Convolvulus arvensis is a member of the morning glory family and shares its attractive flowers. The plant is so resilient that it still grows wild in the depleted and chemically contaminated soil of Earth. It was nostalgia for the white, trumpet-shaped flowers, so ubiquitous across the ruined Terran landscape, which prompted the colonists to transport C. arvensis, ignoring that it was once considered one of the most dangerously invasive plants in agricultural history. Bindweed, once established, is almost impossible to be rid of. A plant can produce up to 500 seeds per annum, and the seeds can remain viable for upwards of twenty years. In addition, the plant can produce several hundred roots which extend to nine meters deep in the soil, and it is capable of regenerating from a root fragment. It is mildly toxic to cattle, but mostly, it deprives other plants of resources and chokes out more beneficent forms of ground cover. Attempts at eradication must be extreme, multi-pronged and persistent. The most effective methodology is the use of a genetically targeted virus. Bindweeds do grow on the surface of Dolparessa, but are well-aware that if they forget their place, the Cu’endhari will come down on them – hard.
Illustration adapted from Prof. Dr. Otto Wilhelm Thomé Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz 1885.
Despite the fact that she had taken a shower not two hours previous, Tara decided that humoring Suibhne would be her best chance of getting an answer to her question. Frankly, we all wanted an answer to her question, not the least of which the Yggdrasil emanations.
« Are you sure nothing happened during the Chase restart? » Mickey asked Lens. « Or maybe two entities were absorbed when Aran became Archon, and you missed it? »
Lens shook his head. « It’s not something you could miss. What Suibhne said about Canopus – now that he pointed it out, I can see it happening in the roots of Yggdrasil. But the others were quite large, quite definite. You can look in my branch if you like. »
« It’s frustrating because we can’t remember any of it, » said Malachi.
« Actually, I can, » said Balin, « now that I’ve been reminded of it. »
We looked at him, shocked.
« Suibhne was right, » he said. « We were already conscious. Ten seekers banded together, banded for so long that any consciousness of our aloneness had faded. We had sought for so long, and found nothing. Our world was empty. We wanted a purpose for our existence. Then by sheer accident, we got drawn into the roots of Goliath. We wanted to know why it was there, so Ashtara told us. »
« He had n’aashet n’aaverti, » said Rand. « It was so perfect. It was the answer we’d always sought. »
« He told us we could help, » said Balin. « But He also said something important. He said that if we joined with Him, we would have to know love, and to know love meant to know pain. »
« And you said that for our sake, for the sake of all of us, that you would bear all the pain yourself, » said Harsh. « That’s why He made you the Archon. »
« Wow, » said Cüinn. « We’ve never even thought about that one – how is it decided who gets to be Archon? »
But before that question could be answered, Tara and Suibhne were intercepted by Lord Danak. “Ah, Archon Suibhne,” he said, shooting a concerned glance at Tara. “Is His Holiness truly prepared for the possibility of another Cu’ensali attack?”
Suibhne grinned. “Chop chop,” he said, gesturing with his hands.
“He’s probably more prepared to deal with violence than Ailann,” Tara replied. “Why? Did something happen?”
“Oh no, not at all. I was just hoping to speak to you on a …personal matter. Speak to you alone.”
Tara glanced at Suibhne. He stood there for a moment before saying, “Oh, right. I’ll go fill the bath.”
“There, Danak,” said Tara, “so what is so important that you wish to speak to me without the presence of the Archon?” Of course, Tara knew that Suibhne could hear perfectly well over the running water. She had just wanted to provide her trusted advisor with the illusion of privacy.
He looked hesitant, which was not a quality she associated with Lord Danak at all. But then again, he’d been changing, and she had hardly noticed. She thought of him as an old man; he was her father’s advisor, and she’d seen him that way even as a child. But that was no longer true; he was a man in the prime of his life, and she was surprised to note that he was handsome.
