Ruler of Naught (87 page)

“The Gnostor Davidiah Jones once said that the power of
symbols resides in their ambiguity,” Gelasaar had murmured.

Padraic then rumbled in his native Ikraini, “I read a
commentary on that passage, by the Angus of Macadoo, where she noted that the
hand that too readily wields a sword cannot grasp the symbols behind the
words.”

Matilde had whispered, “The Sanctus Gabriel said that words
were the first gift of Telos:

‘The Hand of Telos has five fingers

Forth from the first came first the word

The echo of that act still lingers

Yet to the proud a sound unheard.’”

Fingers, word, lingers, unheard. Subtle shifts of a limb, a
shoulder, a chin, indicated understanding, and that had begun their pattern: to
begin a discussion, usually about history or philosophy, ranging freely among
several languages. At some point the real conversation would begin, conducted
through isolated words indicated by finger movements.

That night, Gelasaar had revealed his goal: the education of
Anaris, already in progress. To this end, six of the best minds of the Panarchy
would willingly bend their focus. Then, by mutual consent, the conversation had
lapsed into pure entertainment.

Now, many days later, Caleb sipped at his caf while three of
them carried the discussion. To have a purpose again gave them all a semblance
of youth and strength. Caleb, Mortan Kree, and Yosefina Paerakles sat silently,
each absorbed in thought.

Caleb thought about Teodric sho’Gessinav, who had committed
suicide rather than release Infonetics codes. His death at least had been to a
purpose, but Casimir Dantre’s had not.

Was it being stripped of our powers and privileges? Or our
belongings? Or merely imprisonment? They would never find out; they knew only
that he had drowned himself, head down, in the disposer.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the dirazh’u,” said Padraic.
“Do the Dol’jharians truly believe a person’s fate can be bound up in a knot?”

Caleb abandoned his musings and turned his attention to
Carr. This conversation would proceed along entirely symbolic lines, its
subject signaled by the faint emphasis on the word “knot.”

For that was a crucial question still unanswered. Do we
reveal the Knot that guards Gehenna, or take the ship and all aboard with us
into death? He shivered slightly. Death might be preferable to whatever awaited
those who stumbled into the chaotic fivespace anomaly that warded the Gehenna
system.

“Belief is a complex concept,” Matilde commented. “Do we
‘believe’ in the symbols we use to rule?”

“That may well be the difference between Dol’jhar and
Arthelion,” Gelasaar replied. He smiled. “I believe that it is unlikely
Eusabian understands anything by the term as we do. His son, however, was
raised among us.”

“So, does Anaris believe his fate is determined by those
knots?” asked Padraic. Caleb sensed interest from Mortan and Yosefina as well
now. They were debating the fate of the
Samedi
: unbeknownst to their captors,
this unlikely tribunal held the power of life and death over everyone on board.

“If so,” said Mortan Kree, suddenly breaking his silence,
“there is little to choose between them.”

“Perhaps,” said Gelasaar, “during our next conversation I
can determine the role knots play in Anaris’s life.”

Or death, thought Caleb.

“Do that,” Padraic Carr rumbled. “I’ll be interested to hear
what you decide.”

The others agreed that, in the end, it would be the
Panarch’s decision whether Anaris, and all of them, lived or died.

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