Flinx Transcendent (23 page)

Flinx looked away. “There are those I do care about. Friends. A certain member of my species of the other gender in particular. We will not be impacted by what is coming this way, but our grandchildren might be.”

The Emperor of the AAnn gestured first-degree comprehension underscored by second-degree bemusement. “Ssoftsskinss,” was all he hissed, as if that explained everything.

Lowering his gaze, Flinx did not blink as he focused on the slitted pupils of the venerated AAnn standing opposite.
“Do you believe me?
Do you believe what you experienced?”

Navvur turned to judge those around him. The usual spiral of eager supplicants and prattling advisers currently resembled a scene after a battle. Medical personnel were everywhere. After studying the sight for
a long minute he turned back. Not to Flinx, but to the AAnn noble standing beside him.

“Lord Eiipul IX, you believed the expossition of thiss ssoftsskin from the beginning. How doess what we all jusst experienced differ from what you went through before?”

“It wass very much identical, essteemed Navvur. The only difference I am aware of iss that thiss time I had more company.”

The Emperor gestured absently to himself. “Confirmation of intergalactic horrorss unimaginable iss not ssomething to be wisshed for, but at the ssame time cannot be denied. Truth iss truth.” He turned back to the silently waiting Flinx. “By the ssand that sshelterss life, ssoftsskin, and againsst all logic, I find that I musst believe you.” His tone hardened, the hissed consonants emerging sharper and more biting than ever. “Woe unto you and your kind if thiss iss ultimately determined to be ssome ssort of clever diverssion from the verity of exisstence. You musst know that as ssoon as thiss ssession iss dissolved, a full account of everything that hass transspired will be passed on to the Imperial asstronomical council. The mosst advanced insstrumentss will be sset to ssearching that portion of the heavenss you have ssingled out for attention. What they find there may determine the fate of many, whosse collective future hass now become your ressponssibility.”

Flinx responded without hesitation. “Nothing would please me more, venerable Navvur, than for your scientists to deep-scan that section of the heavens and find nothing more than the most dull and boring extension of normality.”

“Krazzumk,”
the Emperor grunted. “You threaten apocalypsse yet assk for little.”

For the second time that morning, Flinx shrugged diffidently. “I ask only to be allowed to go.”

Navvur considered. “I know what I experienced, I know what I felt, I know what I ssenssed in place of sseeing. What I do not know iss how one ssmall and inssignificant being ssuch as yoursself, remarkable though you may be, can possibly think you can ssuccessfully confront and combat a menace greater in extent than entire clussterss of sstarss.”

How much should he explain? Flinx found himself wondering. How much
could
he explain? “I hope …,” he began. “I hope to have—help.”

The Emperor let out an ascending hiss. “It would have to be help on a cossmic sscale to deal with ssuch a cossmic peril.
My
hope would be to die long before thiss phenomenon—if it iss as real as it appearss—reachess the outsskirtss of our galaxy.” Bright piercing eyes searched Flinx's own. “You appear to me to ssuffer from a debilitating affliction common among your kind, Flinx LLVVRXX of the Ssaiinn. You are an incorrigible optimisst.”

“If I was not,” Flinx told him, “I suppose I would have given myself up for lost a long, long time ago.”

Was that a reptilian twinkle in the Emperor's eye? “You ‘ssupposse’?”

“I said I was optimistic.” Reaching up, Flinx stroked the back of Pip's neck.

“Mysself,” Navvur replied thoughtfully, “I find optimissm to be a mental sstate inconducive to ssurvival. That doess not mean it sshould not be encouraged. One thing iss ssurely rightful: if what you sshared jusst now with me and mine iss veritable, then as you ssay it truly will not matter if you live or die.” He made a gesture that pronounced first-degree judgment. “Accordingly, I have decided to let you li—”

He was interrupted by a screaming noble, hands and claws extended and teeth bared, who made a sudden leap straight for the human's throat.

