Free Shadows of Falling Night by S. M. Stirling Page B

particularly on personal matters. I understand you have had several dealing with the results of the Trimback One and Two options. Great-
grandpère
takes your Seeings seriously. That has been quite useful to me in discrediting Trimback One.”
    Adrian’s teeth showed. Trimback One was a global blitz on moderntechnology using electro-magnetic pulse from high-altitude fusion explosions. The more radically reactionary Shadowspawn lords favored it, to destroy the modern world and return the world to preindustrial stasis forever. It would be simple enough to do; all of the governments powerful enough to bother with had long been the Council’s puppets. How could you resist ruthless telepaths who could walk through walls in the form of ravening beasts? A few orders to a few generals, and the thing was done.
    His Seeings had shown that the
consequences
, from nuclear power plants melting down to firestorms in refinery complexes, were much worse than anyone had thought. Shadowspawn tended to be conservationists, because they all intended to live in the world for a very, very long time. And they dreaded radiation, since the aetheric body was so vulnerable to it.
    Adrienne’s
Progressive
faction favored Trimback Two, a tailored plague they had used renfield scientists to develop. Dalager’s parasmallpox was more contagious than the flu throughout its month-long sub-clinical period, and then swiftly more deadly than Ebola in its final stage. The Council could emerge at just the right point with the vaccine, when everyone was utterly desperate but before things broke down completely, and take over open rule of the world by default. A world with just enough population and industry to furnish the Shadowspawn with luxuries, and a unified planetary government to keep the masses in order and suppress inconvenient research.
    Virtually all of the Council’s Shadowspawn favored one or the other, reluctant as they usually were to disturb the status quo; that was why a full meeting had been called after decades of squabbling. More and more humans had been stumbling on aspects of the great secret, and none of the clandestine rulers of the world were willing to chance the masses becomingaware of who had been pulling the strings this past century. If all the swarming billions of true humanity turned on the few Shadowspawn and their collaborators at once regardless of casualties…the Power was strong and subtle, but more subtle than strong. Brute force could turn the
nocturnis
back into a harried remnant hiding from the witchfinders.
    “It was not my intention to aid you,” Adrian said crisply. “Both
options
are psychopathic revenge fantasies. The main difference is that Trimback One is a
stupid
revenge fantasy.”
    “While Two is Brézé, hence brilliant…and psychopathic and cruel. And of course it wasn’t your intention to help me, beloved brother. That is the delicious aspect, no? Your Seeings are trusted
because
you are known to be sentimental about the apes and favor neither option; yet your Power and skill and purity of blood are incontestable…like mine. In the meantime, as far as the children are concerned, perhaps we should launch a custody battle in the California courts?”
    She laughed musically. “As opposed to the battle with assault rifles and Wreakings you staged to seize them from my wicked clutches, slaughtering my renfields and mercenaries left and right? Showing
such
noble determination to put the children’s moral welfare ahead of the mere bagatelle of risk to their lives.”
    The woman beside her winced.
Monica
, Ellen thought.
But blond. Even the eyebrows…must be a Wreaking…oh, icky-poo, it makes her look
even more
like me. Adrienne probably role-plays that she
is
me…oh,
très
icky-poo.
    The two Shadowspawn had locked eyes, something halfway between wrestling and communication taking place on a level she couldn’t follow, with a feeling like trains rushing past in total darkness close enough to feel the