Homesmind (11 page)

SIX

—I had a vision, too— Leito said. —The spirit of Cer-wen spoke to me. He spoke of the death of the Minds—

Ede, who was standing with a group of villagers near the entrance to Leito's hut, stepped forward. —What can this mean?— the thin old man asked.

Leito was silent as she rested her head on the walking stick she held. Anra, sitting at the old woman's feet, had folded her hands so tightly that her knuckles were white. She remembered how her mind had collapsed in on itself; now she feared she might have to live in that state for the rest of her life.

By the time Lydee had returned, villagers had already gathered near Leito's hut. Those not present were listening through the Net. Daiya and Reiho sat with Leito on a bench; Luret and Wiland stood behind them.

—The Minds are drifting— Leito said. —If They die, then we are lost. Why do They call to us for help? We can do nothing for Them—

—What about the skydwellers' Mind?— Ede said bitterly. —Has It heard Their cry? Or will It leave us to our fate? The last time the specters of the dead appeared, other Earthfolk sought the death of this village. Is that what will happen now?—

No
, Homesmind said inside all of them.

Leito started; several of the older villagers stirred uneasily.

I too have heard the Minds' call for help, and have at last discovered the problem. There is a quantum drift toward chaos in the old, delicate balance of the energy structures inside the Minds' pillars.

—What do You mean?— several villagers asked.

Simply that the structures are beginning to break down. At first, the Minds did not understand what was taking place and tried to repair Themselves, but now They are losing Their ability to do so. Their subatomic structures are drifting toward indeterminacy, and Their power waxes and wanes almost without warning. If They fail completely, there will be no Minds left to tap Their power and channel it into human systems, and no way for you to tap it. All that They remember will disappear, and you will lose your powers as well.

—But what can we do?— Reiho asked.

You can do little
. Homesmind was silent for a moment.
I, perhaps, can do more. I have learned some things from the Minds; I can draw on some of 'Their power. I should be able to maintain Their Net for a little while, but that is only a temporary expedient. They will need new structures. I hey must eventually be housed elsewhere.

—But where?— Lydee said.

I have seeded a new comet, have I not? Already structures needed to house another cybernetic Mind are being built. The Minds could be housed there with only a few alterations in those structures.

— That comet was to be another home for cometdwellers— Ktey said. Anra glanced toward the doorway as Etey made her way through the crowd. —Our people will never agree to that—

That comet can be spared. Another can always be seeded. Surely the people here will not begrudge one domicile to save the Minds.

—But that won't do— Daiya said angrily. —If the Minds are housed there, how can Their power be channeled to the people here? You can only speak to us now through Their channel. If the Minds are removed from Earth, we'll lose Their power anyway. They'll be too far away to sense—

I would still be able to speak to those on Earth who have the implants linking them both to the Minds and to Me. I could channel power to a few. But that would be necessary only until the Minds regain Their strength and adapt to Their new enclosures. Then the comet that will house Them could be brought closer to Earth and remain in orbit just above the atmosphere. The Minds would be close enough there to link the thoughts of Earthfolk, would They not? Their Net can reach out over longer distances on Earth's surface now.

Reiho was frowning. —There's something You're not telling us. Say it now, so that everyone here can hear it—

The Minds will need time to adjust to the new structures, I fear. Even when the comet is ready to receive Them, there will be work for Me to do, for that world was not originally seeded to house Ones quite like the Minds. Until the work of My robotic servants there is done, it will be difficult for the Minds to serve you.

—And how long will it be before They can?— Reiho asked.

It is hard to know. I suspect not long—perhaps a generation or two as Earth reckons time.

Anra lifted a hand to her mouth. Earth would never survive such a long period of solitude.

Do not despair
, Homesmind said.
You do not have to endure solitude. The Minds, during that period, will still have the power to channel Their energy over the area of one small world. Those who dwell on the comet that will house the Minds would have access to 'Their powers.

Leito leaned against Daiya. —No— she murmured. —You're saying that we'll have to leave Earth. What kind of an answer is that?—

It is the only one I can offer.

