Cyberthorn was discovered on Altesia during the second wave of Terran migration. Aside from its poison-tipped spines, which can grow to 5 cm in length, the shrub also has the remarkable property of possessing a photosynthetic chemical, deep-melano 6F, which proves to be amazingly disruptive of any form of radio or laser communications. For a while, the plant was grown commercially to provide shielding hedges, a form of security, until its rapid growth and tenacious propagation through rhizomes caused it to become invasive on many worlds after introduction. Cyberthorn can remain dormant underground during periods of drought for up to half a century, which has made it especially difficult to eradicate on desert worlds such as Sideria. Large unexpected rainstorms will trigger episodes of “blackout bloom” which interfere with local communications networks. Ultraherbicide usage is generally unwise in such areas since it tends to contaminate much-valued water-tables. The preferred method of laser-burning from air is, of course, ineffectual; the plant scatters the coherency of the light with its leaves. Hand weeding, given the toxicity of the plant, is not recommended, and robotic harvesting rarely damages the persistent root-system. Recently, a targeted thorn-blight has been introduced, and is showing some moderate success in controlling this dangerous invader.
Illustration from Beinecke MS 408 (also called The Voynich Manuscript), circa 1404-38.*
When we returned to Court Emmere, the Privy Council was waiting. “Rivers isn’t here,” Lord Danak informed us. “He went back to Earth on a routine diplomatic matter a few days ago. We could send him a message, but it’s pointless. It won’t arrive before the Alliance fleet.”
« He’ll probably get killed in the attack, » Aran said hopefully.
« I doubt it, » said Cillian. « That guy is as tough as a Cybrid cockroach. »
Claris joined us once the Cantor had been secured. She had been taken back to Turquoise Head and was under surveillance. She didn’t seem violent, but that could change. “The Convocation is basically leaderless,” Claris said. “We have to reach some decision what to do about her.”
“First things first,” I replied. “Are we connected to Eirelantra?”
Lord Danak nodded, signaling for the holographic communication to begin. After a few moments of delay, the images of Battlequeen Escharton, Ta’al Erich and Archbishop Venesti appeared in the center of the room.
I briefed them on the situation. “It seems terrible,” said Escharton, “but there’s really nothing we can do to stop it.”
“Our best hope is a quick, decisive victory by one side or the other,” said Danak. “If that doesn’t happen, we will get drawn into it. I think we’re all in agreement we want to avoid that.”
“Worst case scenario,” said Ta’al Erich. “The Terrans ask us for help, but with almost a two day lag in communications, we get there after the Alliance wins. Then we have to liberate Earth all over again.”
“Or we don’t get involved at all,” said Escharton.
“Cillian advises against that,” I said. “Turning down Tellick if he asks for help was inadvisable under any circumstance, but now that the Alliance has made an aggressive move towards us, not once but twice, we need to respond in kind.”
“I’ve got news for you.” It was Lilith, who had quietly entered, uninvited. “It’s out of our hands.”
Thoughtful 45 added, “I’m afraid that I was talking to the ELFF nuncio, who talked to Poklok-kinniped, and you know he’s going to talk to High Chancellor Matek Lopen *click* Bar Treven *click* Sanis Poltra *clickclick*…”
“In other words, the SongLuminants know all about this,” said Tara. “What are they going to do?”
“The Outer Vent Defense Guild sent a peacekeeping force,” said Thoughtful. “They’ll probably arrive before the Alliance.”
“Good news and bad news,” said Danak. “Good news for Earth, bad for the Alliance. What’s the likelihood that the SongLuminants will stop with defeating the Alliance fleet?”
“Little to none,” said Thoughtful. “They’ve been looking for an excuse to erase something. Also, they know that this erodes your position in the Combine. They can look like they’re helping Tara and Ashtara when in reality, they’re undermining your authority.”
“What I don’t understand is why they’re sending a peacekeeping force,” said Ta’al Erich. “I thought they just possessed people and made them kill each other.”
“If they’re erasing an entire species, everyone is a target,” said Thoughtful. “But in this case, both sides are composed of the same species.”
“In other words,” I said, “they can’t tell whom to kill from a distance.”
“Even though the defense guilds have very strong abilities, it’s always hard to work from that far away,” said Thoughtful. “Given the confusing nature of the situation, they thought it was easier to pressure the Hreck into hosting a task force.”
“That’s our SongLuminants,” said Tara. “They’ve never done a damn thing that would put their precious bubbles in the line of fire.”
“But that has a disadvantage,” I said. “Telepathic possession can happen instantaneously. Sending a Hreck fleet takes time.”
“They’ll still arrive long before we could do anything about it,” said Escharton.
“But what if Lucius was to use the SongLuminants’ own trick against them?”
“Difficult,” said Thoughtful. “It’s very far away.”
“Not as far as the SongLuminant homeworld,” said Tara. “Lucius was able to attend the Combine meeting there.”
“But he used Suzanna’s body,” said Thoughtful. “She was someone he knew.”
« He’s right, » said Lucius. « I had so much trouble with the Arthvean officers, and they were close to home. There’s no way I could possess an unfamiliar mind on Earth. »
« It’s obvious, » said Davy.
It really was obvious.
« No, » said Ari.
« Fuck no, » said Cillian.
« Absolutely not, » said Aran.
In reply, I raised my arms and transformed into Lucius.
“I don’t think any of us are really happy about this,” said Lucius, “but I’m going to possess Rivers.”
*****
There was one slight hitch: we didn’t know exactly where Rivers was. In both the cases of Suzanna and the Arthveans, we had an exact target location.
« Can’t we pinpoint past transmissions from Earth? » asked Tommy.
« They all originate in the Domha’vei, » said Owen. « They have to be relayed through a wormhole. »
« Ask Marty, » suggested Mickey. « Maybe the Twist can find him in time. »
And so we waited, knowing that each moment wasted decreased our chance of intervening in the SongLuminant intervention.
