“Officially,” Kira said, “I was told that time away from them would do me good and let me establish my independence. At the time, I was sure Mother and Father actually thought some time away from me would do them good. But since then I’ve decided they really needed me someplace safe while they did something else dangerous related to the daughter’s business.”
“Some secret mission?” Jason asked. “And they didn’t tell you?”
“Back then? No!” Kira looked ahead, trying to remember that eternity of a few years before. “Mother didn’t talk about it because she was trying to shield me from having to get involved in the daughter’s work. And back then I wouldn’t ask, because anything related to what my mother did was just a reminder of how pathetic I was compared to her.”
“Yeah, but only a half-dozen guards and on your own. Weren’t they worried about you running off to find yourself or something?”
“Find myself? What does that mean? How can anyone have to find themselves?”
“It’s an expression,” Jason said. “It’s about understanding yourself, I guess. Figuring out who you really are and what you really want.”
“Oh. All right. Anyway, I might have been a terror at home, but I was smart enough to know that running off would be crazy.” She smiled at Jason. “That was before this guy from Urth showed up and convinced me to run away with him.”
“I don’t remember it happening quite like that,” Jason said. “Didn’t you actually insist on running away with me?”
“Wow. That is both technically accurate and really, really wrong,” Kira said.
They had to stop for the night at a place where a broad area had been carved out for camping, roughly midway on the journey from the city to the tower. As they ate, Kira hailed the officer she’d spoken with earlier. “Captain Vanza! Can I ask you something?”
“Certainly,” Vanza said.
“Am I right in remembering that there used to be a lot more travelers on this road? I seem to recall that when I was here last we met a lot more other people coming from the tower back to the city, and saw more traveling toward the tower at the same time as we were.”
Vanza nodded, taking on the guarded look of someone who thought she had to watch her words. “That is so, Captain. There are much fewer travelers these days.”
“Why? Do you know?”
“I only know what’s been spoken of,” Vanza cautioned. “I… understand that the daughter of Jules is a close friend of the librarians. I wouldn’t want to offend her daughter.”
Kira frowned. “My mother asked me to check on what the librarians were doing. She wants to be sure they’re still open to visitors.”
“If you want my candid opinion—”
“I do.”
“They’re not nearly as open as before,” Vanza said. “It didn’t happen all at once. Just gradually. I remember the fuss when they announced they wanted people to send ahead for approval to visit, but we thought that made sense since the crowds in their valley could get large at times. But it seems fewer and fewer people are getting approval.”
“What about talking to Urth? On the Feynman unit?”
“I don’t know,” Vanza said. “I’ve never met anyone who has. What’s that like, if I can ask?”
“I’ve never used it myself,” Kira admitted. “But Mother says it’s like a far-talker. You don’t get an immediate reply, though. It takes hours for them to hear our message, and hours for their reply to reach us.”
“Why so slow?”
“That’s really incredibly fast,” Jason said. “Radio, I mean, far-talker, signals travel at the speed of light. A message sent that way would take years to reach Earth. The Feynman unit uses a form of quantum interaction to send a message much, much faster than the speed of light.”
Vanza shook her head. “I’m just a simple cavalry trooper. All I know are far-talkers and carbines and pistols. And horses, which aren’t so simple, I guess.”
After Vanza had left, Kira stared out into the night. The mountains hemmed them in, but above their dark peaks the stars shone down brilliantly. “Do you think Urth will tell you what we need to know?” she asked Jason.
“I don’t know.”
“Jason, what are you not saying?”
“Man, I keep forgetting you can do that!” He shook his head. “I don’t have a warm and fuzzy feeling. That’s all. Things just don’t feel right. Maybe I’m just nervous about talking to people on Earth. But I’m going to do my best.”
Late the next day they reached the valley, the road coming out high on a mountain wall and descending in switchbacks to the valley floor below. The tower stood out clearly, its gray permacrete gleaming in the sun. Seeing it, Kira felt a chill, reminded of the permacrete protecting the facility buried under Pacta Servanda.
When they reached the short bridge spanning a river that coursed through the valley, the column halted. Kira gestured to Jason and they rode to the front, seeing Major Char talking to a pair of librarians who were blocking the road. “Is there a problem?” she asked.
One of the librarians gave her a dismissive glance, saw the Mechanics jacket, and decided to answer. “Visitors, especially such a large group, require advance approval.”
“We have approval,” Kira said.
“We received no notice that you were coming,” the second librarian said.
“Yes, you did. I was present when my mother spoke by far-talker to Coleen, head of the librarians, to tell her we were coming. Coleen didn’t indicate there’d be any problem.”
“Your mother?”
Kira felt her temper rising again, and wondered why she seemed to be getting angry faster and easier these days. But she kept her voice civil. “My mother, Lady Master Mechanic Mari of Dematr, the daughter of Jules.”
“You’re Kira,” one of the librarians said in sudden recognition.
Just “Kira.” No titles. It seemed her mother was right, that the librarians were seeing her as the young girl she’d been on her last visit. Kira decided to let that ride so she could learn how the librarians treated her. “And this is Jason of Urth, who requires immediate use of the Feynman unit.”
