Scattered Suns - Kevin J. Anderson [256]
“You could be right.” Sullivan tapped a finger on his lower lip. “Just remember, anytime you really need to talk—in the old-fashioned way—come and see me. I’ll be here.”
One of the Prism Palace courtiers found the two of them on a sunlit balcony. He wore colorful court robes that looked like a strange theatrical costume. “The Mage-Imperator requests your presence in the skysphere audience hall.”
Sullivan grinned at the green priest. “Now that’s more like what I was expecting.” He felt a spring in his step as they trailed down multicolored halls.
Inside the dazzling royal chamber, Mage-Imperator Jora’h sat in his chrysalis chair. Ildirans of various kiths moved about on the decorated floor. “Sullivan Gold, administrator of the human cloud harvester on Qronha 3,” the courtier announced. “And the green priest Kolker.”
The Mage-Imperator motioned the two men forward. Though his face already showed age lines, Jora’h looked strong and healthy, in contrast with images Sullivan had seen of his corpulent father. His expression seemed warm and friendly. “We are in your debt, Sullivan Gold. You risked your lives to save many of our miner kithmen from the hydrogues. We thank you for your service to the Ildiran Empire.”
“I’m glad I could be of service. It was the right thing to do.” Sullivan bowed, hoping to hide his flushed cheeks.
Before the Mage-Imperator could respond, guard kithmen raced into the skysphere audience hall, scattering pilgrims in confusion. Yazra’h bounded along beside them, “Liege, you must see! Up in the sky. Thousands of them!”
Sullivan looked around, seeking answers; Kolker was just as perplexed.
Though attender kithmen rushed toward the chrysalis chair, the Mage-Imperator climbed out and strode down the dais steps. Yazra’h urgently led him onward. “Come with me,” he said to his guards.
Since no one had told them to stay back, Sullivan and Kolker followed at a safe distance, curious about the commotion. When they reached the transparent alcove in the side dome, they stared upward to the dazzlingly bright sky. Sullivan’s heart sank. He had hoped never to see those terrible things again.
The sky was filled with hydrogue warglobes. Diamond-hulled spheres hovered above the Prism Palace, scores and scores of them. Silence fell like an executioner’s axe. The Ildirans stared in disbelief and awe.
“Well, at least they’re not attacking.” Sullivan’s voice, though small, sounded very loud in the hush.
Jora’h turned to him, eyes narrowed. “They will not attack. I must go to the top spire of the Palace and address them.”
Chapter 132—MAGE-IMPERATOR JORA’H
The myriad enemy battleships hung in the open air like all the stars in the Horizon Cluster. As leader of the Ildiran Empire, Jora’h would face the hydrogues alone.
Because they had not attacked, Jora’h guessed that Osira’h must have communicated with them somehow, accomplished her mission. The girl had succeeded in opening the Ildiran soul to the alien mind-set of the hydrogues. She had brought the hydrogues here, exactly as so many previous Mage-Imperators had hoped. Now it would be up to him.
He suddenly realized that strangers were witnessing this spectacle as well. Sullivan Gold, his green priest, all of the Hansa skyminers, even the human scholar Anton Colicos. Though he despised himself for the thought, Jora’h knew he could never allow them to pass this information along to the Terran Hanseatic League. No one could reveal that hydrogues had come to the Ildiran Empire. Jora’h had to prevent that from happening at all costs.
He stopped at the passage that would take him to the highest platform and spoke quietly to Yazra’h. “Have your guards take custody of all our human guests. They cannot be allowed to return to the Hansa. They have seen too much already.”
“Yes, Liege.” Yazra’h immediately saw to his instructions.
I am becoming more like my scheming father every day!
He sent his guards away and ascended to the high platform above the Prism Palace’s main sphere. No one, not even the entire Solar Navy, could protect