Claris returned to the room after a short communication with Miranda. “The general feeling in the forest is that Ailann ought to take over as leader.”
“It’s not wise,” Lucius replied. “The Convocation needs to be led by someone who has the interest of the trees closest to heart. As Archon, he’ll always have a conflict of interest.”
“By definition, all Cu’enashti have a conflict of interest,” said Claris.
He nodded. “That’s why we think you should do it.”
“What?” It was worth it just to see the look on her face.
“You do a capable enough job representing the Cu’enmerengi. And your people outnumber the Cu’enashti by a sizable amount.”
“Okay, my ego is at war with my common sense,” said Claris. “Between being the Cu’enmerengi representative and the Skarsian Secretary of the Interior, I keep getting called to all these meetings. Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve gone to a dance club? Also, I doubt the Cu’enashti will accept it. Especially the MPP. After the burning of the Cantor Tree, they really don’t trust us.”
“They’re less likely to accept Miranda,” Lucius said. “Someone has to go over there and take charge. Ailann isn’t going to be available because I’m stuck on call here until the situation on Earth is straightened out. Which will either be very soon – or a long, drawn out mess. The Convocation had better make some decisions before then.”
Reluctantly, Claris went to Turquoise Head to report what Lucius had said. “If they accept it, it’s only temporary,” she warned.
« We’ve got another issue, » said Cüinn. « Remember the cube? »
« Aw geez, » said Cillian. « Yeah, we’d better take care of that. We don’t need another incident like with Vassali. »
« We need to get Tara in here to look at it, » said Whirljack.
« There’s something else we need to think about, » said Dermot. « Whether Canopus and Ophion can have an Archon. »
« I think we concluded that it was a good idea, » said Owen.
« Not whether it’s a good idea, » said Dermot. « Whether it’s even possible. »
« Why wouldn’t it be possible? » asked Ethan.
« I see where he’s going with this, » said Malachi. « The trees with Archons are different than the ones without. The trees with Archons were proto-Cu’enashti. The Canopus emanations, and now Vassali, came in as lone proto-conscious entities. »
« The process of selecting an Archon could be totally random, » said Solomon. « If that’s the case, any branch could become the Archon. »
« When has Self ever done anything random? » asked Till. « The most insignificant things always prove to have a reason. »
« We know that the selection of Ailann, Aran and Balin were not random, » said Cillian. « From the beginning, Ailann’s impulse dominated Atlas – and it still dominates the entire grove. Be more, become more, do better. »
« Ambition, » said Whirljack. « The thing which makes us unique amongst Cu’enashti. »
« Of course you would say that, » Lorcan injected, approaching Cillian. « It’s less humiliating for you to submit to Ailann if he’s at the top of the hierarchy. »
« I don’t submit to anyone, » said Cillian.
« Come on, » said Lorcan. « You’ve been more lovesick than one of Whirljack’s fangirls. »
Cillian stormed out of the room. « He didn’t even try to hit me, » said Lorcan. « It must be true. »
« That got us absolutely nowhere, » said Dermot. « Why do you have to antagonize him? »
« It’s my role to antagonize everyone, » said Lorcan. « Even Ailann. Especially Ailann. »
« That’s why I’m going to be the next one to pollinate you, despite the fact that your friends Driscoll and Sloane are closer to your branch. »
I hadn’t expected to say that – it was an unchecked impulse. Lorcan eyed me archly and smiled. There was a sudden and surprising frisson of desire between us. Ellery giggled.
Apparently, alcohol and willful forgetfulness had done a good job of repressing certain tendencies. I had to get a grip on myself.
Ellery wasn’t the only one who noticed. « Whoa, » said Tommy, « that’s hot. Mind if I sit next to you, in the Siege Perilous? »
Callum growled at him.
« Can we please get back to the important discussion? » asked Malachi.
« In order to find out, I think we’d have to restart the Aeon, » said Cüinn. « I wouldn’t advise it now, in the middle of a crisis. »
« What about Till? » asked Axel. « Does any of us know why Till was chosen to be Archon? »
« The foundational memory should be at the base of Till’s root, » said Darius.
Till looked questioningly at the other Yggdrasil emanations. He was silently asking if they wanted to open that stasis jar of leaf-borers. But the question was to go unanswered because we were interrupted by Tara. “Ash?” she queried.
“Sorry!” said Lucius, jolting back to life. “We were kind of, ah, reminiscing.”
“Marty says that he found Clive. Are you ready to go?”
“Ah, as ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
« All right, » Lucius sighed. « The best thing to do here is to immerse ourselves in memories of Rivers. Since our memory is perfect, if I point myself in the right direction, I should be able to grab on to something similar. »
« Wait, » said Rain. « This is confusing. He seems to be two different people. »
« Oh, » said Mickey. « The first time we saw Rivers, he was Edom St. John. CenGov had planted the memories of a dead man within him. »
« Like an emanation? » asked Vassali.
« Not quite, » said Tommy. « It was called a palimpsest, meaning that they wrote over the top of his real memories. But eventually the process breaks down, and the true and false memories get mixed together. Rivers isn’t actually Rivers, but a combination of Rivers and St. John. »
« What a mess, » said Tannon. « How can he ever get anything straight without knowing which of the voices in his head are speaking to him? »
« Here, » said Tommy. « Look in my branch. The first time we ever saw him as Clive Rivers was at Tom O’Bedlam’s. »
« I thought it was a disco? » said Briscoe.
« This is before I transferred ownership to Thomas, and he renovated it, » said Tommy. « Anyway, Tara was tending bar, and I was showing her how to make a Chalkolo Julep, a real one, with the liquid oxygen. »
« Tommy taught Tara how to tend bar, » added Mickey. « The authentic way, with hand-mixed drinks instead of a printer. Before that, she didn’t know how to operate a blender – but she did know how to run a centrifuge, and it’s more-or-less the same thing. »
Lucius peered into Tommy’s branch; the rest of us followed. It was a period of our history that most branches knew little about, one full of heartbreak for Tommy which he didn’t particularly like to share. Honestly, I had never looked myself.
