Part 26 (1/2)

CHAPTER 68.

After humiliating General Zod in such a spectacular and public forum, Zor-El knew that his days were numbered. He had to build up Argo City's defenses and bring together any others who would fight the tyrant. such a spectacular and public forum, Zor-El knew that his days were numbered. He had to build up Argo City's defenses and bring together any others who would fight the tyrant.

While the destruction of Borga City had driven many people into frightened submission, it had also galvanized an uneasy ragtag rebellion into a genuine force. Shor-Em had not gone far enough, and he had never dreamed how Zod would be willing to respond.

The Borga refugees had lost everything, and now they joined any resistance they could find, offering to stand and fight against the tyrant. As they drifted to temporary new homes, they began to build an army that was much more widespread than anything the General had imagined.

In his private villa Zor-El met with powerful merchants, industrialists, deputy leaders, and other volunteers who wanted to join the new resistance. A handful of people had come directly to him after he'd warned them to evacuate from Borga City, making no secret of the fact that they owed him their lives. More and more volunteers came from all across Krypton, and determined members from the Society of Vigilance vigorously sought to weed out any spies sent by Zod.

”General Zod already has an army, powerful weapons, and most of Krypton under his thumb,” said Gal-Eth, the vice mayor of Orvai. He had bristly blond hair and a ruddy face. He had fled his beautiful city in the lake district after the reluctant replacement for the lost Gil-Ex had trudged off to bend his knee in submission to Zod. ”How can we protect ourselves against that?”

”We're the people of Krypton,” Zor-El said. ”We can do the impossible.”

”It's been a long time since we did the impossible,” grumbled s.h.a.ggy-haired Or-Om, a prominent industrialist from a small mining town in the mountains north of Corril. ”The old Council beat that out of us for so long that we forgot how to be innovative.”

”Then we'll find a way to remember,” Korth-Or insisted. His sandy-brown hair was streaked with gray, as if he had rubbed ashes it in; his face was narrow, his lips generous, and he spoke with a faint lisp. He had escaped with his family on the night before Zod destroyed Borga City. Korth-Or had temporary quarters in Argo City, but he made no secret that he would have been much happier on the march against General Zod.

In the bright morning, Zor-El faced the sunlit room full of anxious but determined men and women. Alura had placed verdant potted plants along all the walls. ”Those of you who can, go back to your own cities,” he advised the secret group. Korth-Or sat fuming with indignation, reminded that he had no home. ”Speak to your populations, find volunteers. We have to gather an army strong enough to stand against Zod-and soon-or we are lost.”

”Are you sure we aren't lost already?” Or-Om had been imagining disasters since long before Krypton had actually faced one, and it had taken much convincing for him to join this gathering, leaving his industries behind. ”Our resistance to Zod was based in Borga City, and now that's gone.”

Such talk angered Zor-El. ”The resistance is here now. But if that's how you truly feel, then go to Kryptonopolis, and bend your knee to Zod. Be my guest.”

No one took him up on the offer.

As soon as she found the mysterious message crystal left just inside the villa's portico, Charys carried it to Zor-El in his high tower laboratory.

He had been struggling day and night to increase the scope of the force field. When it was no more than a small bubble around the diamondfish, the design had been simple. But to form a whole hemispherical dome over Argo City was a nearly insoluble problem. Red-eyed, he continued to test his s.h.i.+eld, raising the s.h.i.+mmering barricade higher and higher above the seawall. There must be no weak point against an attack from Zod's minions.

His mother held out the crystal, and he realized exactly who had sent the message. ”It's from Jor-El.” He had been angry after their recent argument about Zod, but his brother had also made possible the defiant transmission through the facets of the towering crystals, and-much to Zor-El's astonishment-he had also revealed that he'd sabotaged the Rao-beam generator. And Jor-El was absolutely right about the threat of the comet, and he had sent urgent warnings to Borga City, which allowed many of the people to escape.

Charys thrust the crystal at him. ”You can't change the message by avoiding it.”

As soon as Zor-El cupped the message crystal in his warm hand, the image began to form. The ivory-haired scientist spoke to him insistently, ”We need to help each other. No matter how terrible Zod's actions, we both know that our most pressing problem is Loth-Ur's Hammer. Our time grows shorter day by day, and we've already lost a month during which we should have pooled all our resources and brainpower to divert the comet. Zor-El, you and I might be Krypton's only hope, the only ones who can see.”

