Sara
: MAIN STORY: The Alembic Plot
Saturday, 21 March 2572 CE
Blackfeather was still apprehensive when she arrived at Harmony Lodge.
She'd been met at the airport by a staff car driven by a young man who
introduced himself as Lieutenant Charles Powell, Colonel Cortin's aide,
though he looked too young to drive, much less be an Enforcement
officer. He'd helped with her luggage, then driven her silently but
efficiently to the Palace
of a temporary pass, and brought her to the Lodge's main entrance, near
the front of the estate.
Servants approached as Powell opened the door for her and helped her
out of the car. "They'll take your luggage to your room, Miss
Blackfeather," he said. "Her Excellency and Captain Odeon are waiting
in her office; I'm to escort you to them immediately."
"I would prefer to clean up first."
"Sorry, Miss Blackfeather," Powell said, not sounding at all regretful.
"Her Excellency was most specific; if you will come this way, please."
Young or not, Blackfeather thought, he had the false-polite presumption
of an Enforcement veteran. Still, what else could she expect from an
Inquisitor's lackey? "Very well, Lieutenant, take me to Her
Excellency."
Moments later, Powell showed her into a large office with Cortin seated
behind the desk and a tall, grim-looking scar-faced man who had to be
Captain Odeon standing to Cortin's left at a stiff parade-rest.
Cortin rose as the reporter entered. "Thank you for coming here first,
Miss Blackfeather. While I'm sure you would have preferred to bathe
and have a brief rest before meeting my team, we have a compelling
reason to've asked you here. Captain Odeon assures me it will take
only seconds, then Lieutenant Powell will show you to your room."
Despite her irritation, Blackfeather was intrigued. "What reason, Your
Excellency?"
It was Odeon who answered. "Something your . . . patron . . . wanted
me to do. You don't remember that you were there when he . . . made it
possible for me, but you'll remember once it's done. It won't hurt at
all, and it'll only take a few seconds, as Colonel Cortin said. It'd
be easier on me if you make eye contact, but that isn't really
necessary."
Although Blackfeather normally had no interest in making anything easy
for an Enforcement killer, there was something in Odeon's expression
that made her waver; she stared into his pale blue eyes.
The promised seconds later, she collapsed in shock, to be caught by
strong arms. Larry was Shayan, and he'd had her under compulsions to
do things she never would have dreamed of on her own, and he'd done
things to her body that were horrible, and she'd enjoyed them and what
he'd done with his changes, and oh dear God the horror he'd done to the
man who'd helped her in spite of what had been done to him and--
"Sis!" she heard Cortin snap.
"I am here, Colonel," a soft voice said. "Miss Blackfeather?" A
pause. "Miss Blackfeather?"
"Go 'way."
"I am a medic. With your permission, I can give you something for
shock. Otherwise, I can treat you only with warmth and quiet."
Drugs were bad . . . but the horror of these sudden disclosures was
worse. "Do what you think best," she managed.
An immediate needleprick startled her; the quick blackness that
followed came as a distinct relief.
Cortin watched Pritchett carry the reporter out, Chang accompanying
them, then she turned to Odeon. He looked tired and a little shaken,
but nowhere near as bad as he had after Shayan's "lesson". "Are you
all right, Mike?"
"I will be, after a nap." Odeon rubbed his temples. "He said the
operation would be nothing compared to the lesson, and he was
right--but it was rough enough. I don't have the kind of strength he
does."
"You're a human, not a fallen angel," Cortin said drily. "I was
thinking about emotionally, though--you don't look quite as wound up as
you have been."
"Not quite," Odeon admitted. "I do feel a bit more human, now I've
made some constructive use of what he put me through. My studies are
helping, too, but . . ." He shook his head. "I'm not back to normal,
no."
"Close enough for unity? I'm still convinced that's what you need."