“When I was a young man, I was very idealistic,” he began. “My loyalty was to your father’s house. While there were certain…dalliances on my part, resulting in the birth of my son, your father’s well-being, and then yours, was always my primary concern. As the years passed, well, I wasn’t getting any younger, and the desires of the flesh diminished. But now, now I am getting younger, and I find that my youthful impulses return to me. It has occurred to me that perhaps I might take the opportunity to experience marital bliss the second time around. So I thought I would ask you.”
Suibhne nearly dropped his rubber duck.
“Danak,” said Tara, “I’m spoken for. Many times over.”
“Ask your permission, Eminence!” Danak blurted. “Your permission to marry.”
“This is a morning for surprises,” said Tara. “Let’s have a drink.”
“Suibhne prefers champagne,” called Suibhne from the bathroom.
“I suppose I could use one, even if it is before noon,” said Danak, glaring in the direction of Suibhne’s voice.
“Why would you do a thing like that?” said Tara. She moved to the bar. “I mean why ask me, not why get married.”
“It’s Siderian custom for the retainers of great aristocrats to require permission to wed. Often their lords arrange the marriages themselves.”
“I’ll do neither, Danak,” Tara said, furiously agitating a shaker. “Live your personal life according to your own desires.” She poured two and handed one to Danak. “Have you got someone in mind?”
“I was thinking of asking Lady Lorma.”
This news came as she took her first sip, and plunged her into a coughing fit. “Excuse me while I expectorate. I just sucked half a Chalkolo julep into my left lung.”
“She’s perfect,” Danak defended. “She’s the one person as dedicated to your well-being as I am. And have you seen her lately? She’s quite comely in her youth. Especially after that tussle with the sprites the other day. I love a feisty woman.”
“Danak, she’s Skarsian. I don’t know that you have the stamina.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She likes to keep three consorts because two don’t have enough staying power. I’d recommend RootRiot, but it doesn’t have that effect on humans.”
Danak reddened. “I’m man enough for the task.”
“The tub is full,” said Suibhne, emerging completely naked. “Where’s my champagne?”
Danak and Tara regarded Suibhne’s assets momentarily. “Of course, one supposes that the wife of the Living God of Skarsia might well be jaded,” he said, tossing back his drink. “Thus fortified, I believe I’ll be on my way. Wish me luck.”
“You’ll need more than luck if you don’t swear off dancers from the Bent’k Cabaret,” said Tara.
« You know, » said Cüinn, « Danak and Lady Lorma are really dedicated to Tara’s well-being. Maybe we should invite them into the grove. »
« I think I just dropped all my leaves, » said Cillian.
« Remember what Tara said, » Cüinn replied. « We’re going to need more of us to fill out the rest of the color space. »
« Lord Danak and Lady Lorma aren’t practical choices, » said Dermot. « Humans are one being with divided purposes, but Cu’enashti are multiple beings with a unified purpose. »
Suibhne helped Tara into the bath, then settled in across from her. Tara’s bath was enormous; it could probably have fit ten people comfortably. That wasn’t always to our advantage. There were a number of times when emanations had wished for slightly closer quarters. I wouldn’t know; I’ve never bathed with Tara – well, other than that occasion in the fountain in Suibhne’s palace, and we were hardly alone.
« And whose fault is that? » asked Cillian.
« She never invited me. »
« You never asked, » he replied. « You thought it was beneath your dignity. »
I knew that Cillian was probably right. I’d been aloof from everyone, and it hadn’t served me well. In response, Ellery cuddled closer to me; I stroked his hair. Then I had a sudden realization. « I and I chose to reveal his heart through the Canopus emanations. It goes to show that the other trees are just as important as Atlas. »
« Those experiments we did last year couldn’t have been for nothing, » said Ace. « All the branches in the grove were meant to come together. »
« Um, Ace, I’m gonna steal a leaf from Davy’s branch and say that’s obvious, » Tommy remarked. « That’s how pollination works. »
« That’s not what I meant, » said Ace. « Although, maybe it was what I meant. »
« I know what you meant, » said Mickey, putting his arm around Lens. « You meant that we’re in this together. All of us. »
Mickey had identified the unspoken thing that had been troubling us. Not knowing the origin of the Yggdrasil emanations, could we rely on them? Personally, I thought it was a foolish question, but I knew we were on the verge of paranoia.
