Free Branegate by James C. Glass Page B

white sweater was right behind them, following their stride. “Welcome to Galena. I’ll guide you to our car. Your luggage has already been picked up, and we’ll be taking you directly to the palace.”
    There was good reason for suspicion; the man had appeared out of nowhere. So why did Trae feel safe with him?
    “I didn’t notice you when we came in,” said Petyr.
    “That’s because I was on the flight with you from Ariel II. I was to clean up any residue of some problems we had there. As a soldier of The Church I’m sure you know what that means. You may call me Pavel, but it’s not my real name.”
    The man moved in between them and looked up at Trae. “You’re younger than we expected, but I’m sure it won’t matter. Our hope is you’ll be open with us about the purpose of your coming here.”
    “Will we be meeting with Emperor Siddique?” asked Trae.
    “His representative will conduct your interview. Our Emperor cannot be directly involved at this moment. The politics of The League are delicate, and have considerable influence on our economic development. You come to us from the most conservative of planets, while we are quite liberal. The other five worlds are somewhere in between us in their policies, but lean towards the conservative side. So far Galena is tolerated as a wealthy and successful rebel, and we want to keep it that way. This way, please.”
    They turned into a branching tunnel and after a few paces Pavel went to a door marked ‘Flight Personnel Only’ and unlocked it. They went down a level on concrete stairs to a lounge overlooking shuttles parked on the tarmac. A shuttle crew was sitting at tables there, eating light meals from vending machines lining one wall. Pavel nodded politely to them, went to another door. Trae and Petyr followed him down a long, empty tunnel leading directly to the street outside the terminal. One look, and Trae was reminded of a dream he’d had of two moons in an azure blue sky.
    A limousine awaited them, a large, black thing with heavily tinted windows. A plate mounted on the front grill of the car showed a flag striped in green, red and yellow. A uniformed driver opened the back door for them, and they got inside to a plush interior, Trae and Petyr facing Pavel.
    “We’re naturally concerned about you being seen here,” said Pavel, and the car began moving, “but private accommodations will be provided for you in the palace until you wish to move on.”
    And when would that be? There were no new fugue states to tell him anything. “Thank you,” said Trae.
    Pavel smiled at him. “I’ve never seen an Immortal before. Excuse me, but there doesn’t seem to be anything special to distinguish you from other people.”
    “For the present, that’s to our advantage,” said Petyr.
    “Are you aware of any Lyraen churches here?” asked Trae.
    “Oh, yes. There’s one near the palace. The state, of course, doesn’t officially sanction religion. There are no subsidies or tax benefits, but several religions exist, some going back to ancient times. Emperor Siddique isn’t a religious person, but he insists on tolerance for all beliefs. It is a matter of respect, and our people feel secure with his policy. I think it’s why we’ve had no unrest on this planet, while the rest of The League has experienced instabilities, especially on Gan. Your Emperor Osman is not a friend of ours, and has publicly called our Emperor weak.”
    “Osman is nobody’s friend on Gan,” said Petyr.
    Pavel nodded, his hands folded neatly in his lap. “Yes, well, these things will be discussed. You’ll meet soon with a representative of The Throne. I don’t know who it will be, or what agenda he’ll bring to you from our Emperor. I can only assure you your beliefs are respected, your needs fairly considered, and you have the protection of The State while you’re here.”
    The drive was short, at high speed. The palace was a complex of white stuccoed buildings surrounded