Odeon thought for a moment, then shook his head again. "No, I don't
think so. I'd like it, but I'm still afraid of touching you. Give me
another day or two of Tangerine and studies, though, and I think I'll
be okay."
Cortin looked at him curiously. "Really? A kitten and studying the
place our ancestors fled from seem like odd therapy. On the other
hand, I'm not about to argue with anything that works."
"Truth to tell, I'm surprised how much the studies, especially, do
help." Odeon rubbed the scar across his lips, unsure of himself. "I'm
just scratching the surface, of course--can't do much else with nothing
but comm intercepts and what's left of the records the Founders
kept--but even this early, I'm starting to develop respect for the
Imperials. Maybe a little bit of liking, too."
Cortin's expression became quizzical. "That's pretty fast, isn't it?
Especially for you?"
"Faster than I'd expect, yeah." Odeon paused, frowning. "I'm not even
as upset as I was yesterday about the Protector maybe coming from
there."
Cortin grinned. "I'd be looking forward to contact instead of it
scaring me if I could believe that; at least then I'd know for sure it
couldn't possibly be me. And the Empire'd be less likely to attack us
if one of their own became our ruler. Did those ambiguous prophecies
Ivan mentioned say anything about the Protector's relationship to the
Great King?"
"Nothing I could make any sense out of, though Ivan might be able to.
Unfortunately--for me; fortunately for him--Shayan never touched his
mind, so I won't be able to check with him till he gets back from
Archangel. As for the Empire attacking us--" Odeon smiled briefly, "I
don't think I'd waste time worrying about it. They've got a whole new
Sector full of non-humans to cope with, as of three years ago; I can't
see them wasting resources on a mere dozen planets."
"If Ivan's right, we'll find out soon enough, and frankly, that's a
subject I'd rather avoid as long as possible. What's the verdict on
Miss Blackfeather?"
"About what he said," Odeon replied. "She's in shock right now, but I
got the feeling she's pretty resilient; she should be settled down in a
few hours. And she's basically a good person; outside his compulsions,
she hasn't committed more than the normal venial sins. She's confessed
them, too, as of just before her flight left New Rome, and been
forgiven. By him, but as he pointed out to me, the sacrament's
validity doesn't depend on the priest."
"And acts committed under compulsion are chargeable to the compellor,
not the compelled. Other than that?"
"I think I could get to like her. She's intelligent, honest, and given
the chance I think she'd have a decent sense of humor. No more devout
than usual, which is hardly surprising considering her patron; if
anything, I'm surprised she's as devout as she is. After the shock she
just got, she may even be willing to listen to us about the Protector."
"And be Sealed, become part of His staff?"
"I'd bet so. Probably not immediately, though I think we should let
her attend services."
Cortin frowned briefly, then nodded. "If Sis agrees. I'm not sure how
Blackfeather will react with her background, though. She can't
possibly be used to public nudity, much less anything like the
Protector's celebration."
"She was Shayan's mistress," Odeon said drily. "He's taken her to
Hell, though only his palace--we might both be surprised what she's
seen. And she's adaptable."
* * * * *
Blackfeather wasn't feeling particularly adaptable when she woke from
Chang's drug; she was still too shaken by what she'd found out when
Odeon had released the compulsions that had held her for so long. It
was a relief to find a woman sitting beside her bed--and almost a
relief that the woman wore Enforcement gray, with a medic's specialty
badge. "You're the one who gave me the shot?" she asked as she sat up.
"I am. Medic-Lieutenant Eleanor Chang, otherwise called Piety or Sis.
I regret that your welcome to our home was so traumatic, though the
drug should have helped. We have waited lunch, in case you cared to
join us."
To Blackfeather's astonishment, the medic's words made her realize she
was hungry--and the idea of eating with Enforcement troopers was more
attractive than not. After what Odeon had suffered to help her, she
was willing to believe there might really be more than talk to their
motto of "We Serve, to Protect". She might not manage to feel
protected just yet, but at least she no longer felt threatened. "Do I
have time to clean up a bit, Lieutenant?"