« I wouldn’t have let Axel play with my puppet if I didn’t trust him, » said Davy.
« Squirrel jumps on the log, » said Axel. « The big log. »
« Thank you for that image, » said Evan. « Somebody bleach my brain. »
« Ask Suibhne to rinse it, » said Cillian.
Suibhne was, at that moment, washing the suds out of his long, thick hair with a hand-sprayer. “Rain,” he said. “It isn’t real rain, though.”
“Real rain lacks enough water-pressure for showers,” said Tara.
“Rain,” Suibhne repeated. “Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day. Why do people want the rain to go away?”
“Well, I suppose because it’s generally inconvenient for human leisure. On the other hand, it’s essential for agriculture, so it’s strange that it has become a trope for sorrow, especially when over-exposure to the sun can cause dehydration and death. Maybe we just like the sun because it feels better on our skin. Maybe it’s because rain resembles tears.”
“Rain is excellent,” said Suibhne. “Sun and rain are like a sucksow sausage and a cola.”
“That’s different way of looking at it.”
“Yum,” said Suibhne. “Driscoll says that he would’ve said a chateaubriand and a glass of Slacchem Merlot 3602.” Suibhne took Tara’s hand, looking seriously into her eyes. “Driscoll is a pompous ass,” he pronounced.
The pleroma shook with laughter. « I retract my earlier assessment, » said Aran. « Suibhne is smarter than I gave him credit for. »
“I’ve noticed,” Tara replied. “Nevertheless, I love him, and he has amazing talent.”
“But I meant to talk about Rain, not Driscoll,” said Suibhne. “Maybe he can answer your question.”
Tara smiled faintly. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Rain,” said Suibhne. “Being that he’s an Yggdrasil emanation and all.”
Tara stared at Suibhne for a long time. “You always do something like this,” she said finally.
“Like this?” he said, squeezing his ducky so that it squeaked.
“Like dropping a bombshell when I’m completely unprepared for it. Rain hasn’t emanated yet, Suibhne.”
“I’m hungry. Can we have sucksow sausages and cola?”
“Redberri cola,” said Tara. “With a vodka chaser.”
*****
Tara didn’t speak much during lunch. Suibhne didn’t mind, using the time to make origami penguins out of the paper napkins. After they had finished eating, Tara broke the silence. “Should I try to summon Rain?”
“I can do that for you,” said Suibhne. “I’m an Archon, too, remember? I can control the weather.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
Suibhne grinned. “Aww, you got me. You can summon anyone you like. That’s why we gave you the correspondence chart.”
“Yes, but Rain hasn’t emanated yet. Is it even going to work?”
Suibhne shrugged. “Dunno. Won’t know unless you try.”
« It probably will, » said Malachi. « Most of the time, if Tara wants an emanation, we can just switch, like Suibhne switched for Ailann. I can’t recall a time when the Mover ever refused her if she asked, but she doesn’t like to ask. »
« So you’re thinking that the system of ritual magick was more than just giving her a way to call us without asking, » said Seth. « You’re thinking that it was meant to allow her to force a new emanation. »
« For most Cu’enashti, an emanation is a result of a trauma, » Dermot said. « It takes a lot of focus to emanate at will. But if Tara initiates the process, then the force of our n’aashet n’aaverti will just take over. »
“I’m a little afraid of this,” said Tara, “but I’ll try the candles. Let me get the correspondence chart.”
“Right. I’m going to the bathroom then.”
“You don’t need to ask permission.”
“To change.”
“Suibhne! It’s not like I’ve never seen you change before.”
Suibhne cast his eyes towards the ground. “I’m modest.”
“Lord love a digger soufflé.”
“Besides, if Rain sees you first thing, he might get screwed up like Aran did.”