The violent, unexpected onslaught triggered several synchronous responses. Although the attack was clearly aimed at the softskin in their midst, Navvur's bodyguards took no chances. Weapons were leveled as they rushed to fill the space between the assailant and the Emperor. High overhead Pip took immediate note of the sudden upsurge in her master's emotions, folded her wings to her sides, and dropped like a stone toward the hurtling AAnn. At the last instant she spread both brightly hued membranes and rocketed off to one side. Startled nobles and advisers ducked or flinched as she shot past just over their heads. She broke off the counterattack because Flinx empathically urged her to do so. Another party had already intervened on his behalf.

Launching himself forward, Lord Eiipul IX smacked into the side of the bounding assailant and sent both of them crashing to the glittering floor of The Eye. His interception of the assault was not the end of it. Tail flailing, the enraged noble who had launched the attack promptly turned his ire on his fellow nye.

Wanting to intervene but unsure of the proper protocol for doing so, Flinx could only stand by and watch as Eiipul took up the fight on behalf of his guest. He himself had fought AAnn before, had observed AAnn battling humans and thranx, had even seen them fighting one another—
but never in traditional combat devoid of weapons. A small space cleared for the combatants as spectators backed up to give them room. No one else offered to intercede. Nor did Flinx feel that he could do so either in the absence of any word or sign from the attentive Emperor.

He tried to envision the heads of two major companies or great trading families engaging in hand-to-hand combat on the floor of the Earth's center of government, with representatives from other worlds quietly looking on. AAnn custom ran old and deep, he reflected somberly.

Neither fighter was young. Both were experienced. Tails switching robustly from side to side, teeth bared, clawed hands upraised, they circled one another as each searched for an opening, an advantage, a misstep on the part of his opponent.

“Kwarranssk,”
Eiipul hissed, “did you not sshare the experience of the menace? Are you blind to the danger that threatenss uss all?”

“It iss all nothing more than a sscheming trick of the ssoftsskin'ss!” The attacker was adamant. “Why do you intervene on itss behalf?”

“Did you not hear the pronouncement of the venerable Navvur?” Eiipul's powerful leg muscles were taut, ready to launch him at his adversary any second. His opponent was no less prepared.

“Even one sso gifted as the revered Navvur may be fooled,” the attacker growled. “No ssentient iss immune to clever deception.” Eyes full of fury flicked in Flinx's direction. “The ssoftsskin sseekss only to make hiss esscape by meanss of a clever ssubterfuge.” Peering at the surrounding, encircling crowd, the frothing noble beseeched his peers.

“We know nothing of what thiss intruder hass learned of Blasussarr, of our sstrengthss and weaknessess here! To let him go free without further ressearching the truth of hiss assertionss iss worsse than foolissh.” Returning his full attention to the attentive Eiipul, he concluded, “To harbor ssuch a sspy consstitutess treasson!” Then he launched himself.

Tails flailing, teeth and claws flashing, they slammed together in the space that had been cleared for them. The ritual clash differed little from those Flinx had encountered every day on the central sand-paved walkways of Krrassin. What was different this time was that far more than status was at stake. Talons slashed at eyes, teeth snapped at arteries, and mini-sonic booms echoed as tails snapped at exposed faces.

The razored claws of Eiipul's opponent ripped scales loose, gouging bloody gashes in his flanks. Ignoring the lacerations, Eiipul sought a firmer, deadlier grip. Closing around his rival's throat, the noble's jaws clamped shut. Blood fountained, staining both combatants and the beautiful floor.

An utterly barbaric and uncivilized exhibition, humans of comparable age and standing would have declared while turning away in revulsion. Until one of them was forced into a similar situation, Flinx knew. He had seen too much, experienced too much, to be lulled as were so many of his “civilized” species into thinking otherwise. Given the right circumstances and motivation, any pair of suitably antagonistic humans would quickly find themselves reduced to a similarly primordial style of combat. The only difference between them and the thrashing, grappling AAnn was a lack of sharp teeth, claws, and tail.

