Sabrina first began to realize something was wrong at dinner, which she was eating alone. She had expected Rayland, but he was unavoidably delayed at Control and had sent word to her not to wait for him. That in itself was not unusual, but the way her household was quietly avoiding her indicated something bad was happening. She didn't think she'd been out of temper enough for them to be wary of her; there must be some news no one wanted to be the bearer of.
"Scotty!" she exclaimed aloud.
Izana dropped the tray of dishes she'd been clearing, and the clatter of the china brought Darice and Sehaèri running. Sabrina rounded on the three of them. "What's happened?" she demanded. "Is there word of my brother? Where is he? What's happened to him?"
Izana bowed her head and busied herself with the broken dishes, leaving the others to exchange glances, both clearly wanting to defer to the other. Finally Sehaèri said softly, "Izana, go and bring her ladyship some wine."
Darice's hopeful expression faded, and she took a deep breath and plunged in. "My lady, your brother is on Naferi Station, an independent trading outpost two systems over from the Wayfarer Homeworld. It used to be a mining outpost for the planet it orbits, which was once rich in särad crystal, but when the crystal supply was exhausted the outpost was abandoned. Some of the miners stayed and founded a prosperous trade station."
"Enough history, Darice! What about Scotty?"
"He has apparently gone there to ask for sanctuary."
"From Homeworld? But—"
"From us, my lady," Darice said, very quietly.
Sabrina's lips soundlessly formed, "From us?" She sat there, numb with shock, her face draining of all color and expression.
Sehaèri watched her in concern, then added, "He has made a public statement transmitted throughout the Realm. He appears quite safe and under no compulsion. He...he looks well."
Darice shot her a tight-lipped glance and said, "Commander Rayland is analyzing a recording of the message now and will bring it to you shortly."
Sabrina spread her right hand out on the table in front of her. The royal signet glinted in the light. "What does he accuse me of?" she said tonelessly.
Darice and Sehaèri exchanged another glance. When Darice spoke, it was as if the words hurt her. "He said that you engineered the Tirqwin's marriage to our Queen, knowing it would cause a war. He said you convinced them to go away so that you could rule, that you hate the Wayfarers for kidnapping you and that you want an excuse to destroy them. He...gave the impression that the Queen is under your influence and will obey your instructions."
Sabrina closed her eyes. "Not a twisted Way, but a twisted truth." A twisted knife, cunning and cruel. "Does he urge any action?"
"He says you are a threat to galactic peace and must be removed," Darice said resolutely.
"And do people believe him?"
Sehaèri said quickly, "No, no one here believes it, my lady. How could they? You are not mad; any fool can see that! And Lady Ælieni knows you; she will not let Lthos believe it either."
"But Homeworld will believe it, because they want to," Sabrina said in a brittle voice. She got to her feet.
"Where are you going, my lady?" Sehaèri asked, worried.
"I had better write my will, hadn't I, if I'm to be assassinated at my brother's urging?" Sabrina retorted as she stalked out of the room.
____________
Sabrina was just feeling very noble and martyred, having left everything she inherited from her parents to her brother regardless of his betrayal, when Rayland arrived to show her the recording. It was very much what she expected, though Rayland tried hard to downplay its importance. "It will be taken as spite, or as a ploy by Homeworld. I don't think many people will believe it authentic."
"But it is," Sabrina said. She was holding herself so rigid that her teeth clenched after every word.
"I fear so," Rayland said heavily. "I've sent a covert team to retrieve him, if they can do so without publicity." He paused. "We have talked about the impression this will make on our allies. I think we should also consider the effect it will have on the Queen and the Tirqwin. They are bound to hear of it."
"And you think they'll come rushing home? Not likely!" Sabrina retorted. "They can't push the peace initiative through, and they know it. Tirqwin told me so. I'm on my own, whatever happens."
Rayland looked at her with compassion. "Do you really believe the Tirqwin and the Queen would sacrifice you for the sake of peace?"
"Yes!" Sabrina hissed, thrusting herself up out of her chair. She stood, quivering with emotion, her fists clenched so hard that her fingernails drew blood on her palms. "I won't let them do anything else."
Rayland stood too, looking at her in alarm. She shook her head. "No, I'm all right. I just need to be alone. I'm going up to my conservatory. Please."
He nodded, and she fled the room. Looking after her, he let out a long, slow sigh of pain and grief. "Oh, my daughter." Then he collected himself and began his long walk back to Defense Control.
______________
Sabrina did not bother to put on her gloves; she almost welcomed the pain of the thorns as a distraction from her inner torment. Her hands shook badly, and she dropped the pruning shears twice before giving up and sinking to the floor in the midst of the fragrant flowers, too ravaged by pain and rage and howling grief to cry, to do anything but helplessly endure the roiling emotions tearing at her.
She had lost Scotty to Homeworld. There was no return from that. She had, one final, horrible time, failed her parents' trust.
She knew, with the part of her mind still able to think, that the only possible redemption was to make the peace initiative a success. She tried to focus on it, tried to think about what she had to do next, but her grief would not be ignored. She sat in silence, hugging herself, swaying back and forth with the force of her inner struggle.
