Planet of trechery, p.19
Planet Of Trechery, page 19
"It was his orders that put you here. He..."
The pirate got no further in his speech, as he was cut down from behind by a sharp blow to the base of his neck. Yvette lifted her head to see who her mysterious savior might be, and saw to her amazement that it was Fortier. He'd disguised himself by shaving off his mustache, letting his hair grow long and darkening his skin pigment, but it was unquestionably the same man who had taken off in the ship with her husband. "I'm glad to see you again," Yvette said. "Did everything go smoothly? Why did you come back?"
Fortier cocked his head and eyed her curiously, as though he didn't know her at all. "State the nature of our business," he said sharply.
It was Yvette's turn to be suspicious. Could this somehow be an imposter? She decided on a test. "I'm afraid the drug disoriented me. What does the timepiece say?" The word "timepiece" was Fortier's codename; the real Fortier should react to that, but an imposter wouldn't.
She could see Fortier relax visibly, and he stooped over her unconscious jailer to find the key that would unlock her chains. "Are you from NIT' he asked as he searched through the pirate's pockets.
That question did nothing to allay Yvette's suspicions. "No, SOTE," she said. "Which you should remember perfectly well."
Fortier had found the key and was freeing her of her bonds. "I'm sure that damnable doppelganger does, but I've never had the honor of meeting you, gospozha."
A chill of premonition ran down Yvette's spine. "What do you mean, doppelganger?" she asked, making the question sound much more casual than it really was.
Fortier took a deep breath and began his story. "Several months ago I was alone on the surface when I was ambushed by that... double. I hid in a small cave behind a waterfall and shot at him with my stun-gun, but nothing happened-he just kept coming at me. Then he fired a blaster and hit me on the right side of my chest. It should have killed me, but it didn't; I think some of the beam's energy must have gone into heating the water from the waterfall before it reached me. My chest is badly scarred up, and I passed out from the pain, but I lived.
"When I came to I was buried beneath a pile of rubble. I can only imagine that my double, whoever he is, used his blaster to cause a rockslide and bury what he thought was my dead body. Again, the rockslide should have killed me, but it didn't; I suppose I should thank my DesPlainian heritage for giving me such a tough body.
"I was alive, but I was in pretty wretched shape. I lay there in pain for a couple of days before I could gather enough strength to push the rocks off me and crawl out. There was plenty of water flowing past to wash my blaster wound and the cuts and bruises I got from the rockslide-but it was another day and a half before I could stagger to my feet and wander into the jungle to find something to eat.
"I spent a week in the jungle, living off whatever I could scavenge while I waited for my strength to return. I had plenty of time to think. The only reason a duplicate of me would want to kill me is to take my place--which means someone went to a great deal of trouble to learn a lot about me. That someone thought I was dead now, and I saw no reason to let him know otherwise; I might learn more this way. As soon as I felt well enough again, I slipped back into the base.
"One of the best things about this place is that it's so crowded that no one really knows anyone else. I was able to darken my complexion with the juice from some berries from the jungle, and I let my hair grow long and shaggy. I shaved my mustache at the first chance I got, and just started mingling , with the ordinary men. Unfortunately I couldn't get too close to my double to see what he was up to; I was afraid he might spot me. I saw him with you a couple of times, but that didn't mean anything-I had no way of knowing which side you were on. I spent months roaming around the base, but I haven't really learned anything I didn't know before.
"Then, just a short while ago, the order came down that all ships would be sent into battle. I didn't want to get trapped on one of them, so I hid until they were all gone. I figured the base would be practically deserted, and I could put in a subcom call to Luna Base to warn them. I was on my way to the Communications Room when I heard the voices in here and stopped to investigate. That's about it so far."
Yvette had been rubbing her wrists and ankles while he talked, massaging life back into them. Fortier's story had a ring of horrible truth to it-a truth she didn't want to believe because of what it implied. "It's a nice story," she said noncommittally.
