The Moon's Shadow (16 page)

Roca couldn’t bear to look at that young face, the happy child with no idea of the hells she would face as an adult. Her hand shook as she turned the cube—and again her heart broke. A six-year-old boy smiled in this holo, his face luminous. Her golden child. Her youngest.

Kelric.

He had been the sweetest natured of her children, loving and affectionate. He had grown into the largest, towering over his siblings, a taciturn giant, muscled and powerful. And one day he too had gone off to war, wearing the uniform of a Jagernaut. She had lost him first, eighteen years ago, his ship attacked in the cold, lonely reaches of space.

Tears ran down Roca’s face. She tried to rub the edge of the cube, to stop the memories, but she couldn’t find the switch. Kelric smiled at her across the years, the little boy who laughed so easily and loved so deeply.

“My children,” she whispered. To have outlived them was more than she could bear. Soon their father would join them. Roca cried out soundlessly. With shaking hands, she put the cube down.

Unable to remain still with her memories, Roca walked into the living room, where gusts of wind stirred the curtains on the glass doors across from her. She went to pull them open, letting in the wind. It whipped back her hair, throwing it around her shoulders, arms, and hips. Her floor-length robe blew open and billowed out behind her, and the layers of her nightgown fluttered. Even with heat threads weaving through her clothes, she felt the chill of the Scandinavian night.

Roca walked onto the balcony of the house where she and Eldrinson had lived these past two years. The Allied United Centre spread out below, one of many Centres established on Earth to study the effects of uniting Earth’s many nations under one world government. Located in Sweden, this one was hidden in a remote wilderness, surrounded in every direction by snow and trees. It was here the Allied military held their Ruby Dynasty prisoners.

Roca couldn’t deny the Allieds treated them well, with an elegant home and every amenity. But it didn’t change the fact that she and Eldrinson were prisoners. Whatever happened to them affected the interstellar balance of power.

Three civilizations reigned: the Eubian Concord, the Skolian Imperialate, and the Allied Worlds of Earth. Eube and Skolia were giants, more militaristic than the Allieds. In a treaty with Skolia, the Allieds had agreed to provide sanctuary to the Ruby Dynasty during wartime. But after this last war had ended with no winner, crippling both Eube and Skolia, the Allieds refused to free their “guests.” They feared, perhaps rightly so, that if the Ruby Dynasty regained power, the star-spanning devastation would resume.

Roca gazed at the forest, wishing its wild beauty could ease her pain. A few lampposts glowed among the trees. She didn’t know why she felt so restless. She kept thinking of Kelric, her youngest—her first child to die. A tear ran down her face. She walked along the balcony to a staircase. Going down the stairs, she picked up her pace. Her heart beat fast, in time with the slap of her bare feet on the stone steps.

An AUC lieutenant was waiting at the bottom, crisp in his khaki uniform, a carbine in his hands. She had no doubt a monitor had detected her activity and told security to find out why she was stirring at this late hour. His presence didn’t intimidate Roca. She set out on a path through the rustic buildings and the soldier followed. He spoke into his comm, his voice low. Whatever orders he received apparently didn’t include taking her back to the house. He simply kept pace with her, a discreet distance away. Another soldier joined him, both of them accompanying her on her walk to—

To where?

Roca wasn’t sure, but she had to keep going.

A drum beat within her.

A drum.

Stronger now.

Recognition.

Recognition of—what?

She began to run. Three soldiers were jogging with her now, but no one tried to stop her. A strange urgency drove her, undeniable. Lengthening her stride, she ran up a long hill. At the top, she crossed a wooden bridge high above a river that roared in a cataract. She kept running.

Feet pounding.

Pounding to a drum.

The beat of a drum.

Beyond the bridge, Roca ran down a slope, barely feeling the icy grass beneath her feet. She kept going, driven toward the visitor’s center. Why? The long building stretched before her, surrounded by snowy trees. A raised walkway with an arched roof led to its nearest entrance, like a pier. Roca ran toward it, her heart pounding, her breath condensing in the air. In her mind, she called to her husband, reaching to Eldrinson through a link so strong, it defied the distance limitations nature put on telepaths.

Eldri, wake. Eldri, come.

She felt his mind stir, felt his answering awareness. He would come, striding in the forgiving gravity of Earth.

Roca took the stairs to the raised walkway two at a time. She ran down the pier, the soldiers jogging with her. As she approached the entrance of the visitor’s center, she slowed to a walk, then stopped before the double doors.

The drum beat within her.

No. Not a drumbeat.

A heart.

The heart of the sun.

