Kingdom of Stars (The Young Ancients: Timon Book Three) (23 page)

She didn't go on however, which was probably a good thing
for the accused, even though he was sitting there at his table, alone, looking
disgusted with everyone else in the room, rather than like he was in real
danger of losing his life.

It probably meant he wasn't all that bright, really.

Timon started to go on, when another voice interrupted.
Captain Peterson.

"I witnessed this myself, along with twenty-two others
of good will and honesty. Does anyone here find cause to doubt this take on
things? Was the man merely acting out of personal fear, perhaps, that was
hidden underneath a pompous shield?" It was a bit pointed and rude, but no
one spoke out for the man. Finally Timon did it, since it was probably more
than a little true.

"That's a wise question. Baron Smythe, is that the
case? If so, I suggest you admit to it right now and not stand on pride.
Missing supper for a night or two and having to apologize to the Captain is
far
from the worst thing that can happen here. Anyone can feel fear, after all, and
it can at times make even brave men act oddly."

The man stood, which was the tradition in court, for the
accused, and then spoke, which was, it turned out, less than the correct thing
for him to do. Groveling would have been much better.

He was honest at least. Timon could feel that coming off of
him, along with a good amount of indignation.

"It wasn't
fear
. I simply do not believe that my
duty as a High Servant requires me to take orders from my lessers. This boy
ordered us to go into the void of space, as if we were members of this new
Space Fleet. That isn't our job. We were brought here for slave labor, against
our will, and my personal recommendation. Who does this aid? My oath was to
help those in need, not just to go and do whatever task some bored person
thought might entertain them. "

There was a silence in the room, and almost everyone looked
away from the moron, which, as well spoken as he was, Timon understood to be
the real problem. He was very well educated, no doubt. Also too stupid to work
out basic things like who they might be helping right now.

"It aids all of humanity. If the rest of us die in this
war, some few might survive in the new colony." He explained it clearly,
but the man didn't seem impressed to hear about it.

"What war? The minor dispute in Noram? That hardly
threatens us all, does it? Or do you mean the fairy tale battle of the
Ancients? I assure you that I've never met such a being! I think this is all a
ruse, meant to grab power away from those of us that have rightly inherited
it."

That little speech was interrupted by sounds of outrage from
the communications devices, an actual yelling that had to be silenced before
they could continue.

That happened when Timon told them to shut it. Rudely.

"We have work to do, and this isn't going to be fixed
by losing composure. I think that we have enough to go on for now. So, what do
we do with him?" Tim made his voice serious, even if he didn't really care
about what they did with him, as long as it didn't make too big of a mess. He
had his own tasks to get back to.

Captain Peterson perked up, his deep voice rumbling with
sudden cheer.

"Let's toss him outside."

That got a strange reaction, even though it was clear the
man was joking. About half the people seemed horrified, and the other half...
Nodded
.

The voices from the communications devices were less split.
If it had been a real vote, then the man would be dead before morning, it
seemed.

Alice Orange grunted loudly.

"Do it. We don't have time to waste on this kind of
thing. There's never time for that. Let's finish this. Captain, toss him out
the airlock."

It was a direct order from his High Commander, so the man
started to stand up, though he stopped when Timon laughed. That got everyone's
attention.

"No." He said it firmly, as if he had a right to
overrule anyone. It worked well enough for the time being, since even Alice
just grunted at him. Waiting to see what idea he had. "We can't bring our
barbaric human nature into space. Or, well, we
shouldn't
yet, if we can
help it. I say we strip him of all his titles and put him to several years of
hard labor. Oaths are a serious thing, and he should be made to keep his. No
matter what. Death is a way out. We shouldn't give him one."

There was a pause, but Orange spoke first again.

"Fine then. Captain, belay the execution, for the time being.
Who's needed to strip the man of his titles? Can we do that? I don't have that
kind of power."

"But I do." This came from King Richard, though he
did clear his throat, a moment later. "Sir Derring, would you agree with
stripping one of your people of their position as High Servant?"

"Yes. It is so ordered. Reid Smythe is no longer a High
Servant." It sounded very final, and the woman didn't stop there.
"You will need to watch him, so that he can't kill himself in shame,
unless that's allowed to him?"

Timon looked at the man, who simply seemed outraged at the
indignity, rather than humbled.

