The Twisted Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 3)

Chapter 5.1

"Scotty," Rayland called, amused.

"Yeah?"

"You do not have permission to withdraw."

"Oh. Sorry, sir." Scotty came to attention and saluted.

"Not my permission," Rayland said, gentle laughter in his voice. "The Regent's."

"Aw, man!" Scotty said, dropping from military officer to aggrieved younger brother so suddenly that Sabrina began to laugh.

"Go on, get out of here," she said. "As long as you don't do it in public, I don't mind your walking out on me in private!"

"Well, with your permission," Rayland said, "I shall go too. It has been a historic evening, but we all need our rest."

"Certainly," Sabrina said. "Good night! I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Not if I see you first!" Scotty's voice floated in from the corridor.

Left to herself, Sabrina finished her drink, then got up and wandered into her bedroom. She was tired, but not at all sleepy, still keyed up from the tension of her speech. "Well," she sighed to herself, "that's one advantage to this job. No insomnia. I just have to figure out which of the many, many reports on my desk will put me to sleep the fastest."

She turned and went into her study. The comconsole was active, collecting messages for her; she had no desire to speak to anyone at the moment, so she left it alone. There was a stack of data pads on the huge, antique desk, beside the computer interface built into its smooth surface, newly encrypted with the very highest level of security Praxatillus could devise. Sabrina paused to lift the interface screen to a comfortable reading angle and skimmed through Defense Control's status reports. She would have been notified of any new attacks, but she wanted to make sure there was no unexplained activity. They must be even more watchful now that she had declared her intention to do something about the attacks. Homeworld would either hit them hard, to prove their invincibility, or they would ignore Praxatillus, as if to point out their unconcern with what Sabrina did or said.

Sabrina wished she knew enough about them to guess which, but her knowledge was limited to Tirqwin, who was by all accounts exceptional. She could not, she thought sadly, ever claim to have really known Malvarak, with all his depth and the darkness that must have been there even before his insanity.

No, she could not think about that now, or she would never sleep no matter how many financial and economic analyses she read. She turned to the holocube on which Haaron had recorded the images and personnel files of the Citizens Council members, whom she would meet tomorrow. She was still uneasy with this medium, but she recognized the amber cube for what it was, and she knew where to plug it into her desk console. The interface demanded a retinal scan, in addition to a cellular analysis of her handprint, before it would activate the holocube. That finished, Sabrina sat down and folded her hands in her lap, preparing to memorize the images she would see.

"Hi, Sabrina!" Mara's voice said as her image sprang to life about a meter from Sabrina.

Sabrina gasped in shock. "Mara!" She was out of her chair and stepping forward before she realized she could see through Mara's image. It was a holorecording, not a visit. She felt her stomach twist in disappointment, and she dropped back into her chair as Tirqwin's image joined Mara's.

"We heard your speech," Mara continued, looking amused. "I wanted to come and see you in person, but Tirqwin and Khediva think it's too dangerous. So you see, you needn't be worried about me; they do quite enough of that between them."

Tirqwin said repressively, "Sabrina has enough to worry about without adding you to her list, Mara. She knows you are safe with us, or she would not have let you go."

"Ha. She may have all Praxatillus at her command, but she still cannot order me," Mara smiled, tossing her head. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she looked relaxed for the first time since her father's death.

"We are wasting time," Tirqwin reproved, but his eyes were not stern. He looked directly at Sabrina. "The purpose of this communication is to tell you that you did very well with your speech. I am sure you are being told this by others, but we are conceited enough to think you might want to hear it from us."

"Is that a royal we?" Sabrina murmured, grinning to herself. It warmed her heart to know they were thinking of her, wherever they were.

"Yes," Mara said, "you're doing very well, Sabrina. And I'm probably the only person qualified to judge. I know once you've settled in, you'll lose that little nervousness in your voice. But I didn't see you wring your hands once, and that's a good sign."

Sabrina, perversely, bristled at this slight criticism from someone who had once been her charge. Tirqwin laid his hand on Mara's shoulder and looked down at her with amusement. "You have teased her enough," he said. "We did not leave Sabrina on Praxatillus to make speeches; we left her there to make things happen. And that," he said, his gaze returning to Sabrina, "is what you seem to be determined to do. You have challenged Homeworld directly and publicly; I trust you are prepared for a reaction. Sabrina, I implore you: do not let your familiarity with me mislead you into thinking you can guess at how my people will behave. Even I cannot do that with accuracy. Be careful. You are not as protected as I was; they know this. They would like nothing better than to kidnap you and learn what you know, and if they come to the conclusion they cannot do that, they will not hesitate to kill you to make a point. You are not important to them, except symbolically as the leader of Praxatillus, and as a tool to use against me. The lies Malvarak told you could easily come true. I know you too well to think you mean to fight a war; you will instead wage an aggressive peace. But be careful. We are not a chivalrous people, and our notions of honor may not always coincide with yours. Do not assume that if they deign to speak with you, you are safe." He paused and frowned. "I did things that were distasteful to me, that I define as a contravention of my principles, in attempting to rescue you. They will contravene theirs to achieve their ends as well, if necessary."

"You are trying to frighten her," Mara accused, looking up at him. "She is safe while I monitor her through the Crystal, and she has Uncle Rayland and Scotty to protect her."

"You have engaged Homeworld enough for them to have gauged your abilities," Tirqwin warned her. "We cannot count on being able to defeat them every time. Sabrina must approach them with care." He turned back to Sabrina. "But I do not wish to discourage you. You are the only person I know who would try to end this war, once and for all, and be willing to let all past grievances die. If you do not attempt it, no one on Praxatillus will. And Homeworld certainly will not. Try, Sabrina. You are the only objective person who cares enough to make it work."

"It will not be easy," Mara said. "Poor Sabrina. I have never been able to let you rest; there always seems to be some demand I must make of you. But this time I can at least try to make you more comfortable while you work. I'm sending you a present. Well, both of us are." She grinned up at Tirqwin. "I did not want to simply materialize it in the palace as I will do with this holocube, because such a mass would definitely disturb Praxatillus Control's sensors. So I am using more conventional means. But you should receive it soon, and I hope you will enjoy it. I only wish I could see your face when you do!"

"Think of it as a thank you," Tirqwin said, "for giving us this time together. It means even more than you know, perhaps."

"Yes, it is a honeymoon after all," Mara agreed. "Take care, Sabrina. We will come back sometime soon, I hope, and take all this off your shoulders. But in the meantime I know you will bear it all gallantly."

"You are following the right Way, Sabrina," Tirqwin said. "I only wish I knew what awaits you at emergence. Go carefully, and trust your own judgment." He paused, and smiled. "I am—we both are—quite proud of you. That is a gift too. Khediva sends her best wishes. She often laments your absence."

"We miss you too," Mara added. "Tell Scotty and Uncle Rayland that we're well, and send our greetings. Good-bye, Sabrina. Miah's hand is guiding you."

"Good-bye," Tirqwin echoed, and the holographic message ended.

Sabrina sighed. She sat for a while, staring into space and thinking about the message. Then she got up, went to bed, and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.