“We will notify Coleen. If you will wait—”
“We’ve been riding for two days,” Kira said. “The hour is late. These soldiers still have to make camp. We’ll proceed to the visitor camp while you talk to Coleen.”
Kira rode forward, Jason staying with her, and the librarians hastened to one side rather than physically block her. The cavalry column followed, along the winding path toward the tower and the outbuildings near it.
Once there, the cavalry rode onto the open grassy area between the buildings and bounded on another side by the stream. “We’re informed that the visitor rooms are unsafe at the moment,” Major Char told Kira after speaking to some more librarians. “I don’t see any point in pressing the issue, since it’s temperate enough this time of year in the valley that sleeping outside with our mounts will be no hardship.”
“Do you have enough food?” Kira asked, irritated by this latest snub and trying not to show it. Looking around, she could see a few more visitors already camping outside, and off to one side a pair of Mages who were sitting separately, ignoring each other as well as everyone else.
“Our wagons have enough feed for troopers and mounts, and we have all the water we need right there in the stream. We’ll be fine, Lady Mechanic Kira.”
“Let me know the instant you need something that the librarians won’t provide,” Kira told him. “Come on, Jason. Let’s see how soon you can make that call.”
At the entrance to the tower, Kira was surprised to see more librarians standing sentry in their robes. “We need to see Coleen, and use the Feynman unit.”
These librarians didn’t seem surprised by her arrival. But they shook their heads. “Coleen is tied up in an emergency meeting,” one said.
“What about the Feynman unit?”
“That is not accessible at this time.” The libra
rian seemed genuinely unhappy to be telling Kira that. Had there also been some disapproval when Coleen’s unavailability was mentioned? “You and Jason of Urth are welcome to stay in our guest rooms and use the dining facility as you wait.”
Kira and Jason followed one of the librarians to an outbuilding, constructed at the same time as the tower with a similar, nearly impervious permacrete exterior. New electric lights had been strung in some places to replace the original lighting, which had lasted for centuries but was finally failing. When they reached the two rooms given them, Kira stopped the librarian before he could leave. “Is anything wrong? Are you unhappy about something?”
The librarian hesitated before shaking his head. “No, nothing.”
“Are you sure?” Kira pressed, having easily seen the lack of truth in his first response. “I’m here to make sure that everything is all right.”
“It’s nothing you need to worry about. Some internal debate over policies, that’s all,” the librarian assured her.
Kira waited until the librarian left before speaking to Jason. “He was a lot more upset about that internal debate than he admitted to. And look at this! The guest rooms are unsafe for the cavalry, but we’ve got two, no problem. There don’t seem to be any other visitors in this building.”
“I think I heard someone else,” Jason offered. “But, no, it’s not anything like crowded. I guess we should get some dinner?”
“We’ll eat with the cavalry,” Kira said.
“Should we insist they be given some of these rooms?”
“No. Major Char didn’t want to make a big deal over it. I’m going to respect his wishes.”
The soldiers’ meal was basic but filling, beans and rice leavened by peas. Back in the guest area afterwards, Kira looked at the wide bed in her room. “Great. We’ve got a room. But the librarians told Mother there’s old recording equipment in these buildings.”
“Surveillance devices,” Jason said. “Yeah.”
“So even if you could trust me to be aware when I said yes, we couldn’t do anything without being overheard.”
“You are yourself right now, aren’t you?” Jason asked. “Because you seem to be.”
Kira shrugged. “Yeah. I think I am. Nothing’s happened since maybe that first night on the ship.”
Jason shook his head. “You seemed yourself that other time. Kira, I don’t want that badly enough to risk hurting you or our future.”
She sat down on the bed, trying to smile at him. “I got the kind of man I wanted. But it looks like a pretty cold and lonely future at this point.”
“We’ll find the answer,” Jason said.
Kira could tell he wasn’t really as certain of that as he tried to sound, but the fact that he wasn’t pressuring her but instead giving her the room and time she needed made his concern all the more meaningful. “Yes. And then we’ll make up for lost time.”
After Jason went to his own bed, she lay unsleeping for a while in her darkened room despite being tired, fuming over this one more reason to be unhappy with the librarians even though it was the one thing that had happened so far that the librarians couldn’t control. She couldn’t let her frustration with them affect her tomorrow.
Her Mage senses tried to reach out, tried to sense those two Mages she’d seen earlier.
She shut them down viciously, pouring her disappointment into that effort.
* * *
The next morning, head librarian Coleen still wasn’t available. Neither was the Feynman unit. “Others have been promised use of it,” librarian Wil explained to Kira. “There is a precedence order.”
“My mother told Coleen how important it was that Jason call Urth,” Kira said.
“We appreciate that, Kira,” Wil said, somehow sounding simultaneously understanding and condescending.
Determined not to overreact, Kira took Jason to the tower, hoping to encounter Coleen somewhere, but found many routes through the tower blocked, including that leading down to the room where a lot of original equipment from the great ship was kept safe. All of it but the Feynman unit hadn’t worked for a long time, but it was protected.