"Of course. If he desires to do the honorable thing, it
will be allowed. I have a cutter he can use for it." There was a tradition
that allowed a disgraced noble to end their own life. It wasn't always given to
commoners, but even merchants were allowed the grace, if they asked for it, in
the main.

It was also a threat. If the man didn't do as he was told,
they had a way to make him vanish now, that everyone would believe. They'd kill
him and claim he did it himself.

Really, if the man didn't start to show a little more
cooperation it was going to happen, probably before morning.

King Richard spoke then, his voice mellow and relaxed now.

"Very honorable. I won't strip you of your rights as a
noble, Reid Smythe. I will however place them in abeyance for a time of three
years. For that time you have no rights, privileges or powers, in the eyes of Noram.
Is that understood? Your actions have shamed us in the eyes of the world. Now,
I must go to your Baron and bend my knee, begging him, a good and honorable
man, not to take his own life over this borrowed shame. Know this, Reid Smythe,
I'd best not hear of you in a negative light again. To the rest of you there,
High Servants all, know this; it is both a duty and an honor to hold the rank
you do. All of Noram, and indeed the world, is watching you now. I know that no
one else will bring such shame upon us."

Then there was a soft click, as the device was slapped off.
Not everyone in the room got what that meant. One by one the rest of the
devices shut off then, and Captain Peterson rose, his face stern.

"Very well. Place the prisoner in a cell. If he
requests aid in ending his life, see Timon Baker for that. Otherwise his new tasks
will begin at six in the morning, ship's time."

He didn't speak to anyone in particular, so confusingly all
the High Servants stood up, and moved on the man. He didn't fight, and it
wouldn't have done him any good to try it. They all had shields on. Turning to
the white clad woman next to him, Saxon, Tim murmured.

"Take charge of this. Make sure he isn't harmed. Put
him..." He looked at the Captain, and then the collection of women from
the kitchen. "If you think it's a good idea, place him in the kitchen, doing
whatever they tell him to, for the time being."

It was the lowest work they had on the ship. Having him
scrub toilets would have worked better, but almost everything there was
self-cleaning. The Captain glared at the man and then nodded, working out the
same thing, no doubt, more or less.

"Make it so. I'll arrange a guard for him." Then
they all broke up, meaning that he was able to finally get back to his own
tasks. First that meant sleep, and then...

He almost didn't know, there wasn't just one or two things
needed, but hundreds. Worse, he already dreaded the idea of going back into a
trance state at all. It was so... Even boring didn't explain it all. He was
losing himself.

Oddly, when he woke up, it was the thought of Reid Smythe
that pushed him to do the next bit of work, and the one after that. It was his
duty. Not one he'd sworn an oath to maybe, but something stronger. It was what
had
to happen.

Timon was one of the very few people that could do what had
to be done, so he forced himself to it, not slacking off at all. It meant he
was a bit surprised when he came back to the surface, several months later, to
find that Tiera was sitting across from him, her face serene, dressed in a
plain brown tunic and trousers like a student. Her eyes were closed, but the
moment he opened his, she did the same, feeling the change in the room.

In his field. He felt hers move as well.

"Timon. I have news." If it was good or bad didn't
leak into her voice.

"Yes?"

"There has been an attack, using sunset-fire, on Noram.
It failed almost instantly, and at least six of the Ancient clones have died.
Denno Brown believes that Remy Seventeen has been sighted near the Vagus Space
port. He suggests that you leaving here, to a random location might be helpful.
He's told no one except for me, and we did that in person." Then she went
silent.

Timon looked at her, and realized that she was tall now.
Taller than he was by nearly half a foot at least, even sitting down. He was
larger too, but it wasn't the same growth pattern. He was about five-nine, at a
guess, and she was nearly a foot taller than that now. It had stretched her
into a sticklike figure, but she was still pretty, for all that. It had to do
with the smoothness of her skin and the shape of the bone under the flesh. It
was more delicate seeming than most noble women.

She was probably close to being fully grown then, since she
should stop at about seven feet tall. All the kids should.

"I see. I'll leave in a few minutes. Would you like to
come with me? I was thinking that we could simply use the new shields to get
back to the ground. Has anyone tried that yet?" He wasn't teasing, but he
managed a fake and dreamy smile anyway, getting one in return.

