The Web and the Stars (36 page)

Chapter Seventy-Six

Pitfalls are always around you … sometimes visible, but more often not. Survival frequently depends upon seeing them with your inner eye.

—Noah Watanabe,
Drifting in the Ether
(unpublished notes)

The large, unmarked grid-plane circled a remote canyon, with Noah and fifty robots in the passenger compartment. At the controls of the vessel, Subi Danvar used infrared and other electronics to survey the conditions below. With his naked eye, Noah saw a transport vessel on the ground, bearing the red-and-gold colors of Doge Anton. It was midday, with fast-moving clouds overhead that cast scattered shadows on the landscape.

The house colors demonstrated that Noah’s nephew was a del Velli now, and confirmed what he had heard, that Anton was no longer using his foster name of Glavine. This gave Noah pause, since this was the son of the man who had just launched a sneak attack against Guardian headquarters. Were the two of them working closely together now, and were soldiers hiding in the surrounding terrain, ready to pounce and capture Noah again?

Noah wanted to think the best of Anton, for he had known the young man for years, and hoped he had not changed for the worst since becoming Doge. In his high position, Anton might have inherited certain political necessities, but Noah had always trusted him … and Anton had never let him down before. He could not have lost his sense of honor so quickly.

But Noah recalled only too well his own wounds from having trusted Giovanni Nehr, of thinking he had seen goodness and loyalty in Gio’s heart, and how wrong he had been. Still, he had a feeling about Anton, that this was an important, even essential, relationship to be developed even further. Noah did not see any benefit in fleeing on Tesh’s podship to another world, because what would he do there? He didn’t want to raise an army to attack the merchant princes; instead, he wanted to work with them against the Mutatis and the Parviis, who were causing so much damage to everything they touched.

Today was a necessary step. He
had to
risk it.

The grid-plane went into its vertical landing mode and dropped slowly toward the shore of a river at the bottom of the gorge, passing billions of years of sedimentation and rock formations on the sheer canyon walls, in all the shades of brown he could imagine. Gusts of wind buffeted the craft, but Subi kept it under control.

Around Noah the robots were entirely silent, because they had been packed compactly and programmed to sleep. All of them were boxy in shape, which made them easier to pack in tight quarters.

Robots had certain advantages, Noah realized, and this was only one of them. The primary reason he had brought them was another—he didn’t want to risk losing Guardians in case he was wrong about Anton. As for Subi, he was Noah’s equal in many ways, and when the big man wanted to go someplace, it was hard to stop him. Subi, intensely loyal, wanted to make certain that every possible safety precaution was taken. He had even formulated a plan to take Anton hostage in a quick strike, if necessary. Assuming Anton was even there.

As the grid-plane settled onto a sandy beach, Noah got his answer. Doge Anton del Velli, looking elegant and rested, strode toward him across the glittering, silvery sand, leaving his own entourage behind. He wore a thick coat, to protect against the unseasonably cold weather. His blond mustache looked freshly trimmed.

Subi disembarked first, followed by Noah, both wearing green-and-brown Guardian uniforms. Then the robots came to life, and began clattering down the ramp to the ground. As they did so, Anton showed no alarm, and left his own guards a considerable distance away, by his own plane.

As if in answer to Noah’s unspoken question, Anton said, “I have nothing to fear from you, and you have nothing to fear from me.”

Standing in sunlight, the two men clasped hands firmly, then embraced. For a moment, it seemed to Noah as if nothing had ever separated them.

“It seems like a long time since we saw each other at your wedding, doesn’t it?” Noah said, as they separated. “It’s only been a few months, but so much has happened.”

“And not all for the best,” the Doge said, scowling. Wind whipped his long hair. He gestured, “Come, Uncle, and accompany me on a walk.”

Noah nodded, and followed Anton’s lead as they strolled away from both aircraft onto a rocky section of beach.

“Speaking of uncles,” Anton said with a sidelong glance, “my wife is grieving over what happened to Gio.”

Noah nodded, and said, “An unfortunate incident.”

“Yes, most unfortunate. But Gio was not like his brother, was he?”

