Sword of the Lamb (38 page)

A silence was growing; she realized he was watching her and felt curiously defensive.

“Alex, you certainly gave the other councilors no hint of your determination to be resurrected. How do you explain your openness with
me
?”

He returned to his chair, seating himself with a little more care than would be normal for a man of his youth, and that couldn’t entirely be laid to the fact that he wasn’t used to Pollux’s lighter gravity.

“Didn’t I? I said I was willing to serve the Phoenix in the capacity for which I was best suited.”

“Ah, yes.” She smiled in retrospect.

“I doubt I’ll have any secrets from you after this screening process, so it would be futile for me to be less than honest with you. But the truth is, I can speak openly with you because you were a friend of Rich’s. I know that even if he never spoke your name. And I trusted his judgment; that’s why I’m here.” Then he added, “As for my reticence with the Council, there was a reason, although I doubt I’d have been less cautious under any circumstances. Before Rich—on that last night at the Estate—Rich said something that I could only regard as a warning. He said I might find it necessary to . . . ‘
save
the Phoenix as well as serving it.’ He also said that certain political principles pertain in any social context, and one is that power vacuums will always be filled.” His eyes were fixed intently on her. “When he first told me about the Phoenix he called it a power vacuum. Andreas Riis doesn’t fill that vacuum; he isn’t emotionally suited to the role. Who does fill it, Erica? Or, rather, who
wants
to fill it?”

She came close to smiling at that accurate assessment of Andreas, but his question quelled the inclination. She wasn’t ready to answer it yet. Alex Ransom had been in Fina less than an hour; he had a great deal to learn and a total personality reorientation to accomplish. She wouldn’t discuss that particular problem with him yet.

“Do
you
want to fill it, Alex?”

Briefly, a chill,
Lordly
impatience flashed in his eyes. Then he relaxed and laughed.

“Yes, I suppose so, but I don’t regard myself as the threat to the Society Rich implied, and perhaps I’m deluded in that. You don’t wish to pursue the subject of power vacuums.”

“No, Alex. Not yet.”

He nodded. “I’m capable of patience, although some people might not believe it, and I’m well aware that I can’t be a tool for the Phoenix, or it for me, unless I have the support of a majority of its members. That will take time; years, perhaps. Meanwhile, the Lord Alexand is dead.” He looked down at the ring on his right hand, and Erica wanted to weep, not at any evidence of grief elicited by that reminder of Adrien Eliseer, but at its absence.

“Alex, the Phoenix will do everything possible to keep the Lady Adrien free to honor the existing Contracts of Marriage with Woolf if we succeed in resurrecting you.”

He turned paler, and for a long time didn’t move; his eyes were turned on the ring, but they seemed incapable of sight. Finally, he looked across the table at her and said levelly, “I’m sure the Phoenix will bend every effort to keep Adrien free. The Woolf-Eliseer union was obviously important to you; you helped bring it about. But, from a personal point of view, I can only hope it will never be finalized.”

Erica was taken by surprise, and that was rare.

“Why?” she asked flatly.

“Because the Lady Adrien, unfortunately, loves me. I’m sure you’re aware of that, and equally aware that I love her. Yet I’ve inflicted the agony of grief for my death on her.”

“You might have told her your plans. We couldn’t monitor or control all your communications.”

“Yes, but I had a taste of that these last three years with Rich—of knowing; of wondering every day if he was alive or in the hands of the SSB. And I had personal contact with him periodically. That wouldn’t be possible for Adrien and me. Would the Phoenix risk setting up a line of communication with her simply to indulge my needs or desires? Of course not. So Adrien would be in limbo, worse than mine with Rich because there would be no end to it.” His eyes closed, but only briefly. “With Rich my terrors were limited by his inevitable death, but for Adrien there would be no end. I considered this the lesser of two unforgivable evils.”

A terrible decision to be forced to make, Erica thought bleakly, and a worse decision to live with once made. But few members reached HS 1 without making similar decisions. She’d made her own.

“That doesn’t tell me why you hope the marriage won’t take place.”

