Of Fire and Night - Kevin J. Anderson [149]
Daro'h stepped into the room, alone. Thor'h lay sprawled on the floor, twisted and frozen in a death-spasm. His face held a repulsive look of abject fear. His skin was an astonishing white, his eyes wide open and empty. He looked as if he'd been dipped in bleach and then petrified. The unrelenting darkness and isolation had literally killed him, sucked him until he was empty.
Even knowing what Thor'h had done, Daro'h could not bear to behold his oldest brother's fate. "He was cut off from the thism. None of us would have sensed him, all alone and in the dark."
"Perhaps that was what he deserved, Designate," said the mentalist. The digger grunted.
Daro'h's mind rejected the suggestion, but then he recalled all the deaths Thor'h and the mad Designate had caused. Thor'h had come here with a stolen warliner, threatening to destroy Dobro if Designate Udru'h did not join them. And Udru'h had tricked Rusa'h, which led to his downfall.
Yes, he thought, perhaps Thor'h deserved even this.
"Bring his body out into the light and place it with the others," Daro'h said. "We will build a great funeral pyre." He stepped out of the hidden chamber. "The Mage-Imperator is coming. Let us hope he forgives us all."
88
KING PETER
Forbidden to leave the Royal Wing, the King and Queen stood on the balcony behind a protective transparent screen. Chairman Wenceslas let them look out as often as they wished. It was a gesture more of cruelty than kindness.
Two days had passed since OX discovered the abortive drug in Estarra's food. By now, Basil would realize that they had thwarted him somehow. He would have been waiting for an urgent medical call from their quarters, and Peter was glad not to give him that satisfaction. Let him stew.
He kept up to date by studying the Chairman's daily briefing, which was surreptitiously given to him by Captain McCammon. The guard captain was convinced that foolish secrecy had cost many lives during the Soldier compy revolt--silver berets, EDF crewmen, even civilians.
After the compy uprising, the Hansa waited for the other shoe to drop, wondering when the stolen ships would attack Earth. Or had the Soldier compies flown away, never to return? Were they truly in league with the Klikiss robots?
In a cordoned-off sector of the plaza, the hydrogue derelict was surrounded by tents, equipment sheds, computer analysis stations, and temporary offices. Even after the loss of Dr. Swendsen, the activity continued day and night. Peter often stood with Estarra after dark, looking at the spotlight banks that illuminated the scene as researchers continued their investigations.
The derelict team had recently discovered how to reactivate the power core. The alien systems had sprung to life again, and the engineers postulated that they could open the transportal gateway; however, since they had not yet transformed the symbol coordinates, no one wanted to risk opening a door to a high-pressure gas giant.
Estarra pointed to the scientists, who were quickly withdrawing to a safe distance. "It looks like they're going to try another test."
The researchers stood behind barricades, waiting for something. Then, silently and smoothly, the derelict rose off the ground like a soap bubble drifting on the air. Estarra's expression filled with joy and hope.
"It's a huge step in the right direction," Peter said. "But turning on an engine and understanding one are drastically different things."
"What is it?" snapped a voice behind them. "I want to see."
Peter and Estarra both spun. The excitement of the experiment and the muffled noise outside had covered the arrival of visitors. OX stood beside a gaudily garbed young man. "Please excuse the intrusion, King Peter."
Prince Daniel had lost a great deal of weight, and his once-chubby cheeks looked loose and pasty. The Chairman would