This Day All Gods Die (67 page)

'control' could be supplied. That was one of Min Donner's duties aboard Punisher. She was supposed to replace Milos Taverner. When Trumpet escaped Massif-5, however, Director Donner hadn't yet succeeded—

perhaps because Punisher was

too busy fighting Calm Horizons.

"Whatever Captain Thermopyle's and Morn Hyland's reasons may have been, they went to Massif-5 on their own."

Igensard tried a righteous sneer, but he was too harried and tight to carry it off. "Do you expect us to believe that?"

Koina let her anger answer him. "I'm the UMCP PR director. I have a great deal more information than you do. If you can't prove I'm wrong, I think you owe it to this Council and the people of Earth to start believing me."

For a moment silence answered her challenge. Members refused to meet her eyes. Their aides studied her as if she'd become oddly repulsive. Then President Len asked, "What will Warden Dios do? Why is he aboard Calm Horizons'? Does he have any hope of keeping us alive?"

She understood his real question; his indirect attempt at conciliation: Will Warden surrender Trumpet's people to save us?

"I don't know, Mr. President." For a moment grief swelled in her chest. "He didn't tell me that."

"Can we talk to Morn Hyland?" Blaine put in suddenly.

"Surely we can aim a dish at Punisher? Or route a channel through UMCPHQ?"

Koina bowed her head. "I haven't been authorized to do that, Member Manse." She was beaten and desperate: she would have jumped at the chance to do as Blaine suggested.

"Director Dios didn't mention it. And I'm not in contact with Acting Director Donner. I don't know whether she would sanction it or not."

If Warden had to surrender Trumpet's people in order to preserve the Council, Morn might already be out of reach.

Sold again—

"Ask her," Blaine urged. "What have we got to lose?"

Cleatus flapped his hands dismissively. "I'm sure the acting director has her hands full," he snorted. "She won't have time to deal with us. Considering Dios' behavior so far, she's probably our only hope. I for one don't want to distract her."

I'm sure you don't, Koina thought. But she kept her opinion to herself. She didn't have the heart to provoke him further. It was plain that too many of the Members agreed with him.

Without warning Captain Vertigus tottered to his feet.

"Director Hannish, I have a question."

Maxim squared his shoulders and opened his mouth, clearly intending to cut Sixten off. To forestall him, Koina replied quickly, "I'll answer it if I can, Captain."

Sixten gripped the back of Maxim's empty seat as if he needed it to hold him up. His head wobbled weakly on his old neck. All the energy he could muster was focused in his voice.

"I've been listening to these revelations with more than a little nausea. If I hadn't had so many years to get used to the way Holt Fasner does things, I would probably be puking by now. But the single thing you've told us that sickens me the most can't be blamed on him.

"How in the name of conscience do you justify selling Morn Hyland to Nick Succorso?"

He gave the impression that he held Koina accountable for Warden's actions; but she knew better. She was simply the only person here who might tell him what was in Warden's mind. He had work to do—

work as hazardous as hers, and as

necessary—

but he needed something from her before he could do it.

She let him see the distress on her face as she said, "I understand how you feel. Giving Morn to Nick Succorso when she'd just spent weeks as Angus Thermopyle's victim was"—

she opened her hands to show that her heart was open as well

—

"abominable. But we didn't know how else to keep her alive.

"She's a witness to the fact that Captain Thermopyle was framed." That the Council had been tricked into passing the Preempt Act. "If Com-Mine took her into custody, we were sure she would end up dead. CEO Fasner has a long reach.

And he doesn't want anyone to know the Preempt Act rests on a lie."

Sixten nodded. He seemed to accept her explanation; to believe her. A combative smolder showed in his eyes, and he straightened his back like a man who was about to go into battle.

"In that case—

"

But he didn't get to finish. Cleatus had started shouting.

"That's enough, Director Hannish!" he raged. "You've gone too far!" He seemed to draw strength from his PCR.

"You admit—

over and over again—

that you don't have any

evidence. And yet you persist in these baseless accusations.

It's slander, and I won't tolerate any more of it!"