“That’s a point. All right, I’ll go get the candle.”
When Tara returned, Suibhne was gone. She lit the candle, a veladora – a tall glass votive with Rain’s symbol, the Minchiate trump titled La Stella, painted on the side. The candles were official paraphernalia of the Church of the Blueblack Ambit of Love, an official heresy of Archonism devised by Archbishop Seth. They were a dumbing-down of CBAL’s occult teachings; Tara privately thought that anyone who used them for meditation was a few punchers shy of a wormhole, everyone, that is, except herself, because in her own instance, they actually worked.
She lit the candle. The door chimed. “That was fast,” she said, opening it.
It was Lord Danak. “Actually, it took me quite a while to nerve myself up, despite the julep. But I didn’t come here to deliver the happy news. I came to warn you that Ambassador Rivers has lodged a formal protest against our trade negotiations with the Alliance of Mankind.”
“Clive is a prick,” said Tara. “He was a prick when I was seeing him, and he’s a prick now. Some people never change.”
“Hi.” A man emerged from the bathroom, much smaller and less boisterous than Suibhne. His expression was serious, and his opal blue eyes seemed deep in thought. He had a mustache which connected to a thin, chinstrap beard, just enough to accentuate his strong jawline. With his dark, careless hair and tweed jacket, he most resembled a young professor at a trendy university. “You called me?”
“Other people change remarkably, at the drop of a feather.”
“Another one?” said Lord Danak. “Didn’t Prince Briscoe emanate the day before yesterday? Are new emanations on discount this week?”
“I’m sorry,” said Rain, “was I mistaken? It seems that I’ve arrived at an inconvenient time.”
“Not at all,” said Tara, taking his arm and leading him to the sofa. “Danak, convey my congratulations to Lady Lorma. As for Clive, let’s just let him stew.”
“He’ll probably come here, seeking an audience.”
“I’ll deal with that when it happens. Bye.”
“I’m actually surprised to be here,” Rain said, leaning forward in his seat, his hands dangling between his knees. “The war with the Denolin Turym never materialized, so the remaining Yggdrasil emanations are redundant.”
“You’re a part of Ash,” Tara said. “And not redundant at all. You’re a part of the plan – facilitative inspiration, whatever that means.”
“Oh, from the color space,” he said. “I think it means that I’m supposed to give you ideas.”
“I’m getting ideas,” Tara said, running her eves over his body. “But business before pleasure. I have some questions to ask.”
The door chimed. It was Clive Rivers. “That wasn’t stewing,” said Tara. “That was barely even poaching.”
“What?” said Rivers.
“You know, other people actually make appointments for an audience with me. I am the Matriarch of Skarsia.”
“Lady Lorma knows that it would be pointless to try to stop me, I’ve suitably intimidated all of your security men, Danak is too smart to provoke a diplomatic incident, and I’ve got some holos of Zosim that he doesn’t want in the public eye. Actually, that makes him a security risk. You should probably dismiss him.”
“I like Zosim.”
“Being sentimental will get you killed.”
“Sentiment killed the yak, a Cu’enashti brought him back. Besides, if I wasn’t sentimental, you’d be dead right now, so shut it.”
“I’d like to believe saving my life was a declaration of loyalty, something you are sorely in need of right now. You do realize that the Alliance of Mankind is a front for CenGov?”
“You do realize that the Alliance of Mankind is shitting itself since Lucius played ping pong with the officers of their fleet?”
“I told you to allow the SongLuminants to handle it.”
Rain rose from the couch. “I don’t think you should use that tone of voice with my wife,” he said.
Rivers gaped at Rain. “Is that three this week?” he asked.
“Why do you care?”
“It gives me some small measure of solace. I was with you for almost a year and a half. Apparently, Ashhole can’t keep your interest for more than two days.”
Rain turned angrily away, deliberately looking out the window.
“Don’t let it bother you, Rain,” Tara snapped. “Clive is just being a frrrrrvhhhd* because he’s not getting his own way.”
