Free Out of the Darkness by Babylon 5 Page A

knew he liked it when she addressed him in the formal manner, and used it whenever she thought he might be in an expansive mood. It was usually enough to get him talking and spilling choice nuggets of information. "To what do I owe the honor of this appearance?"
    He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment, and then said, "Do you love Vir Cotto?"
    She allowed the question to appear to catch her off guard. In truth, she had anticipated his asking that at some point. Indeed, the Lady Mariel made it a point to try to anticipate as much as possible, so that – should the eventuality transpire – she would be able to react with a carefully crafted reaction and response.
    At least, that was the theory.
    "Vir Cotto," she said. "The ambassador? From Babylon 5?"
    "Your previous lover," Durla said. There was a slight edgy sharpness to his tone. "I'm sure you have some familiarity with him."
    "Yes, of course. But do I love him?" She knew full well that Durla fancied himself a true student of psychology. Often had he boasted to her of his ability to simply gaze into someone's eyes and, by that method, determine the veracity of what they were about to say. So she had long known that the only way she could glide past a potentially awkward situation such as this would be to look him right in the eyes and lie with confidence.
    The thing was, the best way to get through the lie was to use as much of the truth as possible. "To be perfectly candid, my love, Vir was simply a means to an end. I used him as a means of establishing diplomatic contacts in order to supply information to Minister Lione. Certainly you must have known that. You were aware that I was in Lione's employ."
    "Yes. I was aware of that," he replied slowly. She continued to braid her hair. "You have not directly answered the question, though."
    "I thought I had," she said carelessly. Once more she met his gaze, and this time she said flatly and with no lack of conviction, "No. I do not love Vir Cotto. I love only you, my great visionary."
    It was the hardest thing she had ever said. Because the truth was that she did love Vir Cotto. The passing of years, the marriage to Durla... none of that had altered her thinking. Vir continued to be her sun, moon, and stars. She had agreed to the sham of Vir's "losing" her to Durla, had pretended that she had always secretly harbored a fascination for the prime minister, all because Vir desired it. She wanted to help Vir, to serve him in any way she could.
    She hadn't lied about her original purpose for associating with Vir. Things, however, had changed. She had come to realize the full wonderfulness that was Vir Cotto. One treasured day, with a sudden burst of clarity, as if her previous life had been merely a dream, she abruptly had understood that Vir was the only man for her in all the universe.
    She never doubted for a moment that, sooner or later, something would happen to Durla. Something nasty. Something final. Until that time, she would play the dutiful wife and think of Vir and provide him with whatever information she could garner. Because that was what Vir wanted.
    Durla nodded and smiled at her affirmation of her love for him, as she had suspected he would. "You know of my dreams ... my great visions," he said.
    "Of course I do. Everyone on Centauri Prime does."
    "Believe it or not, my love ... in my dreams ... it is you who comes to me."
    "Me?" She laughed. "I am most flattered."
    "As well you should be. It is not every woman who can serve as inspiration to the prime minister of Centauri Prime." He was walking slowly around her, his hands draped behind his back. "However... there are some who mistake this 'inspiration' that you provide me."
    "Mistake? How?"
    "They think that you control me. That I have some sort of..." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "... some sort of obsession that unmans me in your presence."
    "Ridiculous," she said vehemently, even as she finished braiding her hair. "You are Durla, prime minister of