not it at all.”
“What is it, then?”
“I don’t even know what a light-year is. I’m drowning in ignorance. I’m just hopeful someone else will come along—soon—who can take my place.”
She turned to Havlock. “Governor?”
He in turn looked to Galborae. “Sorry, my friend. I’m not letting you off that easy.”
“Nor am I,” Atiana added. “I meant it when I told Lady Krys you were the glue holding all of us together. You’re guiding me, the Sky Lord, the Teacher, and both Healers, and don’t think I haven’t noticed the protection you and your sword are providing for us while you do it.”
Galborae scowled, then remembered she was his queen and looked apologetic. He looked to Lady Krys. “What do the words mean?”
Tarn answered his question. “I believe Queen Atiana has it right. The vision applies to all of you and to two others.”
“Who?” Havlock asked.
“I have no idea,” Tarn answered. “We’ve only had one meeting with the Leaf People, a meeting at which they called six individuals to duties none of them wanted or even understood. Oh . . . did I tell you the meeting took place 12 years before the rebellion? The Leaf People actually forecast the rebellion, though no one at the time knew it. Of the six called that day, only four of them were there. They had no idea who the two others were, and it wasn’t until 12 years later that they found out.
“Six were called to lead the Empire through the rebellion. I believe the Leaf People are calling eight to lead Tranxte through its emergence.”
He paused, but not for long, his focus returning to Galborae. “We all agree that knowledge of our advanced civilization is a tragedy for the people of Tranxte. I believe the Leaf People are calling seven mentors to fix the problem, meaning they are to lead the people of Tranxte through the transition: Governor Havlock, Queen Atiana, the Teacher, both Healers, and two others who are as yet unnamed. That’s seven. The Speaker makes it eight. His job is to unite the people of Tranxte.” His eyes moved to each of them, then he said, “If he fails, Tranxte might not survive.”
Galborae stared back at him, not comprehending. Then, he reviewed the words of the vision in his mind and blinked as the meaning struck home. His eyes went first to Krys, then to Tarn. “You think it means me?” he asked.
Tarn believed that Galborae had to answer his own question. He said, “When Krys first told me about the Leaf People and that I was the Guide, my initial reaction was to fight it, but I did not. Instead, with just a little consideration I knew without any doubt that she was, in fact, right. I was the Guide. Tell me you don’t feel rightness here.”
Galborae looked to his wife, then to the rest of Havlock’s crew. His eyes settled on his queen, deeply troubled.
She stood up and went to him. “I cannot speak to the virtues of these visions, but this I know: someone from Tranxte will eventually have to lead. We already lean on you, and you’re already a legend among our people. Lady Krys asked me if I might one day become the person who unites Tranxte under one voice. It might be me, but it might not—I actually see myself following a path that will make that difficult. If it’s you, I ask as your Queen that you to stay the course, at least until we know.”
“Your calling I understand and accept, Your Majesty. You can always count on me. The rest of this . . . ”
Atiana reached out and placed a hand on his cheek. “Our people will not stand behind any one person in our lifetime, but I can see you speaking for us as our voice to the Empire.” She turned and looked to Tarn, inviting him to get on with it.
Hawke stood up and spoke up before Tarn had the chance. “Sire, Lady Krys told us there are visions of warning, visions of instruction, and visions of hope. Clearly, this one warns, but I personally would not want to think it ends there. It could be a vision of instruction and hope, as well. It infers that we all need to work together, and I think it also infers that if we do, Tranxte will come out on the other end the way we hope it will.”
Tarn grinned. “Well said, Teacher. That’s a lesson I will keep in mind with any future visions, provided there are any.”
“Actually,” Krys said, “the Leaf People gave us advice on these very issues. They said, ‘The future is not preordained. Many paths, many outcomes are possible. Choices are yours to make, and the consequences of those choices are yours to shoulder.’ But they did not leave it at that. They gave us one more piece of advice that I have clung to all these years, not least of all the years during which I struggled with visions I did not understand.”
Her blind eyes shifted to Havlock and stayed on him for a time. “Tell me, Governor—knowing what you know now, would you secure yourself in the armory again?”