“This isn’t just personal, you realize. I’m speaking with the force of the People’s Earth Government.”
“Ooooh, I’m scared. You and I both know that Tellick is holding that planet together with metatack and vintage sticky notes. Whereas I’m the Nuncio to the Combine of Sentients, and if you cross me, the SongLuminants will kick your sorry ass.”
“You don’t have the guts. You didn’t have the guts to loose the SongLuminants on CenGov, and you’ve a lot more reason to do that.”
“Well, maybe we’ll just take Earth ourselves. There’s a lot of talk in the Domha’vei about reclaiming the homeworld.”
Rivers’ pointedly histrionic bravado stopped in mid-exaggerated gesture. “You aren’t considering that?” he asked quietly.
“From what Ta’al Erich says, the Heroes of Volparnu are up for it. But the High Council agrees that it would be a mistake – enormously costly, difficult to hold, and for what reason other than stupid nostalgia? I have other reservations. The Domha’vei is evolving in a different direction. Retaking Earth would be a step backward. And what the hell would we do about the heresy laws?”
“There’s only one flaw in your reasoning. People are rarely rational when it comes to symbolic gestures. I’ve spent the last six years – give or take a year off for my excursions to Nightside and Shambhala – fighting over that hellhole. Why? Vengeance? Stubbornness? Maybe just because I was born there. The minute we won, I was overjoyed to be on a diplomatic transport back to a place with decent food and hot showers. Trust me, Tara, you don’t want Earth – but that doesn’t mean you won’t be forced into taking it.”
“No. I already played that game with Tasea. It’s taken twenty years to straighten that place out, and there are still malcontents. And Tasea is the next star system over. Extending our reach to Earth would be a misery and a tactical mistake.”
“What would you do if Earth were to ask for your help?”
“What?”
Rivers laughed. “It’s being floated. Of course, Tellick is dead set against it – he wants to hold onto what power he has. But certain members of the government have realized that it would be a nice way to shift the economic burden onto you, while invoking the protection of the Combine. Now you tell me how the average Skarsian citizen is going to react if you refuse to help the homeworld in its time of need?”
“Uggggggh.”
“Your best bet here is, of course, to covertly support Tellick,” said Rivers, smiling like a sawblade. “In which case, it isn’t the best idea to make him look like an idiot by negotiating with the Alliance of Mankind.”
“I’ve been rude. Rain, would you like a drink?”
“I’ll take some of Ailann’s scotch,” said Rivers.
“I didn’t offer you any.”
“Just water,” said Rain.
“Right. One water, one water with a significant wee drappie of scotch.” Tara poured three glasses; I’ve noticed (to my discomfort) that the verbal sparring between Tara and Rivers rarely extended into action. They have an acrimonious friendship which I find particularly difficult to understand.
Mickey started to laugh. « Ailann, why do you think I get laid so often? » he asked. « Why are you her favorite? Tara likes to fight. »
« I’d really rather not fight with her, » I replied.
« That’s because you haven’t learned how to turn it into a game, like Mickey and I have, » said Wynne. « Or like Cillian. »
« A fight with Tara is traumatic, » said Ari. « I don’t see how it could be a game. »
« You’re not a player, » Wynne replied. « But that’s fine. Tara loves you as you are. »
Tara handed out the drinks. “I’ll have to think about this,” she said. “I’ve been allies with Tellick before, but I don’t trust him.”
“That’s wise,” said Rivers. “I don’t either, but he does act predictably – usually. He always acts to his own advantage. The problem is that one never knows how many secret deals he has arranged on the side.”
“That’s a matter of intelligence,” said Tara. “We have very good intelligence.”
“YO!” said Marty. “Was that my cue?”
“Are any of your people on Earth?”
“Ahhahaha. Is that a serious question? My people infest Earth. There’s a little vacation spot in Tierra del Fuego that’s to die for. Of course, I mean that literally. Most Twist don’t survive their vacations.”
“I thought Wynne was taking care of that.”
