Of Fire and Night (55 page)

142

QUEEN ESTARRA

W
ithin two days, the Therons had put together a transition ceremony. Estarra thought the people would give her time to rest and settle in, but Mother Alexa and Father Idriss had wanted to retire for years, and they were very pleased to have the opportunity.

After Reynald’s death they had resumed their old leadership roles, always knowing it would be temporary. Beneto had come back as a wooden golem, a spokesman for the worldforest, but not someone who could rule the Theron people. Sarein had expressed ambitions to be the next Theron Mother, but she was a puppet of the Earth government; when she couldn’t keep up the pretense, she had hurried back to the Hansa.

Which left Estarra, Queen of the Hansa—now in exile—next in line.

Safely back home, she had not slept so well in years. The open fungus-reef windows let in breezes laden with the spicy-sweet scents of epiphyte flowers and the whispering lullabies of contented worldtrees. Holding each other, Peter and Estarra had dozed until long after the bright sunlight flooded their room.

Celli awakened them, prancing with excitement for the upcoming ceremony. “Today you two will become the new Mother and Father of Theroc! I was afraid you were going to sleep through the whole thing.”

“Shouldn’t your people get to know me first? I’m still a stranger here.” Peter shook his head, still not understanding why Alexa and Idriss had simply assumed he would welcome the role. “I was the mouthpiece for the Terran Hanseatic League. I had to issue some terrible orders, caused a lot of suffering. Does everybody know that it was really Basil behind the worst of it? I wouldn’t think the Therons trust me yet.”

Estarra put her arms around his chest from behind, pressing her overlarge stomach against the small of his back. “Nahton knows you very well, Peter, and all the green priests know what Nahton knows. He never let them be fooled about the things you hated to do.”

Celli let out a bright laugh. “Besides, Estarra seems to think you’re good enough. We’re choosing
her
to be our next Mother, and you just happen to come along as part of the deal.”

Later in the day, they all gathered in the fungus reef’s large audience chamber. Feast tables crowded the rooms and platforms: A banquet of fresh fruits, edible flowers, and the most succulent insect steaks had been laid out from the bounty of the worldforest.

Estarra remembered her first taste of chicken and beef in the Whisper Palace’s dining hall; though they had still been strangers, Peter had tried to make her feel at home. Now she reciprocated, though the King wasn’t nearly as shy as she had been. She wondered if he would savor the tender morsels of pupating larvae cooked in their own cocoon casings. Her stomach growled, and she realized she’d been having strange cravings for Theron food.

First, though, they had their roles to play, and an extremely important announcement to make.

When she and Peter stepped up to the tall chairs in the throne room, Idriss and Alexa removed their headdresses and gave warm blessings to the King and Queen. Idriss boomed out to the people: “I present to you your new rulers, Father Peter and Mother Estarra of Theroc!” The people cheered, and green priests used the interconnected trees to send the news and receive greetings from treelings on all the scattered planets.

Estarra knew their most important work was just beginning. Human civilization would have to change, starting with the government.

While flying to Theroc aboard the alien derelict, she and Peter had had many long discussions. Even if Earth survived the massive hydrogue attacks and the Soldier compy uprising, the Hansa was fatally flawed. Chairman Wenceslas had alienated his allies, provoked unnecessary confrontations, and withdrawn supplies and defenses from colonies that depended on them. Basil was a divider, exactly the wrong sort of leader to bring humanity back from the edge of a terrible precipice.

“After everything that’s happened, Peter, we’ve got to be as strong as a real King and Queen—not just showpieces.”

Peter considered all the opportunities he had lost. “We’ll be as strong as we should have been from the start.”

Together, they had developed a breathtaking scheme. While settling in on Theroc, they had discussed the idea with Estarra’s parents, and they had already dispatched messages and proposals via telink to representatives on the orphaned Hansa colonies. Their suggestions had met with a great deal of support.

Now it was time to make it official.

With everyone gathered close for the coronation ceremony, Peter addressed all Therons. He was the Hansa’s Great King and now the Father of Theroc. Yarrod waited near the flower-strewn stage, touching a small tree to report King Peter’s message via telink; word would spread instantly.

