Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [116]
She offered her best excuse. “With the new mission Beneto proposed, we need Hansa support more than ever, and I’m the only person who can act as a proper liaison. Theroc can no longer do this alone, and the Roamers”—she gestured toward the clear-cut swaths of land where the uninvited clans had stolen valuable worldtree wood—“are outlaws. How much help can they offer?”
“They have already done a great deal,” Alexa said sternly, knowing her daughter’s dislike of the Roamers.
“Yes, but now they have their own problems. I promised the help of Hansa ships to take green priests and treelings as far as they want to go. But for that I must return to Earth to get from Chairman Wenceslas everything Theroc requires.”
Celli came running into the clearing, filled with her usual bouncy excitement and energy. She looked at the concerned faces of her parents. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“I’ll be leaving soon.” Sarein looked at her, trying to sound important. “I’m needed on Earth.”
Celli’s reply was bitingly flippant. “Why, have you missed too many banquets and government functions? Or is there just too much dirty work to do here?”
Sarein scowled at her little sister. “I have responsibilities. Perhaps it’s time you did too.” Such empty words; she doubted she was fooling anyone. Every Theron could see that despite her earnest arguments, she wanted desperately to get away from the burned worldforest. Basil will be very angry with me, she thought.
Beneto rested a polished wooden hand on Celli’s shoulder. “Sarein has made the correct decision. She could not help us here, though it took her a long time to realize it.”
Chapter 55—BASIL WENCESLAS
His stealthy functionaries needed several days to gather the samples without Peter or Estarra knowing. More than a week had passed since their departure to Ildira and Basil’s first suspicions about the Queen’s condition. Now he quietly awaited the conclusions...
The Chairman studied the projections and reports displayed in a dozen separate windows across his milky desktop. Standing behind him, Eldred Cain leaned over and pointed to a column of figures. The polished, translucent surface reflected the pallid deputy as if he were some sort of ghost emerging from beneath the glass.
When Mr. Pellidor arrived in the Chairman’s private office with the confidential medical report, he wore a frown on his square-jawed face. He stood in front of the desk, silent and uneasy. Basil sighed and looked up from the projections he and Cain had been discussing. “Test results, I take it?”
“Yes, Mr. Chairman. They have been fully verified.”
“And is the answer what I feared?”
“Yes, sir. It’s a simple enough test. There can be no question about it.”
Basil clenched his teeth, calming himself. It would not do for him to unleash his disgust and impatience in front of these two men. “How could Peter be so careless?” he said with clipped words. “I trained him better than that!”
The deputy flicked his large eyes back and forth, drawing inferences. “Am I to conclude that Queen Estarra is pregnant?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Basil turned to Pellidor. “Does she know you acquired these samples?”
“No, sir. She believes her secret is safe.”
“How far along is she? Is it too late to take care of matters before anyone else in the population knows?”
“Three and a half months, well within the limits to ensure her safety.”
Basil saw that his hands had clenched into fists, and he forcibly straightened his fingers until his knuckles cracked. “Why didn’t she tell anyone?”
Cain’s voice was maddeningly calm and soft. “Forgive my confusion, Mr. Chairman, but what exactly is the problem? If Peter and Estarra have a child, it will be seen as a sign of hope, something to celebrate.”
“I am angry at her lack of cooperation. I’m angry at everyone’s lack of cooperation. Why can’t people just do as they’re supposed to do, without complicating matters? Peter did this on purpose to spite me. Now I know why Queen Estarra has been acting out of character lately, why she’s avoided her routine