—It won't do— Leito said. —Earthfolk will never bear the loss of their powers. They'll believe that their solitude is eternal. Those who leave Earth for that other world will never return, for there will be nothing left here for them—

There is nothing else I can do. The energy structures are drifting into indeterminacy, altering almost from moment to moment. They cannot be repaired. The Minds would die without new homes and you would lose Them anyway. In new structures, They can live and preserve Earth's history inside Themselves.

—Never— Daiya said. —Earth will be lost. Most will refuse to leave this world, and will call Your promise a lie. Their solitude will destroy them—

—Perhaps this is what comes of rejecting old ways— Areli was speaking; the stout woman stepped forward, planting her hands on her heavy hips. —Earth lived in peace for many cycles. Then the skydwellers came, and the Minds awoke, and we turned to other ways. Now look what that has brought us. Maybe it's the skydwellers who have unbalanced the Minds, they and the Mind above—

No
, Homesmind replied. Areli staggered back. Homes-mind's voice was so harsh that Anra nearly closed her link.
They were beginning to drift even before They awoke, though They could not sense it. Had you Earthfolk kept your ancient knowledge instead of forgetting it, by now you might have built new pillars and energy channels, and your Minds and Their powers might have been preserved. You might even have found a way to prevent the drift. I can save your Minds, but you must save yourselves.

The villagers were silent. Anra thought of Urran. The old man had spoken of the end of a great cycle; he had been right about that.

When I first came into this system
, Homesmind continued,
I felt that I was being drawn here for a purpose. Perhaps this was that purpose. I shall lend whatever I can to the Net of the Minds and try to save Them, but during that time, you must decide your own fate. I can do nothing more for you.

Leito put a hand over her eyes; her mind seemed weaker. —Go home— she said to the crowd. —Pray, if you can. Earth needs our prayers now—

Anra walked toward her own hut with Etey. The tension in the Net was straining at her mind. She put up her wall, unable to bear the murmurings of bewildered and despairing villagers.

As they approached the hut, Anra suddenly realized that Rulek had not been present at Leito's hut. She opened her mind and sent out a tendril; Rulek was not inside, either.

"No, he isn't," Etey responded as they entered.

"Where is he, then?" Anxiety had crept into Anra's voice.

Etey raised her eyebrows. "With Jerod and his friends, I expect. That's where he's been all day." She stared past Anra, obviously preoccupied with other concerns.

"Rulek spends so much time with them?"

"He's been with them for most of the time you've been gone." Etey sat down on a bench. "It seems he prefers their company to that of your friends."

"But why? Is he that curious about their ways? He could have questioned you. Why does he have to go there?"

"I spoke with Rulek, Anra. I told him it would be better to stay here and acquaint himself with the villagers, but he didn't listen. I can't force him to do what I think best."

Anra's nails bit into her palms. Etey's mouth twisted. "There's more in your thoughts than worry," the sky-dweller went on. "Let me tell you something. Rulek has been weakened by what he's endured. I don't know if he can reach out to anyone now. You may have to be patient with him."

"There may be no time for patience. Oh, Etey." Anra tried to control herself, fearful of flooding the reserved skydweller with her feelings. "I should have stayed here with him. Maybe if he knew how I felt, he wouldn't have ..." She paused. She had to calm herself. What could be wrong with Rulek visiting with the skyfolk? Her jealousy seemed to know no bounds. Perhaps he only wanted to be with people who wouldn't touch his unhappy thoughts. "Rulek was the one who convinced me I should reach out to my parents in the first place, useless as that was."

Etey patted her arm. "Then perhaps it's time that you reached out to him."

Anra had hardly slept, moving at the slightest sound, expecting Rulek to enter the hut at any moment. She rose just before dawn, unable to rest any more.

Filling a bowl with water, she washed, pulled on a clean brown tunic, and combed her hair with her fingers. She would have to go to Rulek.

She left the hut and hurried through the field in the dim, gray light. Three shuttlecraft surrounded the skydwellers' tent; those inside the vessels were sleeping. She crept toward the tent and raised the flap.

