Part 30 (1/2)
”Work within the a.s.sembly. Be a moderating influence. I will support you.”
”How?” Roca hit her palm on her knee. ”I am thoroughly sick of Kurj blocking my simulacrum from appearing in the a.s.sembly. I am a Councilor, a member of the Inner Circle. Every time he cuts off my transmission, he interferes with government business. It is appalling.” She had kept her staff working on the problem nonstop, and they had barely dented Kurj's security blocks. But she intended to succeed, regardless of what it took.
Dehya spoke carefully. ”That is a serious accusation.”
”I know it's him.”
”I had wondered why you didn't attend this last session. I a.s.sumed you were busy with the baby.”
”I am. But that wasn't the reason.” She tapped her fingers on the arm of the couch. ”I'm thinking of going to Parthonia for the next session.”
”If it truly is Kurj behind these problems, he could have his people there prevent you from attending in person.”
”They can try,” Roca said darkly.
Dehya's mouth curved upward. ”The solution is simple.”
”It is?”
”I told him I would design security to keep out Traders.” Her eyes glinted. ”I never promised to keep out his mother.”
Roca gave her a dubious look. ”I know you're good at what you do. b.u.t.thatgood?”
Her sister leaned forward. ”Just watch me.”
Kurj worked late into the night, reading reports from his top officers. All plans for the invasion were on track.
A comm hummed on his desk. He rubbed his eyes, then flicked his light-stylus through a holo. ”Primary Skolia.”
One of his aides answered. ”Sir, this is Secondary Teller. Your grandparents have received a message from the Eubian emperor.”
Kurj lifted his head.Thatwas unexpected. ”What is it?”
”The message is secured, sir.”
G.o.ds. His officers were as bad as his EI. ”I'm cleared to see it.” He wasn't, but he doubted Teller would argue with him. ”What does it say? You have my permission to read it.”
”I'm bringing it up-” Astonishment crept into Teller's voice. ”Sir, it looks like an offer to negotiate for the Platinum Sectors.”
Kurj gritted his teeth. He knew his grandfather; given a false offer of truce, Jarac would weaken instead of keeping the resolve they needed for the invasion. ”Say nothing more about this. Forward a copy of the message to my home. I will go over it tonight.”
”Right away. Also, sir.”
”Yes?”
”We have the results of the medical tests on your father.”
Kurj's hand clenched the edge of his desk so hard, the muscles in his hand spasmed. He had to make a conscious effort to control his voice. ”Secondary Teller, I want one thing understood and understood well. Eldrinson Valdoria is not my father. You will never again refer to him in that manner.”
”Yes, sir.” His aide sounded subdued. ”My apologies.”
”Is the report on Valdoria complete?”
”The medical exam, yes.” Teller paused. ”But the psychologists are questioning the validity of their tests.
They have doubts about the interpretation.”
”Interpretation, h.e.l.l. Just send me the results.”
”Yes, sir.”
”Anything on his DNA? Is he a psion?”
”Yes, it seems so.”
The light-stylus in Kurj's hand snapped. He stared at the gash in his hand where it had cut him. ”A Ruby psion?”
”They can't say for certain yet. But it looks like it.”
Kurj felt as if the walls were closing on him despite the large size of his office. He wanted to explode, but he pressed down his emotions. He wouldn't lose control, wouldn't let the anger burst free. ”Very well.
Send those results, too, the preliminaries you have now and the final report, when it is ready.”
”I'll get right on it.”
”That will be all for tonight. Out.”
”Out, sir.”
For a long moment, Kurj sat unmoving, his fists clenched so hard that his fingernails gouged his palms.
Finally he made himself relax, first his shoulders, then his arms. Slowly he opened his fists. He picked up the broken stylus and turned it over in his hand. Then he moved it through holos on his desk, bringing up images until he found the one he wanted, a holo of his father. Tokaba stood grinning, his rakish stance showing a young man full of vibrancy, his blond-streaked hair tousled from the wind.
”We only had six years.” Kurj swallowed. ”Far too short a time, yes? But in that time, you taught me more about fatherhood than I've learned in all the years since then.”
The memories hurt too much. Kurj closed all of his files. A large part of his anger at Eldrinson Valdoria came because he knew the man would hurt his mother. Kurj could never accept him. He represented everything Kurj loathed: turmoil, wildness, barbarism. Kurj wanted-needed-the universe to follow rules of logic and reason. Any other path was chaos, the brutality of the Traders, Darr Hammerjackson multiplied a billion times, on an interstellar scale.
Eldri walked through the nursery. It had formerly been an alcove off his bedroom where he stored clothes and armor. He and Roca had cleared it out together, sharing their dreams of the child who would live here. Instead of rough stone walls, now it had blue gla.s.swood paneling gifted to them by people who had scavenged it from their own rooms during the siege. A beautifully carved cradle stood in one corner, full of plump baby quilts.
He gazed into the empty cradle and a tear ran down his face.
Sunlight filtered through the polarized wall of gla.s.s behind Kurj's desk. Sprawled in his chair, intent on the holos above his desk, he lost track of time.
A rustle interrupted his concentration. Looking up, he saw Roca in the doorway. His inner eyelids retracted, taking away the gold sheen they laid over his sight. It had been three weeks since he had found her on Skyfall, but he still felt that deep surge of relief each time he saw her.
”My greetings,” he said.
She nodded stiffly. ”Teller said you wanted to see me.”