“No, sadly he was not like Jacopo at all.”

“Tragic situation. He’d fallen on hard times, was working as a waiter on the orbital casino.”

Noah expected Anton to press for more information, voicing suspicions that Guardians might have killed Gio, but instead the young Doge dropped the subject and said, “You may have noticed that I made no real effort to find you, or mount my own attack. I, too, have had odd mental experiences. While I should know where your headquarters is, because I have been there, I cannot remember anything about the location. It is as if a portion of my memory has been erased.” He stared hard at Noah, and added, “Did you do that to me?”

“Not consciously, but perhaps it is linked to the powers I received. The Supreme Being who gave me those powers may have wanted to protect me, so he did a little tap dance inside your brain.”

“As good an explanation as any, I suppose.” He smiled. “I never wanted to take action against you anyway, no matter how hard my mother pressed me. Now, why did you request this meeting?”

The Master of the Guardians closed his coat, to protect against the cool wind that was whipping through the canyon. “Undoubtedly you have heard things about me, how my cellular structure has taken on certain unusual propensities.”

“Not only have I heard that, I was on the pod station when Mother fired a puissant blast through your chest. You’re like a reptile that can grow back its lost body parts.”

“On a much more advanced level than any reptile,” Noah said, as they stepped over a log. “You heard what she did to me in the laboratory?”

“Yes.” He smiled ruefully. “That wasn’t very nice of her, was it?”

“She has certain—personality defects. Doge Anton, forgive me for insulting your mother, but I may be the only person who has the right.”

“I don’t dispute your right to say anything you please about your sister, but there are other sides to her as well, sides that have surprised me. I’ve seen compassion in her eyes when she looks at me, and she has done things for me that can only be interpreted as love. Of course, she always has her own personal ambitions and motivations, but she really has shown me love, in the only way she knows.” He paused. “It’s a distant sort of emotion with her, but it is still there, as if it’s been suppressed for her entire life and is finally breaking free.”

“It’s not enough,” Noah said, in a bitter voice. “I know her bad side only too well. Did you take the Elixir of Life?”

“No, for a couple of reasons. One, I don’t know if I want to live forever. And two, look what it’s done to her. It could do the same to me.”

Noah nodded. He thought for a moment, and said, “Even when it works, it’s no blessing.”

They sat on a flat stone in a patch of sunlight, watching the clean mountain water flow swiftly by them. Noah related some of his incredible stories so that Anton could better understand the immensity of the challenges facing humankind and the entire galaxy. He told of his travels through a web of time and space, of signs of decay around the galaxy, of wild podships captured by the Tulyans, and of injured Parviis taking their entire podship fleet out of service in order to recuperate in a galactic fold. He also described the ancient caretaking duties of the Tulyan race, and how that had been diminished severely when they lost their podships to the Parviis.

Anton was astounded at what he heard, but did not question it. For several long minutes after Noah stopped talking, the younger man just sat there, absorbing the fantastic details. Presently he said, “It is common knowledge that podships are mysterious space travelers, and your account fills in missing elements. But tiny creatures piloting podships? If that is the case, why have the Parviis maintained podship service for so long throughout the galaxy, without ever charging for it?”

“They do not value money, in any form. Their entire existence is centered around controlling the sentient spaceships. It’s all they want to do, all they have ever wanted to do, all they have known. The problem is enormous. I’m sure they are planning to do something big with those podships—more than a hundred thousand of them—and it might not be the resumption of podship routes.”

“What do you think they’ll do?”

“A surprisingly powerful Tulyan attack drove the Parviis into a frenzy and killed many of them. I have a Parvii friend, a female, and her guess is that they plan to get revenge on a genocidal scale. They’re weakened now, but she doesn’t think it is the end for them, since they are survivors. Their swarms may be able to regenerate powerful telepathic weapons that have not been used since ancient wars.”

“And your Parvii friend has the podship you mentioned in one of your messages?”

“That’s right.” He hesitated. “You know her.”

“Eh?”

“The Parvii female. Tesh Kori.”

Anton’s jaw dropped. “What?”

