Part 16 (2/2)
”That's gonna cool things down?” Mary shook her head. ”You might as well declare war on the Teacher. Besides, my nanos won't survive many rounds with hills that fight back.”
”The Teacher is moving down from North Continent. So we start with our southside. There was no violence there. If we're mining their hills, it'll be easier to deliver to them.”
Mary leaned back. ”They're less panicked. They'd be easiest to unpanic. I like that.”
”And their economy has been less dislocated,” Harry added.
”They'll also be less embarra.s.sed to look each other in the eye once they sober up,” Lek tossed in.
Ray pushed himself back from the table, let the idea roll over in his mind for several long seconds. ”Things have been happening a lot faster than we can process them,” he said slowly. ”Before we go too far down this track, I'd like to verify a few a.s.sumptions. Can we find some recent evidence on our continent's northside of a new electronic net? Can we verify there's something new operating there? Once we've got a picture, we can risk mining down South, where the network isn't. Let's take a day or two, use the blimp we hijacked.”
”Two blimps, sir,” Mary grinned. ”I had a hunch if you needed one this morning, you'd want two by tonight.”
”Thank you and your crystal ball,” Ray snorted. ”Next point: Harry, where're the best minerals down South?”
”I was with brother Mark when he went eating around down there,” Harry said. ”Some good prospects, as you're measuring them now. Those data are locked up in the Sterling family archives.”
”Is that anywhere near the copy of the Santa Maria archives I've heard Vicky brag so much about?” Ray smiled.
”One and the same,” Jeff grinned.
”And, of course, you know exactly where they are, Jeff.”
”Been there many times.”
”Mary, prepare a team for a possible covert op in Richland.”
”s.n.a.t.c.h and grab, sir?”
”Think checking out a library book.”
”Vicky won't like that,” Jeff and Harry said.
”Vicky's been playing hardball with these people, but she's got no idea what it's like in the big leagues. I've played for Wardhaven and Unity. Time she learns what happens when you pull things people don't like-on people who can do something about them.”
”She's been pulling things people didn't like since she was a kid. All she's learned is that she can get away with them,” Jeff pointed out.
”The times, they are a-changing. Right, Mary?”
”Yes, sir, Colonel, sir, three bags full.” Mary saluted comically, then got deadly serious. ”How soon?”
”Tomorrow night at the earliest, next night more likely. Depends on what Jeff and Harry find up north.”
”I'll have marines ride shotgun when they go north.”
”Do so, Mary. Jeff, Harry, can you leave at first light?”
”Looking forward to the trip,” Harry said.
Jeff didn't look so enthusiastic. ”Kat's shared the feed from the Covenanters. Sir, they're burning people up there. Can I borrow a rifle?”
”Mary, see the guy gets trained.”
NINE.
EVERYTHING RAY COULD do was done. He sidled into Med Bay One. ”Doc, wire me for another nap.”
”You planning on talking with our Teacher?”
”Yep, and he, she, it, or them may not care to see me.”
Doc glanced around his shop. ”I got a few things guaranteed to wake the dead.”
”Keep 'em handy,” Ray said, not exactly relaxing onto the exam table. It seemed to take him longer to fall asleep, or maybe he wasn't as tired as this afternoon. He resettled himself for about the tenth time, wis.h.i.+ng Rita were here to talk this out with. Thought of Rita. Thought some more of Rita, happy thoughts of their times together...
Ray was in his office on Wardhaven. No, not his office, he was on the wrong side of the desk. The Teacher sat behind an expansive, ancient oak desk; four images of the Teacher sat, two to either side. No, not precise images. Ray's mind dressed them in the latest bureaucratic fas.h.i.+on and made them up as five of the most contrary politicians Wardhaven had. They didn't just fight Ray and his technology initiatives, they fought any and all comers, including each other. Five more independent-minded politicians never shared the same government. Interesting. Subconscious, what are you trying to tell me? Later.
”You came back.” ”We didn't expect to see you so soon.” ”Or so late,” different ones said. Ray searched for a pattern. Insufficient data so far.
”We share the same planet. We have to communicate.”
”But with lies.” ”Why claim to do something you know you can't?” Both doubting shots came from the right.
”There is no benefit in lying,” he told them. ”It was never my desire to harm the Gardener. I think we were becoming friends. But the Gardener is gone. I believe I've offered you the only explanation for that fact.” Ray's team wasn't the only one having difficulty swallowing six impossible things.
”Yes,” the central one nodded. ”The Gardener is gone.”
”The Gardener was old,” came from the right. ”We had not heard from it in almost three hundred orbits.” ”Much longer before then.” ”It is just gone. This thing had nothing to do with that.”
”Yet you claim you did,” said the center.
”Accidentally,” pointed out one on the left. ”How is that possible?” ”How did you do it?”
”That I do not wish to share with you,” Ray said.
”Why not?” snapped the center.
”Because what I did to the Gardener by accident, I may choose to do again with intent if you and I cannot agree on a way for us to share this planet.”
”You dare demand a share of the planet we created from bare rock?” roared one on the right, leaping to his feet. ”You are nothing. Nothing! I'll teach you!”
A hand reached out for Ray, grew impossibly long, and gripped his throat. Agony shot through Ray, pain that made the surgery on his shattered spine feel like a small splinter being removed by a loving mother. Ray gasped, struggled for breath, felt life fleeing from him....
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