The silence in the room stretched out painfully as he considered. When he answered, he seemed surprised. “I would, My Lady, but I would take my men with me.”
She nodded. “As the Leaf People told us, the choices are our to make, and the consequences of those choices are ours to shoulder. They spoke to us of heavy burdens, and they knew what they were talking about. We’re constantly juggling lives and the futures of civilizations. But they left us with the means to shoulder those burdens. They said, ‘Listen to your heart . . . always. If you do, you will know what is right. You will never be asked to do more.’”
She gave them time to consider those important words that had meant so much to her over the years, then she spoke to Atiana. “Your Majesty, yours was the second vision I received today. You might want to sit.”
Atiana squeezed Galborae’s shoulder, then returned to her place beside Havlock on the couch.
“As Teacher just said, I’ve had visions of hope, visions of instruction, and visions of warning,” Krys said. “Yours might also be a combination of all three. In most cases I see things through someone else’s eyes, but in your case I did not, probably because your eyes were closed. You were in a tank, and beside you stood a row of tanks, two of them holding other individuals. I believe I now know what you, Governor Havlock, and Sir Galborae look like.”
Atiana had been sitting very erect, completely focused on this Great One, but as the meaning of the vision sank in and what that meaning meant, a sudden sense of unreality washed through her. She knew what tanks meant. Her vision narrowed until Krys became a vague shape at the far end of a tunnel.
Krys’ voice came to her distantly. “Several medical people were standing in a group talking. I did not hear them, but their body language gave me the impression they believed there was no hope for any of you.”
Havlock put an arm around Atiana’s shoulders, then his eyes sought out Galborae. “Did we fail?” he wondered aloud.
Galborae’s lips thinned and his eyes glared as his arm went around Milae. “Soldiers like us don’t go easily, My Lady,” he said to Krys. “Where were we?”
“I don’t know. A modern facility with tanks. Maybe a cruiser?”
“That’s a ship?”
She started to smile, then cut it off. “It’s our largest ship. I have no idea w
here the ship is.”
Tarn interrupted. “Did the vision come with words?”
“It did. ‘Forewarned is forearmed.’’’
Tarn nodded and stepped around Krys to crouch down in front of Atiana. He took her hands, hands that had become icy cold, in his. “Your Majesty?”
Her eyes slowly came into focus. She looked into Tarn’s eyes, then she looked to Havlock, her eyes betraying a great sadness.
Tarn waited patiently, eventually saying, “This is hard for you on several levels. I understand.”
She looked back into his eyes. “More hard than you can imagine.”
“You might be surprised.” His eyes darted toward Krys, then they returned to her. “There’s a message here, and I believe I know what that message is. We have successfully changed the outcome of several visions, including one of my own death. If we heed this vision, we might change the outcome again.”
She sat up straight, completely focused on him. “I’m listening.”
“Forewarned is forearmed.” That’s the key here, I think. Tanks are wonderful things, but they can’t save everyone. We need to arm all of you with something more. A gleason mortally wounded me. I went into a tank, but our doctors and the tank could not save me. I would have died except for one thing: I had a Rider. The Rider is who saved me. I believe the three of you, perhaps all six of you, should be armed with Riders before going much farther down your roads.”
Atiana’s brow furrowed. Clearly, she had no idea what Tarn was talking about.
Havlock did. A look of awe came to his face. “You have a Rider, Sire?”
“I do, Governor. I’m not the only one here who does.”
Havlock blinked, not sure what to say. For all practical purposes, Riders were almost as rare as Knights.
Tarn stood up, knowing his next words were not only for Atiana. The vision included Sir Galborae in a tank, and he suspected Sir Galborae had never come across Riders either. He looked back and forth between Galborae and Atiana and said, “I have an alien living inside of me. He’s a person, he’s intelligent, we talk all the time, and we’re best friends. Because of him, I never get sick, and when I’m hurt, my Rider heals me. I believe the intent of this vision is to ensure you survive whatever wounded the three of you. You need Riders.”
Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights Page 31