He frowned distractedly. “Love turns to hatred so easily. Betrayal is usually the agent. I saw it in my father. He was wrong in thinking himself betrayed by Rich, but I
have
betrayed Adrien. Yet I still love her and always will. Consider our marriage, Erica, if it should take place. She can only despise me for my betrayal, and I can only love her and be daily stretched on the rack of my guilt and her contempt. Not a pleasant prospect.”

Erica started to protest that he might be underestimating the Lady Adrien in thinking her incapable of forgiveness, but the protest died on her lips.

Why? From all the evidence available to her, and that from Rich was dependable and detailed, Alex had
never
underestimated Adrien Eliseer. He recognized her potential from the moment they met. Why did he underestimate her now?

She sighed, feeling suddenly weary to the bone.

It was simple enough, and she knew beyond a doubt he believed every word he said. He
had
to. It was the lesser of evils for him, too. He couldn’t tolerate maintaining a virtually hopeless hope over months and years, as he was afraid Adrien couldn’t tolerate the uncertainty about his fate, and so he killed that hope as he killed the Lord Alexand for Adrien, in one clean, compassionate, agonizing blow.

His reactions to Adrien Eliseer would have to be studied, but only under deep conditioning. She wouldn’t challenge his solution to this problem on a conscious level, or say anything that might revive the hope he’d killed. For the Phoenix, it was a workable solution to a potential problem: a division of his loyalty. For Alex Ransom, it was the only merciful solution, because the odds were very high against that hope ever being realized.

“Alex, I’m sorry.”

He seemed to weigh those words, and finally nodded mutely. Then he methodically removed Adrien’s ring and the sapphire his mother had given him.

“I’m not willing to give these up, but I can’t wear them. The one is obvious identification; the other—” He studied the sapphire briefly before he put it on the table. “It’s a little ostentatious for a Fesh ’Fleeter.” He noted the direction of her glance and touched the medallion at his throat. “This I won’t part with. It can’t identify me; the symbolism is too personal.”

She nodded as she took the rings and put them in her pocket, out of his sight.

“All members are assigned voice-lock boxes for personal valuables. Until that’s done, I’ll keep these in my office; they’ll be safe there.”

He looked down at his naked hands, in that drawing her eye to them. Strong hands, she thought, unusual in a man who never had, and never would, earn his living by manual labor. She noted the bandage again, but didn’t ask about it because those strong hands were trembling; she saw that before he folded them together to hide that indication of his physical and emotional state.

But his voice was still level; under control. Everything under control.

“Will I have access to vidicom newscasts here?”

“Of course. You aren’t that much of a prisoner. You’ll also have access to our viditape library, as well as five music bands.”

“Life isn’t so spartan here, after all.”

“We have to make life bearable or the confinement becomes overwhelming. We also have means of entertaining ourselves—a theater group, choral and instrumental ensembles—and we’ve some talented artists and poets in our ranks.”

His interest in that was only polite; he was gazing at the doorway of the room she always referred to as the “guest room,” his temporary quarters. She knew even before he started to rise that he had said all he intended to tonight, and it was a great deal more than she had expected.

He pulled himself to his feet, pausing as Erica rose.

“You’ve been very patient with my questions, Erica, and your answers should suffice for tonight. Thank you.”

They would suffice because he was finding it too difficult to maintain that studied calm; he wanted to be alone. She nodded and led the way into the guest room, waving on the light as she entered.

“You’ll have more questions, and the answers will come in time. Oh—there’s a tape on your comconsole that will provide some of the answers; at least, about Fina and to a degree the Society. There’s not much to show you about your quarters; it’s all rather self-evident.” She frowned slightly. “Alex, perhaps you should have a sedative tonight.”

“No.” The response was too quick, open overtones of fear in it. He called up a smile. “Thank you, Erica, but I don’t take sedatives.”

She didn’t question that; not now. She rested her hand lightly on his arm, feeling his tension at that touch. It wasn’t a reaction to her personally, she knew; he simply wasn’t accustomed to casual physical contact with relative strangers.

