the one twin become so greedy? Or were they both always greedy and the one just became a better person? Are you supposed to be the agreeable twin? If that's the case, that's not fair to you." She paused and looked around their faces again. "I don't know. It's a story that I was reminded of. It's something you might be able to relate to. It might help."
The Psilons were quiet. A few stood up and Gaia said, "Good night, everyone." Once the others left, Gaia looked at Baraz. She was staring at the edge of the table.
In her head, she was reviewing the meeting and all that she said. She tried to restructure some of her words so it would have sounded more palatable to the Psilons. "I could have handled that better."
Gaia put her hand on hers. "I don't see how. We're all in a very strange place. They're trapped by the Titans and, because of them, the Dorian government. You're trapped by the government and your loyalty to the Psilons." She shook her head. "I don't know what else you could have done."
Karin looked up and grinned weakly. She clasped Gaia's hand for a second before she said, "You know what's the saddest part of that story?"
"Hmm?"
"I know they all identified with the twins, of course. But … I feel like the regent." Gaia squinted and looked curiously at her. "The man with an idea. It seemed like a good idea. He only wanted the boys to grow up and become good rulers. But everything got away from him. It all fell apart and Kanda, as he knew it, was gone in a few years. How must he have felt?"
Gaia stood and tugged on her arm. "Come on." When she stood, Gaia brushed a strand of gray hair from Karin's face and kissed her cheek.
She started to walk toward the door. Baraz stopped and looked at the empty table and its many chairs in disarray. "I just feel so … ineffectual."
XLVI
CRONUS
134 Years Before the End
"I'm back," he said as he pushed the door shut.
"Daddy!" Poseidon screamed. He ran into the room and leapt toward his father.
Cronus lifted him high and said, "Why aren't you in bed?"
"Mommy said we could wait until you got home."
"Uh-huh." He put Poseidon down and said, "Wait, 'we?'"
Zeus yelled, "'We!'" He ran into the living room and latched onto his father's leg.
Cronus patted his son's head and looked toward the kitchen. Rhea was standing in the door frame, cradling baby Hades and holding a bottle to his mouth. She shrugged.
"Alright, c'mon, Zeus." He playfully lifted his leg and tried to shake the boy free. Zeus only laughed. With mock urgency, Cronus said, "Let go of me!"
Zeus clung tighter and struggled to maintain his grip while he was walked around the room. "Can we stay up all night?"
"Absolutely not," Rhea said. "Come on, now. I said you could stay up until daddy got home. He's home now, so get ready for bed."
Poseidon was obedient and gave Cronus a quick hug before darting toward the bathroom. Zeus, however, did not let go of his father's leg.
Cronus bent down as best as he could and said, "Get up here." He lifted the young boy and hugged him tightly. As if to show off his own strength, Zeus squeezed his neck as hard as he could, causing Cronus to gag.
"You're choking daddy." Zeus laughed and squeezed again. Cronus tapped Zeus' arms and managed to say, "Seriously, pal. Stop."
"Yes, daddy."
Cronus took in a few breaths and held Zeus away from him. He looked into his bright blue eyes and grinned. "Were you good today?" He nodded and yawned. "Ah. You better go get ready for bed, too."
"No!"
"Yes," Cronus put him down and faced him toward the bathroom. Poseidon just finished brushing his teeth and walked to his room. Zeus shuffled down the hallway as Rhea approached her husband.
"How did it go?" Cronus looked down at Hades and smiled. The bottle was almost empty but he slid his hands around the child. Rhea let Cronus take him and she leaned against the door. "Hmm?"
Cronus swayed from side to side, looking at the little boy's scrunched-up eyes. "Karin tried to play it down. She's trying to get the Dorian government to accept us."
"They won't."
"No." Cronus brushed a small tuft of Hades' hair. "If I wasn't so frustrated, I would feel really bad for her." He looked up at Rhea. "She's trying hard. I know it."
"She still blames herself."
Cronus nodded. "Not unwarranted, but still. Her general mood is better."
Rhea smirked and said, "Gaia, probably."
"Everyone else feels as worthless and trapped as ever." He looked up and around his humble home. It was sufficient. More than sufficient. But it was all he could hope to know for the foreseeable future. "There was more talk of abandoning research."
Rhea nodded. "Did you tell them I have?"
