The next morning, Sabrina felt strong again, and the doctors released her as soon as she'd eaten a hearty breakfast to satisfy them. Tassan left for Bathir to meet with the Telurians and the Citizens Council, promising to snatch a nap that afternoon. Darice greeted Sabrina with pleasure at her recovery and informed her that she and Commander Mukryilla had decided that if there were more formal dinners, a line of guards would stand behind the main table.
"As long as you look decorative," was all Sabrina said as she got into the clothes Darice had brought. "Come on. I want to see Scotty in my study. You'll want to sit in on this."
In her rooms they met Rndara, who ventured to ask where Sabrina's gown from last night was. Sabrina supposed it had been destroyed, so she said, "It got torn rather badly last night after dinner, so I threw it out."
"My lady!" Rndara nearly wailed. "That was your best formal dress! We could at least have used the fabric for something else!"
"I'm sorry, Rndara, I wasn't thinking, I guess," Sabrina said. "The dinner went off perfectly, by the way. Thank you for arranging everything."
Rndara looked gratified. "I'm glad you liked it. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves." She frowned a little. "I'm not sure why the Royal Chamberlain felt it necessary to hurry in the musical entertainment like that, though."
"She did it so I could make my exit unnoticed," Sabrina said. "I had some rather urgent business that I didn't want everyone to know about."
"Oh," Rndara said. "Well, have you had breakfast? Would you like something?"
"I've eaten already, thanks. Is Secretary Sansfir here yet?"
"No, my lady. He said he would probably be late. One of the Ministers wanted to see him."
"Then would you mind finding my brother and asking him to come have breakfast with me?"
"Certainly, but I thought you had already eaten."
Sabrina stifled an impatient sigh. "I have, but I need to see him, and I don't want anyone to know it's anything but a casual meal together."
"Right," Rndara curtsied and hurried out.
"I'm going to have a quick wash," Sabrina told Darice, heading into the bathroom. "If Scotty gets here before I'm done, tell him to start without me."
"Yes, ma'am."
__________
By the time Sabrina had indulged in a quick, hot bath, gotten dressed, and brushed her hair, Scotty was on his second helping of his favorite breakfast, the Praxatillian equivalent of hash browns flavored with a spicy sausage. Sabrina wrinkled her nose as she sat down and accepted the cup of cocoa Rndara handed her. "Thank you, Rndara," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without you. By the way, how is Prince Zav?"
"He's being released from the infirmary today, my lady," Rndara replied.
"Would you like to have the morning off, then? I can do without you for a few hours. I'm just going to be working in the study."
"Thank you, my lady. Will there be anything else, then, before I go?"
"No."
"Thank you!" Rndara said, curtseying and hurrying out.
Scotty grinned. "Still a romantic, aren'tya, Rina? Thanks for the breakfast invite. You look a lot better than you did last night."
"Did you bring it?"
"Yeah, but I'm not givin' it to you 'til I'm done eatin'," he grinned. "I wanna be able to concentrate on this."
Sabrina rolled her eyes. "I suppose I could use your opinion; you've seen more of Mara's spectacular feats than I have."
"From what I heard, Mara's not gonna be what we have to worry about," Scotty said. "But I figure I probably know as much about Wayships as you do."
"You do realize you're not going, don't you?"
"And why not?" he demanded.
"Because you hijacked Shahina, that's why not, and Asnefer is going to be there."
"Oh." He chewed for a moment, then swallowed and said, "Maybe we could disguise me as—"
"No, Scotty," Sabrina said firmly. She remembered what Tassan had said about the importance of support during this anxious time and had an inspiration. "You need to stay here with Mara and keep her from fretting herself to death while Tirqwin and Khediva and I go take care of this."
"Oh," Scotty said again.
"I'll make it an order if you like, but I'd rather you volunteered. I don't think anybody else could pull it off."
He grinned. "Layin' it on thick, aren'tya, Rina? Okay, okay. I'll stay here and play cards with Mara or whatever while you guys go save the planet. But next time I get to go!"
"Deal," Sabrina said, relieved. "Besides, you went last time."
"Huh? Oh, the folding space bit. Well, we came out even then, 'cause you wouldn't let me go up to the Sentinel with you." He put down his fork and wiped his mouth and chin with his napkin. "Okay, I'm done. Let's go see what Oria has to say."
"I thought I'd call Rassir and—"
"Nuh uh," Scotty said. "Oria gave me this on condition that nobody else sees it but you and me. And we can't tell anybody where we got the info, and she'd rather we didn't tell anybody that doesn't absolutely need to know."
"Oh," Sabrina said. "Well, I'm dying to know what the huge secret is! Darice, you don't mind, do you?"
