Everything had changed, Sabrina thought as she made her way out of the building that housed her apartment. The stonework had been cleaned and maintained; the grounds were well-kept; and the corridors were full of people, residents and workers both. It was a far cry from the gloomy, half-deserted place Sabrina remembered. This place hummed with activity, reminding her in a way of downtown Washington, or perhaps a college campus.
Following the map on her pad, she reached her destination more quickly than she had anticipated. She didn't recognize the building from the outside, and the main corridors had been renovated, but the apartment that housed her conservatory had been left alone. She shivered a little as she entered it, memories crowding around her. But she wasn't here to remember. She was here to pick a bouquet for Tassan, she told herself firmly. She could remember later.
The spiral staircase gave her the first indication of change in the rooms. Climbing roses meandered all down its railings, the soft white and pink flowers just beginning to open. She could smell an intense perfume from the conservatory above, and began to realize what ninety-two years had meant to her rosebushes. As she climbed the stairs, the reality exceeded her wildest imagining.
The room was filled with roses of nearly every color imaginable; Sabrina realized the Praxatillians had experimented with cross-breeding on their own over the years. One rosebush had a corner to itself; they had made a creditable attempt at the elusive black rose.
There were a great many Peace rosebushes, and she began picking out some of the choice blooms for her bouquet, then chose a white rose for her hair. She used the tools lying on a nearby table to cut the stems, then wrapped them in some of the waxy paper there. Someone obviously maintained the indoor garden regularly and with enthusiasm; she must remember to find out who, and thank them.
She got lost on her way back to her own apartment, after trying to go around the Ministry building rather than through it. She had assumed there would be a path between it and its nearest neighbor, the edifice that sat on top of Defense Control and housed their less-secure offices. But a wall blocked her way, so she had to go around that building too, and by that time she was completely turned around. The people she passed looked busy, focused on their own tasks, and she hesitated to grab one of them like some desperate tourist. Perhaps if she followed one of these people who looked like they knew where they were going, she would reach some kind of landmark. It was a quirky way to navigate, picked up from one of her quirkier friends, but it had worked from time to time when she got turned around in one of the many detours she encountered in the DC metro area.
Before she could choose a likely guide, however, someone called out her name. She turned to find a young man she didn't recognize, looking at her with a hesitant smile. "Yes?"
His smile blossomed in relief, lightening his face. He had light brown hair and eyes, and he reminded her strongly of someone she couldn't place at the moment. He was dressed as a civilian, though in the sort of quasi-military style Aurora favored and that Sabrina guessed was the preferred civilian government attire. "Well met, Cousin," he said. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I could not resist the opportunity to introduce myself. Even," he added with a grin, "if it is a serious breach of protocol."
"Well," Sabrina said, "I look on that as a promising beginning. I assume you're one of Ford's siblings?"
He laughed. "I think that's the first time I've heard myself referred to that way. Yes, I'm one of his brothers. My name is Baldaran."
"Baldaran! That's who you remind me of!" she gasped. "I didn't recognize the likeness at first. Then you're the Heir!"
"For my sins," Baldaran said ruefully. He had an understated charm, a boyish smile, and lively eyes that made her like him instantly. "I'm sure you must have plenty of useful advice to give me."
"I doubt it. Everything here has changed so much," she sighed. "Your highness, I'm lost, and I'm afraid I'm late into the bargain. Can you point me in the direction of my rooms?"
"I'll escort you there," he said, offering his arm.
"But won't you be late, wherever you were going?"
"I was going to get some work done early, but it won't matter if I don't," he assured her.
"Who do you work for?" she asked curiously.
"Prime Minister Rassir, at the moment. I'm doing the rounds as part of my training."
"That sounds, er," Sabrina began, then realized she didn't know how to finish the remark. It sounded a perfect hell to her, but that was hardly a diplomatic thing to say to the Heir.
"It is," he said, amused. He leaned toward her and said in a conspiratorial tone, "My great comfort is that I only have to deal with the ministries and not the Council of Trême!"
Sabrina was surprised into a burst of laughter. When she recovered, she said, "I hate to disillusion you, your highness—"
"Call me Baldaran, please, Cousin. I'm quite sure Ford doesn't allow you to 'highness' him to death, and I'm more in need of a break from it than he is, I assure you!"
"All right, but don't expect me to do it in front of Imari!" she replied.
He chuckled. "You were saying?"
"I was saying that I'm afraid the Council of Trême is going to head up the list of your annoyances all through your rule. It certainly did during mine!"
"Yes, I know. But they have plenty of other matters to occupy them these days," he said happily. "These are their offices we're cutting through, by the way."
Sabrina looked around in alarm. "I thought they were housed in the Council Towers outside the palace complex!"
