Free The Dragon Never Sleeps by Glen Cook Page B
Authors: Glen Cook
cut across the woman's. ‘There'll be no killing, whatever you call it."
The woman turned furious but betrayed herself as a being not of flesh. She did not look at her contradictor.
Turtle did, plundered ancient memories to get an estimate of the man. A Dictat. But he wore the insignia of a WarAvocat and was among the living still. The combination would make him the most powerful being aboard. And more dangerous than the ghost, whose motives were not shrouded.
The woman and her companions went transparent as their attention turned inward. The woman appeared determined to argue.
"This is a valuable resource," the living WarAvocat said. He descended from his throne. "I won't waste it to satisfy an ancient grudge."
A stir rippled those figures seated at either hand. Turtle realized they were all Deified. The man approaching was the only living being of stature present. Had it come to that here, too? That the dead ruled
VII Gemina
and the living obeyed in hopes of being elected to the company of immortals?
The woman spat at the living WarAvocat. Her spittle vanished instantly.
There were limits to their sorcery.
They are ghosts
, he told himself.
But ghosts with a will to kill. Ghosts whose will could shape the universe
.
Amber Soul screamed.
The psychic wave staggered Turtle. WarAvocat halted. His mouth dropped open. His skin became more pallid. His eyes bugged and his hands fluttered. But he did not remain rattled. He came on.
Turtle glanced behind him. Midnight crouched over Amber Soul, wings spread. Good. Her mind was not empty all the time. The others followed her lead, masking Amber Soul.
WarAvocat paused beyond jumping distance. "You
are
the Kez Maefele of Dire Radiant legend?"
"I was a long time ago, WarAvocat. These days I'm Turtle, a nonhuman spacer stranded by the strictures of Canon law."
"The Ku are long-lived."
"Wizards and warriors, WarAvocat. Other
ghifu
s have shorter lifespans."
"That's right. Your geneticists wanted those castes to live till somebody killed them."
Caste was no synonym for
ghifu
. But why correct the man? It was not worth the trouble. "It was a hope."
"And you came from a breed designed to combine both castes."
"An idea that bloomed too late."
"I'm a student of your tactics in the waste spaces. The Dire Radiant was effective far beyond its strength."
Turtle shrugged. "In the end it did no good."
"It never does. But they never stop trying."
"What do you want? None of us have done
VII Gemina
or Canon any violence."
"The Deified were interested. You made fools of them once. Now I'm interested. You refused to take part in the rebellion. You tried to warn the authorities. Why?"
"To prevent pointless slaughter. The Concord were idiots. They could not hear the cries of four millennia of idiots who preceded them and dragged countless innocents down with them. But the High City people were as stupid as all
their
predecessors. So they died. The Concord fools died. And the innocent are dying still. For nothing."
WarAvocat responded only by looking thoughtful.
Turtle wanted to check Amber Soul again. She continued to radiate something that frayed his nerves. WarAvocat was not affected.
"What's wrong with her? Does she need medical attention?"
"She needs to be removed from
VII Gemina
. She is psionically sensitive. The gut of a Guardship festers with souls, all electromagnetically active, some marginally psionically active. She's straining to maintain her identity."
Turtle had no idea of the truth. That sounded good. "She'll lose unless she's moved out."
WarAvocat did not appear concerned. He started to ask a question.
"I've said enough. I owe you nothing. You've dragged these people here without right, unjustly, and illegally. I won't abet your crimes."
WarAvocat laughed. "You amuse me.
I
am the law. Justice and right are whatever I say they are." He started to ask a question.
Turtle turned away.
"Way of
kokadu
? That's a certain path to death, Kez Maefele."
"Death
The woman turned furious but betrayed herself as a being not of flesh. She did not look at her contradictor.
Turtle did, plundered ancient memories to get an estimate of the man. A Dictat. But he wore the insignia of a WarAvocat and was among the living still. The combination would make him the most powerful being aboard. And more dangerous than the ghost, whose motives were not shrouded.
The woman and her companions went transparent as their attention turned inward. The woman appeared determined to argue.
"This is a valuable resource," the living WarAvocat said. He descended from his throne. "I won't waste it to satisfy an ancient grudge."
A stir rippled those figures seated at either hand. Turtle realized they were all Deified. The man approaching was the only living being of stature present. Had it come to that here, too? That the dead ruled
VII Gemina
and the living obeyed in hopes of being elected to the company of immortals?
The woman spat at the living WarAvocat. Her spittle vanished instantly.
There were limits to their sorcery.
They are ghosts
, he told himself.
But ghosts with a will to kill. Ghosts whose will could shape the universe
.
Amber Soul screamed.
The psychic wave staggered Turtle. WarAvocat halted. His mouth dropped open. His skin became more pallid. His eyes bugged and his hands fluttered. But he did not remain rattled. He came on.
Turtle glanced behind him. Midnight crouched over Amber Soul, wings spread. Good. Her mind was not empty all the time. The others followed her lead, masking Amber Soul.
WarAvocat paused beyond jumping distance. "You
are
the Kez Maefele of Dire Radiant legend?"
"I was a long time ago, WarAvocat. These days I'm Turtle, a nonhuman spacer stranded by the strictures of Canon law."
"The Ku are long-lived."
"Wizards and warriors, WarAvocat. Other
ghifu
s have shorter lifespans."
"That's right. Your geneticists wanted those castes to live till somebody killed them."
Caste was no synonym for
ghifu
. But why correct the man? It was not worth the trouble. "It was a hope."
"And you came from a breed designed to combine both castes."
"An idea that bloomed too late."
"I'm a student of your tactics in the waste spaces. The Dire Radiant was effective far beyond its strength."
Turtle shrugged. "In the end it did no good."
"It never does. But they never stop trying."
"What do you want? None of us have done
VII Gemina
or Canon any violence."
"The Deified were interested. You made fools of them once. Now I'm interested. You refused to take part in the rebellion. You tried to warn the authorities. Why?"
"To prevent pointless slaughter. The Concord were idiots. They could not hear the cries of four millennia of idiots who preceded them and dragged countless innocents down with them. But the High City people were as stupid as all
their
predecessors. So they died. The Concord fools died. And the innocent are dying still. For nothing."
WarAvocat responded only by looking thoughtful.
Turtle wanted to check Amber Soul again. She continued to radiate something that frayed his nerves. WarAvocat was not affected.
"What's wrong with her? Does she need medical attention?"
"She needs to be removed from
VII Gemina
. She is psionically sensitive. The gut of a Guardship festers with souls, all electromagnetically active, some marginally psionically active. She's straining to maintain her identity."
Turtle had no idea of the truth. That sounded good. "She'll lose unless she's moved out."
WarAvocat did not appear concerned. He started to ask a question.
"I've said enough. I owe you nothing. You've dragged these people here without right, unjustly, and illegally. I won't abet your crimes."
WarAvocat laughed. "You amuse me.
I
am the law. Justice and right are whatever I say they are." He started to ask a question.
Turtle turned away.
"Way of
kokadu
? That's a certain path to death, Kez Maefele."
"Death