"I do, actually," Darice frowned. "I'm not supposed to leave you alone."
"Well, we'll keep the volume turned down," Scotty said. "I guess you're takin' her with you, right, so she has to know some of it sometime anyway. Darice, you'll just have to not stand in sight of the screen and try not to listen, okay?"
"I can do that," Darice said.
______________
Two hours later, Sabrina and Scotty, both pale and grim, faced Rassir, Mukryilla, and Imari across Sabrina's desk. Darice stood near the door as she had for most of the morning, apparently deaf and dumb, but Sabrina saw the lines around her mouth and deduced that the bodyguard had picked up at least some of what had been on the infocube Oria had sent.
"I have obtained the information I was seeking about Pharo," Sabrina began flatly. "It was not from any source on this planet," she added, forestalling Imari's outburst. "I've asked my brother to be here because he also has knowledge about Khediva, Tirqwin, and the Guardian and can help me judge what risks are acceptable."
"That is not for you to decide!" Imari said. "Only the Council of Trême and the Guardian are to decide what risks are acceptable for her!"
"The entire point about Pharo as the meeting location is that Mara cannot go into that space," Sabrina retorted, "so the risk to her is minimal, and is related only to her link with Tirqwin. And yes, I know the Council of Trême regards that as their sole prerogative. But we have to face facts: if we do not carry through with this, sooner or later Homeworld will capture or kill Tirqwin, severing the link, probably violently. You must admit that whatever happens at this meeting carries less risk than that."
Imari looked as though she'd bitten into a lemon. "Yes, perhaps. It is still not for you to decide."
"On the contrary," Sabrina said, "Mara and Tirqwin both left this matter in my hands. In this matter—only in this matter—I act not only as Regent of Praxatillus but as the Guardian's personal representative. She told you that before she left."
Imari was silent, so Sabrina continued, "After what I've learned today I respect your decision not to release your classified files. The truth about the Deltarrans should not be widely known. You may rest assured that my brother and I will never reveal it to anyone not directly involved in this matter."
"Swear it on the Trees," Imari challenged.
Sabrina took a breath. "I swear by the eternal Trees never to reveal my knowledge of Pharo to anyone who does not absolutely need to know it."
Scotty echoed her. Imari still didn't look happy, but she leaned back in her chair and waited for Sabrina to speak again.
"What's this about Deltarr?" Mukryilla asked.
"Before the Miahns came into being, Deltarr was a protectorate of Homeworld," Sabrina said.
"Yes, we all know that," Mukryilla said. "Because they didn't want anyone to take advantage of the Deltarrans' mental abilities."
"But do you know where the Deltarrans came from?" Sabrina asked.
Mukryilla and Rassir exchanged glances. Rassir said, "I know they are not indigenous to Deltarr. I believe they are somehow related to the Wayfarers."
"Not exactly," Sabrina said. "They do share some basic genetic traits. The Deltarrans' parent race intermarried with citizens of Homeworld when it was under their rule. The Wayfarers are the result of centuries of that. At least that's the theory; facts seem to be in short supply about it. Which is probably the way Homeworld wants it."
"I don't understand what this has to do with Pharo," Mukryilla said.
"The Deltarrans' parent race was the Pharon," Sabrina said.
Mukryilla and Rassir sat back, stunned. Sabrina continued, "Before they came to Deltarr they were called the Azhwani. Their race was some kind of evolutionary mutation. The Pharon tried to stamp it out but couldn't, so they enslaved them instead. As the Pharon Empire started to crumble, the Wayfarers and the Lthosyennes formed an alliance and broke away from the Empire. As part of their war of independence, they engineered the mass escape of the Azhwani slaves. The Pharon Empire died shortly thereafter, and the Wayfarer and the Lthosyennes settled the Azhwani on Deltarr. Praxatillus' population was in a primitive stage then." Sabrina paused. "It sheds a whole new light on this war, to me. The Wayfarers, the Lthosyennes, and the Deltarrans all share a genetic background based on the Pharon. The Miahns were born from a union between a Wayfarer and a Deltarran, with a little mutation thrown in. The Wayfarers have probably always been afraid the Miahns would come to be another race like the Pharon."
"Anyone can see we have never been that," Imari snapped.
"Yes, but fear doesn't always have a lot to do with reality," Sabrina replied. "The Pharon culture was also based around the use of crystal. But they used it differently than the Wayfarers, who use it mostly for travel, or the Miahns, who use it for unity and self-defense. They...used it for all kinds of horrible things, like killing people and capturing their life force and mental energy. The surface of Pharo has been interdicted for millennia because it's covered with a fine powder from when the Wayfarers and Lthosyennes destroyed all the crystal on Pharo because it was so contaminated with evil. It really is haunted. And it's that crystal residue that makes it impossible for any Guardian to go into that system. It would overload her link with the Great Crystal. I don't have any information on how a Wayship would be affected, but I suspect it would be."
