Part 19 (2/2)
10. Dream
Sat.u.r.day, 29 February 2572
Odeon was too edgy to sleep, too nervous about Joanie's prospects for recovery even to rest well, and more than a little apprehensive about the Brothers, so not long after midnight he gave up his useless attempt to sleep. He dressed quietly in the dim night-lighting, careful not to disturb the others--especially Piety, napping at the table. With a patient to care for and herself the only medical person who knew about Cortin's surgery, Chang slept grudgingly, not letting herself get comfortable for fear of not waking if Cortin should need her. Odeon didn't think it really necessary, but he wouldn't order anyone to be less conscientious in their specialty than they thought wise.
He slipped outside, chuckling ruefully at himself. Sis wasn't the only one taking unnecessary precautions; here he was putting himself on guard duty in a Royal residential compound with the Crown Prince and Princess present! If that wasn't redundant, he didn't know what would be; he'd have the proverbial s...o...b..ll's chance against anything that could get past the kind of security this place had. Still, he felt better when he'd made a tour around the shelter and settled himself in a lawn chair beside the door.
It was a mild night, a bit cooler than usual for this time of year--good sleeping weather, and the smell of the roses was relaxing.
Maybe out here he could catch a nap after all, so he wouldn't be a total loss in the morning--wouldn't want to be a zombie when Joanie woke up! And he was a Tracker, trained to wake instantly if he heard anything unusual. He settled deeper into the chair, closing his eyes.
The man approaching him was impossible. For one thing, he was inhumanly attractive, almost beautiful--but the clincher was his uniform. Enforcement did have some good-looking older officers; it had never had a white uniform, or a star for rank insigne, or a Kingdom emblem that looked like a spiral galaxy. This had to be a dream, then, so Odeon settled in to play along and enjoy it.
It seemed reasonable to a.s.sume that a star outranked even an eagle, so he stood, coming to attention as the man neared.
”At ease,” the stranger said, smiling. ”You need have no fear for your Joanie, Michael; she'll be fully recovered when she wakes.”
”Thank you, sir.” Odeon had no doubt the man knew precisely what he was talking about, and it was definitely rea.s.suring.
”But you'd like to know how I know.” The man smiled again. ”I'm an aspect of the Triune you wors.h.i.+p, Michael, in a form I hope you'll find--” He broke off, chuckling. ”Not comforting, certainly, or even rea.s.suring, but at least not threatening. I'm here to give you a heads-up, and maybe more if you want it. You've thought for a long time that Joanie's something special, haven't you?”
Odeon nodded, glad that this was a dream. If it'd been real, he would've been too stunned to function--because the man looked like an older Jeshua, and that was entirely too much for him to accept as reality with any degree of calm. As it was, he managed a nod. ”Yes, I have.”
”And you're quite right, she is.” The man paused. ”The White Fathers taught you well, but human interpretations do tend to modify even the most accurate prophecies. Can you accept both that fact, and the accompanying one that I cannot, for your own sake, give you all the details just yet?”
Odeon hesitated in turn, then nodded, slowly. ”From anyone else, I'd say no--but from you, I can manage.”
The man smiled. ”You please me, my son. The White Fathers called this the Time of Chaos, though Time of Change would be more accurate, particularly where the lives of those on your team are concerned. Joan is the herald of the Promised One, and will act as that one's surrogate for a time, though she will not be asked to bear that burden permanently, and would be far happier if she isn't forced to acknowledge her temporary Protectors.h.i.+p.”
Odeon frowned. ”The Protector's Herald and acting Protector herself?”
That didn't seem particularly plausible, though he had to agree Joanie wouldn't enjoy being put in either position.
”You are a wise man, Michael. And properly skeptical, as a police officer must be.” The man raised his hand. ”But it's your devotion that has to take precedence now, and it has to be focused on her.”
”With all respect, sir, I don't understand.”
”Remain her friend and guide, as you've begun. Completing her destined tasks will be both difficult and dangerous, particularly since she must remain largely unaware of that destiny, and her powers must remain mostly latent, until the true Protector manifests.” He gestured, and they were inside, standing beside the cot that served Cortin as a recovery room, with Chang on the other side.
The man kept his attention centered on Odeon, though he was clearly addressing Chang as well. ”When she wakes, the final phase begins.
You will be severely tried, Michael in particular, by pain and loss great enough that you will be sorely tempted to reject me.” He raised a hand to forestall Odeon's instinctive denial. ”I said you would be tempted; I did not say you would succ.u.mb, though even Cardinals are not immune.”
Odeon frowned again. In the light of last month's murder of Pope Anthony and Cardinal McHenry's near-unanimous election--he was now Pope Lucius--that had an ominous sound. ”There was something fishy about the Papal election?”
”Let us just say that were his true ident.i.ty known, most people would prefer a fish in that position. The former Cardinal McHenry introduced himself to Sister-Lieutenant Chang as the Raidmaster.”
Odeon stared at Chang, then at him. ”The Raidmaster--are you saying that Shayan is the Pope?”
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