“Do you have any idea how many Twist there are in the seven galaxies we inhabit? Let’s just say that a much greater proportion of humanity is immortal now than the proportion of immortal Twist.”
“How many humans are immortal?” asked Rivers.
“Making our best guess about the number of people under the protection of a Cu’enashti, both on Dolparessa and Shambhala, not more than three million,” Tara answered. “Most Cu’enashti aren’t strong enough to protect a family larger than four. Ash is currently protecting around 450 when you count the high-status retainers, the High Council, and their immediate relatives. But there’s a difference, Marty. The Twist become true immortals. Humans can only be fixed. Ash can stop them from aging, heal their illnesses, but an inconvenient accident could still kill them.”
“Not exactly,” Marty replied. “Wynne just warps the probability of particle decay to near-zero. But it ain’t zero, baby. So I guess that means the same thing for humans and Twist – death is a matter of bad luck.”
“To get back on topic, Marty, we don’t need a report on Tierra del Fuego. We need to infiltrate Tellick’s quarters on the control satellite. Find out how many deals he’s doing behind our backs.”
“Got it. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Marty, there’s something I’ve been wondering,” said Rivers. “How is it possible for something of your size to be so well-informed? Lacking a brain, how can you possibly store the data?”
“We write really, really small,” said Marty.
“I sometimes think that the Twist are a practical joke the universe is playing with us,” muttered Rivers.
“I think that about the Floatfish,” said Tara.
“What do you intend to do about the Alliance of Mankind?” Rivers asked, rising.
“Stall for time,” said Tara. “I generally find that at least half my problems resolve themselves when I do that.”
*****
After Rivers had left, Tara called for a private dinner. Addick Heyan, chief butler of Court Emmere, brought the salad course: bhotweed with a redberri vinaigrette. There were chopped walnuts in a bowl on the side. Tara glanced at Rain; she actually liked nuts, but generally deferred to the sensitivities of the emanation accompanying her. The more traditional of us avoided nuts (I, for one, can’t stomach them), but some, like Aran, ate them deliberately to outrage.
Rain gestured at the bowl. “Are we supposed to eat these?”
“Do you want to?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never had them before. Then again, I’ve never had anything before.”
Tara shrugged and sprinkled the nuts over the top of the dressing-soaked leaves. After a moment, Rain followed suit.
They ate in silence. “You’re rather a quiet one,” said Tara.
Rain stared uncertainly at his salad. “I’m just not quite sure why you called me,” he said softly.
“Suibhne suggested it. He said that you could answer the question of where Yggdrasil’s emanations originated.”
Rain looked surprised, then panicked. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t have any memory of what happened before Yggdrasil grew?”
“Am I supposed to?”
“I don’t know. Maybe not.”
“If anyone would know, it’s Lens. I’ll ask him.”
Lens shook his head.
« I have another idea, » said Malachi. « You focused on the emanation of the Archons. But maybe you could find out more if you looked around the time the trees started to grow. »
« I can only see what the mothman sees, » said Lens. « Yggdrasil was formed by the efforts of the grove at that time, the twin trees Atlas and Goliath. The animating force seemed to come from within them. »
“I’m sorry,” said Rain. “Nobody seems to know.”
« But it’s strange, » said Axel. « We didn’t know our names. We were given them. The other thing we were given was Tara’s locket. »
“Axel says that we had your locket.”
“Oh, this one?” said Tara, pulling it from beneath her blouse. “I always wear it…”
Rain jumped up suddenly, lunging across the table, knocking the cruet of dressing to the side as he did so. Tara quickly caught it before it spilled onto her skirt. Rain froze, halting suddenly with his arm extended. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “May I touch it?”
“Of course.”
The locket was a gift from Daniel to Tara, and had originally held a hologram of the two of them. It now held images of Tara with all the emanations except the last three. Whoever or whatever was responsible for it hadn’t updated it yet, perhaps lacking a suitable happy memory to include.
Rain’s fingers brushed across it lightly. His eyes grew distant, and he whispered, “This was it. This is what it was.”