"Mr. Fane," Sixten yelled back, "I have the floor!"

"No, you don't!" Maxim sounded frantic; on the verge of howling. "I do. I have the authority to question her. You're just interrupting!"

"Igensard!" Cleatus roared furiously.

At once Maxim flinched backward a step; shrank into himself. In a thin voice he announced, "I yield the floor to FEA Cleatus Fane."

"Thank you," Cleatus snapped.

Heavy as a battlewagon, he strode to the dais, mounted it, and aimed his bulk at Abrim Len as if he meant to browbeat the smaller man.

"Mr. President, I object to this whole debacle." Iron indignation clanged in his voice. "You've allowed Director Hannish to retail the most malign falsehoods without restraint.

This isn't a court of law, but it should be. Warden Dios is on trial. Not Holt Fasner—

the director of the UMCP. You can't

go on letting Dios' mouthpiece taint this Council with irresponsible hearsay and unsubstantiated charges! If she can't supply evidence, you should make her stop."

Apparently Abrim's unfamiliar decisiveness had deserted him. It cost him too much: he couldn't outface the Dragon's minion. He seemed to recede into his chair as he asked Koina hesitantly, "Director Hannish, do you have an answer?"

"Not a good one, Mr. President," she admitted tiredly. If she hadn't sworn an oath as Warden's Director of Protocol, she might have been tempted to concede defeat. "I've simply been trying to save time by telling the whole story as I know it. To help the Council make informed decisions."

But she had sworn an oath. And Warden had staked his life aboard Calm Horizons to save these people. In spite of her despair, she couldn't bear to back down while there was still something, anything, she might say.

Before President Len—

or the FEA—

could continue, she

added, "And, frankly, I had hoped the evidence I need would have arrived by now."

"What evidence?" Cleatus sneered like vitriol. "From whom?"

Koina confronted him squarely, her anger swelling to match his. "From Hashi Lebwohl. From UMCPED Chief of Security Mandich. They're investigating these recent kazes."

In response he brandished his beard at her like a club.

He'd been practicing innocence for a long time. He was good at it. "My God, this is unconscionable! Are you going to blame that on Holt Fasner, too?"

She didn't try to stop. She didn't want to. Risking what was left of her credibility, she snapped, "Yes, I am. I believe he sent those kazes. I believe he's the one who wants to confuse this Council. And I believe he'll do worse if he isn't stopped."

Her charge may have sounded like lunacy to everyone else; but Cleatus was ready for it. His PCR gave him information and advice she couldn't hear. The baldness of her accusation didn't make him falter for a second.

Wheeling away from President Len, he proclaimed,

"Members, we've had too much of this farrago. Director Hannish has made a shambles of this session.

"But it won't go on like this. That's a fact, not a challenge. I've just been informed"—

he indicated the receiver in

his ear—

"that CEO Fasner has relieved Acting Director Donner of her duties.

"Because the CEO doesn't believe the Amnion will ever let a man as valuable as Warden Dios go, no matter what kind of deal he makes with them, Director Dios will be replaced. A new director will be named shortly. And I'm sure one of his first actions will be to put a stop to Director Hannish's malfeasance."

Koina winced in shock. Involuntarily she flung a look at her techs; mouthed the words, Is that true?

One of the women had the blessed presence of mind to rise to her feet. "Director Hannish"—

only a slight quaver

marred her voice—

"we've received a report from UMCPHQ

Center. On your dedicated downlink."

"What does it say?" Koina asked quickly.

The tech cleared her throat. "Acting Director Donner has refused to be relieved." Her tone grew stronger as she summarized Center's transmission. "According to the terms of the UMCP charter, her authority derives from the director. She insists that Holt Fasner has no right to relieve her. He must first replace Director Dios. But Director Dios can't be fired without due notification. This is especially true under conditions of war. Since Director Dios hasn't been replaced, Director Donner has refused CEO Fasner's orders."

At once the woman sat down as if she wanted to get out of the crossfire.

