Armies of Light and Dark (18 page)

He stared at Vallko with open curiosity, obviously anticipating some deeply intriguing response. Vallko laughed softly as if he'd justbeen told something quite amusing.

"I am not blessed enough to converse directly with the Great Maker. I divine my knowledge from those to whom he has spoken. The greatest, wisest of us. And there are ... feelings," he admitted, apparently grudgingly. "I have feelings of what the Great Maker would like for his people, feelings that I convey to the followers."

"And you have a lot of followers," Vir said admiringly.

"They are the followers of the Great Maker. I am merely his vessel."

"Well, that's ... that's nice," said Vir, apparently at a loss for words. He just stood there, seeming to have nothing more to offer to the conversation. Vallko looked him up and down once more, and then made a small hmmf noise that certainly sounded to Vir as if he was being dismissed. Then Vallko inclined his head slightly and walked off, the other assorted courtiers following suit, leaving Vir to his own devices.

He saw Senna over in a corner, surrounded by assorted Prime Candidates. He remembered Throk from one of his previous trips to Centauri Prime. The lad had grown by at least half a foot, and he seemed even more forbidding than when Vir had first met him. He also seemed to be paying a good deal of attention to Senna, who was playing and being charming to several of the Candidates. She cast a very quick glance in Vir's direction, and he had a feeling that she would have given anything to break away, but that didn't seem possible. She gave an almost imperceptible shrug and then looked back to Throk, who was babbling on about something that Vir couldn't begin to discern.

Throk's attention was taken from Senna at only one point: when Mariel walked by. She didn't appear to notice him, but he reacted to her passing with a sort of goggle-eyed stare before pulling himself back into the moment and returning his attentions to Senna.

"You will never have a better time." The voice was in his head and Vir jumped slightly. He had forgotten that he had inserted the listening device into his ear, but there came Galen's voice, loud and clear. Galen, of course, was correct. No sign of the emperor, none of the guests was paying him any particular mind. If he felt like strolling around the palace, now was when he should do so.

"Okay," murmured Vir, before remembering that it wasn't a two-way audio link. He checked to make sure that the small triangular recording device was still in place, just under his coat, and then – trying to look as casual as possible – strolled out of the great hall. He strode up and down the palace corridors in a rather aimless fashion, trying his best to look as casual as possible. He hummed a tune to the best of his recollection, although he suspected that he was botching most of the notes. He walked into this room and that room, as if he were giving himself an extended guided tour. He heard Galen's voice in his head from time to time.

"Vir ... nothing so far. Keep as you are, though. If I see something that requires further investigation, I will instruct you. Do you understand?"

Vir, to indicate compliance, bowed at the hip, to mimic the shaking of a head. Then he kept moving. He had gotten to sections of the palace that he had never before been in. At one point he heard footsteps, moving with swift, sure strides. Guards. No one had specifically told him that he wasn't supposed to be there ... but then again, no one had specifically told him it would be okay. He glanced around nervously, then saw a large statue to his right.

It was Cartagia, of all people. The sight of the emperor whom he had assassinated caused his hearts to skip a beat. The statue was a remarkably powerful, lifelike rendition, superbly carved. The demented smirk was so perfectly rendered that he was certain it had been carved in life. But it had been defaced, someone having scribbled words across the chest. At least, Vir thought it was words, but he didn't recognize them. It said "Sic Semper Tyrannis."

The footsteps were drawing closer. Vir backpedaled and took refuge behind the statue, trying to will himself to be even thinner than he already was. His mind was already racing, trying to determine a cover story. If he was found, he could always say that he had been inspecting the back of the statue for any further damage. Around the corner they came: two members of the Prime Candidates. Vir could see them clearly from where he was positioned. Their faces were remarkably slack. The look on them was almost supernatural, as if their minds were elsewhere. Then, right as Vir watched ... a change passed over their expressions. Their tread slowed, and they looked at one another as if seeing each other for the first time. They glanced around, apparently a little puzzled as to why they were where they were. One shrugged, as did the other, and they continued on their way. They were so caught in their personal moment of befuddlement that neither of them afforded the slightest glance in Vir's direction.

