Aztec Century (10 page)

So now we had come to it. ‘And we can’t have that, can we?’

‘I’m asking you, Catherine.’

‘And if I refuse?’

‘What do you want of me?’ he said in exasperation. ‘Do I have to plead? Beg? Send an armed escort to bring you back?’

‘You’d do that?’

He looked at me for a long time, both serious and wry.

‘If it was necessary, I might.’

Bevan brought tea and fruitcake out to me on the balcony garden. He was dressed in slightly grubby black pinstripe trousers with a collarless white shirt and a waistcoat which strained over his belly. His thinning hair had been rather inexpertly trimmed, and he resembled a derelict hastily washed and dressed for a special occasion. Either that, or he was deliberately mocking me by contriving to present himself as a parody of a servant.

‘So,’ I said to him, ‘what’s been happening since I’ve been away?’

He shrugged. ‘This and that. Have a good trip, did you?’

‘I hope something useful will come of it.’

‘You were on telly a lot while you were away. Everyone was singing your praises.’

‘I didn’t ask for that, or want it. You haven’t answered my question.’

He poured tea into my cup, cocking the little finger of his left hand. I resisted a smile.

‘I’m quite out of touch,’ I said. ‘I thought a complete break would be best, so I’ve no idea what’s been happening here.’

‘Do you want local or international gossip?’ he said.

‘Whichever.’

He perched himself on a retaining wall, backdropped by golden broom.

‘Heard all the talk about Russia, have you?’

I shook my head.

‘Number one son’s been out in Eastern Europe again, taking pleasure cruises down the Danube, hunting in the Carpathians, and all that sort of palaver.’

‘Chimalcoyotl?’

He nodded. ‘Goodwill visits to the Balkan provinces, by all accounts. Gossip is, they may be building up to an attack on Russia.’

This did surprise me. ‘Do you think it’s a serious possibility?’

‘There’s one way we might be able to find out.’

It was a moment before I realized what he meant.

‘Take it with you, did you?’

‘Yes,’ I replied.

‘Just as well you did. While your governor friend was away, Mad Mash did a security check on the whole complex. Turned everything in all the rooms upside down, then put it back again so’s you wouldn’t notice. I guessed he didn’t find anything in your place because you weren’t called back from your travels.’

‘Mad Mash’ was Bevan’s nickname for Maxixca. Bevan seldom referred to anyone by their proper name, let alone their title. I wondered if it was his way of denying any hold they could possibly have over him.

‘I didn’t know Extepan had been away,’ I said.

‘Spent a month in Mexico, back in March.’

‘Oh? What was that for?’

‘Search me. Everybody was glad to see him back. Lesser of two evils, as it were. His brother makes everybody nervous.’

‘Where are Richard and Victoria?’

‘Didn’t they tell you?’ Bevan took a slice of cake from the tray. ‘On holiday. Monaco. Hobnobbing with the jetset.’

‘That sounds suspiciously like disapproval.’

‘No skin off my nose, is it?’

I was surprised how comforting it was to have Bevan’s blunt companionship once more.

‘Is there anything else?’

‘About what?’ he said through a mouthful of cake.

‘About anything.’

‘I reckon a possible invasion of Russia’s enough to be going on with, don’t you?’

I picked up my teacup. ‘We’ll talk to ALEX tonight.’

The instant ALEX appeared on the screen, I drew back out of his line of sight, knowing it was foolish, but unable to stop an instinctive reaction. I wasn’t ready for him to ‘see’ me.

I let Bevan identify himself.

‘Good to talk to you again,’
ALEX responded.

His electronic image was the same as ever, urbane, even cheerful. The sight of it pained me more than I could say.

Bevan turned to me, indicating the microphone. I shook my head.

‘You talk to him,’ I said in a whisper.

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. He turned back to the screen.

‘We need to know something,’ he informed ALEX.

‘I hope I can oblige you,’
came the reply.

‘There’s been rumours about an Aztec invasion of Russia. Any information on this?’

There was a long pause. ALEX looked distinctly contemplative, as if someone were whispering in his ear.

‘Army and airforce units have been mobilized throughout Central Europe and north-western China,’
came the reply.
‘The Aztec navy has been conducting operations in the Bering and Barents Seas. Every appearance is being given that an invasion is imminent. The intention is to force the Russian Union of Sovereign Republics to withdraw forces from its Turkish and Mesopotamian provinces, so easing Aztec fears of an attack on Palestine and Arabia. No attack on Russian territory will actually be made.’