« I lived through it, » said Mickey. « It was no great shakes. »
*****
The bar wasn’t open for business that early, but Rivers walked right in regardless. “I heard you were here,” he said. “Whiskey, straight up.”
“Who’s this guy?” asked Tommy, knowing damn well who he was.
“If you want to come with me, I’ve got a safe house,” said Rivers, ignoring him. Beneath the bar, Tommy clenched his fist. He knew that Rivers’ safe house would only drag Tara back into danger. He knew that Tara would never be safer than with him. And if he could keep Tara working at the bar, then sooner or later, he’d be able to introduce her to Whirljack, who would become her lover and persuade her to come home to Dolparessa.
That was how it was supposed to work. And it did, more or less, but not in that order, and not without a lot of detours.
“You told me to get lost,” said Tara. “You told me that you didn’t owe me anything more than a warning.”
“I changed my mind,” said Rivers. “I thought you were just some random scientist that Edom fancied. I didn’t know that you were the Marquesa of Dolparessa.”
“I’m done with that,” she said. “I’m out of politics.”
“No one is ever out of politics,” said Rivers. “Especially not now. Especially not when CenGov wants to exterminate the nau’gsh.”
“What?” said Tara and Tommy in shocked unison.
“Deforestation policy,” said Rivers, pushing a datapad towards her. “Read it. If only your barbarous government would allow its citizens to be chipped, I could’ve just uploaded the information to you. Perhaps when you’re Empress, you’ll do something about that.”
Tara slammed the bottle on the counter and stormed off into the bathroom. Tommy glared at Rivers, then followed her.
*****
« That’s it? » asked Lucius.
« What was I supposed to do, » said Tommy, « stand there looking at Rivers? Tara was upset. »
« It’s probably enough, » said Lucius. « The obnoxious arrogance, the obsession with political intrigues, the manipulative self-interest. It’s all there. »
« Are you sure you want to do this? » asked Lugh.
« The lives of thousands will be saved if we can stop the SongLuminant attack, » I reminded them. « Maybe millions, billions, even trillions. We don’t know how far the SongLuminants are prepared to take this. »
« And we don’t want to find out the hard way, » sighed Lucius. « Here goes nothing. »
*****
Lucius reached into Rivers’ mind. It was a strange sensation, like bubbles of light gushing through the neurons. A hand had to reach, then grasp, ever so lightly, and not let go, not even when the mind squirmed, and never give in to the temptation to tighten the grip too much.
Suddenly the hand flinched in pain, cold, burning static, like the touch of superchilled metal. Lucius screamed.
“What the hell?” said Rivers. “Aargh!”
He collapsed onto the floor, his legs cut from beneath him. Lucius, aware that he had fumbled, propelled his consciousness forward, trying to catch Rivers’ plummeting mind, only to be burned, hurling it upward and then catching it again and again, tossing it like a hot potato.
Rivers gasped, then vomited.
Back at Court Emmere, Tara was at Lucius’ side immediately. “Lucius, what’s happening?” she cried. Lucius was heaving in pain, tears rolling out of the corners of his eyes. “Is it the SongLuminants? Are they attacking you?”
He shook his head mutely. “Dunno,” he gasped. “Hurts.”
« There! » cried Ethan. « That little bit of energy. That little flicker of a transmission. »
« Wait, » said Barnabas. « That’s a push pattern. But it’s coming from what seems to be a hole in Rivers’ brain. An empty space just about the size of…»
« It’s nul-matter, » said Owen. « I’ll never forget the feel of it. I think it’s destabilizing Lucius’ consciousness. Lucius, just don’t touch that area. »
“He has nul-matter in his brain?” said Lucius.
« It’s shielding, » said Barnabas. « It’s shielding that a Cu’enashti can’t see through; an object that routine scanners won’t find. »
Lucius sat upright, grasping Tara’s hand, hissing through clenched teeth. “He’s chipped.”
“That’s rich,” said Tara. “That’s wonderful. The ambassador from Earth is chipped. I could have him executed under the heresy laws. Do you know what this means? I can blackmail him for life.”
“All right,” said Lucius. “I’m all right. Now that I know what to avoid, I’m going back in.”
By this time, Rivers had stumbled to his feet. He was heading towards the doorway when Lucius tried again.
“No!” he snapped. “The SongLuminants did this to me once. And before that, CenGov forced me to be Edom St. John. I will not be your puppet, Ashhole.”
« Rivers, listen! » Lucius shouted. « We don’t have time for this! Earth is under attack! »
“What the hell are you talking about?”
« The Alliance. They’ll be emerging from a wormhole in about five hours. But the SongLuminants will be here before then, and we’ve no idea what they’ll do. »
“SongLuminants? Fucking hell.” Rivers staggered towards a communications unit, then tumbled to the floor.
« Stop fighting me, » said Lucius. « You’re only making it worse. »
“I will not be controlled by you, Ashtara.”
« It’s the only way we can communicate, » said Lucius. « Do you think I’m enjoying it? »
“I think you love it. You get off on humiliating me.”
« You think? I burned myself on your goddamn chip! And what is that about? You know the penalty for having those in the Domha’vei. »
“It’s the one advantage I’ve got,” said Rivers. “And it’s my birthright as an elite class citizen of Earth, one that had been denied to me my whole life.”
« Look, can we just cooperate for a few hours? It’s your planet we’re trying to save. »
“I’m so touched that you care. I know damn well it’s about getting Tara out of a bad spot politically, so don’t try to shit me.”
Rivers’ arms flailed against the floor, kicking his left foot upward into empty air.
« Just let go, » said Lucius. « You have to let me steer. »
“No!”
« I’m not going to be able to hold you like this. Do you want to face the SongLuminants on your own? Do you think they’ll listen to you? »
“They’ll destroy the Alliance fleet. Why should I stop them?”