"Like that morningstone crap on Mundisar. It cut Mara off from the Crystal and cut us off from Khediva and Sribarak, even Tirqwin and Malvarak," Scotty said.
"Yes," Imari said. "I reviewed Lieutenant Haaron's report on that incident. The effects would be similar, but many orders of magnitude greater. The crystalline residue on Pharo is so imbued with evil and death that contact with it might well drive the Guardian insane. It would certainly incapacitate her. And I have some doubt as to whether she could actually travel to that space. It would reject her manipulation of the continuum, because that is done through the Great Crystal, which has never been used for evil and is therefore incompatible with Pharon crystal. She must be kept from even trying."
"Agreed," Sabrina said.
"But you cannot guarantee that the Wayfarers will not take the opportunity to betray you," Imari said. "Therefore you cannot guarantee that Maratobia will not try to join you, to help you."
"I can. Or rather, you can," Sabrina said. "Mara knows that she owes her first duty to Praxatillus and the Realm. The chance of her being driven insane, or perhaps even contaminating the Great Crystal, is unthinkable. If something does happen, you'll need to be nearby to remind her of that. Tirqwin and I know the risks." She took a deep breath. "The point is, even if they betray us and kill Tirqwin and me and everyone, they will no longer have a reason to be at war with Praxatillus. Whatever happens, there will be peace."
"Not," Rassir said dryly, "if Her Majesty opts to retaliate for your murders."
"You must keep her from doing so. I'll leave a letter for her that you can give her if I die, telling her she must let the war die with us. I know Tirqwin feels the same. He always has."
"I foresee that you are not the only one with an unenviable task ahead," Rassir said.
Scotty said, "I don't think any of us are gonna have any fun. And I sure think stayin' here is a hell of a lot harder than going!"
"Which is why I appreciate your staying with Mara even more," Sabrina told him. Looking at his worried eyes, she felt a pang of anxiety for them both. "If the worst happens," she said, grasping his hand, "make it count, Scotty. Bury me beside Rayland and then go on. Keep Mara on track."
"I will," he said hoarsely, squeezing her hand.
"You cannot be serious about accepting this arrangement!" Imari protested.
"I have not found a reason not to," Sabrina said. "The Wayfarers will feel safe from Mara. I'll feel that she's being kept safe. So will Tirqwin. We won't have to worry about drawing her into anything."
Mukryilla said, "Have you thought of the effect this will have on Wayship Khediva?"
"I believe it may limit her abilities, yes. It's another precaution Homeworld is taking to be sure we do not double-cross them. But she will have her drive off-line during the meeting anyway, so the crystal residue shouldn't affect her. I don't think the Wayfarers would risk contaminating her; they want her back, after all. So I think her shields must be enough to counteract the crystal residue while in orbit. We won't be there for a very long time, after all."
"The Wayfarers have taken precautions," Rassir said. "What precautions will you take?"
"Two trustworthy bodyguards, to start," Sabrina said. "And the Eye of Miah as my transport. The Lthosyennes will also have a ship there and will take our side if there's foul play on Homeworld's part. But I don't think we're in danger. The Wayfarers want to know the truth. They're sure we've been lying to them. We know we haven't, and we want them to know it." She paused and looked at their worried, unconvinced faces. "Someone has to start trusting sometime," she tried to explain. "If there's ever going to be a real peace, someone has to take that first step, that first chance. We started this trouble; we have to finish it."
"And you are sure the Tirqwin and Wayship Khediva will agree to these terms?" Rassir asked.
"Yes. They said they would abide by my decision. They know they will be at risk. They have always known it." She bit her lip. "I think Tirqwin has been trying to prepare himself for it since the moment he woke up and first felt the link."
Rassir frowned. "This risk is only acceptable to you because you will share it. If you had to remain here and let them go alone, or with your brother, say, would you agree?"
Sabrina swallowed. "I don't think that has any bearing on this case. I am going. I have to go. The Wayfarers will think it's a trap for sure if I don't."
"Then," Mukryilla put in, "you must take no more unnecessary chances like last night."
"Last night?" Imari said. "What happened last night?"
Sabrina sighed as Rassir said, "That clumsy waiter was a Reissian assassin. He stabbed Lady Sabrina when he bumped into her. She refused to leave to get treatment until she could do so without disrupting the occasion. The surgeons said if she had lost any more blood they might not have been able to save her. They have not yet perfected a method of synthesizing human blood."