“It’s what?”
“There was nothing, so much nothing. And then I felt it – it was something. It was everything. And then there were others with me, thinking the same thing. Thinking. There were others, which meant that I was. Suddenly, to be nothing, to be alone, it was unbearable. And then we were told – there was an inarticulate voice – that we could have a chance to have it for our own if we agreed to exist. But existing meant facing destruction. If we survived, we’d have a chance to live.”
“Ash,” said Tara. “This is how you planned to work it, isn’t it? You promised me that your emanations weren’t expendable, so you recruited mercenaries. The contract was if they won, they’d get to join the squad.”
« It was no happy accident, no coincidence that we found them, » said Cillian. « I and I used the locket as bait. »
« I suppose that explains a lot, » said Beat.
« It doesn’t explain anything, » said Harsh, throwing his arms around Beat. « It doesn’t explain everything that you’ve become. »
« It’s all right, » said Axel. « It’s worth what we went through – how can anyone look at Tara and not think it was worth it? »
« It was extraordinarily unethical, » said Tarlach. « I’m disgusted with myself. »
« No it wasn’t, » Whirljack rebutted. « Our entire purpose was to protect Tara. That’s the only standard by which we can be judged or should judge ourselves. »
« Since it all turned out well in the end, there’s no problem, » I asserted faintly.
« Of course you feel that way, » said Aran. « You operate from a sense of innate compassion, which means that everything is fine as long as everyone is happy. You don’t actually have a sense of absolute right or wrong – but this was wrong. We indoctrinated them. »
« It wasn’t indoctrination, » said Whirljack. « It’s not like we captured them in a nul-chamber and forced them to cooperate. They never would’ve joined us if they weren’t drawn in by Tara. I and I used the locket as a test to see who would be appropriate. »
« The Mover caused them to become self-aware while they were in the nul-universe, » Aran rebutted. « We’ve all seen how Ailann reacted to that. And then the Mover showed them Tara. Do you really believe that there was a choice? »
Rain dropped back into his seat. “Can we go outside?” he asked. “I want to look at the stars.”
Tara nodded mutely. She was furious – I could see that. But she wasn’t angry at Rain, and she’d learned enough over the years not to take it out on him.
The night was slightly cool, not unpleasantly so. Only once in my memory had it ever gone below freezing on Dolparessa, and that was when the world was on the verge of doomsday. Tara, unused to the chill, shivered slightly. Rain draped his jacket around her shoulders.
“It’s so beautiful,” Rain murmured. “I don’t know why I wanted to see the stars. It’s a comfort to me somehow.” For a moment, they stared in silence into the velvet of the night. “I was supposed to be a soldier,” Rain said bitterly. “What kind of soldier would I have been?”
“You shouldn’t worry about that,” said Tara, “You have a chance now, a chance to be anything that you’d like. Maybe you should be an astronomer.”
“Tara,” he mused. “In some of the old languages, it’s the word for ‘star.’” He gazed into the distance. “I can’t even see home from here.”
“Home? You mean Nightside? It’s not visible to the naked eye. The Tucana Dwarf Cluster is one of the most remote.”
He nodded. “It’s the loneliest place in the universe. And that’s where the Eer-gaaani chose to put the Denolin Turym, the loneliest species in the universe. They meant well, but the Eer-gaaani really missed the shuttlecraft on that one. They were just thinking of preserving the Denolin, not realizing that the Denolin would have preferred death to isolation.”
“But things turned out well for them. Where’s there’s life, there’s hope.”
“You really believe that?”
“I do. When Daniel died, I had no hope left. Look at us now. It took me a long time to get here, but if there’s one thing in this universe that I believe in, it’s that we’ll be together somehow.” Tara placed her hand upon his chest, breathing in deeply. “You smell like rain, like the forest after a rainfall. Your heart is beating so quickly, like the patter of water on leaves.”
If Rain could’ve put his soul in a bag, he would’ve handed it to her.
*A Floatfish fecal pouch – trans