JULIEN
II
Chapter 72
More research
For some time Julien had been in two minds about whether or not to go back to the Sang Kang, but now he decided that he needed to go and talk to the synthetic inhabitant of the place, Yangdehar of Dahldreng: he had questions for him. He'd considered leaving Xarax behind so as not to expose him again to the emotional conflict that the visits caused him, but eventually he had decided against it, because he didn't want to hide things from his haptir, whatever he might discover. And he still thought it possible that he might run into problems there, and he didn't want to try to take them on without the solid support of his companion.
The little room hadn't changed and the Territories board was still set up and awaiting its players. Outside in the dewy garden, a few flowers had just opened to greet the morning sun. Julien found himself wondering if the garden was simply an illusion, or if it could be real – in which case he wondered who was tending it. Then he decided that he was happy not knowing and simply being able to enjoy the tranquillity of the place.
He sat on one of the low chairs, composing himself for a moment while he enjoyed the gentle caress of the perfumed breeze, and then he mentally invoked the presence of 'Yang'.
“I see that Xarax is with you once more, My Lord,” commented the adviser.
“Yes, he is. I hope you don't mind.”
“I could raise some objections, but I suspect that they would be useless.”
“You're right. I've decided that Xarax is going to help me with my research.”
“And what is the subject of that research?”
“I need to find out exactly what is going on.”
“That is a very wide field...”
“Look, everyone says that I'm Yulmir, but I still have absolutely no memory of it. And the more I find out about him, the more he seems like a not very nice man. In fact I don't think I would have wanted to meet him.”
“That could be a rather hasty judgement.”
“Even so. And they want me to learn his job – a job he hated so much that in the end he wanted to die once and for all just to escape from it. At least, that's what you implied before.”
“That's a bit of a simplification, but I suppose it's accurate enough.”
“So what would happen if I decided that Yulmir was right and so chose to kill myself?”
“I doubt if your haptir would let you do that.”
I would definitely prefer you not to do that, Julien, said Xarax, but I wouldn't force you to remain alive.
“Did you hear that?” asked Julien.
“Yes. But I'm afraid suicide wouldn't solve things for you.”
“Why not? The Sleeping Bodies are all dead.”
“But new ones are being prepared.”
“But suppose I were to do it today? They can't be ready yet, surely?”
“True, but there seems to be a strong possibility that a similar phenomenon to the one that sent you to Earth would happen – in other words, you would be reborn there.”
“But even if I was there wouldn't be anyone on Earth who could send me back to the Nine Worlds.”
“Don't be too sure of that. And even if you managed to forbid your friends from looking for you you'd only be putting things off for a lifetime, because once your new existence on Earth came to an end there would be a Sleeping Body waiting for you.”
“But I wouldn't be here!”
“That makes no difference. Spatial distance counts for nothing.”
“But there has to be a way out of this trap!”
“That's what Yulmir thought. But here you are, so obviously he didn't manage to find one.”
“How can you be so sure? Maybe he really is dead and he's just dumped the chore onto me. Who says I really am Yulmir? I certainly don't!”
“Oh, there's absolutely no doubt about it. Anyone who sees you as you really are knows that you are the Emperor. There is no other possibility.”
“I get the impression that that suits everyone perfectly – except me, of course. And while we're at it, there's one other little detail that still bothers me.”
“I'll do my best to answer it.”
“You just told me that as far as the Sleeping Bodies are concerned, physical distance is unimportant.”
“That's true.”
“But when Yulmir went to Earth the Sleeping Bodies were not dead. Xarax told me he checked personally. He also told me, if I remember correctly, that the biometric indicators couldn't lie. So why didn't Yulmir reappear in a spare body?”
“Because Master Xarax was fooled. When he checked the Sleeping Bodies after Yulmir's disappearance they were already dead. Yulmir had found a way to make the biometric indicators lie. Actually that's not all that difficult, given that the machines were without intelligence and unprotected against interference. Why would they have been? Only the Emperor himself or his haptir could access them. So, of course, it had to be Yulmir: he stopped the anentropic stasis generators for the fraction of a second necessary to interrupt the vital processes of the Sleeping Bodies.
“Do you have any other unanswered questions?”
“Yes, but I think we'll leave it there for now. Unless...”
“Yes?”
“You don't happen to know where the leader of the Dalannis is hiding, do you?”
“No.”
“Then that will do for today. Thank you.”
“It is always a pleasure to talk with you, My Lord.”
oo0oo
Xarax, I'm really sorry – even if I can't actually remember doing anything wrong.
There's no reason for you to feel guilty. In any case, Yulmir didn't have any choice: he had to hide what he was doing from me.
Even so, I hope that's an end to the lies.
As far as you and I are concerned I am sure we don't need to keep secrets from each other. But it might be as well not to tell our friends about it. Master Subadar, for instance, would not be happy. And I'm not going to get Dillik involved by telling him, either.
Maybe you're right, but I'm going to have to think about it: I don't like the idea of hiding things from the people I love. All these lies have to stop.
I understand how you feel, but I don't know of any case where a leader – Lord, King or Emperor – has been able to tell the truth at all times and keep his hands clean. Exercising power is a messy business, whatever sort of power we're talking about.
