The Course of Empire(172)

Thus, Aille, in his innocence and youthful vigor, sent to Terra. Namth camiti, used as a scalpel to cut open a festering wound and expose the corrupted flesh to the light. With, needless to say, the scalpel never being told what it was supposed to do.



Clever, that. A self-aware scalpel would not cut cleanly, or deeply enough. Aille had cut to the bone.



Yaut turned to Caitlin. "Is he sure of what?"



"That Oppuk won't . . . won't be able to destroy the Earth?"



It was Yaut's turn—just for an instant—to lapse into astonishment. The embarrassment that caused him leant extra force to his growled words.



"Of course he won't! How could he? The Bond has decreed otherwise."



She still didn't really understand, Aille saw. More gently than Yaut, he said: "Caitlin, believe it true. This is why the Bond exists. No Jao will defy them. Even should Oppuk's unsanity drive him to, his soldiers would refuse to obey."



She sagged weakly against the wall behind her. Then, to his surprise, began that peculiar form of human laughter known as giggling.



"I guess that means I'll have to start looking for a wedding dress, after all. And Tamt! She'll have conniptions when I tell her about being a 'maid of honor.' "



Yaut stared at her. "Sometimes I still think humans are all insane."

* * *



Oppuk bristled with pure fury, every line, every angle, crossed and recrossed until no one could look at him and not feel the extent of his anger. All of his subordinates and servitors wisely stayed as far away from him as possible.



They were all Jao. He had killed the last of his human servitors a short time earlier, displeased at the condition of the salts in the miserable little pool provided for him aboard the ship.



As he floated in the pool, he savored the moments to come as much as he detested the pool itself.



If the Pluthrak had just followed orders, Terra would be a smoking ruin now! No, not even that. Smoke required oxygen, and the Ekhat would have stripped the planet of its atmosphere. Not worth even a manned outpost, much less the extensive commitment of troops and ships required to hold it. Best of all, Oppuk would be on his way to some new posting and the frustrations of dealing with this benighted species would be a fading memory.



So be it. If Stockwell survived the coming bombardment, Oppuk would have him put down as soon as he reestablished control over the planet. If she survived as well, he would force Stockwell's daughter to observe the execution of her father. Humans were quite sentimental about both progeny and parents. He'd seen that over and over again in his long assignment here. They could make an amazing amount of fuss over the most insignificant and unpromising of their clan members. She was sure to provide more diversion than he'd had in quite some time.



In fact, he thought he would have all of the surviving regional human governors executed in the coming days, just to drive home his point. As well as all of the top jinau officers, of course.



Oppuk heaved out of the water and shook himself dry before accepting harness and trousers from a cowed member of his service who scuttled back out of reach, radiating abject-fear.



Over on the far wall, the main doorfield crackled and faded to golden sparks. Four figures entered, the top officers of his command vessel.



"You wish?" He spoke curtly, not looking at them, irritated at the disturbance.



"The Bond of Ebezon has arrived in the solar system, Governor. A great fleet. The Harriers have ordered us to dismantle the bolides."

* * *



Oppuk struggled desperately to retain his composure, to show nothing of his shock.



He failed, rather miserably. His posture one of pure desperation, he lunged through the door toward the control center. Wisely, the four officers quickly stepped aside. He would have trampled them under, otherwise.

* * *



The black-garbed figure of the Harrier in the holo tank was frighteningly enigmatic. He was a short Jao, originally from one of the Dano affiliated clans, judging from his vai camiti, perhaps even Dano itself. But that no longer meant anything, of course.



Oppuk had had little contact with the Bond in his life, but he knew their reputation. The Bond of Ebezon arbitrated between kochan, when kochan could not do so for themselves. Its members were drawn from all kochan, choosing Bond status voluntarily and then forswearing all ties to their birth-kochan, so that they were well and truly naukrat, or neutral. Most astonishing of all was the manner in which they disciplined themselves in both mind and body so their bodies were naukrat as well and betrayed nothing of their innermost thoughts.



"You have been instructed to disarm the bolides," the Harrier said. "We expect you to do so at once."