Noah went on to tell him about the magnification capabilities of her people, and how her amplified skin not only looked real, but seemed real to the touch.

Looking at his uncle in astonishment, Anton said, “I feel like my head is going to explode with all of this new information.”

“Every word of it is true.”

“I don’t doubt it. I’ve never doubted anything about you, Noah. But why are you telling me all of this?”

“Because we need to work together, with all of our followers, instead of at cross purposes. Tesh came to me, asking for my help with a diplomatic mission to the Parvii Fold. She already went there on her own, trying to convince Parvii leadership to allow all of their podships to be used for web caretaking duties. They turned her down, declared her an outcast. I’m willing to help Tesh, but the diplomatic mission must go first to the Tulyans, to convince them to join the effort. The Tulyans have captured almost four hundred wild podships in deep space, but they need more vessels for all the web repair work that is needed.”

“They have that many ships?”

“It’s a pittance, compared to what the Parviis control.”

“But
four hundred
ships! We could fill them with military equipment and troops, and attack the Parviis in their nest!”

“Tesh would never consent to that.”

“If only we had a way of getting around her.”

“She has the only podship at our disposal and she knows how to seal its operations against intrusion. We have no choice. She’s the only way we can get to the Tulyan Starcloud.”

“So we tell her a few lies.”

Noah scowled, shook his head. “I don’t want any part of that.”

“I’m afraid you’re being nai’ve, Uncle.”

“Perhaps you’re right, but let’s rethink this. There must be another way.”

“As Doge, I shall take the responsibility. I like your suggestion that we work together, but I shall have to consider how best to accomplish that. Aside from how to handle Tesh, there are certain political hurdles to leap. My mother has many important allies, and they will be watching me closely.”

“This is a matter of utmost urgency.”

“I realize that.”

“And Lorenzo? You can keep him from attacking me again?”

“Only if you discontinue all guerrilla attacks against corporate assets. I know, both my mother and father have caused you a lot of grief, but you need to be the good guy here. If you can do that, I can lean hard on Lorenzo. He’s upset that I intervened to stop his attack against your headquarters, and I pulled every political string I have to do it. So far it’s holding, but you need to keep your end of the bargain.”

Noah nodded, and smiled. “You have my promise. Well, aren’t you the master diplomat now.”

As they sat there, Anton described the difficulties he had experienced in adjusting to his new position as leader of the Merchant Prince Alliance, and his frustration at trying to rule a fragmented, barely connected domain. He also admitted that his mother would continue to impede any alliance he might want with Noah—but she had been counseled by high officials that the MPA needed this cease-fire so that they could focus their assets on larger, galactic-scale matters.

Noah scowled. “Francella’s concerns are petty and self-centered, but for the sake of larger issues I will try to overlook the enmity we have always felt for one another.” He cleared his throat. “Sometimes I sense forces working to keep the entire galaxy in disarray. Why do Humans and Mutatis hate each other, anyway? Does anyone know?”

With a shrug, Anton said, “I only know that the mutual animosity goes back for thousands of years.”

“And look how many competing camps we have on Canopa,” Noah said, “at the heart of merchant prince rule. Your forces, mine, Francella’s, and Lorenzo’s, all splintered to one degree or another. Look at all of the corporate security forces on Canopa alone. I know for a fact that they’ve never been adequately coordinated with MPA forces, and this is true on other worlds as well. With greedy individuals and corporations looking out for their own interests, we’re in no shape to fight anyone except ourselves.”

A cold wind picked up as the sun disappeared behind clouds. “We’d better get going,” Anton said, rising to his feet.

In deference, Noah rose afterward, and as they walked back toward the aircraft, he marveled at how Anton was already showing leadership skills, including the way he led Noah around at their meeting place, deciding when to leave.

As they approached the landing sites, they heard excited shouts ahead, from their companions. Running in that direction, Noah and Anton saw a large, ragged rift along the river shore, with the Red Beret soldiers clinging to the edge of the hole, yelling for help. Noah’s robots were setting up rescue equipment, but the hole widened and all of Anton’s people disappeared in a great thunder of earth and rock, along with his grid-plane.