"They are. This is sort of their annex. There's a great deal more to Realm affairs than was anticipated when the Towers were built, and after the Xoentrol War, it was decided to assign them offices here for security reasons. The Tower is mostly used for the big formal meetings, but everyone's offices are here. I think Aunt Imari got tired of flying out to the Towers all the time."
They turned a corner into a long, broad hallway with various banners and portraits along the walls. Sabrina recognized some of them, including Mara's and Shariara's. Baldaran led her along half the length of it, then turned another corner. The portraits there were smaller and included various Deltarrans and Lthosyennes. Near the end, she was astonished to recognize the official court painting of herself as Lady Regent. "Good heavens, what's this doing here?"
"You're one of the Champions of the Crystal, didn't you know?" Baldaran grinned. "You refused to let Homeworld annex us as a colony and chose to fight against overwhelming odds. You made the peace between our worlds. They could hardly have passed you over for the honor. I've seen the holovid of the ceremony. Mother presented the medal, of course, and Aunt Imari accepted as your proxy. Her speech, as I recall, was very full of 'my courageous niece.'"
Sabrina repressed a giggle. "I wish you could have heard some of the things she said to my face!"
"I can imagine," he replied. "One of the things Rassir most admires you for, I think, is that you didn't back down to her—or to him—all the time. He hopes I will learn it from you."
"Ford says you're stubborn in your own way," she recalled.
"We are all stubborn in our own ways," he smiled. "A family trait."
"You could hardly have avoided it," Sabrina agreed, remembering all the times Mara's and Tirqwin's stubbornness had infuriated her.
"Almost home," Baldaran remarked as they went out into a courtyard. "I hope we'll have a chance to talk soon, Cousin Sabrina. My eldest sister, Kashmia, is planning a family dinner to introduce you to us all. I heard her arguing with Ford about it last night. He said you would find it too daunting, but having met you, I doubt it."
"Well," Sabrina said, "I met your two youngest siblings last night and held them at gunpoint—though Ford has since explained to me that my blaster was, in fact, uncharged."
"I would have liked to see that," Baldaran chuckled. "Malick is probably bragging about his bravery in the face of dire peril today. Maybe we had better not tell him about the blaster. And Marie doubtless thinks it was all a joke. But don't worry. We're not all such taxing company."
They got into the lift tube that had never functioned during Sabrina's first residence, and were shortly deposited on her floor. "Thanks so much for rescuing me," she said as they reached her doorway. "It could have taken me days to wander home!"
"There would have been search parties out long before that," he grinned as they went inside.
"There you are!" Ford pounced on them in the foyer, bright blue eyes flashing. "I've been waiting for you for an hour!"
Sabrina, taken aback by his anger, was grateful when Baldaran said, "She got lost, Ford. It's not her fault."
"Hi, Baldaran," Ford replied, reining in his temper with difficulty. "Thanks for finding her. I told her not to go out by herself until she was used to the place."
"You did no such thing, and even if you did, I'm not a child!" Sabrina protested. "I didn't see the point in waiting around for you, when I wanted some roses to take with me. You might have guessed where I was; I know I mentioned it last night!"
"Not as a definite plan!" Ford retorted. "Anyway, you were drunk, and half asleep besides. How was I to know you were serious?"
Baldaran grinned. "See, Sabrina, you're part of the family already, if Ford's quarreling with you. I'll leave you to your appointment, merely observing that it would be more efficient to continue your argument en route."
"Thank you," Sabrina said, as calmly as she could manage. "I appreciate your help, Baldaran."
"It was a pleasure. Nice to see you again, Ford," Baldaran said as he left.
"He's right," Sabrina said when he'd gone. "We're late. I'm sorry, but please can we go? I don't want to keep Tassan waiting."
"You kept me waiting," he grumbled, but he followed her out the door. He maintained a sullen silence throughout the first part of their journey, as they checked out a flyer from the palace hangar and soared out over the ocean. Sabrina tried to absorb herself in the scenery, but when the last patch of land faded from view it became impossible.
What do I say to Tassan? began going round and round her mind again, as unanswerable as ever. She clutched at the bouquet and closed her eyes, trying to script out the rapidly approaching encounter. Of course, Tassan had a knack for disrupting her scripts beyond recovery, but she had to have some kind of plan before she walked into the room where he was. She had a horrible vision of them simply staring at each other, with nothing to say. What a tragic epitaph that would be for their love.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back with a little groan. No, it was no good thinking of the worst case. Think of something else, she told herself. She took a deep breath and began wondering what had thrown Ford so off balance this morning. He was a different person from her cheerful, encouraging guide yesterday. She knew it was annoying to have to wait for someone, but surely that wasn't all of it.