That's precisely why I don't want any power!
Unfortunately you don't have a choice.
But you'll still help me to find a way out of this, won't you?
I will help you as much as I can, even though this situation bothers me a lot less than it does you.
What do you mean?
I like helping you. Maybe you don't realise this, but I love you too.
Wouldn't you rather be free to live your own life and be free to do whatever you want?
I do live my own life, and I am free to do what I want. It just so happens that what I want to do is serve you. I'm very happy as I am.
What about Dillik?
Right now Dillik dreams of becoming captain of a trankenn.
Exactly. How are you going to be able to be with him and with me simultaneously? As the saying goes, you cannot serve two masters at the same time.
Dillik is not my master.
True, but then neither am I.
You shouldn't try to lie to yourself. It's even more dangerous than lying to others.
All right, then, maybe I am your master. But it's only because that's the way you want it.
Exactly. Dillik knows that, and it suits him perfectly. When I'm serving you, he feels that he is too, and he's proud of that.
What?!
You should try to understand this: it's possible to be glad to serve when you do it by choice. Ask your cook. I know that he wept for joy the last time you called to compliment him. And he's rich enough not to need the work, because his family is one of the wealthiest on Nüngen. He serves you because it was a noble way to do his duty. And now he serves you out of love.
Apparently everyone loves me. I'm obviously a lucky boy!
You can laugh, but it's a good thing that you are so easy to love. There are enough people out there trying to harm you.
oo0oo
Chapter 73
Déjà vu
It was a cool morning, which made a pleasant change from the scorching heat of the past three days. The garden was sparkling with dew and Julien decided to take a little stroll before knuckling down to the inevitable, and mostly boring, chores which took up far more of his time than he would have liked. The sun was still not far above the horizon, so its light was filtered through stands of something that resembled ornamental bamboo, casting a pleasant light on the powder-blue sand paths. As always these paths had been raked to perfection, but the gardeners were so silent and inconspicuous that so far Julien had never even seen one.
He had about an hour before duty would drag him back inside, so he decided to spend the time watching the various creatures that had made their home here. At this time of day he ought to be able to find some of the large scarab-like insects that shone with iridescent colours. Most of them were completely harmless, and by now he could recognise the small number that might be inclined to bite him, so he would be able to brush them away with the back of his hand. But he spent a while standing still, hoping that some of the harmless ones would land on his arm so that he could look at them close up. After all, this wasn't Tandil, where just about anything was likely to kill you or at best inflict nasty burns!
He also saw a few small creatures that were the size of small rabbits and as nimble as squirrels. These uttered melodious little trilling sounds and were seemingly fearless, because they would grab the hem of a passer-by's robe in the hope of being rewarded with the little treats that most visitors carried with them. They had beautiful silky blond fur that glinted with other colours, but they weren't quite tame enough to permit people to pet them, no matter how much that lovely soft fur seemed to cry out for it.
The flowers were both strange and familiar: some had shapes as extravagant as the orchids of Earth, while others emitted a strange, spicy fragrance which reminded Julien strongly that he was a long way from home.
He was crossing one of the little bridges over the stream that meandered through the trees when he first spotted the assailants. There was no need for him to think: all his friends were either away or busy with their usual morning activities, and nobody else was allowed into this garden. As soon as he saw the first shape move a few paces away from him he went into combat stasis, because now his training was paying off: he wouldn't be panicked into a blind reaction again. Here within the grounds of the Palace he had at his disposal the impressive power that Xarax had awakened within him when he had been attacked in the Ocean Rotunda. He had long since memorised the necessary mental pattern and the words that would trigger the devastating burst of fire, and this was undoubtedly the time to make use of them.
“Han Khalimai! To Ganniwey!”
The air seemed to congeal around him, but the fireball he had hoped for failed to appear, and now there were three Yrcadians rushing towards him. He could dimly hear cries and alarms being set off but it was clear that no help would get anywhere near him before it was far too late. He was as usual carrying his nagtri but he had no illusions about his fighting ability: he knew he had no chance against three... no, four perfectly trained assassins whose only speciality was providing violent death. And so he jumped...
oo0oo
And the trap snapped shut.
oo0oo
Instead of the peaceful landscape of the Orientation Table Julien emerged into another place that he recognised immediately, because he'd seen it before, the first time he had tried to create an environment for himself in the Narthex. This sinister setting was exactly the one that he had spontaneously produced in front of a horrified Master Subadar: the sacrificial altar of a circle of dark sorcerers.
But this time he was not in the Narthex and Master Subadar was not here to reassure him. Instead he was alone, without Xarax, surrounded by a circle of naked, priapic men whose skin was painted with symbols the mere sight of which was like a defilement – and, worse, he was facing a palpitating shadow that was radiating absolute malevolence.
Nearby a drum was beating frantically without any discernible rhythm, but its racket was not enough to drown out the dreadful screeches of a flute whose sound seemed to penetrate the stones and seep into the bones, freezing the marrow.
Suddenly there was silence. In the reddish light thrown off by some braziers which were burning something that smelled obnoxious, the only remaining sound was a moan, and Julien realised to his horror that it came from what he had thought was nothing more than some discarded scraps of meat a few steps away.
oo0oo