It was all over in a couple of minutes. Tail whipping slowly from side to side as he wiped at his bloodstained jaws, Lord Eiipul rose and stepped back. Blood gushing from the torn arteries in his opponent's neck began to pool on the gem-encrusted floor. Pushing their way to the front, a pair of medical techs bent over the gravely injured attacker. Only advanced technology allowed them to stanch the bleeding in time to save the nye's life. Breathing hard, Eiipul expressed his gratitude to them.

“Better that one doess not die,” he explained to Flinx as his seriously wounded adversary was hustled away through the crowd. “Were he to do sso it would mean a sseriouss feud between hiss family and mine.” Eyes afire with the aftermath of bloodlust, he looked back at Flinx. “That ssuch a demisse sshould happen over a ssoftsskin would make ssuch a feud all the worsse. Far better that it hass been avoided.”

“I'm thankful, too,” Flinx admitted as Pip settled back onto his shoulder. “I don't want anyone to die on account of me.” He nodded in the direction taken by the wounded nye and the attending techs. “Not him, and not you. I'm sure he, too, is responsible for the upkeep and development of an unknown number of offspring.”

As Eiipul opened his mouth to respond, they were interrupted. Flanked by his guards, Navvur W had rejoined them. This time his attention was focused on Flinx's host and not the invasive human.

“Your family hass alwayss produced ssuperior warriorss. It wass a fair fight, and one not initiated by you.”

A deferential Eiipul sheathed his claws, stilled the switching of his tail, and executed an especially elegant gesture of first-degree subservience. “Venerable Navvur honorss me.”

“Venerable Navvur iss alwayss judiciouss when addressing thosse with blood on their face,” the Emperor replied dryly. Raising a cloth-covered forearm, Eiipul resumed cleaning his snout and jaws. Though he proceeded conscientiously, he did not hurry the process.

The Emperor turned back to Flinx. “You are without doubt the mosst interessting sspecimen of your kind I have ever encountered. In comparisson, your accredited diplomatic repressentativess are dull and dry, while the human prissonerss I have sseen undergoing interrogation are belligerent and foolissh. I would have you sstay awhile longer, Flinx LLVVRXX of the Tier Ssaiinn.”

Flinx gestured first-degree regret. “You speak of a dialogue I think I would enjoy myself, Excellence. But I cannot turn or delay from the responsibility that weighs on me. Having experienced the cause, I know you will understand.”

“Truly,” the Emperor grudgingly acknowledged. “And as it threatenss uss all, I am left to wonder why you have not sshared the devasstatingly enlightening experience of ssome momentss ago with repressentativess of your own government and people. Or
have
you done sso, in a manner sso ssecretive and cautiouss that Imperial Intelligence remainss unaware of it?” Eyes that missed nothing bored into Flinx's own. “Or wass the unfortunate Baron HJNN, the Long Fang who hass jusst left uss unwalking, correct in ssaying that the event wass nothing more than a well-crafted russe dessigned to ssecure your freedom and that, insstead of sstanding here converssing with you, I sshould be doubting the evidence of my own ssenssess?”

Other nobles and advisers had crowded around close. Even Eiipul, who had leaped to Flinx's defense, looked momentarily uncertain. Flinx was not surprised. Certain realities are harder to accept than the most outrageous fantasies. Especially the discomfiting ones.

“Everything you went through was real and true,” he insisted. “Nothing was manipulated for effect. The menace was, and is, exactly
as you experienced it. I also spoke the truth when I said that those who know of it among my own kind are still few.” Studying the scaly faces surrounding him he absently gestured third-degree reassurance. “As many of the AAnn are now aware of its existence and extent as are thranx and humans. As to your question about why I have not shared this knowledge with more of my own kind …”

He suddenly found himself wishing he was somewhere, anywhere, else. That he did not have to explain himself yet again, to still another cluster of sentients standing in judgment of him and his motives. And yet again, he had no choice.

“There are within the Commonwealth humans who want to kill me. There are in the government those who want to arrest me. And there are those in the United Church who want to question me. Given the state of affairs surrounding my person, you'll understand when I say I can only reveal myself and what I know to a chosen few.”