"Of course. Colonel Cortin has asked me to apologize for her earlier
insistence on meeting you immediately, and hopes you will understand
and forgive her."
"Let's just say I'll withhold judgement until I find out more. Though
. . . I can't deny I'm grateful to Captain Odeon."
"He is a good man, Miss Blackfeather, a priest of both Jeshua and the
Protector. He is also, though he would probably laugh at the term, a
wise man. He is, however, deeply troubled by the Hell-King's touch, so
if he should seem wary of you, please realize it is nothing at all
personal."
"I think I can manage that," Blackfeather said. She went into the
bathroom to take care of her needs, then emerged to dress. When she
was done, Chang led her to the dining room--where she was astonished to
find three young children munching on cookies, and an
apologetic-looking Colonel of Enforcement.
"They were hungry," Cortin said. "I'm afraid I'm not as strict as I
should be--but they did want to see you. Do you mind?"
"Not at all," Blackfeather said. She'd never been all that fond of
children; on the other hand, she did know they were humanity's future,
and fewer than a replacement number, here in the Systems, were being
born. "They aren't yours, I know; more company?"
"Not exactly." Cortin studied the reporter. "If I give you some
background information, will you treat it as confidential until I say
you can publish it? That should be less than a week."
"Of course!"
"I'll brief you while we're eating, then."
* * * * *
When the meal was over, Blackfeather was full, but scarcely aware of
what she'd eaten. Taken as a whole Cortin's revelations, even
delivered in the unemotional tone of what she'd called it, a briefing,
were a shock. Blackfeather had anticipated or guessed at parts, which
along with her training helped her conceal that shock, but didn't
lessen it. Especially since she remembered that Larry had expected and
intended her to become part of the Protector's staff, opposing him.
She didn't want to go into that right now, though. A nice safe neutral
topic would be better . . . if she could think of one, and something
touching her ankle provided the perfect subject when she bent down to
pick up the tiny culprit. "Children, and now a kitten--not at all what
I expected when I got your invitation, Excellency."
"More normal and civilized, right?" Cortin smiled. "I'm not offended,
Miss Blackfeather, so you needn't look defensive. Until recently, I
was careful to conceal such things; a reputation can be most useful to
an Inquisitor. Since the situation's changed, I can let the truth be
known." She grimaced. "And since I've found out myself what the truth
is, which was a shock at times."
"I can sympathize," Blackfeather said with feeling. "All these years
I've thought I was free . . ."
"And I thought I was immune to love--free in a different way. But I'm
glad I was wrong." Cortin looked around the table at her Family,
smiling. "In my admittedly biased opinion, you won't find a better
group of people in the entire Kingdom Systems, and I couldn't be more
delighted that they adopted me. I'm sorry Mike had to break your
conditioning so abruptly, but I hope that having it broken will let you
enjoy your stay here."
"It'll make it possible, at least," Blackfeather said. "What I'm sorry
about is what he had to go through to help me."
"I was simply doing my duty, Miss Blackfeather," Odeon said, startling
her. "I had no choice, and given the same circumstances, I'd have to
try doing it again. Though I'm not sure I'd be able to, a second time."
"Since I don't think I could have done it the first time," Blackfeather
said, "I certainly couldn't fault you for that! And duty or not, I am
grateful, and I feel I owe you a debt."
"No debt," Odeon said. "You don't owe me--us--any more than you owe
anyone else you write about. All we ask for is objective observation
and reporting, in spite of the fact that most of us are Enforcement."
"My word on it," Blackfeather said. "I can't promise favorable
reports, but they'll be as honest as I can make them."
* * * * *
Monday afternoon, 23 March 2572
Cortin grinned as Odeon entered her room and took one of the armchairs,
his lap immediately occupied by the kitten who'd become his
almost-inseparable companion whenever he was available. "I know it's a
day earlier than the deadline I gave you, but--"
Odeon chuckled. "I'm fine, Joanie, between Tanj here and the
studying." He rubbed the kitten's ears, smiling at her loud purr.
