The Ashes of Worlds - Kevin J. Anderson [235]
“As do you, Rememberer Anton.” She touched his arm warmly, stood very close to him. Then with an almost dismissive glance at Margaret, she added, “And who is this woman?”
“My mother.”
“Ah, the xeno-archaeologist. One of the discoverers of the Klikiss Torch. Your son has told tales of you.” Yazra’h bowed slightly. “Anton is a great rememberer. He helped me see things in our Saga that few Ildirans noticed. My father holds him in very high esteem. Come, I will take you to him.” Yazra’h marched away, giving them no opportunity for argument. The Isix cats bounded ahead of her.
Margaret asked, “Was she flirting with you?”
Anton was embarrassed. “She intimidates the hell out of me.”
“I see.”
Mijistra’s construction continued all around them. Even with the advantage of their thism, the Ildirans seemed barely able to control the chaos of all the parallel efforts. A new headquarters camp had been set up on the outskirts of the old city. The camp held hastily assembled structures, interlinked shelters, the frameworks of new towers. Scavengers excavated raw materials from the rubble of Mijistra, while other vital components came from Ildiran colony worlds whose people had raced back to the central planet to help.
Margaret’s face was wistful as she looked at the broad impact site. “Louis and I never went to see the Ildiran Empire. I wish we had.”
After Yazra’h announced their arrival, the Mage-Imperator came out to greet them himself and led them into the new audience chamber. “Rememberer Anton, I am glad to see you safe. And I am sorry to hear about Vao’sh. I deeply regret that he was abandoned, that I abandoned him.”
Anton had thought he was done crying, and the sudden tears welling up in his eyes surprised him. He tried to find some way to answer, but the words would not come out of his throat.
Chief Scribe Ko’sh looked distraught at the news. Anton had had previous difficulties with Ko’sh, who strenuously objected to changing the Saga, even after being shown the obvious historical errors. Now, though, Anton felt for the man whose Hall of Rememberers and all the ancient records had been smashed into dust. Ko’sh seemed overwhelmed, showing none of the hardness he had displayed before.
After a few quick formalities, the Mage-Imperator surprised Anton by offering a new assignment. “Some time ago, I asked you and Rememberer Vao’sh to perfect and rewrite our majestic story. Please stay with us now and help our rememberers reconstruct the Saga of Seven Suns. The Empire needs you.”
Anton looked awkwardly at his mother, then back toward the Ildiran leader. “I’m sorry, sir, but I am under another obligation. My mother and I have a different calling.” He glanced away. “I’ll have to leave the task to your Chief Scribe. All rememberer kithmen memorize the entire Saga, and they know the stanzas a lot better than I do. Besides, I couldn’t do it without Vao’sh.”
He lowered his gaze, swallowing a lump in his throat. “However, I would like to record Vao’sh’s place in the Saga — to tell of his final days. My friend would have been horrified to be portrayed as a hero, but he was one nevertheless. I want to make sure he’s remembered that way.”
“Tell his story,” Jora’h said. “We will remember him.”
Yazra’h squeezed his shoulder in a rough, comradely gesture. “If not to help us, then why did you come here, Rememberer Anton?”
He flushed again. “I came to say goodbye to you, for now.”
* * *
164
Adar Zan’nh
The resort world of Maratha could once again be a glorious place, and Adar Zan’nh intended to make it so. The destroyed counterpart cities of Prime and Secda would be rebuilt in opposite hemispheres, with the work taking place during alternating halves of the year. The Ildiran crews could work continually through the months-long sunlight.
After the faeros were defeated, the Solar Navy had split apart to complete numerous vital tasks across the ragged Empire. Tal Ala