The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [108]
Zod did not say anything for a long moment. He didn’t have to. Everyone here knew that no other leader could promise as much. He would dispatch more fanatical supporters to all cities with the proof. “Let Shor-Em and his cronies complain. I am a man of action. And I vow to use these nova javelins in order to defend my vision—our vision,” he quickly corrected, “of Krypton.”
The fifteen weapons gleamed in the ruddy sunshine, their narrow ellipsoidal warheads pointing toward the sky, waiting for a target.
CHAPTER 46
The city grew with remarkable speed. With so many political bridges to be built, the ambitious younger nobles of the Ring of Strength had gone to speak forcefully to other citizens across the continent, touting Zod’s cause, emphasizing his mighty stockpile of nova javelins that could protect Krypton.
Inside the half-completed government palace, amid the clamor of carpenters and stonemasons, Zod summoned Jor-El and Lara. Some of the carved pillars along the interior walls were ancient and weathered; the new ones, careful imitations of the same design, looked out of place. Patches of stone resin sealed parts of the wall that had fallen down, covering up the long-faded frescoes that depicted Jax-Ur’s triumphs.
The main roof had partially collapsed, and colorful fabric awnings covered the roof opening, peaked like a nomad’s tent so the infrequent rains would run off. Gazing upward, Jor-El wondered if this was a conscious symbolism to remind visitors of how far they had already come from the temporary camp at the Kandor crater.
In the middle of the office, Zod had installed what looked like a weathered, lumpy boulder. Upon closer inspection, Jor-El could barely make out that it was the figure of a bowing man…bending his knee to someone? He wondered why the Commissioner had brought it here.
The Commissioner began by offering Jor-El provocative words. “I’ve decided that it is time your father received the gratitude and respect he always deserved. Do something for him, for me, and for all of Krypton. Show everyone what a true genius Yar-El was.”
Jor-El had not expected this. “My father was a great man, but when he succumbed to the Forgetting Disease, many people called him mad. They turned their backs on him.”
“And what I am offering will change all that,” Zod said.
Lara was more cautious about the seemingly innocent offer. “My husband and I can’t agree without knowing what you’re asking.”
Zod continued in a magnanimous voice. “Yar-El changed Kryptonian architecture forever. With his fantastic crystal-growth process, he created hexagonal columns of utmost purity and material strength. He built some of the most beloved landmarks of old Kandor. Now I want you to use your father’s techniques to grow our new city’s skyline as rapidly as possible.” He looked wistfully down at his blueprints. “Once this city is finished and rivals even lost Kandor, Shor-Em and those other annoying voices will be silenced. We need to show them. Show them all.”
Jor-El went to the broad window in the Commissioner’s office and looked out at the well-preserved ruins, the partially rebuilt towers all around the square. He tried to envision how his father’s architecture would fit in, immense spikes of transparent crystal, green and white and amber. “It would have to be done properly and with great care.”
Zod clasped his hands together. “I knew you would share my vision. It will be good for the heart and soul of Krypton. This city can never be the same as Kandor, but it can serve as a new Kandor.”
Jor-El began to run the specifics through his mind, performing calculations and estimates. “It is a long, slow process to grow crystals with proper stability, to anchor their structures and guide each facet along perfect intersection points. In the near term, it may be faster for you to erect traditional buildings using standard methods, while I continue this project in parallel. Eventually, this city will be as awe-inspiring as you intend.”
“No, no! It must be swift and impressive. During my days at the Commission,