Red Queen (33 page)

“Are they true or not?”

“Who told you?” she repeated, and her words, in combination with her cold gaze, cut like scalpels. The pain in my forehead got worse and I felt compelled to answer. But I didn't feel like I was giving away any secrets. If Kari knew I was talking to the Tar, this woman surely knew.

“The Tar,” I muttered.

Susan considered. “What do you think of them?”

“I'm the wrong one to ask. I hardly know them.”

“How would you compare their organization to mine?”

“Well, first off, your organization sucks. The way you behave, stealing Lara and Huck, it's like you have no morality.”

“How do you define morality?”

“The way the dictionary does.”

My insults rolled off the woman. She replied in the same flat tone. “Personally, I would define morality as striving to do what will benefit the most people over the greatest length of time. Do you have a problem with that definition?”

I hesitated. “I'm not sure what you mean.”

“Today, in the other world, my people saw you take a drive into the desert. They didn't bother following you but I'm sure if you had a map with you it warned that you were heading into
an area where the government used to test nuclear weapons. They still test them out there, by the way, they just don't advertise the fact.”

“What does this have to do with morality?” I asked.

“At the end of World War Two, President Truman was faced with the most difficult moral decision of our age: whether to use the atomic bomb against Japan. It was an almost impossible decision for such a moral man to make. The Japanese had started the war and America had lost countless soldiers trying to defeat them. Now, at last, America had Japan on the ropes. Most of their cities had been firebombed and lay in ruins. Still, the Japanese were a proud people and refused to surrender. Quite the opposite—they were busy training every man, woman, and child to resist an invasion. Truman's advisors estimated he would have to sacrifice a million American soldiers to secure the island, not to mention the five million Japanese who would die with them.” Susan paused. “Or else he could drop one or two atomic bombs and it would all be over.”

“I didn't come here for a history lesson.”

“You came here to understand why I took Lara from you. The reason lies in my experience of history. In a sense, Truman was faced with the same decision that confronts the two of us right now. The president knew dropping an atom bomb on a defenseless town would cause immeasurable suffering. He had seen a film of the test blast. He was an intelligent man. His head said, ‘Yes, use the weapon, end the war quickly.' But his
heart said, ‘No, it's too awful, too many women and children will burn to death.' He didn't know what to do. He prayed to God for guidance.” Susan paused. “But in the end you know what decision he made.”

“Sure. He wiped out Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

“And what do you think of his decision?”

“It was barbaric.”

“That's all you have to say? It was barbaric? What about the millions of lives he saved? On both sides of the war?”

“Like you said, America had Japan on the ropes. Had Truman waited, they would have surrendered.”

Susan peered at me. “I can say with absolute certainty that they would never have given up. Does that alter your opinion?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Susan asked.

“Because . . . I don't believe you.”

“In the end, Truman realized his decision couldn't be based on belief, even though he was a deeply religious man. It had to be founded on mathematics. Kill a quarter of a million people to save six million.” She paused. “History tells us he made the right decision. The war was over a few days later.”

She sounded like Kendor when he spoke of Caesar. It made me wonder.

“None of this has anything to do with Lara,” I said.

“You're mistaken. Lara is every bit as important to the world as atomic energy. I dare say, in time, she'll probably be
seen as more important. As long as we have the strength of will to use her.”

“To use her? How are you going to use her?”

“I don't know. How can any of us know at this point? But it's easy to imagine a day when we might use her abilities to help unify the world.”

“You mean, take over the world,” I said.

“Take over, save, unite, control—they're all words for the same thing. Unless the world is brought together under one authority, it'll destroy itself, and billions will die. Already the seeds of its destruction are visible everywhere.”

“You're the last person I'd give that authority to.”

“Then give me Lara. I told you, if she's the stronger, then eventually she'll rule the Lapras.”

“Yeah, twenty years from now. In the meantime you'll be in control and you're just what this troubled planet needs. A sadist.”

Russell, who had shown remarkable restraint by not talking, let out a sound of disgust. He was acting offended. Perhaps he feared I had pushed the woman too far. Yet Susan didn't appear annoyed.

“You misunderstand me, Jessica. I don't cause pain because I'm cruel. I use pain as a tool. In the same way, in the morgue, I used your fear to activate your healing gene and help awaken your other abilities.”

“Bullshit! Kidnapping Lara was the act of a monster!”

Susan spoke calmly. “It gave me no pleasure to take your daughter from you. I took her in the hope I could use her to create a better future. Unfortunately, I overestimated my abilities, or else I underestimated hers. She's a month old but has the alertness of a three-year-old. Worse, in the short time you two were together, she bonded with you in a way I don't understand. Suffice to say, I can't replace you.”

“No matter how much affection you lavish on her.”

“Correct. A normal infant recognizes its mother, to some extent. But I wouldn't be surprised if Lara can spot you from far away.”

“Are you saying she misses me?”

“Yes.”

“How does she display this . . . lack?”

“That is irrelevant.”

As Susan spoke, I couldn't help but recall her treatment of Dr. David Leonard when he had collapsed on the floor of the morgue. On the surface she had done everything right. She had examined his chest for a possible heart attack and had noted his blue color. Then she had called for the doctors upstairs.

Yet, while waiting for the doctors to arrive, she had taken his dying hands and placed them over her heart and closed her eyes like she was swooning with . . . pleasure? Had I imagined that? It sure as hell had not looked like concern.

Susan spoke of the Lapras as being an organization that was logically constructed. It rewarded power and effectiveness.
It had no interest in weakness. But I had to wonder if there was more to it than that. Had this strange woman walked so far along the dark path that she actually enjoyed the pain she caused?