Suddenly the walls shook with the sound of a gong ringing three times in succession. Then every holographic player on the command satellite switched on automatically. “Inhabitants of Earth,” the message began. “I am slhfhk3423 of the Hreck. You are about to be attacked by a hostile fleet originating from the planet Memehaven. Fortunately, we are here to protect you under the auspices of the Outer Vent Defense Guild and the Combine of Sentients. All we require of you is confirmation that you are a protectorate territory of the Combine Nunciate of Humanity, subject to Her Most Puissant Sentience, Tara del D’myn.”
« That’s why, » said Lucius.
“Protectorate territory? Subject to Tara? There’s no way that Tellick will agree to that.”
« We’re not too happy either. How likely is it that this so-called peacekeeping force will leave peacefully? They’re here to nose into our business. »
“Fuck,” groaned Rivers. “What are you going to do?”
« What we do best, » said Lucius. « Bluff. »
Rivers sighed, then relaxed his limbs. Slowly, Lucius tottered to his feet. “Is there a way to broadcast media to a mass audience?”
I have a transmitter, but it’s intended for private communication. Give me a minute, and I can jury rig it.
“This is trickier than it looks,” said Lucius. “Either you have to guide me, or I have to tap into your muscle memory.”
Do you know anything about transmitters?
“Well, no, but Ethan does. Unfortunately, right now it’s harder for me to talk to Ethan than to you.”
Just pull off the back cover and break the gold tab. Then reset the bandwidth limiter to 4001. You’ll have to do that manually, then get up the touch screen and use port 9000078.
“Got it. But how do I turn it on?”
It’s chip activated.
“Erm…”
It’s not hard. Just imagine a little push in the left center of the cerebrum, and the chip will activate.
“If my mind touches that chip, I’m going down, buddy.”
Fucking hell.
“Isn’t there a switch or something?”
Why the hell would I want a switch when I can activate the damn thing with my mind? The chip contacts are under the bandwidth limiter. Can’t you just flip them on alchemically?
“Not unless you’re secretly a Cu’enashti. While I’m in your body, I don’t have any natural access to nul-energy.”
Then what the fuck good are you? Bloody hell, get a laser probe from the drawer. We can try this. Try. If you blow it, we’ll melt the whole panel.
Lucius found the laser probe. “I wish that Owen could do this. I’m all thumbs.”
Muscle memory, said Rivers. I’ve done chip surgery a thousand times. Just relax and leave it to me.
The transmitter flickered into life.
“We’re in business,” sighed Lucius. “OK, look imposing.”
I always look imposing.
“You always look like a prick, but I suppose that’s good enough.” Lucius settled Rivers’ body into what seemed to be an authoritative position, uncomfortable for a natural negotiator like Lucius. He cleared his throat and began the transmission: “Greetings to my esteemed allies among the SongLuminant and the Hreck peoples. This is Lucius, 33rd emanation of His Most Puissant Sentience, Ashtara. We are extraordinarily grateful for your offer of assistance, but it is hardly necessary. As you can see, the Nau’gsh have come to the aid of their longstanding friends, the Nunciate of Humanity. The situation is under control, and the approaching Alliance fleet will be dealt with as an internal matter.”
There was a long pause. Then the three gongs, followed by the image of slhfhk3423. “We are cognizant of your situation, and will, of course defer to your wisdom in this matter.”
But before Lucius could breathe a sigh of relief, the Hreck officer continued. “As a gesture of our eternal friendship, our fleet will remain on standby at the edge of this system in case you require our aid.”
“That’s very nice of you,” squeaked Lucius-Rivers. “But really…”
“The Outer Vent Defense Guild is quite adamant,” said slhfhk3423. The furry crustacean bowed a feeler in a gesture which totally conveyed the sentiment: SongLuminants, what can you do?
“I understand completely, slhfhk3423” said Lucius. “May I call you Sly for short?”
“Sly,” the crustacean repeated proudly. “I am Sly of the Hreck.”
Lucius flipped the transmitter off, then slipped into the back of Rivers’ mind. « Having a name instead of a designator will increase his status about 500%, » said Lucius. « I’m buttering him up. »
“He looks like he would taste good with butter,” said Rivers.
« You’re not kidding. A Hreck with a name will be served at a great banquet upon his death. »
“I’m waiting for the day when we get invited to eat the mortal remains of someone we know.”
« I’m going to leave that one to Lorcan. »
“What are you going to do now?”
« Go home. »
“What?!?”
« I’m not going to be able to get any answers here, and I’ll be useless if I get projection fatigue. I’ll be back in about 4 hours with a plan for when the fleet rolls in. »
“What am I supposed to do?” asked Rivers.
« Stay out of trouble, » Lucius replied.
*****
Lucius closed his eyes. “We bought some time,” he said. “All we have to do is defeat the Alliance fleet and the SongLuminants will stay out of our business.”
“Wonderful,” said Tara. “And how do we intend to do that?”
“Bluff,” said Lucius. “It’s worked so far.”
« There’s a good reason it might work again, » said Cüinn. « The communication time between Memehaven and Earth is half an hour. »
« That makes no sense, » said Mickey. « If it were true, why didn’t the Alliance fleet leave from Memehaven instead of Arthvea? »
« Because the shortest wormhole path from Memehaven to Earth is through a universe impossible for human life to survive, » said Cüinn. « However, inanimate objects, like message bots, can be sent through. Memehaven is a communications hub, and Earth sent most transmissions through there. That’s why CenGov wanted to take it. They’ve effectively blocked Earth’s major means of communication with its colonies. »
« I don’t get it, » said Tommy. « Why does that help our situation? »
« Because the Alliance fleet will have a chance to call home before they get into battle position, » said Cillian. « And Arthvea is certain to have told Memehaven about the incapacitation of the interception squad and the upcoming solar disaster. »
« So basically, I just threaten to do the same thing to the main fleet, » said Lucius.
« Stress the fact that it will leave them helpless in their greatest enemy’s backyard, » said Cillian.