Arabia and Palestine were under the Aztec sphere of influence, and there had been tension in the area for several years. Even with their mastery of solar power, the Aztecs still relied heavily on oil supplies for their industries and the production of plastics. Despite this, I had never believed that they really feared an attack from the defensively minded Russian Empire until now.

‘Ask him if he’s sure,’ I whispered to Bevan.

Bevan did so, and ALEX replied,
‘Certainly. The Aztecs have neither sufficient manpower nor equipment in Western Europe to mount a successful assault. According to my information, Motecuhzoma has also expressly forbidden it. They would prefer to have the Union neutralized and neutral rather than an active aggressor or defender of its territory. Such a campaign would be an enormous drain on the resources of the Empire so soon after its conquests in Western Europe.’

His image flickered for a moment, then stabilized. Bevan turned back to me.

‘What do you think?’ I said.

‘I reckon it’s as good as you’re going to get,’ he replied.

I was thinking. ‘Ask him if he can get a message through to Margaret. The Tsarina.’

Now he was curious. ‘Why don’t you ask him yourself?’

‘Please, Bevan.’

He shrugged, and did as I asked. To my amazement, ALEX replied,
‘Is Kate with you now?’

‘Can you get a message through?’ Bevan insisted.

‘It should be within my capabilities.’

To me, Bevan said, ‘What do you want to tell her?’

‘Tell her what ALEX told us,’ I replied. ‘Make it a personal communication from me. Say that I’ve got access to secret Aztec files and have confirmed that the Aztecs don’t have the resources to mount an invasion. Sign the message “Charlotte”.’

Bevan looked quizzical.

‘She’ll understand.’

He conveyed the message to ALEX, who again surprised me by saying,
‘Ah, yes, the Brontë sisters.’
His image flickered again. ‘Is
it possible for me to talk to Kate?’

At that point I was sorely tempted to take the microphone from Bevan. But he frowned. ‘Hold on.’

‘What is it?’

‘We’re getting a bit of interference. Image break-up.’

‘And?’

‘Somebody might be trying to monitor us.’

On the screen, ALEX looked perfectly normal.

‘Is that possible?’

‘If they knew what they were looking for, it is. If you want my advice, we’d best shut down for the night, just in case.’

Now I had him before me, I didn’t want to let ALEX go, despite my reluctance to speak to him. But there was no sense in taking risks.

‘All right,’ I agreed.

Bevan pulled the disk from its slot.

*

‘ALEX,’ I whispered. ‘It’s Kate.’

A broad smile. His image was clear, steady.

‘Kate. How are you?’

I swallowed down a confusion of emotions.

‘I’m well enough. It’s been a while since we last spoke.’

‘I know. A hundred and sixty-two days, to be precise. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten me.’

I remembered he had his own internal clock. His good-natured chiding of me was just like the real Alex.

‘Kate? Are you still there?’

‘Yes.’

‘I was really sorry to learn about what happened. To my human counterpart.’

I was helpless, at a loss for words.

‘It must have been terrible, losing him like that. You have my greatest sympathies.’

My eyes were blurred with tears. It was two hours since Bevan had shut him down. I had been unable to sleep since then, haunted by thoughts of him.

I couldn’t let myself surrender to the illusion. I had to think logically.

Was he really killed at Edinburgh Castle?’ I asked.

‘Apparently so.’

‘How did he get that far north from Wales?’

A longer-than-usual pause.
‘There’s nothing in the files on that. Knowing Alex, he probably hitched a lift.’

Humour – self-referential humour – too. It was like a challenge, almost as if he wanted to convince me he was real.

‘I need some information,’ I said briskly.

‘Of course. That’s what I’m here for.’

‘I need to know about the
cihuacoatl
.’

‘Do you want to know about the ancient goddess of that name or the title and its offices?’

‘I want to know about Tetzahuitl.’

