The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [130]
Worried muttering rippled through the crowd. “The evidence is simply too alarming to ignore, and so I have come to a difficult decision: Those who disseminate Zod’s propaganda are no longer welcome in Argo City. They must leave, voluntarily or by force. I have to draw the line, take a stand.” He nodded sternly. No one in the audience argued with him.
“Since our normal city guard is not equipped to meet this challenge, I call upon the rest of my citizens to form a Society of Vigilance. All of us must watch for threats from Commissioner Zod. He wants no organized resistance to his rule.”
“So how do we stand up against him?” called an older leathery-skinned man from the audience. Zor-El recognized him as a wealthy fisherman who owned five ships, two of which had been destroyed by the tsunami.
“But we have no army!” said someone else. “And you can bet Zod is gathering one. While we’re trying to rebuild Argo City, he’s preparing for war.”
“War on Krypton?” a young man said in a high voice filled with disbelief. “A civil war?”
Zor-El said, “Shor-Em is about to issue a declaration challenging the Commissioner for leadership. Many other cities, towns, and villages are also rejecting the authority of Kryptonopolis. Here in Argo City, I declare that we are an independent city-state. We do not accept the rule of Zod.”
As soon as he spoke the words, Zor-El knew he had stepped across a line and dragged all his people along with him. He had thrown down a gauntlet that Commissioner Zod could not ignore.
Argo City had to be ready.
CHAPTER 60
As night fell after a long day, Jor-El and Lara ate a quiet dinner on the small, flat rooftop of their designated quarters in Kryptonopolis. Even here in the city, Jor-El loved to sit under the stars and stare up into space, letting his imagination roam free. For a while he could forget the close scrutiny he and Lara had been receiving from Zod’s security. Out in the shadowy streets, he suspected someone was surreptitiously keeping track of him.
Now, near the horizon after sunset, they watched a silvery arc of cosmic mist, the periodic comet called Loth-Ur’s Hammer, which returned to Krypton only once every three centuries. The event was marked on public calendars, and at any other time, the arrival of Loth-Ur’s Hammer would have drawn far more attention, inspiring artists and astronomers, providing an excuse for celebrations and cultural events. The Priests of Rao might even have called it an omen. With the continuing political turmoil, though, the comet sparked very little popular interest.
In ancient times, Jax-Ur had named the comet after his cruel father. According to legend, the gauzy apparition had crossed the sky during the warlord’s seizure of power; now the comet had returned, just as Commissioner Zod seemed to be following in the footsteps of Jax-Ur. The obvious parallels troubled Jor-El.
“I think Zod actually reveres the old warlord, though he tries not to let it show,” Lara said. “Look at this.” On her sketchpad she called up archived engravings from the ancient records of Jax-Ur’s court historians. In the middle of a great plaza called Execution Square stood a statue of the stern warlord looming over his subjects. “See any similarities?”
Jor-El stared at it. Even the position of the figure’s arms, the expression on the face, and some trappings of the carved uniform were identical to Zod’s newly erected statue. “It can’t be a coincidence. And he has Jax-Ur’s nova javelins, too.” He shook his head and tried to enjoy the clear night, but his eyes strayed from the misty comet to the spangled remnants of the shattered moon. Nova javelins had done that…. But Zod insisted the weapons were to be used only for the defense of Krypton.
“The Commissioner is a brilliant man, but one moment he impresses me with his willingness