Kingdom of Cages(198)

Father Mihran waved him silent. “What is your message, Tam?”

Tam released Father Mihran’s hand and sank to his knees so he could touch the command board set into the committee table. As he worked the keys, he wondered again where Aleph was. She had not spoken to him since he entered the complex and although he had been able to stop himself from calling for her, he had not been able to stop himself from wondering where her attention was. What had she told the other cities about him? Did she approve of what was happening here? Was he doing the right thing? The doubts and the guilt would not leave him alone.

I am telling my family the truth, Tam reminded himself. Aleph must approve. Aleph is the one who has always helped me.

Tam touched the monitor glass at his right to set it to reception mode.

The glass filled with colors, which split into two halves. One half coalesced to show Beleraja Poulos sitting in a tiny office aboard Athena Station. The other showed the car of the space cable, with Chena and Teal Trust flanking the stooped figure of Nan Elle.

“Commander Poulos,” Father Mihran said, not bothering to salute. “We have been waiting to hear from you.” He squared his shoulders. “We understand your people are en route.” He peered at the tableau on the left side of the glass. Tam wondered if the father understood everything he saw. Aleph most certainly did, but Aleph was still keeping her silence.

Beleraja shook her head. “My people are here, and we have something of yours.” She nodded toward the other half of the screen. Nan Elle reached behind herself and brought out a slim, dirty boy of about five years old. “This is your Eden.”

Outraged voices rang out behind him. “Impossible!”

“How could they!”

“It’s a fake! A mock-up!”

“No,” said Tam quietly to Father Mihran. “That is the Eden Project.” Now they knew everything. Almost everything. They did not yet know how the project had been found. Did not yet know of Dionte’s plans, and how badly they had failed. Tears prickled Tam’s eyes for his lost sister.

Beside him, Father Mihran’s jaw twitched, as if he were fighting to keep back the words he knew he must speak. “What do you want?”

Nan Elle patted Eden’s hand and walked him toward the edge of the screen, moving him out of camera range.

Only when the child was out of sight did Beleraja speak again. “I want to make an end to the Diversity Crisis, Father Mihran,” she said matter-of-factly. “A real, viable end. I want you to let the Called come to Pandora.”

“Never,” snapped the father instantly.

Beleraja betrayed no surprise at that curt answer. Why should she? She was an experienced trader as well as a commander. She knew very well how this game was played.

But did she know she was treading on holy ground here? Tam felt his stomach knot. Did she know how long and how hard their people had worked to keep Pandora inviolate? Even now, all the endless repetitions of protection rang around his tired head and he felt his strength to resist them crumbling.

Where are you, Aleph? He rubbed his temple. I need your help. You helped me be strong before. I need you now.

Beleraja leaned in closer to the screen. In the cable car, Teal Trust clenched her fists and her jaw. What are you holding in? he wondered. What voices are calling to you?

“What do you think is going to happen when we tell the Authority that the cure does not exist?” Beleraja asked Father Mihran. “That you have nothing except one five-year-old boy to show for all your promised work?”

“They will see that the boy will answer.” Pride drew Father Mihran’s shoulders back even farther. It was not possible that his family should fail, that the results of their slow, patient, meticulous work should be anything but perfect.

“No,” said Beleraja. “The boy will not be exploited. Neither will his sisters. That is not an option.”

“There is no other option,” said Father Mihran slowly, as if explaining the obvious. “There is no other cure.”

“Yes, there is. The Called can come here.” Beleraja pointed toward the floor.

“We will not let that happen. Pandora must be protected.”

“Pandora must be protected!” shouted Senior Jahn, and a dozen other voices echoed her words, including his own, Tam realized, as he fell back into his sitting position. Aleph, help me. I’m losing my grip.…

Now it was Beleraja’s turn to make a show of patience. She sighed sadly and shook her head. “You cannot protect Pandora,” she said, sounding more like a mother now than a commander. “We’ve just proven that. We are here and we have already claimed what we wanted.” The steel returned to her voice and her face. “You can’t stand against even one family. How will you manage if the whole Authority turns against you?”