"She's a little darling, and I'm almost afraid to say I'm really
enjoying my research, as much as I got teased for it in school. I
don't think that's what you called me in for, though."
"To find out exactly how you're doing, yes; the details of your
research, no. And I hadn't expected you to bring your little friend
along."
"Who brought her? I can't keep her away! Don't worry, though, she
won't interfere."
"And just how do you know that?"
"A trip to the New Eden in the wee hours this morning, when I started
feeling interested for the first time since Shayan worked on me. If I
recall my explorations here correctly, you were with Chuck and Dave,
Sis and Betty with the other two, and I didn't want to wake anyone. I
also didn't want to take Tanj, but you know what a sucker I am--even
worse than you, where kids and animals are concerned. So she went
along, in my pocket. She watched, the first couple of times, then went
to sleep. A pillow on the floor, if you're curious."
"Not primarily about that," Cortin said. "May I be nosy and ask how
many you enjoyed?"
Uncharacteristically, Odeon flushed. "Uh--I can't match you, but--all
the ladies who were awake. You know what it's like when you've been
dry for a while."
"I sure do." Cortin tried to look stern, but failed miserably and gave
up, grinning instead. "I should chew you out for not waking me,
Captain. I assume, however, that you're back to normal and willing to
demonstrate?"
"Willing and eager, Excellency."
* * * * *
Both of them were far more relaxed when they dressed for dinner, though
Tangerine meowed plaintively at Odeon and tried to climb his trouser
leg. He shrugged, grinning at Cortin, and sat down. "Part of her
routine this time of day, I'm afraid," he apologized as the kitten
jumped to his shoulder and began nibbling at his earlobe.
"Has you pretty well trained, doesn't she?" Cortin said, chuckling.
"Uh-huh." Odeon dug into a pocket, unwrapped and handed the kitten a
piece of something Cortin couldn't identify but Tangerine obviously
could; she hopped down to his lap with a sound halfway between a purr
and a growl, eating her treat. Odeon let her finish, then put her on
the floor. "I'm cleared for the convent defense, then."
Cortin nodded. "You are. I just wish I were, too."
* * * * *
The following evening, Cortin went to Odeon's room shortly before
supper. "Mike, got a minute?"
"Any time. What's up?"
"Not that, this close to supper--will you and Sis be holding services
this evening?"
"Of course. Are you going to bring Blackfeather?"
Cortin hesitated. "I don't know," she said at last. "She'll have to
be exposed to it sooner or later, but I'm not sure an evening before
the team goes into combat is the right time. If she reacts badly to
either the nudity or the ceremony itself, it might make things harder
on them."
"She's going in too," Odeon pointed out.
Cortin grimaced. "I know, blast it! She can and I can't--so you tell
me which would be less damaging."
"In your place, I'd brief her, then let her decide whether she thinks
she can accept it as a religious function." Odeon grinned. "As I
may've said, I don't think anyone who's spent time in Hell is going to
be shocked by anything as mild as that--my only hesitation is about how
she'll react otherwise."
"Understood. All right, that's what I'll do."
* * * * *
In spite of Cortin's briefing, Blackfeather had trouble at first
accepting a nude man and woman as real priests conducting a real
religious rite. That changed quickly, though, in large part because of
the Family's obvious acceptance of precisely that, and their
equally-obvious devotion to the Protector. She didn't--yet,
anyway--share that devotion, and if it hadn't been for Larry's
certainty that the Protector was real, she thought it unlikely she'd
have believed what was going on was an act of worship.
But Larry--no, she chided herself; she ought to start thinking of him
by his real name--Shayan was certain of the Protector's existence and
imminent arrival. Or . . . Blackfeather looked sharply at Cortin. Her
lover hadn't said it in so many words, but now that she thought back,
he'd certainly given the impression that Cortin was the Protector!
