Part 52 (1/2)
He raised the rifle to his shoulder and looked through the sight, taking aim.
One shot, that was all it would take.
If they let him.
But he doubted that they'd let him.
Daniel tensed, waiting.
The rounded rectangle of the hatch was dark, no shadows in it For a long, long time nothing happened, and then someone stepped out, their shaven head emerging into the light Daniel narrowed his eyes, surprised.
Not DeVore ... Then who?
Golden robes. Flowing golden robes patterned with blood-red dragons. Beautiful Chinese dragons that floated on the golden silk like living creatures. The man walked towards him, then stopped, a faint smile on his oriental features, his open palms spread, his golden eyes burning like suns. ”Daniel? It is the real Daniel, isn't it?”
Daniel blinked. The man was unarmed. Completely unarmed ”Who are you?”
The Han grinned. ”Me? I'm King of America. Or so they tell me. And now I'm King of Europe, too. And King of the Wilds, come to that. But enough of me. Ifs you I'm interested in.”
”Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you?” ”Hmmm...” The Han scratched his chin, then. ”Well, for a start it might annoy your mother.”
”My mother?” Daniel shook his head. ”My mother's taken. DeVore has her.” ”DeVore had her. But now I do. She's inside.” The Han half turned, indicating the cruiser. ”She's a little groggy, I'm afraid, but she'll be okay. Once the drugs have worn off.”
Daniel swallowed, steeling himself against believing it. He knew the tricks such people played. To give you hope and then s.n.a.t.c.h it away. To break you with despair. It was pure Sun Tzu.
”I don't believe you.”
”No?” The Han shrugged, then sadly. ”Well, I guess I might be cautious, too, if I were you. But I'm not lying to you, Daniel, I swear. This is no time for lies.”
”I don't...”
Daniel stopped. Behind the strangely-dressed Han, someone had stepped out from the hatch and onto the top of the ramp. Daniel blinked, then shook his head. Was it her, or was it just the copy?
Noticing his gaze, the Han turned and smiled. ”Ah ... Mu Ch'in Ascher. You should not be up.”
She hobbled across, clearly in pain, her shoulder tightly bandaged.
”Daniel? Daniel... put down the gun.”
Despite himself, the sight of her filled him with joy. He wanted it to be her.
Wanted it desperately.
But what if this were some final little torment? Some subtle, nasty twist?
Games. The Man loves games ...
Though it ached now, he kept the gun steady at his shoulder. He saw how she shook her head with exasperation. So familiar that gesture. But what it really hers?
”Come now, Daniel. Either shoot us or throw the gun down.
Which is it to be?” He nudged the rifle barrel slightly to the side, gesturing at the Han. ”Who is he?”
”You mean you don't know?'
”Should P”
Her eyes were suddenly strange. She turned, looking at the Han as if seeing him anew, then smiled. ”This, Daniel, is Li Yuan, Son of Li Shai Tung. I fought him once. But now ...”
”Li Yuan?” Daniel gave a laugh of disbelief. 'The Tang?”
Li Yuan gave the slightest bow of his head. ”The same.”
”But you ...”
”Were dead? No. Were exiled? Yes. Were wrong? Often. But now I'm back, Daniel, and I want you to come with me. Now do as your adopted mother says and choose, for I for one am growing cold and would as soon be dead as stand here on this mountainside in my silks!”
They rounded up all of their captives in one of the lower meadows, then sent a messenger up the mountain to let Li Yuan know.
He came down, still dressed in his golden silks, and stood before that silent, bare-headed host Beside him, Daniel looked on, impressed despite himself by the demeanour of the man who had once been ruler of Chung Kuo, and who now, at the end of that world's days, was once again at the centre of it all. There were morphs here - the last of DeVore's once great army of 40,000 creatures - and men, but mainly there were boys. Boys from the camps. Boys who, like Daniel, had never known anything but brutality. From their eyes Daniel could tell that they expected nothing now but death. Li Yuan went among them fearlessly, a piece of plain white chalk in his hand, meeting the eyes of each of them in turn, chalking the men and morphs, ignoring most of the boys.
When he was done, he looked to his General - a tall, stern-looking American with white hair and a neatly-trimmed goatee beard - and smiled humourlessly. ”Those I've chalked die,” he said quietly. ”The rest you release.” The man nodded and gestured to his waiting lieutenants, who at once turned away, to begin the work of separating the living from the dead. ”Is that it?” Daniel asked. ”Are we finished now?” Li Yuan looked to him. ”Far from it There is one final battle to be waged before we go.”
”Go?”
”Didn't she tell you?” Li Yuan smiled. ”I guess it must have slipped her mind.
We're leaving here, Daniel. I've had a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p built”
Daniel stared at Li Yuan a moment, astonished by the news, then he looked down.
”I don't want to. Not now she's dead.”
”She?' Li Yuan's eyes were suddenly concerned. ”There was someone you loved?”
Daniel nodded.
”And you're certain that she's dead?”
”As good as.”
”And if she isn't?”