Roca grasped wooden handles and heaved the doors open. The wind whipped back her robe and her hair. Holding the doors wide, bracing herself against them, she stared into the lobby beyond. A man stood in its center, his golden gaze heartbreakingly familiar, though in that moment she knew he had gone blind, that his eyes could no longer see her.

But his mind knew.

His mind saw.

He had changed. Gray streaked his metallic gold hair, and lines added years to his face. He had aged decades since she had last seen him. She could only guess what hells he had gone through to reach Earth. He stood now only through the strength of his indomitable will.

But he was alive.

Roca ran across the lobby and flung her arms around him. With infinite care, he took her into the powerful arms that could crush a man twice her size. Her head barely reached his shoulder. As tears poured down her face, she repeated his name over and over, sobs catching in her throat. He was crying as well, in silence.

Hoshma,
he thought.
Hoshma, I’ve come home.

Roca’s stunned, astonished joy filled her heart.
Welcome home, my son. Welcome home, Kelric.

I
t was one hell of a job.

Jai’s daily routine alternately riveted him and bored him stiff. When he had lived in exile, his parents had educated him with the help of computers; on Earth, he had spent two years in an American high school. He had mostly enjoyed those studies, but learning to run an empire was nowhere near as easy.

He sat at his desk, inundated with data. Star holomaps rotated to his right. He had rolled out the film of a computer screen, and holographic glyphs scrolled above its surface as the computer taught him about trade revenues. On his left, an aide was stacking memory cubes for him to review. Another aide was speaking into a comm across the room, while two others worked at a table. Jai had chosen these aides for their lack of Aristo traits; their minds didn’t bother him.

Jai rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t absorb all this. As much as he hated the thought, he needed a biocomputer in his brain. It was the only way he could learn everything he had to know and keep up with the information he had to process every day.

Darkness lurked at the edges of his mind. ESComm had Corbal in custody, and Corbal knew Jai wasn’t a full Highton. Every time Jai received a military communication, his heart raced, until it became clear no one had discovered his secret.

His comm buzzed. He jerked, then stabbed the receive button. “Yes?”

Robert answered. “Your Highness, we are receiving a transmission from the Embassy of the Allied Worlds on Delos.”

“Delos? You mean the Allied planet?” He had traded himself for Eldrin there.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Robert said.

“Very well. Relay the communication.”

A starship had carried the message to Glory. It was short and direct, which would have been unpardonable, except that it came from an Allied citizen, which in the uncompromising Aristo view of the universe meant a slave. Direct speech from taskmakers or providers didn’t bother Aristos in the least: it was expected.

What delayed Jai’s response had nothing to do with the brevity of the Allied message. Many protocols had to be observed before he could answer. He had to do this right; it was too important to fumble. His Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Protocol, and Intelligence joined him, along with a protocol officer from the Foreign Affairs Ministry and a foreign affairs officer from the Protocol Ministry. Jai sometimes thought he would need a doctorate just to keep track of who did what on his staff.

His advisers helped him compose a reply. He kept it simple, though he obfuscated enough to make it authentic as a Highton message. Night had fallen by the time he transmitted it to the ship in orbit, which would carry it to Delos. From there, the Allied authorities would send it on to Earth. It could be weeks before it reached its final destination, but when it did, a new era in interstellar relations would begin.

So Jai acknowledged the agreement made by the Allieds to mediate the peace talks between Eube and Skolia.

Jai walked to his rooms, lost in thought, accompanied by his bodyguards and Robert. He had been up for two days now, thirty-two hours. His fatigue made it hard to concentrate, and his thoughts wandered.

“Shall I have your dinner sent up?” Robert asked.

“No, thank you.” Jai rubbed his eyes. “A pot of kava would be good, though.”

Robert bowed as they stopped outside the anteroom to Jai’s suite. “I will see to it, sir.”

“I appreciate it.”

After Robert left, Jai went through the antechamber into his bedroom. The part of the suite where he entered was four times the size of the room he had shared with his brothers on Prism, and this was only the sitting area. Far across the suite, his canopied bed stood on a dais. The nook to its left had recessed window alcoves, elegant wing chairs, and a love seat. To the right of the dais, an arch led into the bathing room, with its pool and fountains. The suite gleamed, from its gilt and ivory decor to the tiered chandeliers.

Jai sank gratefully into a smartchair, and it adjusted to make him comfortable. His Razers took up posts at the walls with no need for orders. Jai wondered if they would even take his orders if he went beyond simple requests, like that time he had had them wait outside his office while he spoke with Tarquine.