Tuela looked up; she was sitting on one cushion, nibbling at a bowl of vegetables. Anra entered. Jerod was asleep on two cushions; Rulek lay on the ground, head cradled on folded arms. Reaching out, trying not to disturb him, she touched his mind, then recoiled in shock.

Homesmind was feeding the boy dreams.

She almost cried out. How could Homesmind have allowed it? She was about to protest to the distant Mind, then steadied herself. Homesmind could not force Its will on people in this matter; the skydwellers had not given It the power to do so when they had built It. But the sky-dwellers themselves might have restrained Rulek.

"He's dreaming," Anra whispered.

"He dreams often," Tuela said in the skydweller speech. "Would you like something to eat?"

Anra strode toward the woman. "How could you let him do that?"

"Why should I have stopped him?"

"You know why. We're not used to such dreams. We're not like you. Such pastimes aren't for us."

"He was unhappy. Now he isn't." Tuela selected a green vegetable spear and bit into it daintily. "Do sit down. Have you come to discuss recent happenings? Things are becoming quite eventful, are they not?" Her voice quavered a bit on the last words.

Anra sat down, not knowing what to say. Now that she was closer to the woman, she could see the worried look in Tuela's dark eyes. "Eventful isn't exactly the word I would use," she said slowly. "So you know about the Minds, then."

"We all do. Homesmind has told us. It's very worrisome."

Anra nodded, trying not to betray her annoyance.

"Very worrisome," Tuela repeated. "Now it seems that we won't have our new comet after all. Many people are quite agitated by that."

"Is that all you can think of?" Anra's voice was low, but Tuela seemed startled by her vehemence. "Our world may end, and you worry about that comet. You'll seed another eventually. What will we have?"

Tuela pressed her fingers against her mouth for a moment, looking hurt. "My dear child,"she said. "You don't understand. We must get away from here before the strange comet comes closer. Now Homesmind will linger here and trap us with It. Many are already pleading with It to leave, but It ignores our demands."

"You want to abandon us, then."

Tuela held out a hand. "We would have taken you with us. You might have chosen to go. But that no longer matters. Homesmind will struggle to save the Minds here, and for what? How will that matter if It must confront the stranger, as I fear It may?"

"If It must," Anra said, leaning forward, "better that It has the Minds to stand with It."

"But why must we fight at all when we can escape?"

"If you don't know what the stranger wants, how do you know if you can escape it? How do you know it won't follow you?"

Tuela shook her head. "We should never have come back to this system." She leaned closer to Anra, breathing heavily. "Your people can talk to Homesmind. Tell It you want to join us. Tell It you require shuttles to transport all of Earth's people." The desperation in her dark face shocked the girl. "Tell It that you want to leave this system with us, and maybe Homesmind will agree. Help us the one way you can."

"You forget the Minds, Tuela. They would wither and die without Homesmind's aid. We must think of Them."

Tuela suddenly curled up on her cushion and closed her eyes. She was, Anra knew, retreating into peaceful dreams, running to the refuge her link could provide. The sight made her sick.

"You cursed woman," Anra said in her own tongue. She saw what would happen to Earthfolk on a comet world; without the training of the cometdwellers, they would lose themselves in dreams of Earth as it had been.

Rulek stirred, then sat up abruptly as his eyes met Anra's. His cheeks seemed more hollow, and his wall was up.

"I came back last night," she said.

"I know that."

"You weren't at Leito's."

"I sensed everything from here. All of us did. Their Homesmind showed everything to us."

The boy's voice was loud. She motioned at the sleepers. "Don't worry," Rulek said. "They can't hear us. Jerod will wake soon, before we leave."

"We?"

"I'm going with them."

She caught her breath. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I'm going with them to their world."

"But you can't," she said feebly.

"Of course I can. Jerod and Tuela have agreed. Their friends outside said I would be welcome. What is the matter? I thought you admired the heavendwellers."

"When their minds are clear, I do. Their tools show-how much they know. But I despise their dreaming. It shows their weakness." Anra folded her arms. "You should have been warned. Their dreams aren't for Earthfolk. It's harder for us to resist them. They'll only weaken us, too."