“Did you stop breast-feeding my daughter?” I asked.

“You're asking if I hired a wet nurse. No, none was available that I could trust. Unfortunately, to this day Lara still has trouble with formula.”

I hesitated. “Is she colicky?”

“Yes. She often screams in pain.”

“Then give her back to me!”

“Agree to my terms and you can have her.”

“Your terms. I have already heard a version of them from Kari. Why did you kidnap her baby, by the way?”

“Huck has an impressive number of witch genes. He's still Jimmy's son. In the future he may make a formidable employee.”

“Liar. You could have waited to take him. But you wanted to use Huck to put pressure on me through Jimmy.”

Susan shrugged. “The strategy might still work, even if you are aware of it.”

Leaning forward, I pointed a finger at her. “You can't treat people like objects and expect them to react in a positive manner. In this whole talk, you haven't told me one thing that would make me want to join the Lapras.”

“Join us and you can have anything you want.”

“With my genes, and without your help, I can already have anything I want.”

“Will the Tar let you indulge your desires so freely?”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” I said.

“The Tar have rules. Follow them and you must follow their rules. They won't let you run off and do whatever you want.”

“The Tar are committed to free will,” I said.

“Bullshit,” Russell muttered, playing his role well.

I turned to him. “Explain.”

He looked to Susan for approval to continue and she nodded. He spoke in a condescending tone. “Their main directive is that no witch can use his or her power to take advantage of your average human being.”

I nodded. “That sounds reasonable.”

“But we were born superior!” he said. “We were meant to live superior lives. That's not simply a philosophy. It's natural selection. Mankind evolved, and with their large brains they eventually took over this planet. In the same way, with our superior genes, it's natural that we should rule mankind.”

“You sound like a Nazi,” I said.

Susan spoke. “If the Tar and the Lapra organizations didn't exist, those who possess witch genes would still control the world. What's happening is inevitable. That's why all these arguments are fruitless. A new order has arrived. It's not going to magically disappear.”

“If all this is inevitable, then why do you need Lara?”

“I need nothing,” she said. “Lara may simply help me speed up a process that is already well under way. Now, I've granted you the courtesy of this meeting because I thought I could talk some sense into you. If I'm wasting my time, and you're in love with the Tar doctrine, then please tell me now.”

“So you can kill me and get it over with?”

Susan shrugged. “Perhaps it will come to that. Lara wants you back but are you really the best one to act as her mother? I warn you, that has yet to be determined.”

The threat was unmistakable. “I don't understand.”

“You will before you leave here.”

“You promised I could see her,” I said.

“You may.” Susan reached in her pocket, took out a cell, and pushed a single button. She didn't speak. Two minutes later there was a knock on the door and Frank entered, carrying a tiny infant in his huge hands.

I don't remember leaping to my feet and crossing the room but I must have done so because in an instant Lara was in my arms. My love for her then was too big to express in words. Yet I must use words to say how I felt, and the nearest phrase I can find to convey my emotions is that it
killed me
to hold her. It was like the
I
that Jessie/Jessica was formed around was washed away by a tidal wave of love. I didn't need to exist because she existed. It was then I understood how a mother could die a million deaths to protect her child.

Her hair was more red than mine. A month old and she had so many curls! Her hair reached almost to her eyes. God, her eyes, they were glorious. They were as Kendor had said, an enchanting aquamarine, just like the lake water at the Paleo sacred spot. They were so bright, like her smile.

Lara cooed and giggled and tried to grab me. I had to sit down before I let myself bury my face in her body. I was afraid I would faint. Her fingers reached out and tugged on mine and I felt waves of pleasure race through every nerve in my body.

The only thing that confused me was how damp her skin was. Like she had just come from a warm bath. Then I realized I was crying all over her. I wiped at her chubby cheeks with the hem of my blouse.

“Are you satisfied?” Susan asked.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“You can live with her in a house in the desert. A beautiful home in a lovely spot. You can have friends visit, I don't care how many. James can live with you if you want, that's up to you two. All I ask in return is that you take care of Lara and have no more contact with the Tar.” Susan paused. “Does that sound fair?”

My bliss was suddenly shaken by dread.

“I can't make a decision right now,” I said.

“Fine. I don't want your decision to be a hasty one. Sleep on it.” Susan gestured to Frank, who moved my way.

I cringed. “What are you doing?”

“Taking Lara back,” Susan said.

“She just got here! You let Kari play with Huck for hours!”

“Kari's a fool who needs hours to make contact. Once more, you and Lara have bonded and that's all that's necessary at this point.” Frank had stopped above me and had his hands out. Susan added, “You don't want him to use force. She might get hurt.”

Trembling, I handed over my daughter, and the second she was out of my hands, Lara began to wail. A
wave
appeared to go through the room. I couldn't see it but I felt it. It was an invisible pulse that made everything in the room blur slightly. The ground seemed to shake and I had the sensation that the earth itself was responding to the stress of the moment. Lara was angry at those who were tearing us apart and this wave . . . why, it was directed at Susan and Frank!

I noticed Frank had trouble exiting the room. He stumbled twice. He was having trouble breathing. Susan also was affected. As if to ward off the rush of a sudden migraine, she put her hands to her head.

It took several minutes after Lara had left the room for the effects of the wave to completely diminish. By then Susan was furious. The reason was obvious. She hadn't wanted me to know what Lara was capable of.

“Your daughter will be controlled, one way or the other,” Susan said in a cold voice. She didn't have to add that if I failed
to help them, then they would use other methods to restrain her, and those ways would be painful.

“She's just a baby,” I pleaded.

“She's
not
just a baby.” Susan stiffened. “Are my conditions clear?”