“What’s been talked about inside the Empire about Maxim kidnapping me?” Kira asked again.
Wren shook her head, frowning. “Prince Maxim is dead. How could he have done that?”
Kira stared at her, confused.
Jason had also been watching Wren’s reaction. “They didn’t talk about that inside the Empire, did they?” he asked. “It wasn’t reported in the news or anything, was it?”
“Not that I recall,” Wren said cautiously.
“The legions that invaded the Northern Ramparts and got badly beaten. Do people talk about that?”
“No. How could the legions have been badly beaten?”
Without her consciously willing it, Kira’s hand went to the scar on her neck.
Wren saw. “Is that the mark of an injury? Are you… are you saying that’s how you were hurt? I don’t understand. I’m sorry. I don’t know anything about any of this.”
Kira realized with a shock that the old professor was telling the truth. “They told you nothing? Professor Wren, Maxim caused the death of many legionaries.”
“Are you sure?”
I killed a lot of them. Kira managed not to say that. “Yes.”
The rest of the meal passed a little awkwardly.
Afterwards, as Kira and Jason walked back toward the room holding the Feynman unit, Jason spoke up. “Authoritarian states are the same everywhere, I guess. Control the media, the press, and make sure they only talk about what the government wants them to talk about.”
“There was a war, Jason!” Kira said. “How does the Empire explain to its citizens why there was a war? How did they explain to all those families why their sons and daughters and husbands and wives and fathers and mothers never came home?”
“Beats me. But you can bet the new Empress is being portrayed as a hero of that war.”
“She was, in a way,” Kira conceded.
“How was your, uh, red wine?” Jason asked.
“It does look like blood, doesn’t it? Tastes a lot better, though.” Kira laughed despite her upset. “I can just imagine how the average Imperial would take that statement.”
But Kira was frowning again by the time they reached the room holding the Feynman unit and found two librarians guarding the door against them. “Excuse me?”
“We weren’t told that you had access,” one of the librarians said.
“That again. This room used to be open to the public.”
The librarians exchanged glances. “That was changed over a year ago,” one explained.
Before Kira could ask any more questions, the group of librarians led by Wil of Altis joined them. “We’ll watch them,” Wil told the door guards.
Once inside, Kira turned to Wil. “What’s going on? As long as I’ve been alive the public has always been welcome here.”
Wil spoke stiffly as he replied. “The objects in this room need to be protected. Public access left them too easily subject to harm.”
“Some of the objects here have been harmed?” Kira asked. “Why wasn’t my mother told?”
Wil hesitated.
“Has anything actually been damaged?” Kira pressed.
“The potential for damage was too high.”
What had happened? Kira remembered her mother’s description of her first encounter with the librarians, how they had denied knowing anything and tried to block access to the tower. And her fears that the librarians were increasingly restricting access to their holdings. Why were those tactics resurfacing?
She looked around the room again, full of artifacts but empty of people except for her, Jason, and the librarians watching them. “How many people who weren’t librarians have been in this room in the last month?”
“I don’t have those numbers with me,” Wil said.
“Maybe you can tell me how many people who weren’t librarians have spoken on the Feynman unit in the month before I got here. That number should be a lot easier to recall.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Give me a round number,” Kira said. “Fifty? Ten? One?” Wil said nothing. “Zero?”
“If you have questions regarding policy,” Wil said, “they must be addressed to the heads of the librarians through proper channels.”
“I have some questions, all right,” Kira said. She stopped speaking as the control screen on the Feynman unit lit up.
“This is Earth Relay and Interstellar Signals responding to the message from Jason Groveen.”
Chapter Nine
As far as Kira knew, the faceless voices from Urth had always sounded friendly, even when smoothly denying requests for information or simply ignoring such requests. Her mother would occasionally reminisce about the joy in the voice of the person who had responded to her message, the first communication with Urth in centuries.
This reply to Jason, though, held harsh tones, reminding Kira unpleasantly of a stern parent speaking to a wayward child.
“Jason Groveen, you are aware of the laws regarding any interactions with the people of the world of Demeter. Your request cannot be granted, for reasons well known to you. Even if the situation were exactly as you describe, it would still be unthinkable for us to share any aspect of advanced weapons of mass destruction technology with a society in an archaic technological condition. Your request itself violates laws regarding proliferation of advanced weapons technology and protecting the unique culture of Demeter, since it is apparent that you have shared the specific names and capabilities of some weapons of mass destruction with the indigenous protected population of Demeter. Profiles of you made prior to your departure and since your abandonment on Demeter indicate a serious propensity for fantasizing and immature acts of rebellion. The stories you have fed the local authorities regarding your supposed acts of heroism have confirmed that those profiles remain valid. Be advised that you are not beyond the reach of the law. Should your interference with the unique culture of Demeter continue, the next ship to reach Demeter will be ordered to arrest you and return you to Earth for trial as an adult. Consider this your formal warning to cease tampering with the culture of Demeter. Jason Groveen, you are instructed to acknowledge receipt of this warning, and state your agreement to abide by all laws concerning Demeter. Earth Relay and Interstellar Signals, over.”