He had no idea what to make of what he had just seen. He started down the corridor once again. He wasn't sure why it should be so, but he felt himself feeling colder. It was purely in his imagination, though he was sure of that. But he wasn't entirely certain why... Certain why ... Why...

The next thing he knew, there was a voice in his ear saying, "Vir Cotto. Can you hear me? Is everything all right?" At first, Vir said nothing. It was as if he had to remind his body to respond to the commands from his brain. Something had completely blanked him out. "Vir," and Galen's voice was sounding more concerned than before. It's nice to know he cares, Vir thought mirthlessly. "Vir, are you..."

He still wasn't moving, however, and it was with tremendous effort that he pushed himself forward. His feet felt tremendously heavy, but each step took him farther and farther, and soon he was walking with – if not confidence – at least some degree of surety. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination again, but it seemed to him as if there was less and less light. What in the world was going on, anyway? It was as if he'd entered a floating black hole. There was a room off to the left. He glanced in. Nothing. Another room to the right, and still nothing. Every step, though, it was becoming harder and harder to focus. He realized belatedly that the two young Prime Candidates had come from a cross-corridor, and had not actually been in this particular section of the palace at all.

Every nerve in Vir's mind was telling him that he would be well advised to get out of there. But he was concerned that he might not have such an ideal opportunity again. He had to keep moving, had to hope that he was going to be able to pull this together – whatever "this" turned out to be. He suddenly wished that he had a weapon on him, which would have been an interesting experience for him considering that he'd never used one before. He suddenly realized that he wasn't hearing Galen in his ear anymore. Perhaps the techno-mage simply had nothing to say. Then he saw the door. His eye had almost gone right past it, which was curious in and of itself. Given that this was the palace there was nothing extraordinary about it. It was a large double door, decorated with elaborate carvings around the edges. It seemed to have a slight reddish tint to it, although Vir couldn't be certain whether that came from the door itself or was just some sort of trick of the light. He studied it for a long moment, waiting to see if there was any response from Galen. Nothing. The chances were, then, that it was perfectly safe. Either that or Galen wanted him to go in and see what was what. Once upon a time, Vir would have hesitated. Indeed, he might very well have headed in the opposite direction entirely. But he had been through too much at this point in his life to be afraid of something as benign as a door. Besides ... he was invincible. Still ... even invincibility didn't mean that one couldn't exercise a reasonable amount of caution.

He placed one ear against the door to see if he could hear anything. It felt like ice. He pulled his head away, momentarily concerned that the door was so cold that his ear was going to stick to it. It pulled away from the door easily enough, but the sensation had been extremely disconcerting.

"What's going on here?" he wondered out loud. The door was antique, with an elaborate handle on it. It didn't slide open and close automatically like most of the doors in the newer sections of the palace. In a way, Vir felt as if he was stepping back into another time. He gripped the handle firmly. In his entire life, Vir had never been as close to death as he was at that moment.

Galen did not panic. Never came close. But he immediately turned to Gwynn and Finian, and said, "We have to get word to him. Have to stop him."

"If we go in, the Drakh will know we're there," Gwynn said flatly. "They were able to detect us within the Shadow base, and that was in unfamiliar territory. They've had several years to lace the palace with detection devices. They'll know the moment we're there."

"We have to do something! Look!" Finian said, pointing at the holographic representation still floating before them.

There was the shimmering outline of the door. And on the other side of it was a distinctive outline – that of a Drakh. There was something else beyond the Drakh, something else in the room that was great and dark and pulsing, and Gwynn couldn't make out at all what it was. But she knew one thing for sure: within seconds, Vir was going to see it, and it would be the last thing he ever saw. For the Drakh, from his body posture, was clearly poised and ready to leap upon Vir the moment the doomed Centauri set foot within. It figured that the Drakh wouldn't simply lock the door in order to prevent intruders from entering. Anyone who was curious enough to intrude into that area was someone the Drakh wanted disposed of.

"There's no time. They have wards against us," Galen said.

"What?" Galen's words were stunning to Gwynn. "They've actually erected wards?"