How long she sat there, she never knew. It could have been only a few minutes, or it could have been hours before Haaron walked into the room as swiftly as he could and dropped to his knees beside her. He took her shoulders and shook her gently. "Sabrina?"
She looked up at him blankly, taking a moment to focus. He shook her again. "Sabrina, I've just heard. I've come to tell you I'm going after him. I'll leave on the next outbound ship, and I'll find out what's really happening, and bring him back."
She shook her head, instinctively rejecting the idea without any conscious thought. Haaron's anxious expression became shaded with anger. "Sabrina, this mustn't be allowed to continue! It damages you, and it damages us. Someone has to go and bring him back. I know him as well as anyone, better than anyone but you. You cannot go; therefore, I must. I am resolved. I only came to tell you so that you could perhaps be comforted, and can assign my duties to someone else while I am gone."
Sabrina shook her head again, more emphatically. "No. Haaron, you mustn't go. I can't afford to lose you."
"You cannot afford to lose Scotty either."
"I have already lost him." She pressed her lips together, then drew a deep breath. "Haaron, Rayland has sent a team after him already. They will do whatever it is possible to do. I...I don't think he can be talked out of what he is doing. If I thought that, I would send you after him. But...if he is truly an agent—"
"Sabrina! You cannot think—"
"An unwilling agent," she clarified. "If he is, then you can do no good at all, and they will kill you as a threat to them, or use you as another weapon against me. No. No."
"Sabrina, I must do something!" He took her hands in his and squeezed them, harder than he meant to. The pain of it helped her focus on him and ignore all the screaming in her mind. "I cannot watch him destroy you both and do nothing!"
"I'm not asking you to do nothing. I'm asking you to stay here and help me."
Haaron looked away. "I am not doing anything here that could not be done just as well by another. You dishonor me by denying me the chance to serve! I may be damaged in body, Sabrina, but I can still think, and act, and fight for what is right."
She looked at him in horror. Had she really been acting selfishly, keeping him nearby for her own peace of mind when he could be more useful somewhere else?
Haaron saw her expression and continued more hopefully, "Sabrina, I am sworn to your service, and nothing will change that. But Scotty is my friend. Let me help you both!"
Sabrina's eyes flashed as she had a sudden epiphany. "Scotty cannot be saved, Haaron. Not by anything you or I can do. But Praxatillus can be. I am not asking you to stay here, doing nothing—though believe me, I don't count being my Citizens Council liaison as nothing. I'm asking you to do the hardest thing I have to ask, to do what no one wants to do. It's not only difficult and dangerous, but promises the least personal reward."
He looked at her curiously. "What is it?"
"Ambassador Olviron needs a new attaché on Lthos."
"A diplomatic post! On Lthos!" His eyes lit, but a moment later he frowned. "That is a prestigious assignment, Sabrina. Not one for a novice."
"But you are not a novice. Haaron, don't you realize, the peace initiative has to begin on Lthos? I need someone there who believes in the possibility of peace, who will fight for it even when no one else believes it can be done. Someone who will obey my instructions and work in my interest instead of being bound by old quarrels and traditions. Not only that, but you have experience with Wayfarers! You've lived aboard a Wayship, come to know and respect Tirqwin and Khediva. You've fought for them. And you've been to Lthos, so it wouldn't be strange to you. Haaron, most of the people here don't think peace is possible. They see it as an abstract at best. But you, when you go there, you can think of what the peace will mean, not for the faceless crowd, but for Mara, and for Tirqwin and Khediva, and for me. Haaron, this is how we help Scotty. He wanted it too, you know. He still does, in the part of him that's still himself. Let's do this for him, to get him back if we can, or in his memory if we can't. You can help me more than anyone because you can put a face on peace and hug it to your heart, make it something you can be passionate about. I haven't met anyone else here who can do that. Help me, Haaron. You and Éllina, go to Lthos and work for peace."
He was staring at her, his mouth slightly open in surprise and wonder. Sabrina held his gaze, her own expression fading from determination to a wry amusement. "I told you it was the hardest thing I had to ask of anybody."
"You weren't joking," he said, after a moment. "At first I thought you wanted to do me a favor."
She shook her head. "This will be hard work, and mostly thankless. It may even be dangerous. Talk it over with Éllina. But I need you to decide soon. We haven't any time to waste."
"I know." He got to his feet, pulling her up with him. "I will speak to her immediately, and let you know in the morning. But I do not think Éllina will back down from this challenge."
"And how do you feel about it?" she asked.
"I said I wanted to serve in a meaningful way. It seems I am to get what I asked for," he said, with a rather subdued grin. "I think you once told me of a curse on your homeworld like that."
Sabrina returned his grin with a wry little one. "Yes, and there's another one that applies here too: 'May you live in interesting times.'"
He chuckled. "Well, these are certainly interesting times." Then he sobered. "I'll do my best, Sabrina."
"I know you will."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me for this!" she said.
"Not for the task, perhaps, but for your faith in me."
"Don't thank me for that either. You earned it."
He bowed and left. Sabrina stood there for a moment; at least her earlier hysterical shock had gone. Then she walked into the next room, to the communications console, and punched in a code. "Ambassador," she said, as Olviron answered. "Have I got an attaché for you."