“Earth has survived the attack by the hydrogues, but the Hanseatic League has fallen,” Peter announced. “Even before the warglobes came, the Hansa was crippled from within by greed, arrogance, and corruption. Many of you saw it—especially those colonists who relied on Hansa support and the Roamer clans who were crushed simply because they demanded fair treatment.”

Beside him, Estarra added, “All the colonies that signed the Hansa Charter agreed to certain things, and in return the Hansa had its own obligations. When Chairman Wenceslas abandoned those colonies, he breached the contract.”

Peter took her hand. “In signing the Charter, those colonies swore allegiance to their King. I am the King. I may have left the Whisper Palace, and I may no longer be on Earth, but the center of government resides with me,
wherever I am
. Therefore, here on Theroc with my Queen, I intend to establish a new seat of government.”

Some of the listeners were surprised. As Therons, they had never been part of the Hansa. “But it will be a different sort of government from the failed example of the Terran Hanseatic League,” Estarra assured them. “This is a time for healing the rifts among the branches of humanity. Listen.”

Peter continued. “We propose to form a new confederation that is
inclusive
and strong. We invite all Therons to join us, along with all of the orphaned Hansa colonies, and all of the unjustly persecuted Roamer clans. We will share skills and resources and help everyone rebuild after the past eight years of war. This is a dramatic change, but I know in my heart that it is the right thing for us all.”

Estarra could see some of the Therons nodding. She knew they would need time to absorb all the immense implications, but she wanted to give them plenty to think about. “When the
Caillié
left Earth, we intended to be independent. After we formed our colony here, we reestablished ties with Earth, and King Ben granted us our sovereignty. For years now, the Hansa has been struggling to absorb Theroc, but we have refused.”

Peter swept his blue-eyed gaze across the room. “The confederation we propose would allow the various colonies and groups to keep their independent identities, yet give us the strength in numbers we sorely needed in our recent battles. We will act together for the common good.”

“Shouldn’t we worry about military reprisals?” someone called from the floor. Estarra knew the former Hansa colonies would be the most concerned about that.

“Not much of the EDF remains, and they certainly don’t have extra ships for policing long-lost colonies.” Peter glanced out the open balcony to the lush forest beyond. “If we pull together and agree to certain terms of mutual aid, we will be stronger than the handful of battleships that survived the hydrogue war.”

Green priests passed along the messages. The people in the speaking hall seemed receptive to the idea.

Peter held out his hands. “Obviously, there are many details to work out. All the clan leaders and colony governors will have their own concerns, legitimately afraid of being trampled by an overbearing government. But especially now, with humanity crippled and reeling, our greatest strength lies in unity. Estarra and I are offering a viable alternative to the Terran Hanseatic League.”

She took his hand. “We invite representatives of the factions of humanity to come to Theroc, to discuss the fundamentals. If we are agreed, we can even draw up a constitution. We must be strengthened by our numbers, rather than crushed by them.”

Peter’s expression grew hard, and he looked at Yarrod. “Before we can move on, everyone must understand that the Hansa Chairman is no longer a legitimate ruler. Send the word out through telink. Tell every green priest what has taken place here. The King and Queen now rule from Theroc, not Earth. The Chairman no longer has any foundation of power.”

Surveying the room, Estarra saw faces full of heady idealism. Idriss and Alexa were extremely proud of their daughter. Even Celli applauded wildly.

Estarra felt a twinge in her belly—the baby kicking? An omen? She sat down on the ornate throne and put an arm across her abdomen, knowing now that their baby would be safe.

143

CHAIRMAN BASIL WENCESLAS

W
hile grim assessments of death and destruction continued to roll in for days, Basil felt giddy with both euphoria and disappointment. For the time being, he had holed up in his penthouse office, from which he could look out at the bustling Palace District as the sun rose.

The population of Earth had survived. Basil never would have bet on that outcome.

He didn’t yet know the real extent of the casualties, but he could look at the balance sheet and know that desperate times were still to come. The Terran Hanseatic League had never been so close to total obliteration. Since the beginning of his chairmanship thirty years ago, Basil had led the Hansa to its pinnacle of power and influence. Now, in a very short time, it had fallen to its most pathetic level.

While he waited for General Lanyan to shuttle down again from the remnants of his fleet, Deputy Cain joined him in the top-level offices, as did a browbeaten Sarein. Basil realized just how few people he actually trusted anymore, and even some of those were suspect.