She finally gave up and went to lunch, trying not to let her unhappiness spoil her appetite.
“So,” Jason said, trying to cheer her up, “you’re birthday is coming up.”
“Hurray,” Kira muttered.
“Eighteen. An adult. What are we going to do to celebrate?”
“Probably sit in a room unable to risk touching each other,” Kira said. “While we still wait to get access to that Feynman unit.”
“Mari?”
It took Kira a moment to realize that querulous call had been aimed at her. She turned to see who had spoken, standing up as she saw an elderly woman in the suit of an Imperial scholar. “I’m not Mari,” Kira said politely. “I’m her daughter, Kira.”
“Oh.” The woman laughed lightly. “I should have realized! Mari would be older now, wouldn’t she? Just like I am. But you look so much like her, just like she did when she first came to the University.”
“The university?” Kira prompted, trying to overcome the wariness she felt around any Imperial.
“The University of Marandur in Marandur,” the old woman said proudly. “Mari might have mentioned me to you. I’m Professor Wren.”
“Professor Wren? Really?” Kira smiled, genuinely happy to see her, enough to lift her mood for the moment. “Yes, Mother has talked about you! You were such a help to her.”
“Your mother returned that help a million times over when she convinced the emperor to lift the ban on Marandur,” Wren said, tears appearing in her eyes. “If not for her, we’d still be trapped there. Oh, you look just like her! It brings back memories of those days when we had no hope of things ever getting better, but thanks to your mother and your father they did.”
“Thank you,” Kira said.
Professor Wren gestured toward a librarian standing nearby. “I have to get back to work,” she said, sounding almost embarrassed. “They’re writing down my story, as if that was important.”
“Everyone’s story is important,” Kira said.
“Would you be available to talk later?” Wren asked hesitantly.
“How about at dinner?” Kira suggested, hoping she’d have been able to call Urth by then.
“Yes! Oh! I have something for you.” Wren reached into her bag and drew out a letter. “I was told that Mari’s daughter was expected to be at Altis at the same time I was and that I should give this to her.” Wren smiled proudly. “It’s from the office of the Empress. You see? It must be one of the first letters from her office after she became Empress! For me to carry! Such an honor.”
Kira took the envelope, feeling the heft of the paper and seeing the Imperial seal on the flap. Expecting the missive to be for her mother, Kira was surprised to see her own name. “Thank you.”
As Wren was led off by the librarian, Jason came closer. “Who was that?”
“One of my mother’s old friends,” Kira said, looking over the envelope and feeling a strange sense of foreboding.
“And what’s that?”
“A letter for me from the Empress.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Kira looked around. “Are you done eating? Let’s find a private place for me to read it.”
“A private place outside,” Jason suggested.
“All right.” They finally located an unoccupied bench under some of the trees growing around the tower. A secluded spot, the only clue to others being nearby the occasional sound of a horse neighing or nickering where the cavalry was camped. Kira broke the seal and drew out the letter, seeing lines written with a firm, confident stroke and realizing that Sabrin must have penned this letter personally.
Lady Kira of Dematr, it began. I will not waste time, for I have received ill news. I am sending it to you using the sort of courier that no one will suspect of being entrusted with such important information.
Maxim is not dead.
His death was faked, and sworn to by those who have already paid the price for their falsehoods. You must take whatever precautions you deem necessary in case Maxim seeks revenge on you.
What I say now is only for you and your mother. Maxim may still intend to seek the throne of the Empire. Civil war is possible. Your mother’s backing for me would be a two-edged sword within the Empire, so I do not ask it. But her words on my behalf to those of the West could ensure that Maxim gains no support or refuge there. I have reason to believe that members of the former Great Guilds have coalesced around Maxim as their opportunity to sow enough chaos to give them a chance of regaining power.
Before the arrests of Maxim’s associates, they were heard to say that Maxim had boasted of knowing how to acquire weapons so terrible that they would ensure his victory. I do not know what he was speaking of, but perhaps you and your mother do.
I hope that you will act with me to ensure the peace and security of the Empire and all other cities and states. I have been informed that you spoke publicly of my quality before Imperial citizens during the late conflict. You have my gratitude for that support. Be assured that if you are in need and I can be of assistance, all you must do is ask.
Sabrin, Empress
Beneath the signature another line had been added.
You did an impressive job on Maxim’s flagship. I’ll try not to get on your bad side.
“What’s the matter?” Jason asked anxiously.
Kira took a deep breath before answering. “Maxim isn’t dead.”
“What? I was right?”
“You were right. He faked his death.”
“I knew it! Nobody believed me. But I was right.”
“Yes. You were right.” She looked around to ensure no one was close enough to hear. “Sabrin is worried about civil war within the Empire, and Maxim apparently knows about the weapons at Pacta. I need to get this letter to my mother.”
“Why not call her? There’s a long-distance radio here.”
Why did hearing him use the Urth name for a far-talker bother her so much this time? She knew it wasn’t deliberate on Jason’s part. But her nerves were on edge, probably because of finding out about Maxim. “Because it’s secret. Too many people might be listening in on a far-talker call.”