ALEX began by telling me much that I already knew. The title had been held by members of Tetzahuitl’s family since pre-Christian times, and he was reputedly a direct descendant of the legendary Tlacaelel who had served the very first Motecuhzoma and other emperors during the nascent days of the
Aztec Empire. Tetzahuitl himself had been appointed to his position before the current Motecuhzoma was made tlatoani, and he had been a fixture in Aztec politics for over half a century. Traditionally the
cihuacoatl
was responsible for the civilian and judicial affairs of the empire and wielded great power. Tetzahuitl was no exception to this, having been instrumental in the empire’s expansion by forging allegiances and arranging strategic marriages with important regional powers. According to Mexican folklore, always superstitious, he was secretly a sorcerer who had sold his soul in exchange for eternal life.

At this point I interrupted ALEX.

‘I want to know why he’s coming to England.’

There was a pause, and I thought I detected an almost subliminal flicker of ALEX’s image. Then he said, ‘He’s expected to arrive on a direct flight from Tenochtitlan within the next four days. There appears to be no available data on the precise timing of the flight or the purpose of his mission. I could offer you probabilities—’

‘I want facts,’ I said. ‘Surely there must be something on record?’

‘The
cihuacoatl
’s movements are often cloaked in secrecy for security reasons, and this often means that nothing is committed to the files. I’m sorry, Kate.’

I sighed. ‘Tell me, then, what would your best guess be?’

‘Great Britain is an important conquest from the standpoint of the empire,’ he replied. It isn’t unreasonable to assume that Motecuhzoma would want his right-hand man to provide a first-hand report on how the country is being administered under occupation.’

‘So soon after Chimalcoyotl’s visit?’

‘Chimalcoyotl was en route to Germany. It was a convenient courtesy for him to attend Richard’s coronation.’

‘Perhaps. But I think there’s more to it than that.’

‘You may well be right. It’s only one possibility, of course, but I’ll give you good odds I’m right.’

Another reminder of the real Alex. He had always had a penchant for gambling, and would bet – usually for nominal stakes – on anything from the turn of a card to the likelihood of getting a stuffed giraffe up the keep of Walthamstow Castle.

‘I can’t believe you’re dead,’ I blurted.

He looked at me with great sympathy.
‘It’s only natural you should miss me, Kate
.’

I reached for the OFF switch.

Richard and Victoria flew in from Monaco the following morning, both tanned and relaxed from their holiday. Victoria had had her hair cropped so that she looked almost boyish, while Richard was wearing a baggy white T-shirt with the popular children’s television character Miztli Man-Beast emblazoned on its front. On his little finger was a small gold ring.

It was a sunny day, and we took drinks on the balcony below the landing pad, looking out over a hazy London. To the east, the Docklands was a forest of cranes. Extepan had embarked on an ambitious plan to rebuild areas of the East End which had been devastated in the invasion.

Richard and Victoria were both eager for me to tell them about my travels – which only made me suspicious that they didn’t want to talk about their holiday. So I gave them a brief account of my tour, then said, ‘And what did the two of you do while you were away?’

‘We just relaxed,’ Victoria said immediately. ‘We did lots of swimming and sunbathing and sailing. It was heaven. You need a proper holiday, too, Kate.’

She was wearing a tight-fitting cream dress cut low at the back. Her skin was deeply and evenly tanned from the nape of her neck to the base of her spine.

‘Looks like you got brown all over,’ I said.

She merely smiled.

‘Who went with you?’

‘The usual crowd. An escort, of course. Some household staff. No journalists or photographers, thank heavens! It was lovely, Kate, peaceful and private.’

‘Do you think it was wise?’

Now she looked wary. ‘Wise?’

‘To go off on holiday. Do you think it will create a good impression so soon after the invasion?’

‘Three years,’ Richard said, sucking on a sliver of orange from his glass. ‘It’s been three years since the invasion.’

‘We tend to forget that, Kate,’ Victoria said with the eagerness
of someone who had just been thrown a lifeline. ‘What are we supposed to do – stay here, wearing sackcloth and ashes? Spend the rest of our lives in mourning? I can’t see what good that would do.’

‘We’re not in an ordinary situation,’ I replied. ‘Whether we like it or not, different standards are expected of us. It’s important we try to conduct ourselves in a blameless manner. We mustn’t let ourselves be compromised.’

‘It was nice,’ Richard said. ‘I like holidays.’

I knew I was sounding like a matronly killjoy, but I was sure they weren’t telling me everything.

‘Is that a new ring?’ I asked Richard.

He nodded. The ring comprised two rattlesnakes, each intertwined and swallowing the other’s tail.