« The only thing is that I’m really no good at intimidation, » Lucius added.
« Dude, » said Mickey, « you’ll be using Rivers’ body. Clive Rivers, who perfected sneering as an art form, and who uses sarcasm as a weapon of mass destruction. »
« Just relax and get as much rest as possible, » said Lugh.
« Shouldn’t we have a Plan B? » asked Ethan. « Just in case that doesn’t work? »
There was a moment of silence.
« I’m not really thinking of anything good, » said Owen.
« Me neither, » said Mickey.
« The cube, » said Cüinn. « While Lucius saves his strength, let’s get Tara in here to consult on the cube. »
Lucius opened his eyes. “They’re asking if you want to go inside of the pleroma for a bit. They have something to show you while we wait.”
“It’s better than sitting around, not knowing what’s happening and unable to do anything,” said Tara.
*****
The recruitment committee was waiting at the sacred pool. Tara showed up – with Darius, Rain and Vassali in tow. She gave me a look which said You weren’t planning on leaving out the new guys, were you?
« There it is, » said Malachi, indicating the truncated cube.
« Is it my imagination, or has it grown bigger? » asked Owen.
« It’s strange that it doesn’t seem to have any real color, » said Driscoll. « It’s clear, but solid, like glass. »
« Is that even a nul-being? » asked Tara. «It looks completely different from all the others. »
« Maybe, maybe not, » said Cüinn. « Our data is painfully limited. Everything we know comes from our memories and Lens’ observations near our roots. But we know for a fact that the nau’gsh interact with nul-energy. In areas of the galaxy with no trees, very different energy phenomena could arise. »
And then slowly, deliberately, Atlas extended a tiny rootlet towards the transparent figure. The two seemed to regard each other warily – or about as warily as a rootlet and a cube of nul-energy could regard each other. The cube pulsed slightly, then inched forward towards the rootlet.
The rootlet extended slightly towards the cube.
« I have an idea, » said Dermot. « Maybe Jamey can communicate with it. »
A few seconds later, Jamey, Lorcan, Seth, Blackjack, Tarlach, Beat, Harsh and Sloane arrived.
« Did you have to bring your whole posse? » asked Cillian. « It’s a good thing that this courtyard is enormous. »
Cüinn addressed Jamey: « Can you talk to it? »
I can send a message, says Jamey, but I’m not a true telepath. I’ll have no idea if it responds.
«He desires peace and seeks wisdom, » said Tannon.
« How can you be sure of that? » Cillian asked. « He could be an infiltrator. »
He’s not an infiltrator at all, Jamey decided. He’s so hyper-coherent, he will be impervious to mixing with the energy flow of the grove.
«You’re saying he’ll give us indigestion, » said Cillian.
« If he can’t mix with the energy of the grove, there’s no point in even considering this. »
« But there is, » Cüinn protested. « It could be a new stage in our evolution, like a kyanoplast. »
« You’re jumping to a lot of conclusions, » Tara said. « Do you even know that it wants to be part of you? »
« Why wouldn’t it? »
« Ailann has a point, » said Rand. « Any being capable of reason would want to advance your destiny. »
« If I started to believe that, I’d be likely to end up with a knife in my back, » Tara replied.
« We would never allow that to happen, » said Rand. « For one, Marius would see it coming. »
« Even if it did, you’d just end up back in here, and we’d re-emanate you. So you don’t have to worry, » I reassured her.
« Wow, did you guys miss the point, or did you miss the point? I constantly have to guard myself from accepting your world-view too closely, or I’d completely lose touch with reality. Any bullshit I say goes. If I said red was blue, you’d buy it. »
« Not at all, » refuted Driscoll. « We can certainly tell the difference between red and blue, and if we chose to humor your whimsical choice of vocabulary, it would have nothing to do with our ability to discriminate. »
« So you would basically lie to me. »
« We have, on occasion, delivered unpleasant truths, if we felt them essential to our mutual survival or success, » said Aran. « That has nothing to do with tactfully deferring to you on minor matters, such as naming conventions. And it most certainly has nothing to do with Rand’s irrefutable statement that any being capable of reason would advance your destiny. »
« We know that there are beings who will stand in your way, » said Rand. « Believe me, we’re enormously cognizant of that. The question is whether we consider them capable of reason – which clearly, they are not. »
« Wait a minute, » said Tara. « These are nul-beings. When you were in the nul-universe, you had no conception of organic life, let alone me. »
« We were ignorant, » said Rain. « I suppose that if some random Floatfish had never heard of you, I wouldn’t blame it. But once it was exposed to you, if it didn’t recognize the truth, then it’s basically no better than compost. »
Tara pursed her lips. « Do you have any idea how many religious purges were started because of thinking like that? Rain, every Cu’enashti thinks that its Chosen is the center of the universe – every one. »
« They’re just stupid, » said Rain.
« You guys have so many screws loose that I should start a hardware emporium, » Tara said under her breath.
« Look, just ask the cube, » said Lorcan. « If it is rational, it will want to join us. And if it isn’t, then we don’t want it anyway. »
« When did capacity for reason become a litmus test for branches? » asked Cillian, glancing in Davy’s direction.
« It’s not about rationality, » said Seth, butting into the conversation. « It’s about a shared spiritual affinity. »
Ow, said Jamey, it bit us.
Sure enough, the truncated cube had made contact with the rootlet, and had subsumed the tip.
« Is that little punk trying to eat Atlas? » asked Cillian incredulously.
The cube shoved itself suddenly forward, until the rootlet poked through the other side, and the cube appeared to be impaled.
« What the fuck is going on? » asked Cillian.
« It’s kinky, » said Davy.
« Wait, » said Tannon, « we can see a lot more of it now that part of us is inside of it. »
« It looks exactly the same on the inside, » said Lens.
« It keeps moving up the rootlet, » said Dermot. « Maybe it wants to be absorbed. »
That’s the wrong kind of rootlet, said Jamey. That’s a nutrient-gathering rootlet. Only rootlets that grow off the central taproot can absorb nul-energy.
