The Last Days of Krypton - Kevin J. Anderson [63]
Jul-Us raised his gnarled hand for silence from the other members, though each of them was frothing with the need to speak. The Council Head looked down from his bench. “Will the alien’s people view this as murder? Will they demand retribution?”
“Murder?” Jor-El was appalled, then rallied and stood straighter. “Don’t be ridiculous. How can you think that? How could anyone think that? It was an accident.” He lowered his voice. “Donodon was my friend. He himself helped me build the device.”
“He should not have come to Krypton in the first place,” Pol-Ev muttered.
“And yet he did,” Al-An moaned. “Now what are we going to do?”
“It was his own experiment that killed him,” Jun-Do pointed out.
Knowing that it was time to make sure the questions and accusations followed the desired path, Zod stood from his own seat. He was careful to balance the necessity of placing Jor-El in his debt with the need to maintain the Council’s suspicions. “Once again, we all see the dangers of unproven technology. My Commission warned Jor-El numerous times.” He held up a hand to cut off a flurry of comments. “But he has a good heart and a strong sense of honor. I do believe he meant no harm. The alien insisted there was no risk. As did Jor-El.”
He rubbed his trim beard. He knew exactly what seeds to plant. “In fact, it may be a blessing that Donodon was killed. Have you considered the implications? Who can say what the outsider might have communicated to his superiors once he left our world? His friendship might have been a ploy. Would he have revealed our vulnerabilities? Our secrets? To alien invaders, Krypton no doubt seems a lush fruit ripe for the picking.”
Jor-El turned to him, looking stung and angry. “Donodon’s race was peaceful, Commissioner. They were explorers, travelers—”
“Then why was he so eager to talk about his powerful galactic police corps?” Silber-Za demanded in an icy voice. She had bound her blond hair back in a severe arrangement, held in place with sharp pins. “If we refused to accept the rule of their law, would they have used their powers against Krypton?”
Despite his clear misery, Jor-El still stood up for himself. Now he seemed angry. “We have absolutely no reason to doubt Donodon. He said they were a force for good.”
“As defined by whom?” Zod continued, speaking now for the benefit of the easily manipulated Council members. “Those who hold such power tend to use it for their own purposes, not to the benefit of others.”
“Commissioner Zod is right,” said Mauro-Ji, amidst the muttering of the other members. “No doubt every one of those villains Donodon displayed for us also believed they were doing something ‘good.’”
Cera-Si nodded. “I’m sorry, Jor-El, but the very fact that other planets need such a police corps proves how dangerous it is out there! I see now that Krypton has been absolutely correct to remain isolated.”
The timing of the Sapphire Guards could not have been better. They entered carrying the small cloth-wrapped body on a stretcher.
Mere moments after news of the tragedy had arrived, Zod had issued swift instructions, thinking faster than the Council members could. The security troops had rushed to Jor-El’s estate, seized Donodon’s lacerated body, wrapped it up, and carried it back to the Council temple. They had also confiscated the alien’s numerous devices and tools, plucking them from his mangled jumpsuit and then locking them in a vault beneath the government chambers.
Seeing the wrapped corpse now, the Council members were struck silent. Jor-El turned his head away in anger, grief, and shame.
“I have also ordered a team to bring the alien’s spaceship here to Kandor, where my Commission will dismantle it properly.” Zod nodded, smiling coolly. The Council members approved, looking both surprised and relieved that someone would