Linda stepped from the shed into the sunlight, then turned and walked directly toward her barracks. As she entered, she saw the women in her barracks from the circus, as usual, gathered around Iron Jaw Jill, picking up the pearls of wisdom that the old jabbermouth issued by the carload. Linda walked up to Jill, pulled out the envelope, and handed it to her. "This is for you."
As the old woman sat down and opened the envelope, Linda turned and began moving toward the door. "Honey?"
Linda turned. "Yes?"
Iron Jaw Jill held out a scrap of paper. "This is for you. From someone named Tom." Linda took the scrap of paper with shaking hands. Dearest Linda and Bobby, I am well and love you both. Do all you can to get the colonists to do what Iron Jaw Jill says. All my love, Tom. Linda moved to a sleeping pallet and lowered herself upon it. Then she read the letter again. When she finished, she looked at Jill. The old woman was shaking her head and rubbing at the hairy wart on her nose. "Well, troupers, I always said Billy Pratt was crazy, and now I got proof." She shook her head again, then looked at the other papers. "Well, well. The Governor's crazy too." She looked up, then handed a wad of papers to one of the ballet girls. "You. Get everyone in camp to sign that. Don't miss a soul. Linda Warner will get someone to help you with the colonists." She looked at Linda, and Linda nodded her assent. Jill looked at the other girls, then smiled. "The rest of you have an easy task. All you have to do is figure out how we're going to put on a show with no animals, no rigging, no costumes, and no men." Jill stood, scratched under her chin, then looked down at Linda. "After you find someone to help Plain Jane get the signatures, I think you better explain this Goatha business to me—real slow."
THIRTY-FIVE
On the planet that was the namesake of the Nuumiian Empire, Zereb Ni Su, the King's Designate to the Imperial Chamber, bowed to the assembled deputies, then took his seat. The special session had been called by a one-third delegation of Chamber Deputies, which meant that the young radicals were probably going to make another attempt to force a new government on the monarchy. As the deputies seated themselves in regular rows of benches facing his podium, Zereb smiled inwardly. He was an old hand at defending the King.
Below the Designate's podium, facing the deputies, the Chamber Moderator arose. "This Chamber is declared in session. I will accept a motion to dispense with opening formalities." The Moderator turned around and smiled at Zereb, who nodded back. Zereb had made the request. The young windbags would take up enough of his day.
Several mumbled responses of assent were heard, the Moderator put it to a vote, and the motion was passed without dissent. A deputy at the rear of the chamber stood. "I seek recognition."
The Moderator bowed. "You are recognized, Deputy Misu Czhe Banu." The Moderator sat down.
Deputy Banu surveyed the chamber, then spoke toward the Moderator. "Honored Moderator"—he cocked his head to one side—"brother deputies"—he returned his gaze to the front. "Several times I have risen before this body to question the King's Goatha against the colonists of Mystienya—"
"I protest!" Another deputy jumped to his feet. "The King's Goatha is against the Quadrant Assembly, not the colonists of Mystienya!" Zereb nodded at the Loyalist deputy, who smiled and nodded back.
Deputy Banu stared at the Moderator. "I wish the Moderator to censure my brother deputy for his rudeness."
The Moderator nodded. "You are censured, Deputy Vaag, for speaking out of turn." Vaag nodded and resumed his seat on the bench. "You may continue, Deputy Banu."
Banu looked around the chamber. "We have heard the King's Designate to this Chamber claim—rather lamely—that the Benth of the Quadrant Assembly can be resolved by submitting the humans of Mystienya to the Jah. Zereb Ni Su reasons that the Benth of one human is the Benth of all humans; that by subjecting the colonists to the Jah we by the same act subject the Quadrant Assembly to the Jah." He looked around the Chamber again, his glance coming to rest on the King's Designate. "I think we all know this to be foolish reasoning."
Cries of dissent went up from the benches. Banu held out his hands, and the Chamber quieted down. "Nevertheless, because this Goatha—if we can dignify it by that name—came to this Chamber under the King's seal, this body has seen fit to accept this reasoning." Banu paused for a moment, then looked at the Moderator. "If we accept the connection between the Assembly's Benth and the colonist's Jah, then we must accept that the colonists' Hazb is the Quadrant Assembly's suffering, as well."
Murmurs of assent rose from the King's supporters. Zereb, exercising his privilege as King's Designate, stood and bowed toward the moderator. "It is well for the Empire that our dissident deputies have seen fit to conform their positions to that of the majority, although I hardly think it requires a special session of the Chamber to make their conformance known. Is there something else Deputy Banu wishes to bring before the Chamber?"
Banu smiled. "One other thing." He nodded at a page, who in turn left the Chamber and returned with an armload of papers. Banu faced front. "If we accept that the colonists' Hazb fulfills the Goatha by making the Quadrant Assembly suffer in some... abstract manner, then we must also accept that the failure of the colonists' Hazb fails as well with the Assembly, thereby leaving the act, not a Goatha, but a grotesque act of aggressive war against a helpless and inoffensive population!"
As the page put the papers on the wide railing before Banu's bench, Zereb stood. "Does Deputy Banu seriously expect this Chamber to believe that the human colonists of Mystienya, condemned to work out their lives at intolerable, pointless labor, are not suffering?" He sat down amidst chuckles and snickers from the Loyalist Deputies.
Banu picked up one of the sheets of paper. "I would like to read something into the record. Every one of these sheets of paper begins the same way. 'To the Royal Family of the Nuumiian Empire and to its Imperial Chamber of Deputies: We the undersigned wish to express our earnest appreciation for the treatment accorded us by the Imperial Chamber. Hard work, orderly routine, and humiliation have shown us the meaninglessness of the lives we led before. Our lives are now enriched beyond calculation and as we set about our daily tasks, there is not one of us that does not feel gratitude to the Royal Family for its consideration.' "
Banu picked up the stack of papers. "This was presented to the embassy on Mystienya by one of the village guards, and sent immediately to the Chamber by members of the Embassy staff sensitive to what this document means. It has been signed by every living human on Mystienya, both colonists and the employees of that circus ship that served as the objects of another Goatha tolerated by this chamber." Banu turned toward the deputy who had argued in the past on behalf of Ambassador Sum and Karl Arnheim. "Offhand, brother, I would say that this document sours your Mr. Arnheim's Goatha, as well."
The King's Designate shook his head as the entire Chamber stood and demanded recognition.
"Hold your horses! The elephants is comin'!" Havu Da Miraac leaped for the tower's shock triggers as the audio pickups screamed horrible shrieks throughout the guard capsule. From the canvas structure at the end of the village street, a double line of white horses moved out, followed by a number of the curious Earth elephants. Humans in grotesque costumes and paint fell over themselves, hit each other and squeezed the bulbs on huge horns. Wagons came next, followed by humans dancing, throwing balls in the air, carrying huge snakes, and walking on their hands. The procession turned right and headed toward the tower.