He exhaled. Tarquine. Although it had been two days since he announced his decision to wed her, he had barely even had time to ponder his bride-to-be, let alone speak to her. He had the proverbial tiger by the tail and feared to let go, lest she turn on him and metaphorically rip out his throat.

A voice said, “Your kava, sir.”

Jai looked up to see one of his Razers in the entrance of the suite. With a tired nod, Jai said, “Have Robert bring it in.”

The Razer bowed and departed, taking the pressure of his half-Aristo mind with him. Jai sent the other three guards out, too, though he knew they wouldn’t really leave. One would stay in the antechamber and the others would take up posts around his suite. At least their distance eased the pressure on his mind.

He stretched out his legs and leaned his head against the back of the chair, closing his eyes. The blissful heaviness of sleep settled over him.

A rustle brought him awake. Lifting his head, he saw Robert in the entrance. His aide held a tray with a white pot and several sparkling diamond-china cups, each gilded in gold.

“Come in.” Jai sat forward.

Robert entered and set the tray on the table by Jai’s chair.

“Would your Highness like his bed prepared?”

Jai reddened. “That won’t be necessary.” Having his household staff “prepare” his bed had turned out to mean bringing him a provider. They seemed to find his celibacy strange. With so much emphasis on heredity and inheritance, the penalty for adultery among Hightons was death, in law if not always in practice. Supposedly, no one cared if Aristos played with their providers, but Jai didn’t see it that way. Besides, he had no intention of risking his betrothed’s wrath. He would rather face a nuclear reactor gone critical than an angry Tarquine. The only provider he wanted anyway was Silver, and he couldn’t have her.

Jai picked up a cup of steaming kava and took a swallow, then sighed as the rich beverage warmed his throat. He motioned Robert to a nearby chair. “Any news on the ESComm investigation into Minister Iquar’s habitat?”

Robert took his seat, then slid a computer rod out of a sheath in his sleeve and unrolled it in his lap. Holicons formed over the screen, the holographic computer icons that specified functions of the comp. Robert flicked his finger through one, then read from his screen. “They’ve filed a report with the Intelligence Ministry.”

“Have someone send me a summary.”

Robert made a notation on his comp. “You will have it tomorrow morning, sir.”

“Good.” Jai took another swallow of kava. “What is happening with Corbal Xir?”

Robert checked his comp, then frowned. “Nothing, it seems. Both our people and ESComm are still examining the records of the provider stealing files from Admiral Kaliga.”

It didn’t sound promising. “Any indication the records were falsified?”

“Not yet.” Robert gave him an apologetic look.

Damn. Azile was pressuring him to free Corbal, but Jai knew if he simply ordered ESComm to do it, they would resist. He had neither the authority nor the savvy to bend them to his will. Saints knew, he could use Corbal’s advice now.

“Any progress in finding Sunrise?” he asked.

“None, Your Highness.” Robert didn’t hide his regret. “I’m sorry.”

Jai nodded, feeling heavy. If Sunrise really had stolen the files, he could hope she traded them to an Allied or Skolian agent in return for her freedom. If she had done it for another Aristo—no, he couldn’t believe she would betray Corbal that way. Besides, it made no sense; another Aristo would treat her with a brutality Corbal had foresworn. Of course, she might have been working for Corbal exactly as ESComm suspected. If so, Jai fervently hoped his cousin had made sure she didn’t come to harm.

Unfortunately, the worst scenario he could imagine was also the most likely, that someone had kidnapped her. It would have to be someone high in ESComm. The thought of what they would do to her haunted Jai.

He set down his kava. “I would like updates every morning on the search. If any breakthrough occurs, let me know immediately.”

Robert made a note on his screen. “I’ll see to it myself, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Robert.”

Pleased surprise came from his aide, though outwardly Robert showed only his usual calm efficiency. It puzzled Jai. He saw no reason why his comments should surprise or gratify his aide.

Robert scanned his schedule. “You have a meeting tomorrow with representatives from the insurance bureaus.”

Jai didn’t relish facing them. “Are they arranging the repayment to Minister Iquar?”

“It appears so.” Robert studied his screen. “Her status creates complications.”

“Why?” Jai wished he didn’t always feel as if he lagged ten steps behind everyone else.

“She will be empress.” Robert shifted his weight. “It is necessary to, uh, avoid the implication—that is, you might say…”

Jai regarded him wearily. “Yes?”

“Your Most Gracious Highness, I would never imply—”

“I know, Robert.” Jai rubbed his eyes. “Just tell me.”