"I haven't heard of that. The new shields are making an
impact on things however. King Richard mentioned that he owes you most of the
treasury. I told him to not pay you for the work. Doing that will destroy the
economy. Instead I recommended a firm beating, but Aunt Connie took that as an
insult to you. I just don't want you to get a big head. You've managed some
impressive things." The words were very peaceful and pleasant sounding,
making it clear that Tiera wasn't leaving her trance state simply to carry on a
conversation with him.

He didn't bother doing that either, anymore.

"Oh? I wasn't aware that I had a defender there. She
always seems a bit like she doesn't like me, to be honest."

Tiera, being his sister, didn't let that go, clearly having
more information than he did. Or at least slightly different info.

"No, it isn't that, though she does find you cocky and
too self-assured with her family. It's rather that she wants to have sex with
you and can't, you being too young. So she's kept you at a distance, I think. I
could be wrong on that score however. She might simply not like you. You can
rub people the wrong way at times."

"Agreed."

He made himself smile and tried to rise closer to the
surface. It wouldn't hurt to be a little more normal, if he could help it. Then
he stood up and held out his hand to her, which she took firmly.

"So, shall we jump out the side of the ship without
warning?"

Without hesitation she smiled a little.

"Let's."

There was, Timon realized about ten minutes later, after
leaving the ship through a small hole that he made, a large and rather bowel
loosening difference between flying around above the planet and rushing toward
it. Worse, Tiera was totally unaffected by it, as far as he could tell. He
wasn't scared really, but his
body
reacted like it was. Things inside
him tingled and his breath felt shallow and tight, even though there was no
real stress on his body.

They were going to land at his house, in the Capital, if
they could manage it safely. That would be lit, even at night, he thought, and
it was around midnight there, so they wouldn't be noticed easily. That however,
was wrong, since the whole thing was dark. Not just his silver river, but the
entire kingdom, almost. A few lights showed in places, but they were all small,
singular things. None of them were in the right place either.

Rolling his eyes he got what was happening, of course. This
was to help keep them from being targeted by the Ancients. Except that they
didn't use lights to find where they wanted to attack at all. Still, it would
help bring people together, if in hardship. That was a real enough thing, he
guessed. They weren't doing anything useful, but by doing something, a thing
that everyone else did too, including the King and Queen, it made it seem like
everyone was doing their part to fight. It had to leave them all feeling
better.

Tiera, naturally, had neglected to mention it however. They
just rushed toward the ground at speed then, with him hoping that they were
near the right area at least vaguely. It wasn't perfect really, but they had
enough moonlight to see the King's river, and next to it the River Tor. That
one floated in the air, and was nearly clear, just glinting enough for him to
make it out, so he slowed and readjusted his decent, aiming to land just a
little ways outside the city. About seven miles or so.

What Tiera was planning to do, he had no clue, but when he
got to the ground, she was there, waiting for him, only about fifty feet away.
Still damnably calm too. For his part he was covered with sweat, and had to
cycle his clothing amulet with his shield down, to dry off. At least he managed
that before she walked over to him, no doubt ready to be smug and showing how
superior girls were to boys.

Except that she didn't do that at all.

"We should go in low to the ground. I don't have a Not-flyer
with me. We can run in."

Smiling Timon rose about four inches from the ground. "We
can use the new shields for it. Hasn't everyone been doing it already?"

"I wouldn't know. They're for the military, and we
don't even have any to play with at Lairdgren yet. May I make copies of
mine?"

That she was volunteering for that was a new thing. Then,
given all her meditation and mind control practice, she had to be a lot better
at that sort of thing now, didn't she? They went hand in hand.

"Yes, but get permission before outfitting the Baker
forces that way. These aren't a joke." That was probably him just talking
out of turn, acting like his devices were more important than they actually
would be, but she nodded.

"Naturally. I was thinking that Kolb and Karen would
like them. They're better than the latest Tor has. He hasn't been..." She
went silent and then sighed, her voice calm, but not happy or even peaceful
now. How he could tell the difference Tim didn't know. "I think he's going
insane. I meant that in a literal fashion. He goes to work, and builds and it
all seems fine, but he's...
off
. He keeps slipping up and telling me what
our brother
Terek
is up to. Apparently he's been hopping up from Two
Bends to visit about once a week lately."