Of course. She had almost forgotten what she'd made Mara tell her earlier about Homeworld's conditions. Ford had been persuaded to take a huge personal risk for Scotty; he had expected to be thanked, perhaps praised, for it, and had instead found an empty apartment. She sighed.
"It's going to be all right," Ford said, with grudging reassurance. "There's no protocol for this sort of thing, you know."
"I'd worry desperately about this society if there were," she said. "Or...I don't know. Sometimes protocol makes things easier." She had sent Haaron and Éllina off to Lthos in a parting weighed down with protocol. Had she been relieved not to be able to show her feelings, her fears, to them? "Ford... I know you've agreed to go to Homeworld, as part of the price for Scotty's treatment. I want you to know that I...I understand what that means, the risk you're taking. And I'm grateful for it. But I would never have asked you to do it."
"I know," he said, glancing at her for the first time since they'd lifted off. "But you didn't. Mother did. I...haven't always held my end up, in the family. It's time I did. And I've always wanted to see Homeworld. Besides, how could I side with Aunt Imari against Mother? It would go terribly against the grain with me, no matter what the issue, you know!" He grinned; it seemed genuine enough. Sabrina wished she knew him better, so she could tell.
"Poor Imari," she said. "Sometimes she's her own worst enemy. If she'd only learn some tact!"
"She's got tact. She just doesn't think she should have to waste it on the family," Ford said. "I've no doubt poor Scotty will return to face a lecture from her on how the Miahn race was put at risk for his sake!"
"He won't mind a lecture from Imari," Sabrina said, with a little smile. "He just shrugs her off. Now, if Commander Mukryilla said such a thing, that would be a different story!"
"She wouldn't," Ford said.
"I know. It was the greatest comfort to me that, if anything happened to me, she would take care of him."
"We will all take care of you both," Ford said. "Scotty's likely to become my genetic half-brother, after all!"
Sabrina laughed weakly. "Oh, dear! Imagine waking up to find you have not one, but sixteen siblings!"
"I hope we're not a fatal shock. That reminds me, my sister is throwing a dinner party tonight, at which she proposes to introduce you to us all. I hope it won't be too awful; I tried to talk her out of it."
"I know. Baldaran told me. I liked him, you know," she said. "So far you've all been charming, in your own ways."
"You haven't met Kashmia yet. Aunt Imari took her in hand at a young age." Ford banked the flyer, and Sabrina looked out the window to find a rusty-red desert flashing by beneath them.
"Is that Zarn?"
"Yes, the outer desert. Most of the settlements are on the coast, or in the mountains. Citizen Nikolar lives in the foothills. We're nearly there."
Sabrina felt the panic hit her again and concentrated on breathing calmly for a few minutes. The scenery moved too fast for her to watch it for very long; they were flying very low. She noticed many other vehicles in the air around them, mostly above them. "Lots of traffic."
"The main planetary spaceport's here in Zarn, out in the desert, for security reasons," he said. "If you come here from anywhere else, you have to land at Zarn, and then take a flyer or transport tube to your destination. There are a few exceptions, but this is the most dense air traffic area on the planet."
"No one came here before. It's nice that Praxatillus isn't isolated anymore. Things have turned out as I hoped, mostly," she said, talking at random.
"I'm glad we haven't disappointed you," Ford replied. The flyer banked again, and slowed dramatically.
Sabrina saw the mountains come around on her side of the vehicle, large, rocky formations jutting out of the desert. It had a sort of wild beauty, though it looked anything but hospitable. There was a town in the foothills, as Ford had said. "What's the name of this town?" she asked.
"Zarratesh," he replied. "The original site was lost in the Xoentrol War; one of the mountains buried it when it was blasted. They rebuilt here."
Ambria died at Zarratesh, Sabrina remembered. Tassan's first, lost love. Had he come here to be near her, somehow? Or was it simply the place he felt most at home? He had loved Zarn, she knew, but she didn't recall him speaking of any particular city.
Ford set the flyer down on a stretch of road near the edge of the town nearest the desert. "That's it," he said, nodding out the window at a large, rambling stone villa. It had been built from mountain stone, Sabrina thought, and was, like the rest of the buildings, only one story tall. The building was surrounded by a veranda with square stone columns, giving it a shaded perimeter. It looked cool and comfortable.
Ford opened his door, and a blast of hot, dry air filled the flyer's cockpit, startling Sabrina. She opened her door and slid out, brushing the wrinkles out of her skirt and fussing a little with the arrangement of the bouquet as Ford walked around to her. "Ready?" he asked.
"No," she said. "But let's go." Oh, God. I think I'm going to be sick.