“Alex, all of HS I is open to you, including my office and apartment. I mean, when I’m there, and I’m there most of the time.”

He smiled at that. “You’re very kind, Erica. You offer aid and comfort without embarrassing me with verbal recognition of a need for it.”

“
I’m
supposed to do the analysis around here.” She laughed, then felt it slip away from her. “Alex, I loved Rich, too, even if it couldn’t be to the degree you did. I made a death pledge that should you need an alternative, you’d be offered one. That pledge has been met sooner than Rich expected. But I made another pledge that should you need a friend, you’d have one.” She stopped, seeing him tighten. “Tomorrow we begin the screening. Rest well.”

He nodded mutely, then reached out and took her hand for a moment, and she was amazed and moved.

“Erica . . . good night.”

“Good night. Welcome to Fina, Alex Ransom.”

PHOENIX MEMFILES: DEPT HUMAN SCIENCES:
SCREENING/
ORIENTATION (HS/S/O)

SUBFILE: PRESCREENING ORIENTATION
(AUTHOR: E. RADEK)

DOC LOC #819/19/15–161915–518

I’ve prepared this tape to answer some of the pragmatic questions new members ask—or should ask—in order to orient themselves in terms of their future personal existence. My purpose is simply to give you a general idea of what kind of place you’ve come to, and what day-to-day life is like in Fina, which is not only the headquarters of the Phoenix, but a community in which you may spend most of your life.

I say
may
. Over half our members are double idents based outside Fina. The breakdown in round numbers: total membership is fourteen thousand, of which six thousand are based here in Fina. Of the eight thousand double idents, six thousand function as agents in the Houses with as many as a hundred in each of the Directorate Houses. The remaining two thousand work in various branches of the Concord bureaucracy.

But you’re in Fina now, whatever your future assignment.

Even with your brief acquaintance with it, you’ve probably guessed that Fina was built in a series of natural caves. Originally, it was a geophysical research station operated under the auspices of the Peladeen Republic University. Soon after the Society’s founding in 3200, work began on enlarging the existing facilities to serve as our HQ, but most of the construction was carried out during the War of the Twin Planets, and the success of the project and the efficacy of the security shield surrounding it, we owe entirely to Elor Ussher Peladeen, last Lord of the House. He and his wife, Lady Manir, were from the outset staunch supporters of the Phoenix, and his last lettape was addressed to Andreas Riis. You’ll have an opportunity to read it later. It’s an eloquent document.

Fina is built within a limestone uplift dominating the island, which we facetiously call Mount Torbrek. There are fourteen levels, although they aren’t as neatly arranged as that suggests; the builders had to take advantage of natural chambers and passages as much as possible.

Beginning at the bottom, Level 1, a hundred meters below sea level, is Fleet Operations (FO), our military branch, with its three hangars and undersea access locks.

Level 2 is the domain of Supply and Maintenance, specifically our storage and manufacturing facilities. Level 3, which is at sea level, also belongs to SM, and is devoted primarily to food and power. Here our power generators are located. We depend entirely on hydroelectric power generated by the channelization of tidal bores. The tides on Pollux are much higher than those on Terra, incidentally, with Castor impelling them.

Level 3 also houses our food processing facilities, which include hydroponic gardens, plankton screens, and docking facilities for our submarine fishing fleet. Most of our protein derives from Pollux’s seas, and with our processing procedures is identical to Terran-produced protein. However, we don’t recommend eating Polluxian “fish” straight from the water.

On the next seven levels are the living quarters. Level 7, midway in the housing levels, is the Service, Medical, and Recreation—or SMR—level. Here you’ll find the supply distribution center, our source for all personal and household necessities, and the Medical Center, consisting of a three-hundred-bed infirmary, diagnostic center, pharmacy, and a permanent care unit for patients with chronic or terminal diseases or disabling injuries. For recreation, we offer, among other things, a gymnasium complex. There are usually informal interdepartmental competitions in progress in various sports. These are entirely voluntary, but double idents and members in FO and Security and Intelligence are required to pass annual fitness tests.

