The Ashes of Worlds

Osira’h and her brother Rod’h had to raise their voices into the outraged clamor as they told how the Hansa Chairman had kidnapped Jora’h, seized his warliner and Ildiran crew, and tried to coerce him into recanting his support for the Confederation.

“They isolated him,” Rod’h said, his voice shaking with horror at the cruelty. “They cut off the Mage-Imperator from any contact withthism. He has been alone, star systems away from the nearest Ildiran.”

“How could anyone survive that?” Chief Scribe Ko’sh said.

“Through us.” Osira’h let herself show a small smile. “He might have survived alone, but he was getting weak. Now he has our help and strength. We will not let him give up.”

“Also,” Rod’h said, “we know how to find him now. The human military commander is returning him to Earth’s Moon.”

Zan’nh and Yazra’h wanted to launch an immediate attack against the Hansa, but Daro’h reminded them that the Solar Navy did not have the strength, equipment, or manpower to engage in such battles. Though many warliners remained safely in position at the edge of the Ildiran system, they could not tackle the entire human military.

Tal O’nh said in a quiet voice, “Rusa’h wants nothing more than to find the Mage-Imperator. Even if we brought Jora’h here, the faeros would gladly destroy him. Perhaps he is safer where he is.”

“Then what do we do?” Ko’sh said.

“Now that we know the Mage-Imperator is alive, I will hear no more nonsense about the ascension ceremony,” Daro’h said. “If he can survive his ordeal, then we can survive ours.”

Adar Zan’nh squared his shoulders. “We have learned one other thing. The Mage-Imperator cannot help us from where he is. We are on our own.”

41

Sarein

Working in Queen Estarra’s devastated greenhouse was somehow therapeutic for Sarein. Her sister had loved this conservatory, where she’d planted and tended representative Theron flora to remind her of home. But Basil had ordered everything killed. Out of spite.

Only a few of the flower beds still held shriveled brown plants; the rest were bare dirt. Sarein had set flats of small flowers, seedlings, and dwarf fruit trees on the edges of the planters. She hadn’t been able to get any new Theron plants, though she still kept a few in her own quarters, but these would have pleased Estarra, nonetheless. Sarein went about her work with quiet determination, getting her fingers dirty, planting what she could. She remembered too many times when she’d been unable to intercede in Basil’s decisions, to prevent him from going to extremes.

When the guard escort brought Nira into the conservatory, Sarein pushed aside all her qualms. The female green priest remained in the Whisper Palace pending the return of the Mage-Imperator in another day or so. At least Basil had allowed that. By now, Nira must be frantic with worry about Jora’h, but Sarein had no way to allay her fears. She could, however, do something else.

From the doorway, Nira spoke in a sharp voice. “Replanting a few flowers and shrubs won’t atone for the destruction that’s been done.”

Sarein drew a long, slow breath. “I’m doing what I can. A lot of us are.” She picked up a small cluster of geraniums and pushed a hole in the dirt to plant them. “It’s a very delicate process, and you don’t always see what happens behind the scenes.”

Nira remained aloof. “Did you know Theroc was attacked by the faeros? I found out through telink on the night of the coronation.”

Sarein recoiled. “Why didn’t you tell me? If Theroc was in trouble, they should have called us to help!” As she spoke, Sarein knew how foolish it sounded. Even she could never have convinced Basil to dothat.

Nira gave her a withering look. “King Peter didn’t think the Hansa would offer assistance. Think of it — your own sisters couldn’t call upon you for aid. To me, that speaks volumes.”

Ignoring the insult, Sarein concentrated on the real concern. “Is the attack over? Did the worldforest survive? How much damage?”

“The verdani fought off the faeros with the assistance of green priests, Roamers, wentals, and even Admiral Willis’s former EDF battleships. They all fought to defend the trees—everyone but the Hansa. Your brother Beneto was also there. He’s dead now.”

Sarein stiffened. “His treeship?”

“He burned fighting the faeros.” Nira’s voice held condemnation. “And where wereyou during all this? As the official Theron ambassador, shouldn’t you have been involved in this crisis? Aren’t you supposed to have the best interests ofTheroc at heart? You replaced Ambassador Otema. What would she have done?”

Stung, Sarein could not stop herself from lashing out. “Otema was murdered by the Ildirans. You were her apprentice, yet not only do you willingly remain with them, but you became the lover of their leader.”Just as I became Basil’s lover. “You and I are not so different. Loyalties change as circumstances change, and we don’t always have freedom to take the purely noble course of action.”

“Right and wrong don’t change.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. When Sarein looked into the other woman’s eyes, she saw strength there, along with the scars from countless rugged wounds. Even before Basil released the story to the Hansa newsnets, Sarein had heard about some of the nightmares that had fundamentally changed Nira from the bright-eyed young green priest Sarein had met in her younger days on Theroc. But if Nira could survive and retain her strength and her humanity after all she’d been through, then surely Sarein could.

“Why did you bring me here?” Nira remained distant.

Sarein looked over at the guards and dismissed them. “We wish to talk in private.”

The royal guards seemed uneasy, but she remembered one of the men as a close companion to Captain McCammon. She gave a slight nod, hoping he was the ally she expected. The guard gestured to the others. “Let’s give Ambassador Sarein a few moments. The Chairman would want us to follow her instructions.” They stepped into the hall outside the conservatory.

Sarein led a suspicious Nira around some of the planters toward a thicket of dry twigs that had once been a dense flowering bush, now brown and partially uprooted. Here they were blocked from view. When Sarein brought out a small potted treeling, Nira’s eyes lit up.

Sarein said, “I’ve been cut off from my mother and father and sisters for so long. All I ask is that you send word. Tell Estarra that I wish her well. Has she delivered her baby yet? And Celli — tell my littlest sister that I miss her. Is it true that she’s taking the green herself? And my parents. ”

Nira narrowed her eyes. “Why should I trust you?”