Fortier smiled. "I see. You want some proof that I'm not the double, right?"
"Exactly."
"Khorosho, what would it take?"
"I've worked against those doubles before. They're carefully constructed robots. If you're the real thing, you'll bleed; if you're not, you won't."
Fortier thought for a moment, then looked around for some thing to use as an instrument. Picking up the key to the chains again, he scratched one edge along the back of his left hand. He squeezed the flesh and a satisfactory thin line of red appeared. "How's that?" he asked.
"I'm convinced," Yvette said. "But I wish I weren't." Because that meant that her husband had just gone off alone in a spaceship with the fourth of Lady A's deadly robots-on a mission that had suddenly twisted itself beyond her ability to understand.
Chapter 16
A New Empress
The d'Alembert ship, traveling at top speed all the way from Gastonia, made it back to Earth in time for the Coronation. Jules and Vonnie landed at the Vandenberg Spaceport shortly after dawn on Friday morning, and the Head had a special jet waiting there to take them into Angeles-Diego. The two agents were tired after their ordeal and long trip, but exhilarated at the same time by the thought of actually attending this ceremony normally reserved for the highest of the nobility.
They arrived at Bloodstar Hall three hours before activities were to start, and found special admittance passes in their names waiting for them. They were escorted to the backstage area and SOTE's security control checkpoint, where conditions were chaos incarnate. People were running around busily, giving orders right and left, seemingly at random--yet the d'Alemberts knew that there was indeed a rationale behind every action, no matter how hectic the scene looked.
The Head and his daughter were in the center of a mob, being bombarded with questions of where to go and what particular assignment to carry out. Nevertheless, when he noted the arrival of the DesPlainian team, the Head squeezed his way through the throng and over to their side. "I'm glad to see you've made it," he said. "We've acted on your information, though I don't have time to explain it all now. Do you think you would be able to help our security contingent here? I'll understand perfectly if you say you're too tired."
The thought of actually taking part in Edna's Coronation, no matter how far behind the scenes, overcame any feelings of fatigue. "We'd be delighted to help," Jules said quickly, and Yvonne added her own, "Only too happy."
The Head smiled. "Good. I hope it'll be an easy assignment. We're not expecting any trouble within the hall itself, and we're making constant scans for weapons. So far we haven't found any. If C sticks to his plans, the attack won't come until tomorrow, so today's events should go well.
"As Grand Duke of Sector Four I'll have to be in the audience and Helena, as my daughter and heir, will be with me. Have to keep up appearances, after all, though I'd be much more useful back here. Ima Takanabe will be running the checkpoint; I'll take you over and introduce you. She can give you your assignments for the day."
He led them over to a woman directing much of the backstage traffic, in her forties and about the same height as the d'Alemberts themselves. She was the picture of efficiency. "Colonel Takanabe, these are agents Wombat and Hedgehog. Use them wherever you need two exceptionally talented people." Then, with only a slight nod, he was off again to round up his daughter and take their seats in the audience.
Colonel Takanabe was impressed. Like everyone else in the Service, she knew the codename Wombat as one of the top people in the organization-and while she had never heard of Hedgehog, she knew that any partner of Wombat's had to be among the best. She needed but an instant's thought to decide where to station the two newcomers to best effect.
Jules and Yvonne ended up behind the scenes, one on either side of the enormous platform that served as both altar and dais for the Coronation ceremony. Their job looked easy, but it was deceptive. They were to be constantly scanning the audience for the slightest sign of trouble-and if anything untoward occurred, it was their task to remedy it without disrupting the ceremony if at all possible. The job required absolute concentration throughout the many hours of the ceremony, and could not be taken lightly. It was also a job that, if performed correctly, would receive no notice at all except in Takanabe's efficiency report.
The rites had actually been going on for many hours before the d'Alemberts had arrived at the hall. Emperor Stanley Ten had gone on Galaxy-wide live broadcast the night before to announce his official abdication, to become effective upon the crowning of his daughter. He then made the pro forma call for the nobles of the Empire to gather together to proclaim Edna as Empress Stanley Eleven, supreme ruler of the Empire of Earth.