When Sarein looked at him, he saw mingled love, fear, and something else in her eyes. She’d been acting strangely ever since the assassination attempt at Daniel’s banquet. Or had he noticed odd behavior even before? He had never completely understood the ambitious young woman, nor had he made a particular effort to do so. He was too busy—and
that
wouldn’t change in the near future. Once again, he cursed the fact that Pellidor was dead. He doubted he’d ever find another expediter so well trained and trustworthy.

Eldred Cain was stony and unreadable as he took his seat. Basil didn’t understand the ghostly deputy either. The human race needed Basil Wenceslas more than ever. That much was obvious.

Finally, guards escorted the General into the office. Lanyan looked exhausted, his uniform unkempt, his eyes bloodshot and baggy. He probably hadn’t slept in the days of aftermath, dealing with hundreds of secondary and tertiary problems.
Just like all of us
, Basil thought.

The outlook for the Earth Defense Forces was not good. Despite the help of the Ildirans, the hydrogues and Klikiss robots had destroyed many of the assets the EDF had cobbled together for the last-stand defense. The battleships stolen by the Soldier compies were still out there, far outnumbering what remained of the Hansa military. The robots could return for a coup de grâce at any time.

And the damned Roamers. He didn’t know what to do about them. Was he supposed to send them a thank-you card? A gift basket? If they had such effective weapons technology against the warglobes, why the hell hadn’t they shared it with the Hansa a long time ago?

Even so, the General was charged with a strange sort of energy, as if his pride and indignation were enough to drive back the haggard edge of weariness.

Time to get down to business. Always business. That was what kept human civilization functioning, even more than strong political leaders . . . even more than intractable kings and spoiled princes who disappeared in times of crisis. The Chairman would have been willing to ignore King Peter with a sneer of “Good riddance!”—but Peter had
defied
him. That couldn’t be forgiven.

The General manufactured a tired smile for Basil. “Even considering the terrible cost, Mr. Chairman, it is still a victory. The EDF is in shambles, but the hydrogues have been crushed, perhaps even destroyed.” He shook his head. “Who would have thought the Ildiran Solar Navy would do what they did? And thanks to the Roamers, dare I say it. We have inspectors trying to figure out what they did with those secret weapons, so we can duplicate them.”

“If the hydrogues are defeated, there’s no need to duplicate the weapons,” Basil pointed out. “Apparently, they will not be effective against any other target.”

“And those huge treeships from Theroc,” Sarein said in a strangely embittered voice. “It’s quite a surprise my people would go to such lengths to help Earth, after we did so little to aid
them
after the hydrogues attacked.”

“Again, the same could be said about the Roamers.” Cain seemed to be enjoying this.

Basil glared at his deputy and at Sarein. “This is not the time to rehash petty feuds and differences.” He sat at his desk, put his hands in front of him, and straightened his back. “We need to move swiftly. After this, whole populations will go into shock. There’ll be chaos in the streets, anarchy. We must not allow that. We’ll have to impose a severe crackdown to maintain control. Getting the Hansa back up to full strength will require a tremendous amount of work.”

Cain cleared his throat. “We’ve already established priorities and the distribution of responsibilities based on our last meeting. Now we’re ready to move on to the next step.”

Basil tried to drive back his persistent headache. “In the coming weeks, we will complete detailed damage assessments and strength projections—but they must be kept entirely confidential.” He looked meaningfully at Lanyan, then at Deputy Cain. “Under no circumstances will the general population be allowed to know how badly we’ve been hurt.”

When they nodded, Basil was glad to see full cooperation for a change. If everyone he relied on had supported him all along, the Chairman could have led them safely through this mess from the beginning. “We’ll pull together the resources from our colonies. Across the Hansa, we need a full-scale effort to construct new battleships, encourage trade, strengthen bonds among the planets, and make the Hansa blossom again. And the effort will need to be far superior to what the human race has managed in recent years.”

They were fine words, but in his heart Basil realized that such an effort would also mean cripplingly high taxes and very lean years. And now Peter, Estarra, and Daniel had vanished. He narrowed his gray eyes, focusing on Sarein. “Are you sure you have no idea where your sister or the King have gone? It’s been days! We need a strong spokesman to prepare the people, to get back in touch with our orphaned colonies.” He thought he might have to haul out his unexpected alternative after all.