Kira had listened with growing unhappiness, seeing how Jason reacted with embarrassment and resentment to the unforgiving words and the angry tone of the speaker.
She’d had it. With Urth and with everybody. The librarians were hiding information instead of sharing it, Maxim was alive, someone had tried to kill Mother and Father again and even though she’d buried her feelings about that they were still there under it all, and the Empire wasn’t even telling its own people why two legions had been cut to ribbons because what were a few lives when the reputation of the Imperial government was on the line?
Kira stepped to the Feynman unit, reaching for the microphone, only to be blocked by one of the librarians.
“You’re not authorized to use—”
“Get out of my way,” Kira told him.
The librarian hesitated. “You’re not—”
“Get out of my way," Kira repeated, her voice dropping in register and growing in volume.
The librarian looked at her as if a dragon had suddenly appeared in front of him. He hurriedly stepped away.
She pulled the microphone from its holder, took a slow breath, thinking, then hit the transmit command and began speaking in her best, clearest, Captain-of-Lancers tone of voice.
“Urth, this is Lady Mechanic Kira of Dematr, Captain of Lancers, dragon slayer. The daughter of the daughter. I have four things to tell you, and you’d be wise to pay close attention. Firstly, this world is named Dematr, not Deemeeter. You know that, and your continuing refusal to properly pronounce our name for this world is extremely disrespectful.
“Secondly, nothing that you have heard of Jason of Urth from this world has come from him. He has never boasted or bragged or spoken of his ac
tions. Those accounts have come from people such as myself, who have personally witnessed them. Jason of Urth, and that is his rightful name now, has demonstrated great courage and selflessness in the cause of saving lives not only on this world but on Urth as well. I know you have been told of that. He has faced many dangers and enemies beside me, and when death loomed as we fought the Imperial legions he did not falter despite being badly wounded. His blood covered my hands, Urth! Yet still he fought! He is not a perfect man, but he is not the boy who left your world. Whoever you speak to on Urth about these profiles knows nothing of the man who stands with me, the man I am very proud to proclaim being engaged to, the man I will someday exchange promises with.”
Kira paused to take a breath, her glare fending off the librarians who had taken tentative steps her way. “Here is the third thing. Dematr is our world. We spent centuries under the control of the Great Guilds, unable to set our own course or make our own decisions. Urth did nothing to change that. My mother, Lady Master Mechanic Mari of Dematr, the daughter of Jules, and my father, Sir Master of Mages Alain of Ihris, led the fight to free us to make of this world what we could. We’re free now. Do you understand? We’re not your pets or your children. We’re not an exhibit for your entertainment or your study. We did not ask for your protection of us or our culture and we do not want it. This is our world. Cease acting as if you have any right to control us or what we do.”
Another pause to breathe, the librarians looking on aghast, shocked into inaction. “And now the last thing, Urth, and listen well. You have threatened my man. We stand together. A threat against Jason is a threat against me, and a threat against me is a threat against my parents. Do not threaten us again. If you come here seeking to detain Jason, I promise you that we will fight. We will do whatever we must to defend our world and our people. Know this, Urth, that no one will take my man from this world while I have any trace of life left in me to fight. You will not help us. Fine. We don’t need you. But do not dare threaten us again. Lady Mechanic Kira of Dematr, out!”
She took a deep breath, acutely aware of the appalled looks on the librarians present. “Do you have anything else to say?” Kira asked Jason.
He shook his head, watching her wide-eyed.
Kira put back the microphone.
“Kira!"
She turned her head with slow deliberation to look at librarian Wil, who was glaring at her and shaking with the depth of his dismay. “Are you speaking to me, Librarian Wil?” Kira demanded, her voice flat but very, very forceful.
Wil hesitated.
“Because,” Kira continued, “it sounded like you were talking to somebody who you think you can give orders to. A child, maybe.”
She had to admire the fact that Librarian Wil had the guts to still try to chew her out.
“Kira, you will not—”
“Lady Mechanic Kira. I treat you with courtesy and you’ll treat me the same!”
Wil hesitated again before speaking. “I must inform Coleen of this. Of what you’ve done.”
“What have I done?”
Wil stared at her. “This is our only link to Urth! The entire world depends on it! And you’ve… you’ve… ”
“Told them what I think of them! What most of Dematr thinks of them!” Kira pointed an angry finger at the Feynman unit. “What is it we depend on that for? As a means for Urth to refuse to tell us anything?”
“It is important not to risk—”
Something suddenly became clear to her. “You never sent those last two requests for information on how to disarm the weapons at Pacta Servanda that my mother asked for, did you? You were afraid of offending Urth. You didn’t even try. You’ve forgotten that this is supposed to serve a purpose! Everything down here is supposed to serve a purpose!”
Jason spoke up, his voice sounding calm and composed after Kira’s. “You guys think you’re under siege, don’t you? There’s been growing pressure for the librarians to allow more access to their stuff. To give up control of what you kept safe for centuries. You’re responding to that by raising the drawbridge. But that’s not an answer. You can’t go back to what was. Why did you keep it safe? What’s the purpose of knowledge that isn’t available to anyone who needs it when they need it?”