But Galen wasn't talking to her. Instead he was leaning forward intensely, as if trying to get through to Vir with sheer force of will. He saw Vir's hand entering the holo image, reaching for the handle to open the door.

"Vir!" he shouted. "Vir ... back away from it! Do not go in there! Hear me, Vir! Vir!"

"Vir!"

Vir froze in place at the unexpected voice that seemed to explode within his head. He turned and blinked in surprise, like an owl in the full glare of daylight.

"Londo?" The emperor of the great Centauri Republic stood at the far end of the corridor, and it was impossible for Vir to tell what was going through his mind. Was he about to erupt in fury over Vir's presence in this part of the palace? Would he lecture him over his involvement with Mariel? Would he demand to know why Vir had dared set foot back on Centauri Prime when it had been made quite clear to him that the best thing for him to do was stay off the Homeworld for good?

Londo approached him slowly, swaying slightly. Vir tried to determine whether he was drunk, but he didn't think so. Then he realized what it was: Londo was out of breath. It was as if he'd been running from some other point in the palace to get to Vir before ... before what? Vir wanted to glance back at the door, but something stopped him from doing so. He wasn't quite sure why, but he didn't want Londo to realize that he had almost entered there. Or perhaps ... perhaps Londo already did know. It was so hard to say for sure. Nothing seemed certain anymore.

Londo slowly strode toward him, and Vir braced himself, uncertain of what was about to happen. And then Londo covered the remaining distance between them with quick, urgent steps, and he threw his arms around Vir in a hug so forceful that Vir thought it was going to break his ribs.

"It is good to see you," he whispered. "It is very, very good." He separated from him then and gripped Vir firmly by the shoulders. "You," he said decisively, "should always be at my side. That is the way it was meant to be with us, yes?"

"Well, now, I don't know anymore, Londo," Vir said slowly.

"You do not know? Why?" Londo had a firm arm around Vir's shoulder, and he was starting down the hallway, away from the door. Vir had absolutely no choice but to fall into step next to him.

"Well," Vir said reasonably, "the last time we saw each other, you told me that we had separate paths to walk, and we should walk them from a distance. And right before that you knocked me cold because I said ..." He felt Londo's fingers suddenly clamp onto his shoulders with such force that, with a bit more strength, his arm might find itself dangling from the socket. "... because I said something you said I should never say again." The grip eased, ever so slightly, on his shoulder.

"That is correct," said Londo. "But that was last year, Vir. Things change."

"What things have changed, Londo?"

"Have you not noticed? You've had time to mingle here, I take it. Meet and greet all of the various ministers and political heads of Centauri Prime. Certainly you must have some observations to make regarding them, yes?"

"Well ..." Vir paused. "Putting aside the fact that I don't know any of them..."

"Ah ... that is not a fact that I would put aside so quickly, Vir. There are no familiar faces anymore, Vir. And those faces that are there ... they seem to look right through me, as if I were not there. Do you know what, Vir? When enough people look at you as if you are not there ... do you know what happens next?"

"You ... stop being there?"

"That," sighed Londo, "is unfortunately absolutely correct. I am not looking to you to be here all the time, Vir." He stopped walking and turned to face Vir, and this time when he took him by the shoulders, it was almost in an avuncular manner. "But your last visit was so unfortunate, so tempestuous ... I just want you to feel that you can come and go here as you please. That you will not be a stranger here."

"If that's the case, why didn't you simply invite me back here? Why all the subterfuge?"

"Subterfuge?" Londo raised an eyebrow. "I'm not certain exactly what you mean."

There was a hint of warning in his voice, and Vir immediately realized that he had erred. He wasn't sure why or how. It was just the two of them. There was no one else around, as near as Vir could see. Londo didn't even have a retinue of guards following him. So it wasn't as if they had to watch everything they said. Then again ... how could Vir know for sure? There might be spy devices planted anywhere and everywhere. Why not? After all, he was carrying a device on him that at that moment – was feeding information directly to Galen. So if he went into detail as to the little bits of information that Londo had been feeding him, he might very well betray all Londo's efforts, to someone who was listening in on their every word. The slightest flicker from Vir's gaze to Londo was enough to let the emperor know that he understood.