"It doesn't matter," Sabrina said, cutting off Imari's exclamation. "I'm the best judge of my own abilities. I never thought I was in danger of dying, and I wasn't. I'll take more precautions, since yes, I do see that for me to be assassinated would probably wreck this meeting with Homeworld. Which reminds me, Prime Minister, another precaution is that we get to name the time of the meeting. I propose to give Homeworld as little advance notice as reasonably possible, to give them less time to set something up."
"That means nothing with a race of time travelers," Rassir reminded her.
"It does when you're talking about an environment that's hostile to their method of time traveling," Sabrina replied. "No Ship could open a Way in that solar system with that much crystal residue around. They may have hobbled us, but they're hobbled too."
"Are you sure?" Imari demanded. "How much do you know about the workings of a Wayship?"
"I've helped put one back together practically piece by piece," Sabrina said. "I know the source of the motive power—and no, I'm not going to tell you what it is. I have obligations to Tirqwin and Khediva too, and if I'm going to keep your secrets you must let me keep theirs. Trust me on this."
Scotty said, "I agree with Rina. Opening a Way in that system, if you could even do it, which I doubt, would be suicide."
"That is why," Sabrina said, "High Tirqwin Asnefer will be there but Shahina will not. We will all travel in a normal mode. The Eye of Miah will escort Khediva. We'll rendezvous with her along the way somewhere. I'll leave all that to the ship's captain and Tirqwin."
"How are you going to let the Tirqwin know about this?" Mukryilla asked.
"I'm not. He's supposed to be contacting Haaron periodically. I'm going to give Haaron the go sign, and he'll tell Tirqwin. They can agree on the time and alert us."
"So what preparation should we make?" Mukryilla picked up her pad and held her fingers poised over it.
"Ready the Eye of Miah for travel—and possible combat, I guess." Sabrina grinned wryly. "And keep me alive until the word comes. That's all. Any more questions?"
"I think this is insane," Imari said, getting to her feet, "but if it must be done, then go with my blessing, child."
"Thank you," Sabrina said. "There's just one other thing, Lady Imari, if I may. When the moment comes...it might be safer, and kinder, to sedate Mara, if you can."
Imari pursed her lips, then nodded. "It is probably time you began to call me Aunt," she remarked as she left.
Sabrina exchanged astonished glances with Scotty, then turned back to Rassir and Mukryilla. Mukryilla said, "I'll put the Eye of Miah on alert. She'll be ready to go within an hour of your notice."
"Thank you, Commander."
"I'll come see you off," Mukryilla added, "if I think I can conquer the temptation to take command of the ship myself."
"Under no circumstances would I let you," Sabrina said. "You belong here."
Mukryilla saluted and left, muttering, "This job will eat me from the inside out someday."
"I wish you success, my lady," Rassir said gravely. "We'll endeavor to carry on in your absence, hoping most earnestly for your safe return."
"Thank you for your support, Prime Minister Rassir," Sabrina said. "It's meant a great deal to me personally as well as politically."
"I have given you nothing you did not deserve," he replied as he left.
"Whew," Scotty said when they were alone in the room with Darice. "Rina, I know I promised, but—"
"No, Scotty. I know it's hard. But I won't let you come no matter what you say. Don't let's fight."
He looked down and said, very quietly, "I don't want to be the last of my family."
Sabrina took his shoulders. "Scotty, if I don't come back, Mara will be your sister. Give her the love and support you've always given me." She swallowed hard and tried for a more cheerful tone. "Besides, I'm coming back. If you can hijack a High Wayship, surely I can deal with a mere Homeworld battlecruiser!"
He looked up and gave her a crooked smile that made her heart bleed for him. "Yeah, you'll show 'em. Just, um...just let me know when you're goin', all right? Don't leave without sayin' good-bye."
"I won't," Sabrina said. "When Mara gets here, I'll do the transfer of power bit, and then I'll go. But I won't leave her until I'm sure she's safe with you."
"It's just...I know Tirq's always been ready to die if he had to. But I didn't ever think you'd let him. Now you're talkin' about dyin' for the peace, and—"
"Scotty, we have to plan for the worst and hope for the best," Sabrina said, smiling gently. "I am prepared to die, if I have to. But my intention is to live. I swear, if it's humanly possible, I'm coming back."
He looked at her with eyes dimmed almost grey. "I know you," he whispered. "You won't come back without Tirqwin."
Sabrina blew out her breath. "Talk about a fate worse than death. Mara would hate me."
"But I wouldn't."
Sabrina sighed. "Scotty, I promise, if it's at all possible, I'll come back, with or without Tirqwin. For your sake."
He hugged her. "Thanks."