“I . . . I don’t know where they are, Basil. I haven’t spoken to Estarra since just after Daniel’s banquet, when you made me show her the greenhouse you destroyed.” She was clearly trying to hide her distaste. “As you well know, she was under tight guard—for her protection.”

Basil scowled. Was that sarcasm? Among the many unbelievable things that had happened during the attack, the hydrogue derelict had disappeared. He had assigned Deputy Cain the task of investigating the matter thoroughly, but with so much going on in the past several days, it wasn’t Cain’s highest priority.

A secretary appeared at the door of the penthouse office. “A green priest to see you, Mr. Chairman.”

“Send him in. Maybe he has news.” Basil took a seat at his desk. “It’s about time he decided to report to me.”

Nahton walked proudly into the chamber, tall, thin, and determined. The high windows looked out into the bright morning. The green priest stared into the golden sunlight for a moment, then turned to face the Chairman.

“Well, what is it?”

“
As a courtesy,
Chairman Wenceslas, I have been asked to bring you a message from King Peter and Queen Estarra.”

Basil shot to his feet. “Where are they? I demand that they return to the Whisper Palace immediately.”

“The King and Queen have relocated their throne to Theroc. From there, they will establish a human confederation and preside over a new seat of government.”

Basil could only bark a short, dry laugh. “That’s ridiculous! And it distracts us at a time when we must all pull together.”

“We are pulling together, Mr. Chairman. We’re just doing it without you.” Nahton’s voice was emotionless, a delivery system for a formal proclamation. “The Therons have endorsed this new confederation and have agreed to join it. The green priests who were dispersed to former Hansa colonies have also made the announcement to their settlers. Representatives are already being chosen.”

“What do you mean,
former
Hansa colonies? They have never—”

Nahton interrupted him. “Sixty-three orphaned worlds have torn up the Hansa Charter and agreed to join the confederation.”

“That’s a declaration of war!” Lanyan shouted.

“It is an appropriate and completely legal response. Since the beginning of the hydrogue conflict, the Terran Hanseatic League has cut them off from vital materials, denied them food and medical supplies. You withdrew the protection of the Earth Defense Forces. In other words, Mr. Chairman, the Hansa failed to meet its obligations and thereby voided the Charter. For their own survival, most colonies now feel this is the best prospect.”

“They are
Hansa
colonies!” Basil insisted.

“Former Hansa colonies, Mr. Chairman. Representatives from fifteen Roamer clans have also signed on. We are confident the Speaker will agree that such a confederation is in the best interests of humanity. While the Roamers still refuse to trade with the Hansa, to show their good faith they have announced that they will supply ekti to any orphaned colony that joins the new government.”

General Lanyan could make no comprehensible sounds. Only Deputy Cain seemed unruffled.

The Chairman glared into Nahton’s implacable green face. “Go get your treeling right now and send a message to King Peter. Tell him that I command him to return to Earth without delay!”

“I’m sorry, sir. Our telink communications services are no longer available to the Chairman or any Hansa representative.”

“You can’t do that.” Basil’s mind was ready to burst. His skin felt as if it were on fire. “Send the message! You’re supposed to be neutral. You’re a green priest. You’re—”

“I follow the instructions of King Peter and Queen Estarra, as do all green priests. We cannot be commanded. Neither you, nor any member of the Earth Defense Forces, nor any person from the Hansa government, will be able to send a message via telink until further notice.”

For a moment Basil thought about torturing the priest, even executing him if he didn’t follow instructions. Sarein sat stunned, shaking her head. “He’s right, Basil. No one can force a green priest to send a telink message.”

Lanyan fumed. “But by the time we can send our own ships to enforce the Charter, this will be all sewn up!”

“That has already occurred.” Nahton smiled coolly. “When Chairman Wenceslas resigns and the remnants of the Terran Hanseatic League are dissolved, the people of Earth will also be welcome to join us. All members of the new confederation must be loyal to the King.”

Basil wanted to spit the name. “The King? Peter was never a real King!”

Sitting motionless, Sarein blinked and looked at the seething and helpless Chairman. “Maybe he was, Basil. More than you knew.”