Even though it had seemed pointless at the time, Blackfeather now found
herself wishing she'd paid more attention to prophecies of the Final
Coming. Nothing she could remember from them said Cortin couldn't be
the Protector instead of simply the Herald, which was disconcerting
enough. A lot of things, in fact, pointed to it, now that she began to
analyze everything she'd heard and read about Cortin and her
unprecedented, rapid rise from being a curiosity as the only female
Enforcement officer to High King's Inquisitor and Archduchess--not to
mention her tumbling of some of Enforcement's strictest regulations,
such as Special Ops' lack of close family, not only with impunity but
with the backing of all the Sovereigns. And working for drastic
changes in the social and religious systems with divine sanction that
became obvious every time she said Mass.
Cortin wasn't reacting the way Blackfeather would expect from a divine
incarnation, though. Desire for revenge after rape and maiming was a
human thing the Protector should be beyond. So was becoming an
Inquisitor, nothing like Jeshua's forgiveness of His enemies and His
gentle nature. Still, she thougt, there was precedent, if you went
back to the First Testament; she'd never been comfortable with things
like the innocent Job being tormented simply as a demonstration to
Shayan, or the she-bears being sent to kill forty-two children whose
only offense had been to tease Elisha about being bald. Cortin at
least confined the punitive parts of her Inquisitorial attentions to
criminals, and her truthsense let her be certain who those criminals
actually were.
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Rebecca was the first of the three to waken. Over her small window she had hung a black shawl to keep out the light, and upon this screen were thrown recurrent flashes of sunlight. "Still a-swingin'," she murmured. "Wonder how fur back we be now... Shock Absorber
A man acts on what he believes the facts are, not on the facts. He lives or dies by what the facts are. Now sometimes you don't have time to correct a man's beliefs, yet he must act correctly.... The a... Shooting The Chutes And After
Through the fog I felt my way along by means of my compass. I no longer heard the bears, nor did I encounter one within the fog. Experience has since taught me that these great beasts are as terror-stricken by this phenomenon as a landsman by a f... Simon Ford's Experiment
THE old clock in the cottage struck one as James Starr and his two companions went out. A dim light penetrated through the ventilating shaft into the glade. Harry's lamp was not necessary here, but it would very soon be of use, for the old overman... Sing Speaks
For a week Professor Maxon with von Horn and Sing sought for Virginia. They could get no help from the natives of the long-house, who feared the vengeance of Muda Saffir should he learn that they had aided the white men upon his trail. And alwa... Sir Felix
On a bright May morning, the sunlight, at five o'clock, was pouring into a room which face the east at the ancestral home of the Aquilas. In this room Felix, the eldest of the three sons of the Baron, was sleeping. The beams passed over his head, ... Skylark Two Sets Out
"Say, Mart, I just got conscious! It never occurred to me until just now, as Dunark left, that I'm as good an instrument-maker as Dunark is--the same one, in fact--and I've got a hunch. You know that needle on DuQuesne hasn't been working for quit... Slavery
As the ruler of Ptarth, followed by his courtiers, descended from the landing-stage above the palace, the servants dropped into their places in the rear of their royal or noble masters, and behind the others one lingered to the last. Then quickly... Slaves
AS WE DESCENDED THE BROAD STAIRCASE WHICH led to the main avenue of Phutra I caught my first sight of the dominant race of the inner world. Involuntarily I shrank back as one of the creatures approached to inspect us. A more hideous thing it woul... Slaves Of The Machine
The more I thought of Jackson's arm, the more shaken I was. I was confronted by the concrete. For the first time I was seeing life. My university life, and study and culture, had not been real. I had learned nothing but theories of life and societ... Snaefell At Last
Snaefell is 5,000 feet high. Its double cone forms the limit of a trachytic belt which stands out distinctly in the mountain system of the island. From our starting point we could see the two peaks boldly projected against the dark grey sky; I could... Sola Tells Me Her Story