They didn't have a brother named Terek, which, no doubt, was
her point.

"How long has that been happening?"

There was a silence then, as they floated along in a
straight line, moving faster than anyone with a not-flyer should at night. It
was enough that Tim gestured for her to slow, and was surprised when she did.
He used one of the new High Servant hand gestures for it.

She stopped all the way, about ten minutes later, since they
were at his house, and spoke quietly. Now there was real fear in her words, in
a trance or not.

"
Years
. It's been years. We haven't told him
that Terek isn't real, and everyone is worried about it. This almost has to be
how Cordes is influencing him. There isn't a lot we can do though. The best any
of the Ancients have come up with is imprisonment. Some..." Whatever it
was that she wanted to say stuck in her throat, which was fine, since the two
armed men in front of them in the dark would have shouted over her anyway.

"Halt! This is the residence of Countier Baker, being
held by the forces of County Baker. Announce yourselves!" The man sounded
pretty hard and like he was planning to do violence to them if they didn't
comply immediately. He looked... like a shadow really. There were no lights in
use around them at all. Not even a simple camp fire for warmth. It hopefully
wasn't all that cold out now. Trying to work things out, he realized that it
was into the first months of summer already.

Time flew, when you were working yourself to death, it
seemed.

"I'm Countier Timon Baker, and this is Countess
Baker."

He didn't expect to be believed of course, since no one
could see him at all, but the people bowed. He felt that one was a woman, but
couldn't tell at all otherwise. They also had force lances, explosive weapons
and class eight shields on. No magical clothing however.

Tiera for her part murmured a single word.

"Leaf."

That got them to relax, for some reason, obviously being a
code of some kind.

The woman went next, saying another single word.

"Box."

This went back and forth, but in the end, after four more
words were given, it was decided that they were at least responsible for the
torture and murder of the Countess, and thereby should be allowed inside the
gate. No one
said
that, and they actually seemed to be very polite, but
with all the clones around, even just looking right didn't mean that much
anymore, did it?

They were walked to the main house, but no one was pointing
anything dangerous at them. Tim just walked in, which meant that he was a bit
surprised, since there was a deep blackness inside, and he nearly slammed into
the other door of the airlock. Or in this case, obviously, a light-lock. Tiera
didn't, clearly having been there recently enough that she knew what to expect.

She did warn him then however.

"Light. It will be bright inside, get ready for
it."

Even being warned it hurt, and he had to squint, nearly
closing his eyes totally then, though he was able to see a few moments later.
No one was in the front hallway, but he heard voices off to the right, where
they kept the sitting room. He moved toward it without thinking, not knowing
who would be visiting at all. It was his house, so up to him to be welcoming,
even if he was left a bit uncomfortable by who he found there.

It wasn't Tor, and that would have been the worst of it, he thought.

No, it was just the rest of his family. Or at least his
mother, sister Terlee and Count Thomson, sitting with Gerent Lairdgren and
Trice, his wife.

"Honey, I'm home." It was supposed to be playful,
but came out sounding dark and serious. Trice squealed anyway, after a shocked
few seconds.

"
Tim
!" He was hugged and kissed then,
before the rest of the people could get to him. Patricia didn't let go for a
long time, but when she did Terlee gave him a solid hug and then his mother
did. Knowing it was past time for it, Timon held her at arm's length and
smiled. Then drove his mind into hers as hard as he could, searching to the
depth of her being for any hidden sense of Gray, Cordes or anyone else at all
that didn't belong. To her it had to seem like he was just staring at her for
some reason.

Tiera got it. So did Trice, who whispered at him, suddenly
seeming wary.

"Anything?"

Tim winked at her and then Tiera.

"Everyone should be happy to know that mother is not,
in any way, Gray. It's been a concern for a while now ma. No one wanted to
check, because, well, what could we do with you if you
were
? You'd still
be our mother..." A sense of relief ran through him then, but instead of
the fight he half expected, she just smiled wanly and looked down.

"Is that what's been at issue? I've been wondering why
all my children were suddenly avoiding me. I'd thought that my harpy like
manners had finally driven you all off."

"Well, that too. But mainly the thing about possibly
being Lara Gray."

She punched him on the arm, but softly. Looking up at him.