There followed, on that same broadcast, a rare televised meeting of the Chamber of Thirty-Six wherein the grand dukes of all thirty-six sectors of space unanimously issued a proclamation requesting Crown Princess Edna to assume the Throne. The scene then shifted to the College of Dukes, where the planetary rulers met in council. Not all the 1,368 dukes in the Empire were present, of course; only twice in history had every duke been in attendance simultaneously at the College, and both occasions occurred early in the Empire's history, when there were far fewer dukes. Nevertheless, the College managed a splendid turnout, and their pomp rivaled that of the grand dukes as they issued an identical proclamation.
The scene then shifted back to the Imperial Palace, where Edna Stanley acknowledged the proclamations and agreed to become the new Empress. She then made a speech to the people of the Empire, while her father stood proudly behind her-one of the few times in the last five decades that he had ever stood in the background. Edna gave a glowing tribute to the peace and prosperity during her father's reign; she called him "the greatest of the Great Stanleys" and pointed out that during his reign the Empire expanded by nearly twenty-three percent.
Moving from the past to the future, Edna spoke in general terms of the goals she wanted to accomplish for the Empire. Her speech was simple and distinct, delivered without a trace of nervousness or self-consciousness. All her life Edna had trained to become empress; she now looked and acted the part to perfection. Those who heard her speak that evening--and the vast majority of people within the Empire did, no matter what time it was on their respective worlds--could have no doubts at all about her capacity to administer the largest empire man had ever created.
At no time did Edna allow her audience the slightest inkling that the Empire was under the threat of imminent attack from a navy that could very well rival her own. Only the positive was mentioned that night, and only smiles could be seen on official faces.
When the broadcast ended, the public observance of the rites went into abeyance-but the traditions went on nonetheless. It was traditional for the Empress-designate and her husband to spend the night awake, fasting and meditating. In part this was a practical measure, since few incoming rulers were able to get much sleep the night before the Coronation anyway, and were glad of the chance to rehearse their part in the next day's festivities. In Edna's case, part of the time was spent in consultation with her top military advisors, going over plans to thwart the impending attack by C's forces; the rest of her energy was indeed devoted to meditation, under the guidance of her husband Liu, a fully trained mystic from the planet Anares. The two of them spent many hours that night kneeling face to face on the floor in a dimly lit room, surrounded by servants and courtiers. The royal couple held hands, but did not speak a word; in the months since their marriage, they had reached a development in their relationship where words were unnecessary.
Shortly before dawn the meditations were broken along with the fast. The couple was led to a banquet table where a sumptuous feast had been laid out for them. Custom required, however, that they only taste from each of the plates; they had to take in some nourishment to face the long day ahead, but at the same time they knew that too heavy a meal might tend to make them feel logy or sick. Their selections and portions were carefully chosen by the Imperial physician ahead of time for best effect.
Edna and her husband were then separated for the ritual bathing and dressing. Each was anointed with scented oils and perfumes, then dressed ceremoniously by teams of attendants. The official coronation robes worn by the Empress-designate and her consort were centuries old, dating back to the very beginnings of the Empire. Edna wore a sideless surcoat of cloth-of-gold, heavy with jewels, over a white satin dress with a three-meter train; around her shoulders was a scarlet mantle edged with ermine. Her hair, undecorated, hung straight down her back to her waist.
Liu was in a scarlet houppelande open down the front to show a robe of gleaming white. He wore no jewels, and the fur trim on his houppelande was plain white mink. At his waist was a gold chain belt and a sword of gold set with jewels-the consort's sword, deliberately blunt. Like his wife's, his head was bare.