Thank God! Abruptly Koina's knees started trembling again. She leaned an elbow on the podium to support herself Cleatus didn't contradict the tech. Obviously he knew her information was accurate: his PCR had already given him the same news. Instead he protested savagely, "That's not our fault. For the last twenty-four hours he's refused to speak to Mr. Fasner. And now the Amnion are holding him incommunicado. We've done everything we can to give him notification."

"But the point is"—

Koina offered a bitter smile—

"that

Director Dios has not been fired. Under the circumstances, UMCPHQ has lawfully refused to recognize any authority except Min Donner's.

"Why did you lie to us, Mr. Fane? Did you think you could bluff your way out of this?"

But Cleatus was ready for that, too. His downlink from UMCHO seemed to cover everything. Without pausing to collect himself, he blared at the Council, "If I hadn't been interrupted, I would have told you what you just heard. The point isn't that Dios hasn't been fired. It's that he's blocked CEO

Fasner's lawful authority at every turn.

"Do you need more proof? Do you have to be hit by proton cannon fire before you recognize the treason here?

Warden Dios has betrayed his office. He's betrayed the UMCP. He's betrayed humankind. How many more crimes have to come to light before you do something about it?"

"Like what?" Koina demanded so that Sixten would have an opening. "What do you think the Council should do, exactly?"

The old captain didn't hesitate. His voice quavering with age and urgency, he pronounced, "Pass my Bill of Severance.

Now. While we still can. Take the cops away from the UMC

so they won't be influenced by a man like Holt Fasner."

Fane shook his head brutally. "That's not good enough."

He seemed to be prepared for everything. "It leaves Warden Dios free to do what he wants. I have a better idea.

"This Council should decharter the UMCP. Right here, right now. Revoke their existence. Then recharter them with somebody else as director. My God," he cried, "anybody else! If you actually believe any of this shit about Holt Fasner"—

his scorn rang off the walls—

"you can give Captain

Vertigus the job." He flung a gesture like a blow at Sixten. "It doesn't matter. Only staying alive matters. And putting an end to these lies."

When she looked around the room, saw the dismay and dread on the faces of the Members, Koina had no doubt which proposal they would accept. They were too troubled, too unsure, too scared to reject the power of the Dragon.

And Warden was lost.

when she made the decision

to trust Angus with her son's life, and Warden Dios', comforted her; but it didn't last long. First came a rush of activity as everyone hurried to their places: Captain Ubikwe, Vector, and Davies with the command module; Angus, Ciro, and Mikka aboard Trumpet; Min Donner, Punisher's duty officers, and Morn herself on the auxiliary bridge. Then followed the tense work of detaching the module and releasing Trumpet.

Min stood impatiently at the communications station while Cray routed Center's transmissions to her PCR and throat pickup. Patrice activated the helm console swiftly. Restored to his post at last, Glessen ran targ with grim satisfaction. Porson and Bydell working together brought up the main displays—

scan schematics, orbit and course vectors, targ windows—

and

added blips for the command module and Trumpet as Dolph began transporting the gap scout along his cautious route toward Calm Horizons.

Among them Morn settled into the command g-seat. The auxiliary bridge felt like a completely different place than the one she'd just left: oriented differently in Punisher's deceleration g; with different sounds and pressures. And the air was colder for some reason. It seemed closer to the outer dark; the absolute chill of space. More exposed—

Unlike the people around her, she had no duties. The cruiser would have obeyed her orders, but she had none to give. Captain Ubikwe's officers took care of Punisher. Min handled everything else. And Morn had no part to play in Angus' plots, or Davies' risks. Finally she'd arrived at the position she'd sought ever since she'd returned to consciousness beyond Massif-5. She was free to do what she'd come here for.

Tell the truth. Accuse the men and women she'd been raised to serve of crimes she abhorred.

That crisis loomed ahead of her like the last gap crossing of her life; the ordeal she dreaded most. She'd talked about it as if she were certain of herself; believed completely in what she meant to do; as if she had no room for doubt. But now she feared it might prove to be a new form of gap-sickness—

a

more fatal form.

Possibilities of ruin seemed to throng like furies about her, calling for blood. She would have to bare her soul to the Council; open her shame for every Member of the GCES to see and condemn.