"So, have you dealt with your problem too? I'd heard
you planned to move out into space and never let us know where you were. You
could have gotten in touch. I tried, but you never answered."

He hadn't known that at all, but he just moved back to Trice
and waved once at Tovey.

"I was working. Almost constantly for the last half
year. It seems that Brown got word that Remy Seventeen was seen at the spaceport
in Vagus. I'll be headed there tomorrow."

That got everyone to make faces at him, except Tiera, who
was back to being serene.

It was Terlee that spoke, her voice reflecting a very
stylish noble accent now.

"Excuse me, but if the assassin has been seen there,
why would you go to it? Shouldn't you hide?" She even got the neutral
gender of the Remy right.

"Because I need to end this. I'm as prepared as is
going to happen in the next few decades, and hiding won't work forever. I might
have to wait for it to come back, if it's already managed to get into space,
but it's time."

His mother, Laurie, looked at him with tears forming in her
eyes.

"So you go to your death in the morning?"

That at least got Timon to smile and move away from his
wife, to hug his mother again. Then he pulled a Truth amulet. He hadn't
bothered to at the trial of Reid Smythe at all, since everyone knew he was
guilty. Here he had something to actually prove. The cream and goldenrod
colored light spread around him impressively. The room had lights, but even
here they were down to a few, as if trying to hide their presence a little more
from the enemy by doing so. Or maybe they were just trying to be fair to those
that didn't have the same resources they did? If so, they were being silly.

It wouldn't matter at all.

Those that had plenty had it, and those that didn't would
make do, if given a chance.

"I'm not going to my death. Or at least not to my
knowledge. I have several things worked out, but I want to question the Remy
first, which means controlling the situation and not having to respond to an
ambush. Yes, I could die doing this. We could all die tomorrow from whatever
the Other Ancients do to us, as well. I'm decently confident that it will at
least be a real fight, and not me simply throwing my life away."

He didn't have anything else to say on the matter, so he
turned the amulet off, making the cheery glow vanish. Everyone else still
looked a bit skeptical, except Tiera, but Trice crossed her arms and scowled at
him.

"Who said it was your part in this to try and question
a killer that very few have ever even escaped from before? Count Lairdgren told
me that it would likely simply kill you, no matter what the rest of them did.
Are you saying that you're smarter than a three thousand year old man
now?"

Timon pulled a card from Tor and Count Lairdgren's play
manual and tilted his head cutely. If it worked for them, it should for him. It
was manipulative, but Trice was a sucker for his brother, so it might work. She
visibly relaxed then, meaning that her subconscious mind had picked up on the
reassuring move.

"Smarter? Probably. I don't have more information
obviously, and even imagining that would be foolish of me. I have new tools
however, that he's never seen before. I can kill the Remy right now. From here
even. Oh, it might take a few years to work, but if I open my pocket and go
back to the ship for a while, I'll be out of danger. Then, if there are any
other Remy's left, they'll die too. I don't know whose side they might be on
though, so I'm trying to avoid that. If Seventeen will talk to me, then it will
be helpful. If nothing else, it would be best for me to handle this face to
face, so that I don't have to kill their entire race for the actions of one
being."

Did that sound too full of himself? Of course it did. Also
tired and bored. That was the trance talking. He... didn't know if he'd ever
really come back from that. It might have changed him now, so that this was
just who he was.

Hopefully that would be enough, for the time being.

Trice called for a snack to be made, since they'd already
eaten, being on Capital time. The food came out on a nice cart of polished
wood, pushed by Sherri Bonner. She squealed when she saw him too and hugged him
nearly as much as Trice had.

"You're still alive!" Then a kiss came which
didn't require her to bend down all that much anymore. "Tor has been
worried white about you for months. Are you back for good now? Are you going to
come visit us at the school? I know that everyone would love to see you
there." She kept speaking, even as he nearly tuned her out. She was chatty.
It was nice to hear now though, instead of a bother.

In a way, he realized, he'd missed her. He'd really missed
all of them.

"No. Not yet. I need to take care of something
tomorrow, or at least get that started, and then I have some other things to
see to first. It might be a few months. Right now I... I hate to be rude, but I
need to retire to a conference with my advisors." That was the polite way
of saying that he had to speak to some people in private and the rest of them
weren't invited. So neener-neener.