Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer [236]
Still looking at his own witnesses, he spoke again. Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is a vulnerability.
Caiuss smile widened viciously.
Youre reaching, Aro, Carlisle said in a bleak voice.
Peace, friend. Aro smiled, his face as kind, his voice as gentle, as ever. Let us not be hasty. Let us look at this from every side.
May I offer a side to be considered? Garrett petitioned in a level tone, taking another step forward.
Nomad, Aro said, nodding in permission.
Garretts chin lifted. His eyes focused on the huddled mass at the end of the meadow, and he spoke directly to the Volturi witnesses.
I came here at Carlisles request, as the others, to witness, he said. That is certainly no longer necessary, with regard to the child. We all see what she is.
I stayed to witness something else. You. He jabbed his finger toward the wary vampires. Two of you I know- Makenna, Charles-and I can see that many of you others are also wanderers, roamers like myself. Answering to none. Think carefully on what I tell you now.
These ancient ones did not come here for justice as they told you. We suspected as much, and now it has been proved. They came, misled, but with a valid excuse for their action. Witness now as they seek flimsy excuses to continue their true mission. Witness them struggle to find a justification for their true purpose-to destroy this family here. He gestured toward Carlisle and Tanya.
The Volturi come to erase what they perceive as the competition. Perhaps, like me, you look at this clans golden eyes and marvel. They are difficult to understand, its true. But the ancient ones look and see something besides their strange choice. They see power.
I have witnessed the bonds within this family-I say family and not coven. These strange golden- eyed ones deny their very natures. But in return have they found something worth even more, perhaps, than mere gratification of desire? Ive made a little study of them in my time here, and it seems to me that intrinsic to this intense family binding-that which makes them possible at all-is the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice. There is no aggression here like we all saw in the large southern clans that grew and diminished so quickly in their wild feuds. There is no thought for domination. And Aro knows this better than I do.
I watched Aros face as Garretts words condemned him, waiting tensely for some response. But Aros face was only politely amused, as if waiting for a tantrum-throwing child to realize that no one was paying attention to his histrionics.
Carlisle assured us all, when he told us what was coming, that he did not call us here to fight. These witnesses-Garrett pointed to Siobhan and Liam-agreed to give evidence, to slow the Volturi advance with their presence so that Carlisle would get the chance to present his case.
But some of us wondered-his eyes flashed to Eleazars face-if Carlisle having truth on his side would be enough to stop the so-called justice. Are the Volturi here to protect the safety of our secrecy, or to protect their own power? Did they come to destroy an illegal creation, or a way of life? Could they be satisfied when the danger turned out to be no more than a misunderstanding? Or would they push the issue without the excuse of justice?
We have the answer to all these questions. We heard it in Aros lying words-we have one with a gift of knowing such things for certain-and we see it now in Caiuss eager smile. Their guard is just a mindless weapon, a tool in their masters quest for domination.
So now there are more questions, questions that