Robert cleared his throat. “It is necessary to avoid the appearance of coercion by the Qox Dynasty to make the bureaus pay monies above those specified in the hearing.”

“Of course I’m not trying to make them give my future wife more money.” Like Tarquine needed it. In preparation for joining the Qox and Iquar Lines, one of his aides had shown him her financial records. She was even wealthier than he would have guessed in his most generous estimates.

“No, certainly, of course not, Your Glorious Highness.” Robert’s face had gone red. “This can be made clear in your meeting with the bureau chiefs.”

Jai considered him. He had chosen Robert as his personal aide over several others with more experience, in part because Robert’s mind exerted no mental pressure, but also because the aide knew all sorts of useful palace scuttlebutt. He had been at the palace for ten years and had served Jai’s grandfather, Ur Qox, until Ur’s death three years ago.

“Robert,” he said. “Prepare a statement for me to give in tomorrow’s meeting.”

“Certainly, sir.” Robert entered commands into his comp. “What would you like to say?”

“You write a first draft. Have it for me to read in the morning.”

Again surprise came from Robert’s mind; Ur Qox would never have allowed him such a responsibility. From what Jai had seen in the records, Ur Qox had wasted his aide’s talents.

Robert sat up straighter. “I will have it ready for you at breakfast.”

“Good.” Jai leaned back, too tired to stay upright. “Anything else I need to know tonight?”

Robert checked his comp. “The delegation from the Diamond Coalition canceled their request for an audience.”

Jai inwardly swore. Corbal had worked for years on that project, a new banking system in Sapphire Sector that he was establishing with the Diamond Coalition. With the right ties between the palace and the Coalition, they could all profit from the partnership. But the Diamonds had been skittish lately. “Why did they cancel their request to meet with me?”

Robert scanned his screen. “They sent a lengthy and extremely complimentary document to you.”

Jai grimaced. “Can you summarize?”

“They want more time to work on their plans.”

Jai didn’t believe it. “What do you think really happened?”

Robert looked up at him. “The Blue-Point Diamond Line changed their minds about wanting to work with the palace on this project.”

A memory jumped into Jai’s mind: the dinner at Kaliga’s home.
Damn.
One of the guests had been an elder Blue-Point lord. Jai didn’t doubt his own behavior that night had put off the lord. And Corbal, who set up the deal with the Diamond Coalition, was in ESComm custody. Corbal probably could have dealt with the situation, but Jai had no idea what to do.

Propping his elbow on the arm of his chair, Jai rested his head on his hand. “Leave the report for me. If you have recommendations, leave those, too.”

“Certainly, sir.”

“Anything else?” He hoped not; he desperately needed sleep.

“I have an answer to your inquiry about Jafe Maccar.”

Jai lifted his head. Ever since Kelric had asked him to pardon Maccar, the Skolian merchant captain, Jai had wondered why. ESComm wouldn’t tell him anything. Although the military was supposed to be under his command, they were impressively adept at bypassing him. He had to fight for every scrap of information he wrested from them.

“What did you find out?” Jai asked.

Robert read from his screen. “Jafe Maccar commanded a Skolian merchant ship, the
Corona.
In the chaos after the Radiance War, trade restrictions between Eube and Skolia eased for a while. Maccar arranged a lucrative deal with Lady Zarine Raziquon, who owns the habitat
Chrysalis Station.
She offered him a large payment for a shipment of Targali silks, jewelry, spices, china, silver, and antique boxes.”

“Let me guess,” Jai said dryly. “Lady Zarine tried to cheat him, he protested, and ESComm threw him in jail.”

“I’m not sure.” Robert’s forehead furrowed. “She paid for the shipment. As he was returning to his ship, she sent him an escort of vessels.”

“An escort? Why?”

“To guarantee him safe passage out of Eubian space.”

“Then why did ESComm imprison him?”

Robert continued reading. “For some reason, Maccar’s flotilla attacked hers. The ships did battle, and most of the Skolian vessels escaped. But ESComm caught Maccar’s ship. They deported the crew back to Skolia and sentenced Maccar to ten years in prison.”

Jai stared at him. “Why the blazes would Maccar attack his escort?”

Robert scrolled through more files. “The attack appears unprovoked.”

“Appears?”

Robert regarded him uneasily. “Maccar was under the protection of a Highton noblewoman. She would have done everything in her power to ensure his safe return home.”

Sure.
It was also possible that Lady Zarine had tried to steal Maccar’s ships, forcing the crews to defend themselves. But he needed to know Maccar hadn’t committed a crime before he could act on Kelric’s request. “Look into the matter, Robert. I need more details.”