SMR also houses the Basic School for our Second Gen (that is, second generation) youngsters, workshops for crafts and hobbies, meeting rooms, and a small auditorium. These are used by musical, theatrical, or other mutual interest groups, most of whom present concerts, plays, vididramas, lectures, or exhibitions periodically. Also in SMR is the General Training unit, as well as the Council room and offices.

Each of the six living-unit levels houses about a thousand, with two dining halls on each level. The basic living-unit room module is four meters square. The one-person unit consists of two rooms and bath, the two-person unit of three rooms and bath, and so on up to a four-person unit. You may think that extra room in all the units extravagant, but we’ve had to weigh demands on our resources and space against the detrimental psychological effects of long confinement. This is one of many concessions we consider necessary.
Our recreational facilities exist for the same reason, and if it all sounds a bit frivolous, be warned that members in Fina have only one day a week free—and many don’t even take one—with five days devoted to assigned duties, and the remaining day to “SM duty,” also known as “drudge duty.” That is, the necessary cleaning, maintenance, and kitchen tasks that SM isn’t staffed to contend with alone.

A comment here: Rank has its privileges even in Fina. For instance, department heads are provided apartments adjoining their offices, although not all of them choose to use them. Department and unit heads, and members deemed by them to be on priority assignments, are exempt from drudge duty. The privilege is not abused, however; we recognize, out of necessity, our mutual responsibilities here.

The choice of living arrangements—where, with whom, or with how many—is yours, and you may change your mind at any time. A note on related choices: We don’t discourage sexually based relationships, hetero- or homosexual, nor do we discourage marriages, although only ten percent of our members are married. The only limitations the Society imposes is in the matter of children. Paired—that is, unmarried—couples may not have children. If a pregnancy results from a pair relationship, the couple has the choice of marrying (and accepting assignments in Fina if they are double idents) or abortion, or, if the mother wishes to bear the child, surrendering it to a Sisters of Faith orphanage. If married double-ident couples wish to have children, they will be reassigned to Fina. This is to protect the children—who deserve a more secure life than double idents can offer—and to protect the parents; children are, unfortunately, high security risks. Our birth rate is very low: .1 percent per year. Most members feel their psychic energy is totally absorbed in a consuming cause. Others, however, consider bringing up a second generation literally born to the cause a commitment to its future.

To continue with the physical description of Fina: There is an inadvertent symbolism in its construction, since the first ten levels support the next four. The real work of the Phoenix is carried out on those top levels, but it would be impossible without the practical foundation of the other levels.

Level 11 is divided between two major departments, Computer Systems and Physical Sciences. The former is in a sense the brain of the Phoenix; certainly it is as vital to our work. The latter includes research, teaching, and library facilities for sciences ranging from astronomy to zoology. CompSystems, by the way, also includes a comprehensive library of human knowledge that in depth and detail surpasses even the Concord University Library and the Archives.

Level 12 is devoted to Human Sciences, which includes medicine, psychoscience, history, all aspects of sociology, and the sociohistorical trend-monitoring systems. This is where you are now, specifically HS 1.

On Level 13 is the Security and Intelligence Department, and in its intelligence functions it is a particularly vital part of the Phoenix. SI agents are much more than spies; they are data gatherers providing information necessary to the functioning of every other department. If CompSystems is the brain of the Phoenix, SI is its eyes and ears.

The nerve system, to continue the metaphor, is Communications, which occupies Level 14, the topmost in Fina. There is no comparison in the Concord for our communications network. It is and must be the best ever devised. Not only does the transmission of the information so essential to our existence and purpose depend on our communications system, but so do the lives of our eight thousand double idents. And one thing I can promise you about the Phoenix: we are few in number and we care very much about each other; we look after our own.

I’ll conclude this at the top of our Mount Torbrek. You have many more questions, I know, some of which I can’t answer now, but I offer the assurance that eventually most of your questions will be answered. At least, those the Phoenix has the answers for.