Charys did not take long to speak her mind after the message faded. ”He's right-and you know it. You've got to help him.”

He shook his head slowly. ”You're my conscience and my sounding board, Mother, but what if Zod forced him to send that message? Jor-El has a wife, and they're about to have a baby. General Zod has ways to coerce him.”

She stared intently at him. ”And do you believe that?”

He looked at her for a long moment before he finally shook his head. ”No.”

”The two sons of Yar-El can find a way. Share your defensive s.h.i.+eld with him.” Charys gestured to the calculations strewn on his table. ”Maybe he'll show you how to expand it to help other cities.”

”I can't do that! Do I dare risk letting the s.h.i.+eld fall into Zod's hands? He would use it to make his defenses impregnable. How can we ever defeat him if he hides behind an impervious barrier?”

He stepped out onto the open balcony where he breathed in the cool evening air. ”Even if I accept what Jor-El says, it's best to let Zod believe that the two of us remain at odds. What if he tries to use my brother as a bargaining chip? What if he threatens to kill his wife and unborn child unless I capitulate?” He looked into his mother's deep-brown eyes. He knew in his heart that Zod would not hesitate to do exactly that.

”Then we just can't let that happen,” she said.

Filled with a mixture of inspiration and dread, Zor-El went back to his work. He refused to give up, refused to sleep until he had solved at least one critical problem.

CHAPTER 69.

The time for subtlety had pa.s.sed. Now that he had named himself General, rallied his followers, and coerced his critics, Zod pulled together his weapons and manpower. A sullen Jor-El worked his daily a.s.signment in the underground control rooms, where General Zod had instructed him to ensure that the nova javelins would function properly. pa.s.sed. Now that he had named himself General, rallied his followers, and coerced his critics, Zod pulled together his weapons and manpower. A sullen Jor-El worked his daily a.s.signment in the underground control rooms, where General Zod had instructed him to ensure that the nova javelins would function properly.

And Aethyr remained vigilant for any weak points in their government. She watched Lara closely, and waited, and finally made her move.

Lara was her friend-former friend-yet now Aethyr feared the other woman was becoming a liability. And if that were the case, she intended to find out for herself and expose Lara. It would be so much worse if Zod should discover it first.

Aethyr chose her time well. Because of her pregnancy, Lara had regular appointments with her doctor, a dry and humorless woman named Kirana-Tu. Aethyr waited until Lara went to the new Kryptonopolis medical center before she and Nam-Ek approached the private dwelling. In Kryptonopolis, no door was blocked to the consort of General Zod; they easily bypa.s.sed the locks.

With Nam-Ek watching at the door, Aethyr moved through the main chamber, poking around until she found the long table where Lara had set up her writing pads, stylus, and recording sheets. Her eyes lit up with curiosity. Here was the great chronicle that Zod had commissioned, the firsthand historical record of events.

Aethyr swiftly scanned the lines of text. Lara had concise, clear handwriting, not overly flowery or effeminate. Later editions of this work would no doubt include calligraphy and holographic enhancements. Someday every student on Krypton would be required to memorize the life of Zod. However, as she skimmed page after page, Aethyr found the summaries of events to be lackl.u.s.ter, forced. She was quite disappointed.

And suspicious. She knew her friend better than that, knew that Lara did not hold back her opinions. The very absence of any sort of commentary or the slightest of veiled criticisms made Aethyr wonder what the other woman could be hiding.

Hiding...

”Nam-Ek, we must search this place. Find out what they are trying to keep secret from us.” The authority of General Zod gave her all the confidence and justification she needed. With an eager grin, the big mute nodded and began to tear the dwelling apart.

In a hidden and sealed drawer in a private bureau inside the bedchamber, beneath the writing surface, she found a journal. Lara's real record.

Now, as she read from line to line, Aethyr's heart fell and her anger rose. What should have been a glorious biography lionizing a great leader was full of harsh criticisms and insults. Lara blatantly accused Zod of foolish mistakes, character flaws, and grave hubris! She portrayed him as a bloodthirsty tyrant.

Aethyr stood cold for a long moment, debating what to do. Finally she gathered up the pages. She would make absolutely certain that the public could never read these lies.

”Come, Nam-Ek. We must see the General immediately.”

Aethyr dropped the papers on Zod's desk. She made no apology for interrupting his strategy session for a retaliatory strike on Argo City. ”Read this. Lara wrote it.”

He picked up the sheets. ”What am I looking for?”

”Choose a page at random. It should be quite apparent.”