« I and I did that on purpose, » says Cüinn. « He didn’t want to absorb it by mistake. After my screw up with Vassali, I guess I can understand that. »
I feel obligated to correct him. « Vassali was difficult, but he wasn’t a mistake. »
« It’s singing, » said Tannon. « Rather loudly. »
« I don’t hear anything, » said Cillian.
« You don’t have that gift. What does it sound like? »
« It goes tump dumpa dum dum, » said Tannon. « It’s very different from stars. Stars hum. They hum chord progressions which transition very slowly. This is repetitious and rhythmic, like a children’s song or maybe a sea chantey. It’s not at all militant – maybe playful is a better description. »
« I wish I could hear the stars singing, » said Rain.
« Here, » said Tara. « Maybe this will help. »
She held out her hand. It was empty. « Ninety-seven, » she announced grandly. An ornate box appeared, which she then handed to Rain.
« Oh, » said Malachi. « The gift boxes! »
Rain opened it eagerly. A blue moth flew into his mouth.
« Can you hear them now? » Tara asked.
Rain narrowed his eyes. « Not yet, » he said. « But I want to. » Then he nodded. « Yes, I can hear them now. »
« Did the gift box actually give you what you asked for? » questioned Malachi. « I didn’t think they worked like that. »
« No, » said Rain. « It gave me audacity. That means I can ask for things – both from Self and from Tara. And maybe get them. »
« That maybe makes you very useful, » said Cillian. « Or that maybe makes you a prick. »
« I want to be called by my real name, » said Rain. « I want to be called Rainier. I don’t like being called after an inanimate object, a reminder of the way the Yggdrasil emanations were treated like temporary employees. »
« I’m thinking prick, » said Cillian.
« No, » said Tara. « It’s a reasonable request. »
« She let me have my umlaut, » said Cüinn. « There’s a precedent. »
« How about the other Yggdrasil emanations? » she asked. « Do they want to be called by their full names as well? »
« Axel says he’s used to being called that, » Rainier reported. « And Lens says that it would be confusing to call him Laurence because of Sir Kaman’s husband, Lwrence. »
Beat also wanted to keep his name. « It’s cool, and I like the association with rhythm. Beatus is twee. »
« Like Beatus his meatus, » Davy snickered.
« But Till says that yes, he would prefer Tielo, » Rainer added.
« So it’s Rainier and Tielo, » said Tara. « That’s easy enough, right? »
She gave us a look that told us it was easy enough – in no uncertain terms.
« Can we get back to the cube? » asked Cüinn.
« Does it want to play with us? » asked Davy, waving the squirrel-puppet.
« Wait, » said Tara. « Before we go any further, are you serious about this? Could you really turn that cube into an emanation? »
« We won’t know until we try, » said Cüinn.
« It’s like the difference between a piece of fleshiwood and my statue of Daphne, » said Driscoll.
« No, » said Davy, « not Daphne. Galatea. »
« I’ve never made a statue of Galatea, » said Driscoll.
« Davy was using an allusion, » said Lorcan. « I realize how shocking that must seem. »
« I was not, » said Davy. « Except that Driscoll didn’t make Galatea, I did. Except that it was Goliath, not Galatea. »
« That counts as an allusion, » said Lorcan. « Both Galatea and Goliath are allusions. »
« Look, I love poetics as much as the next branch, » said Cillian, « but we can discuss that later. So shut the fuck up. »
« Davy, » said Tara, « seriously. Can you make an emanation of the cube? »
« Truncated cube, » corrected Driscoll.
« Do you like him? » asked Davy. « That’s the important question. »
« Well, it is kind of cute, the way it’s squirming up that rootlet. But it’s so different. The last thing I want to do is create another problem. After what I put Vassali through…»
« I’m fine, » Vassali said. « I apologize if my behavior was bizarre and rude. »
« Vassali would actually like another branch on Ophion to keep him company, » asserted Rainier.
« His name is Benbow, » says Davy.
« Davy named it, » said Rand. « Now we’re committed. »
« He’s a pirate, » said Davy.
« What? » said Aran.
« Better than being a conifer, » muttered Ethan.
« Do we really want to allow a pirate to board us? » said Aran.
« I’m telling you, he’s not hostile, » answered Tannon.
« Benbow was not a pirate, » injected Suibhne. « He was a properly commissioned admiral. »
« Tara, say hello to Benbow, » said Davy. « See how he responds. »
« Um, hello, » said Tara.
The cube glowed brilliant white, then something gradually faded into sight on the interior, a metallic sphere with dimpled grey patterns. It was very different from what we’d seen before, but still recognizably Cu’enashti, enclosed in a sort of force bubble. Then the patterns began to change color, moving from the deepest violet through the spectrum until settling on a rich, velvety red.
« Pomegranate, » said Driscoll. « That’s the color associated with the truncated cube. »
« He’s definitely intelligent, » said Malachi, « and also a team player. Jamey, tell him that if he wants to join us, he’ll have to move towards the taproot. »
« Informed consent, » said Seth. « You need to tell him the priorities. »
« Tell him that we’ll provide him with an orientation module, » said Tarlach.
« We don’t have an orientation module, » said Lorcan.
« We’ll convene a committee, » said Tarlach.
The cube trotted towards the taproot. Well, as much as a cube could possibly trot, but really, that’s the most accurate word to describe how it moved. As it neared one of the taproot’s subsidiary rootlets, it stretched like rubber, thinning to less than the diameter of the rootlet. There was a snap, then a sucking noise as it disappeared into Atlas.
« Wow, » said Davy. « That’s weird. Can you feel that? »
« Yeah, like it scrunched through the main body of the taproot, » said Tannon. « Then there was a sudden pop as it snapped back into shape. »
« Jamey was right, » said Cüinn. « It’s maintaining its structural integrity. »
« One down, twenty to go, » said Seth.