When consciousness returned, and, as I soon learned, I was down but a moment, I sprang quickly to my feet searching for my sword, and there I found it, buried to the hilt in the green breast of Zad, who lay stone dead upon the ochre moss of the ... Sola's Story
Once within the palace, I drew Sola to the dining hall, and, when she had greeted her father after the formal manner of the green men, she told the story of the pilgrimage and capture of Dejah Thoris. "Seven days ago, after her audience with Zat... Some Figures
A moment after we were seated on a divan in the saloon smoking. The Captain showed me a sketch that gave the plan, section, and elevation of the Nautilus. Then he began his description in these words: "Here, M. Aronnax, are the several dimension... Some Grave Fears
And now, as the reader will readily understand, I must continue the story as it was afterwards related to me. Myra, the General, and Dennis sat up and waited for me till the early hours of the morning, but I did not return. The young people did ... Some Strange Phenomena
MANY superstitious beliefs exist both in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. Of course the mining population must furnish its contingent of legends and fables to this mythological repertory. If the fields are peopled with imaginary beings, eit... Space Fever
We counted seven successive returns of the peaks of the Andes, and being by that time certainly six million miles from the Earth, we could distinguish them no longer. Then followed what I remember as a very long and unspeakably monotonous period, ... Spadevil
Maskull found that his new organs had no independent function of their own, but only intensified and altered his other senses. When he used his eyes, ears, or nostrils, the same objects presented themselves to him, but his judgment concerning them w... Specimens
Only too well founded was Costigan's conviction that the submarine of the deep-sea fishes had not been able to prevail against Nerado's formidable engines of destruction. For days the Nevian lifeboat with its three Terrestrial passengers hurtled t... Star Mother
A touching story of the most enduring love in all eternity. That night her son was the first star. She stood motionless in the garden, one hand pressed against her heart, watching him rise above the fields where he had played as ... Starkness
A couple of days later, at two o'clock in the afternoon, Maskull and Nightspore arrived at Starkness Observatory, having covered the seven miles from Haillar Station on foot. The road, very wild and lonely, ran for the greater part of the way near t... Steel Becomes Interested
Dr. Marc DuQuesne was in his laboratory, engaged in a research upon certain of the rare metals, particularly in regard to their electrochemical properties. He was a striking figure. Well over six feet tall, unusually broad-shouldered even for his ... Steel Liberates Energy Unexpectedly
DuQuesne was in his laboratory, poring over an abstruse article in a foreign journal of science, when Scott came breezily in with a newspaper in his hand, across the front page of which stretched great headlines. "Hello, Blackie!" he called. "Co... Stones Hill
When the decision was arrived at by the Gun Club, to the disparagement of Texas, every one in America, where reading is a universal acquirement, set to work to study the geography of Florida. Never before had there been such a sale for works lik... Strange Destination
When Dick opened his eyes, there was a feeling of motion to the bed. The strangeness of the ceiling overhead drew his attention. It was not canvas, but shiny metal, almost purple in tint. Suddenly he sat up. Dolores lay beside him. As his eyes c... Strange Things
The thought struck Felix that perhaps he might find a spring somewhere in the island, and he started at once up over the hill. At the top he paused. The sun had not sunk, but had disappeared as a disk. In its place was a billow of blood, for so it... Structure Of The Projectile
A few weeks later I received a letter from Dr. Anderwelt asking me to call at his rooms on the West Side that afternoon, as soon as the market had closed. He desired to exhibit and explain the drawings of the new projectile and talk over the prepa... Sullenbode
Sullenbode's naked skin glowed softly through the darkness, but the clothed part of her person was invisible. Maskull watched her senseless, smiling face, and shivered. Strange feelings ran through his body. Corpang spoke out of the night. "She lo...