Once dressed, the royal couple were brought down to the entrance of the Imperial Palace in Los Angeles, where the carriage was waiting to take them to Bloodstar Hall. This was an actual horse-drawn coach, gilded wood with enormous gems set in it, pulled by a team of six snow-white horses. It took close to four hours to travel from palace to hall in this primitive conveyance, and the route along the way was jammed with loving, screaming subjects all craning to get even a glimpse of their new monarch. Edna waved to the crowds until she thought her arm was going to fall out of its socket, and she and Liu tossed out handfuls of tiny coins that had been minted especially for this occasion.
Lord Bloodstar was waiting for them on the front steps of the hall when the carriage pulled up. He carried with him the ceremonial sword of state, and he ordered her to halt while they went through a traditional challenge and response, at the end of which he acknowledged her as the rightful ruler of the Empire. Then, carrying the sword before him, he led her up the stairs and inside the front door where he announced the arrival of the Empress-designate to the assembled lords and ladies of the Empire.
At this point, Edna accepted the sword from Lord Bloodstar and began her long, slow march down the aisle while the nobles in attendance rose to their feet and watched her in silence. All across the Galaxy, trillions of people were glued to their trivision sets, watching the incredible spectacle at home, at their jobs, or wherever they happened to be. Behind Edna as she walked came her retinue of ladies-in-waiting, carrying her train; then her husband and his retinue; and finally Lord Bloodstar bringing up the rear.
Normally the Archbishop of Earth would have been waiting alone on the platform ahead of her-but that was because the preceding emperor seldom had the chance to attend the coronation of his successor. Today, William Stanley stood there beside the Archbishop. He was clad in a white silk shroud, a garment symbolizing his ceremonial "death," which allowed Edna to succeed him. In his hands, he carried his own personal Great Seals of State which had been purposely defaced; this act signified that he could no longer execute documents and laws as the Emperor, and his power was at an end. Edna had her own official seals. At any given moment, there could only be one person holding the supreme authority, or the Galaxy would dissolve into chaos.
William Stanley stood proudly on the platform, watching through mist-laden eyes as his daughter made the same long walk he had taken forty-six years ago. Scores of memories, happy and sad, flashed through his mind as he waited for her to reach the platform, but he did not regret in the slightest his decision to hand over the power to her. He'd seen his daughter in action often enough to know she would make a wise and fair ruler-and how many monarchs had ever been blessed with such knowledge of their successors during their own lifetimes?
Edna reached the base of the platform and started slowly up the stairs, aided by her ladies, being most careful not to make the slightest slip in these unfamiliar clothes. This moment must not be spoiled by anything so trivial. When she came to the top, Edna walked to the center of the platform, placed her sword upon the altar next to the crown of state that was already there, and knelt with her head bowed. Her ladies removed the mantle from her shoulders and retreated backwards down the stairs. The archbishop then came over and stood on her right side, her father on her left, and together both men began the invocation to start the ceremony.
The d'Alemberts had seen almost nothing of the rites; their duty kept their eyes focused on the audience rather than on the ceremony itself. It was at this point that both were relieved by others and told to report back to Colonel Takanabe at the security checkpoint. Puzzled-and a little alarmed by this unexpected change-they obeyed.
Takanabe was terse as she took them aside and explained the situation. "There is a fleet of spaceships materializing in the solar system, out of the ecliptic plane and beyond the orbit of Mars--but they are coming toward Earth in a hurry. Do you know anything about this?"
The d'Alemberts exchanged startled glances. "They weren't supposed to attack until tomorrow?" Vonnie exclaimed.
"Well. someone forgot to tell them," Takanabe said grimly. She turned to a special microphone and repeated what she'd told the d'Alemberts. This connection went to a receiver planted in the Head's ear, so small as to be unnoticeable unless one knew precisely what to look for. The Head had also been equipped with a subvocal microphone so he could speak to the checkpoint if necessary without disturbing those in the audience around him.
The Head listened quietly to Colonel Takanabe's terse recitation. "Are Wombat and Hedgehog there?" he asked when she'd finished.