« Are we done with what you wanted me to see? » asked Tara.
« Pretty much, » said Owen. « We can return you…»
« Oh, I had something else in mind, » Tara replied, looking significantly at Cillian.
There was a sudden exodus from my garden. « See ya! » said Davy.
« Enjoy yourselves, » said Tommy waving.
« All volunteers for the orientation committee, follow me, » said Tarlach.
« I’ll look after Ellery, » said Callum, who snickered as they left.
In a brief moment, the space was empty save for myself, Tara and Cillian. Tara approached Cillian from behind, wrapping her arms around him. She leaned close and said, « Ailann fucks like God. »
« I know that, » Cillian said hoarsely.
Well, everybody did. It was true. It was a perk I received for being the Archon.
But what was I supposed to do? It was clear what Tara wanted. Cillian had turned away from me, and was unreadable. I suppose that under these circumstances, Tara’s desires always take precedence, but…
I dipped tentatively into Cillian’s branch. I encountered two streams of thought: « NO ONE TOPS ME EVER » and « yesyesyesyesyes. »
It was clear that Cillian was not going to be the one to decide. Of course, Tara could force the issue. That would make it easy for me, and Cillian could save face.
Tara was looking at me expectantly. No, she wasn’t going to make it easy. She never did. Tara gets off on the headfuck.
She glimpsed something in my eyes and moved away from him. I approached, placing my hand upon his shoulder. « From the beginning, you knew I wanted more. It was only a matter of time before I wanted everything. »
Cillian nodded almost imperceptibly and began to unbutton his shirt.
In a mannered and dignified fashion, I draped my robes over a nearby branch. Cillian folded his uniform, military-style, and set it upon a rock. There was no visible indication of passion, but the tension was thick. Was his heart beating as rapidly as mine?
Stiffly, Cillian crouched on hands and knees. He had the attitude of a man determined to accept his fate without betraying the least iota of fear. But when I touched him, his skin was hot, and he was trembling. Wanting and not wanting were still fighting a war within him.
He was strong, the strongest being I’d ever known, and now I needed to defeat him.
I heard the sound of grasses being crushed. Tara had settled beneath a shady tree, relaxing from a good vantage point. She was watching, the Chosen was watching – I’d better make it a good performance.
Cillian glanced up at her and she nodded. I felt something give way in him, and he muttered, « Sometimes the best strategy is a tactical surrender. »
I ran my hands down the solid musculature of his back. If I wanted, there was information I could access: Lugh and Owen were fairly straightforward; Whirljack and Blackjack played games; Quennel used all sorts of exotic techniques on Evan. I doubted that it mattered. I didn’t think I could hurt Cillian, and if I did, he’d probably enjoy it. Direct was probably the best approach.
I was nervous. In all honesty, I had been nervous my first time with Tara also. But one doesn’t get far at being God by displaying stage fright.
Nor does a warrior get far by admitting to his softness. Cillian with his love of literature, reading Elizabeth Barrett Browning when he thought that no one was paying attention. We were so much alike.
I started slowly, but soon gave in to my own natural impulses, the archetypal libido shared by all storm gods, something I generally keep on a tight rein. It was an impulse rooted in my origins; I hadn’t lied when I said I wanted everything. And I would have it; I would give it as a present to my wife. My eyes met Tara’s, and I wrapped one arm around Cillian, leaning forward while the other hand reached between his legs.
Ailann, he hissed through clenched teeth. « God! More! »
A reasonable litany of the divine names. Perhaps I should have Archbishop Venesti write it into the services.
Cillian cried aloud, and I knew he had lost himself to pleasure. And I would too, I would finally quench this longing which had existed for so unimaginably long. Two sparks bound together, but unable to touch, finally consummating in an act of animal passion.
This is why we exist. This and…
« My turn, » said Tara, who had already removed her clothes.
There was a moment’s hesitation; then I bent over Cillian’s ear and whispered, « Do it. »
He was mine. I could afford to be generous.
*****
In the meantime, Tarlach convened the orientation committee at the CCRP offices. He’d asked for participants from each tree, with especial emphasis on the new branches for their unique perspectives. He’d gotten Owen, Lugh, Thomas, Briscoe, Beat, Harsh, Tannon and Rainier to participate.
« What sort of information would be useful to a new emanation? » he asked. « Let’s brainstorm. »
« I don’t think we need a lot of background, » said Beat. « I knew instantly that I was a branch on a tree. »
« So did I, although you had an orientation module, and I didn’t, » said Thomas.
« Axel got a letter, » Beat replied. « Does that really count as an orientation module? »
« You had Tara’s locket, » said Lugh. « That’s an orientation module. »
Tarlach nodded sagely, typing into his datapad. We used to think that it was an affectation – of course, he had perfect recall of any conversation in his branch. Then we discovered that we could easily transmit anything recorded on a datapad within the pleroma to a datapad in manifest existence – Tara’s datapad, or mine, for example.
« Let’s focus on a concrete example, » Tarlach suggested. « Look at what happened to Chase. He didn’t have access to Tara. He didn’t have access to memories. He didn’t have access to his fellow branches. No wonder he got addicted to Black Opium-27. »
« But you know, Chase is, well, Chase is…kind of pink, » said Thomas.
« Don’t go there, » said Rainier.
« He can’t help what he is, » added Tannon.
« Now wait, » said Tarlach, holding up a hand. « This matter has to be approached with extreme sensitivity, but it’s a very important one. Science can’t steer away from confronting the difficult truths. The fact is that pinkish emanations have isolationist tendencies. That’s something we have to deal with. They’re going to have trouble being assimilated into the collective, and Chase is an excellent example. If we had understood his pinkish nature, we might have been able to help him adjust much better. At the same time, we have to realize that pinkish tones are a part of the spectrum, and as such factor into the overall design. We have to respect that pinkishness as well as harmonize with it. »
« Tarlach is wise, » said Tannon.
« So who else is pink, and have they been experiencing problems? » asked Lugh.