Wil looked down, struggling for words. “You can’t understand the weight of our responsibility. How for centuries we sacrificed to preserve what would otherwise have been lost.”
Jason nodded. “You’re right. But weight tends to distort what’s carrying it, right? Over time it can bend things completely out of shape. Is that what’s happening here?”
Librarian Wil eyed Jason, his gaze narrow and intent. “We’re not here to answer your questions.”
“Then why are you here?”
Kira felt her anger dwindling. Unhappy with having spoken so harshly, she reached for Jason’s hand and they began to walk out of the room.
But Jason paused for a moment to look back and speak earnestly. “I meant what I said earlier. The Feynman unit is set so that Earth can listen in to anything in this room, and probably anything in this tower and the outbuildings, at any time. They made that change to the settings after you powered up the unit and Lady Mari made contact. You don’t want me messing with those controls, but Earth is messing with them whenever it wants to. Earth has a surveillance society. It’s been that way for a long time, justified by the need to stop crime and keep people safe. And now you guys are under surveillance, too. If Earth addresses that, they’ll tell you it’s for your protection. It’s up to you whether you want that.”
Kira had listened to Jason as closely as the librarians had. “Librarian Wil, in my disappointment with Urth I spoke harshly. Tell Coleen that my mother has long considered the librarians to be trusted friends. We don’t want that to change.”
By the time they reached their rooms, it was full dark outside. Kira could sense that Mage again. Why were her Mage senses acting up on top of everything else? She channeled her unhappiness into suppressing her powers as tightly as she could, barely aware of their surroundings.
Jason started to follow her into her room.
“Where are you going?” Kira asked, feeling that sudden sense of threat and confinement again.
He seemed surprised. “I thought we were going to talk like we usually do.”
“Talk?” She regarded him, annoyed. “Right. We don’t have time for what I’m sure you’re thinking about doing.”
“Huh?”
“Jason, I’m tired. Now’s not a good time.”
“Wait,” he said, acting baffled. “We agreed we wouldn’t.”
“Yes,” Kira said. “So what’s with this?”
“Nothing!”
He meant it. She must have misread his intentions. “Sorry.” Kira looked around the room, which suddenly felt small and tight. “We’ll sleep outside with the cavalry tonight. We’ll be leaving first thing in the morning, so that makes more sense than sleeping in here.”
“Okay,” Jason said.
“Why do you keep using that word?”
“Sorry.” He walked away without saying anything else while she gathered her stuff. He was waiting in the hallway when she came out. They walked silently to the cavalry encampment.
“Major,” Kira told Char, “we’ll leave in the morning. Returning to Altis.”
Char saluted. “What time do you prefer, Lady?”
“You choose the time,” she told him, going off to one side to lie in the grass and gaze up at the stars. Jason lay down not far away, but not close, either. “Are you angry with me?” she asked him.
“No. Just not sure what’s going on.”
“I’m tired, I guess. Irritable. I don’t know why. It’s not you. Maybe… Jason, that one Mage is still sitting there.”
Jason turned to look. “Yeah.”
“What if he’s a spy? One of the ones working with Maxim?”
“Can you tell? If you ask him questions?”
“Only if he answers,” Kir
a said. “Maybe to be safe we should… ”
Kill him.
Stars above, had she just thought that? Thought of killing a man simply because she suspected he might be working for her enemies? “Never mind.”
“Kira, you’ll tell me if anything is wrong, right?”
“Wrong right. What sort of question is that?”
“Kira,” Jason said, and he sounded really worried, so she relented.
“Yes. If I feel like something is wrong, I’ll tell you.”
She meant it. But neither one of them realized the potentially deadly way in which that promise was phrased.
* * *
They were roused before dawn, riding out of the valley of the librarians as the sun began to peep over the peaks surrounding them. The two wagons carrying supplies were considerably lighter now, rattling on the road as the column of cavalry climbed into the mountains. Kira and Jason rode alongside each other near the center of the column. Kira thought that Jason had seemed oddly cautious talking to her at first, but he relaxed as the morning wore on.
She felt better after sleeping and a good breakfast. The Mage was still sitting, gazing at the mountains, but Kira could no longer sense him as the cavalry left the tower area and the valley, which was surely a good thing. Whatever had been causing that problem seemed to have gone away.
The column maintained a good but not hurried pace, the cavalry dismounting at intervals to walk their horses. The two scouts riding ahead were changed out periodically, but none saw anything of concern. The stop for lunch meant cold rations and water. Then on the move again, along the dusty road with only faint breezes reaching them and the sun beating down.
Even an unhurried ride for so many hours took its toll, wearying both horses and riders. They’d passed under an overhang of living rock a short time before, the shade welcome but brief. Kira, feeling tired and sore, was jerked out of her half-doze in the saddle by a sudden feeling of something barely there. Kira looked ahead, wondering what she was sensing. Her foresight wasn’t offering any warning, but that could mean either no danger or that her foresight wasn’t working this time.