"Didn't get a chance." He started to walk toward the nursery.
Rhea followed and said, "As nerve-wracking as these three can be, at least it feels like I'm getting something done."
Cronus gently laid Hades in the crib. The infant stirred for a moment, bringing his fist to his chin before relaxing. Cronus turned on a night light and the pair left the nursery.
When the door was closed, he glanced into the boys' room on his right. Poseidon was sitting up in bed, reading. Cronus shot him a disapproving look but Poseidon smiled. Cronus winked and walked down the hall.
"Are you going to the labs tomorrow?" Rhea asked.
Cronus let his fingers brush the fabric back of his chair. "I don't know. Maybe."
His wife picked up a small box from the counter and said, "I promised Phoebe I'd take this over tonight after the meeting." Cronus nodded. "I'll be back soon." She stepped into the sitting area and kissed Cronus' cheek. When she pulled away, he grabbed her arm and turned her around. He hugged her tightly and placed a hand on her face as she walked away.
After taking a bottle from the refrigerator and returning to the living room, Cronus turned on the screen. He looked at the menu of pages to watch and just stared. Entertainment, sport, news. His mind went back to the meeting and he pressed the button for news.
"Freedom fighters again left the safety of the Getulian Desert and raided Tiberian bases in central Alabor today." The image was of masked men running in the cover of a sandstorm, blindly firing automatic weapons. "Praetor Cronus again condemned the attacks and offered the rebels sanctuary."
The screen shifted and showed the now-familiar visage of Titan Cronus. He was gaunt and seemed many years older than Cronus himself. His eyes narrowed as he watched his counterpart speak.
"The Casear's offer for pardon and citizenship remains. No one will be harmed. The fighting must stop."
The unseen news voice spoke again while the image showed scores of soldiers departing transport vehicles. "As Cronus said this from the safety of Derben, another imperial legion was dispatched to the city of Auju in southern Alabor, where rebels have been able to hold off Tiberia's forces for the better part of a week."
The emperor's soldiers crested a hill and the outskirts of Auju were visible. Rockets exploded before them and the men and women knelt, taking up firing positions. They trained their rifles on nearby buildings and began to fire short, controlled bursts. As they did, golden machines ran between them and toward the city. The Cyclops didn't slow at all as they aimed and fired at several rebel positions.
"Daddy?" Cronus was startled and turned toward Zeus. He was standing beside the large chair and staring at the screen.
He paused the program and asked, "What are you doing out of bed?"
He shrugged. "I don't want to go to sleep. I want to stay up with you."
Cronus put his arm around his shoulders and pulled him against the plush arm of the chair. "I won't be up much longer."
"What are you watching?"
"Oh, the news." Cronus glanced at the screen and saw how Zeus could be so intrigued. Large golden machine-men shooting guns with people, also shooting g
uns.
"Why are they fighting?"
Cronus sighed. He didn't try to shelter his sons, but, dammit, he really didn't want to explain it all to them so young. Best to keep it simple. "There's a man in a different country … he wants things that aren't his, so he sends these armies to take it."
"And robots?"
"And robots." Cronus looked at the frozen image. He felt angrier.
Zeus leaned toward Cronus' ear and whispered, "Are those humans?"
Cronus turned and looked at him for a few seconds before asking, "Why?"
"I heard mommy talking to someone about humans." The child said the word like it was a new, foreign language he was learning. Cronus nodded and Zeus asked, "Are we humans?"
The father grinned and said, "No. We're not."
"Oh."
Cronus looked at the display. It might have been the nearby half-empty bottle of alcohol, but he felt himself growing angry again. A rifle's muzzle flash caught his eye and he stared at it while a heat swelled within his body and ran toward his face.
"Humans, Zeus," he began. "This is why we're better than them. We're smarter. We're stronger. We don't do that," he said, pointing to the large screen.
Zeus' eyes widened and he looked into his father's as best as he could in the dim room. "Fight, daddy?"
Cronus nodded. "That's right."
Cronus lifted his head from the table. He blinked slowly and looked at his generals. "I am … beyond sick of excuses."
"Understood, dominus," one said.
"No. I don't believe it is." Cronus stood up and pointed at the map of Alabor. "Yet again, general, you have allowed the rebels to leave the sandstorms and enter the