« Driscoll, » said Thomas.
« Are you sure? » asked Beat. « Driscoll is apricot. I mean, he has an orange streak a parsec wide. »
« Not pink, » said Tarlach. « Pinkish. Salmon and magenta. Driscoll qualifies. »
« Aran, » said Thomas.
There was an awkward silence.
« Aran used to intimidate me before, » said Harsh, « but now he really scares me. »
« Hmmm, » said Tarlach. « I don’t think there’s any remedy for that. I, for one, really wouldn’t presume to approach Aran and tell him that he needs magenta-mitigation therapy. »
« In other words, he scares you too, » said Owen.
« Darius, » said Thomas, quickly shifting the conversation.
« Darius spends a lot of time staring at the wall, » said Rainier.
« Hey, as a new emanation, why wasn’t Darius invited? » asked Briscoe.
« He was, » said Tarlach. « He didn’t seem interested. »
There was a general chorus of mmmm-hmm and clucking of tongues.
« But Darius really is pink, » said Lugh. « That means he doesn’t qualify, right? »
« Darius has a particular kind of genius, » said Tarlach. « We don’t want to interfere with that. At the same time, I don’t think it would hurt to assign him a mentor. Someone who would take him under his leaves. »
« I knew it, » said Lorcan. « This is yet another scheme to cruise for pollen partners. »
« What are you doing here? » asked Tarlach. « You’re not on this committee. »
« I’m here to represent the Big Budders program. You just said that you needed mentors, right? »
« I think that rather than ask for volunteers, we should approach branches who really know their roots, » said Tarlach. « Any suggestions? »
« Patrick, » everyone chanted in unison.
« That goes without saying, but he can’t mentor everyone, » said Tarlach. « And I think special, individual attention is important. »
« Pollination opportunity, » muttered Lorcan.
« We should assign mentors from a different tree, » says Owen. « Cross-pollination is tricky – and if we already have a branch assigned, we won’t lose cross-pollination opportunities like we have recently. »
« Excellent point, » said Tarlach. « And anything we can do to facilitate inter-grove communication is a plus. »
« Can I have Constantine as my mentor? » asked Tannon. « He’s pretty. »
« I’m not sure he’d be exactly the right fit, » said Tarlach. « He’s very eager to please, and I think you need someone more capable of fostering your own unique individuality. »
« The person that comes immediately to mind, » said Lorcan, « is Suibhne. »
Suibhne had returned to Daniel’s flat. « I’m being called, » he said.
« Wait, what about our sex kink project? » asked Manasseh.
« We need help on it anyway, » said Axel. We should probably ask Quennel. »
Quennel looked up lazily from the bed he was sharing with Evan. « What sort of help? »
« Fashion design, » said Axel.
« Kinky fashion, » said Manasseh.
Quennel shrugged. « You’ve asked the right branch. What are you looking at, leather, latex, lingerie…? »
« Definitely latex, » said Axel. « Or even rubber. »
« For one of you, or for Tara? »
Manasseh and Axel exchanged a nervous glance.
« Well, actually it was Suibhne’s idea, » said Axel. « Perhaps he should be the one to explain. »
« Penguins, » said Manasseh. « We want to dress the penguins in latex. »
As usual, Tarlach was eavesdropping. « What do you think about penguins in latex? » he asked Tannon.
Tannon shrugged. « Whatever gets them off. »
« Okay, I think this is going to work, » said Tarlach. « Who else wants a mentor? Rainier? »
« So basically, we’ve thrown over all pretense of respectability, » said Lorcan, « and it’s all about pimping. Why don’t I take Mr. Audacity? »
« What makes you think you have the qualities necessary to mentor him? » asked Beat.
« Because I’ve gone from a bitter, sarcastic, whining isolationist to a bitter, sarcastic, whining social butterfly, » said Lorcan. « I’ll be an excellent role model. And he’ll be an easy pollination. »
« All true, » Tarlach admitted.
« Wouldn’t social moth be a better term? » asked Thomas.
« It’s a good think Mickey isn’t here, » said Owen. « We’re so far off-piste that we’re water-skiing. »
« We should put together something concise about what it means to emanate, a history of our grove etc., » said Harsh. « After all, it can be accessed instantly in branch memories. »
« Maybe a welcome message from each of us? » suggested Lugh.
« Hi, I’m Lorcan. I like Baudelaire, thrash metal and dodgy bdsm scenarios. »
*****
Meanwhile, the three of us were enmeshed in our dreamy world of eroticism until I heard soft footsteps on the temple floor, then someone clearing his voice.
« Um, I hate to interrupt, » said Valentin, « but I always get stuck keeping time. Lucius is leaving for Earth. »
Dazed, I shook myself back to reality. « It’s time for you to go, » I said to Tara.
« You’re kidding, » she said. « I’m going with you. »
« What? »
« Why not? » she said. « I’m perfectly safe unemanated in the pleroma, maybe even safer than with Lucius when he’s so distracted. Am I supposed to sit around worrying about him while he’s practically catatonic? I’d rather be where the action is. »
Her statement was logical. She wouldn’t be in any particular danger. Would I and I allow it? I felt no objection on that level.
« No way, » said Cillian. « Are you forgetting that Lucius is possessing Clive fucking Rivers? You want Tara to be in his body? »
« It’s not an issue, » I replied. « Our contact with Lucius is limited when he does this. He’s more engaged with the person he’s possessing. In fact, Tara, you might find it boring. We’ll mostly be aware of Lucius’ body, sitting in a chair, feeling exhausted. »
« I want to be here, » she said. « Cillian, how can you even imagine that Clive is still an issue? Why would I want him when I have all this? » She stood, gathering up her clothes.
« Valentin, » she said, advancing towards him. « It’s been too long. »
I shared a knowing glance with Cillian. No, Rivers would not be a problem, nor would anyone else, as long as we could dazzle her with more.
*The Floatfish text is a warning against selling on any planet the merchant intends for repeat business – trans.