Outliers of Tirano

  -3-

  Kuinsi's Chamber

  Arvor Castel

  Planet Tirano

  A deci later I was in my living chamber in the Castel when my companel beeped with a summons to proceed immediately to a Royal Council emergency meeting. Even though I'd attended numerous Royal Council meetings, I'd never been asked to speak, and never had spoken, to the Council. That was about to change. The summons stated that I would be required to answer any questions that might be addressed to me.

  It didn't help my nerves that my KaNoa housekeeper, Lani, had left me a message that a rumor circulating the Castel was that I was the murderer. According to the rumor I had uncorked a bottle of wine, poisoned it, re-corked it, and had a Vhirko deliver it to Fiotr so that when Mirae arrived they could share it while they talked. According to the rumor, I'd calculated that Fiotr would be the only one who drink the poison because, as a Vhirko, Mirae would not drink any wine or other alcohol. The rumor sounded plausible enough that I worried some would actually believe it to be true.

  With the rumor roiling my mind, I thought my legs would buckle before I could walk through the door into the Royal Council Chamber. The members of the Council were already seated around the circular muhrwood table in the center of the room and stared at me as I entered. I couldn't stop my hands from trembling.

  Lord Chancellor Rohfek rose and waddled his egg-shaped body to meet me. He wrapped his fat fingers around my trembling hand; a friendly smile creased his jowls. "I'm glad you could join us," he said. "I'm sorry it has to be under these trying circumstances. I hope you can help us get to the bottom of this matter. Please, take the seat next to your mother and we can start."

  As I took the seat and Rohfek returned to his, I quickly glanced around the table to determine whether the Council members acted as if they had heard the rumor. I wasn't comforted. Zhun'Mar stared without expression at the table in front of him. Normally, he would have given me a reassuring nod. Mirae sat to Zhun'Mar's right, biting her lower lip and looking at Sini on her right. Lydmila stood behind Zhun'Mar, her thick body taut. She didn't try to hide her scowl when she saw me glance at her. Count Rohfek plopped in his chair at Zhun'Mar's left with a half-eaten creamy tart on a plate in front of him. Next to the Count, Admiral Kiptani held his shoulders stiff and erect, his hands crossed on the table. Not even Mom gave me her usual smile.

  "Let's begin," Count Rohfek said. He examined the notepad he held in his hand. "Admiral Kiptani, what is the status of the Tamok departure."

  Kiptani rose from his chair, his swarthy complexion contrasting to his white duty uniform. "The convoy departed at ninth deci. Empyrean boosters were engaged once they exited our perimeter. Our space probes have verified that their convoy has headed toward Tamok."

  Rohfek tapped his notepad. "Commandant Lydmila, has your investigation found any additional facts?"

  Lydmila's black, brooding eyes focused menacingly on me. "Only that the bottle of wine was the one that Kuinsi sent Lord Fiotr."

  I swallowed hard and a brief smile crossed Lydmila's face, as if she had hoped I would show my discomfort. I tried to focus and realized that I should have anticipated that she'd be happy to have me found to be Fiotr's murderer, not Mirae. If I was solely responsible, it would prevent any taint on the reputation of the Vhirko.

  "If I may continue," Rohfek said in his unctuous tone. "Who delivered the wine on behalf of Master Kuinsi?"

  "He gave it to one of Princess Siniastra's Vhirko guards," Lydmila replied. "The guard brought it to me. I personally carried it to Fiotr's quarters and handed it to his doorman."

  Rohfek puckered his lips, nodded. "So we know it could not have been tampered with from the time Master Kuinsi gave it to the Vhirko until it reached Fiotr's servant. Thank you Commandant. Your usual fine job."

  Even though it didn't help prove my innocence, I couldn't fault with Rohfek's reasoning. The Vhirko were beyond reproach. A lifetime of training and discipline ensured a Vhirko's unwavering loyalty to the royal family. No Vhirko would have tampered with the wine.

  Rohfek turned his head toward Zhun'Mar. "Sire, if I may beg your indulgence, I have a few questions for the Consort."

  Zhun'Mar slumped in his chair. Without taking his gaze from the table, he nodded.

  "Your Highness. If we are to determine what occurred, I must ask why you visited Fiotr."

  Mirae's expression remained stone-faced, but she did pull on her earlobe for a few milli before she spoke. "I went to try to talk him out of the marriage. I told him Zhun'Mar had convinced Siniastra to agree, but there were things Fiotr should know before he accepted."

  She paused and glanced at Mom. Mom's neck tensed and she gave Mirae an almost imperceptible nod. "I told him why I opposed the marriage. I stressed that he could honorably decline the marriage by acknowledging that Zhun'Mar had shown Tirano's good faith by agreeing to the treaty's marriage proposal."

  "And what did Lord Fiotr say?" Rohfek asked.

  "That he would consider everything I had told him. He didn't say so directly, but I have no doubt he too agreed that the marriage should not occur."

  Rohfek glanced at the notepad in front of him. "Did you see the bottle of wine?"

  Mirae nodded. "It sat unopened on a table."

  "Did either of you remark on it?"

  Mirae stared blankly at Rohfek. "I told him that Kuinsi's wine was something special and unique, just like Siniastra. Not a mere commodity to be bought and sold." She lowered her eyes.

  "Thank you, your Highness. That's all," Rohfek said. He stared again at his notepad. I noticed some of the tenseness leave Mom's shoulders.

  "Now a few questions for Master Kuinsi," Count Rohfek said.

  Every set of eyes in the room converged on me. I didn't think my heart could beat any faster and my breath became shallow. "Yes, yes sir."

  "Last night you said the wine in the bottle that Petrella bought to the Banquet Hall was not the wine you sent to Fiotr. Why did you think that?"

  I straightened my back, hoping it would make me appear taller and more truthful. "The wine's bouquet. The wine I had delivered to Lord Fiotr was zinfandel from my vineyard. Its nose is a unique blackberry and vanilla aroma. The wine in the bottle had no bouquet, it was plonk from the Brehon Valley."

  Rohfek cocked his head and arched his eyebrows. Behind him Lydmila snorted. "What a joke," Lydmila said with a sneer on her flat face. "You pretend to be able to distinguish wine merely by smell in an effort to hide your guilt."

  Mom jumped to her feet. "How dare you accuse my son of poisoning Fiotr," she said in a cold, measured tone. "He brought the bottle to me immediately. I too smelled its bouquet. It was not his zinfandel."

  Lydmila jutted her chin. "How touching. The mother protecting her child."

  Zhun'Mar raised his head. Anger filled his eyes. "Enough you two," his bass voice boomed. "We're not here to fight among ourselves. We all know Kuinsi sent the wine to Fiotr. I will vouch for Kuinsi's ability to distinguish varietals, as well as for his innocence in this matter. It's obvious that the wine Kuinsi sent was exchanged for the poisoned wine after its delivery to Fiotr's doorman. That means it had to be an internal Tamok plot that murdered Fiotr. A plot designed to tarnish my and Tirano's honor and turn the galaxy against us."

  Mom sat down, placed her hand on my arm. My heart slowed, grateful for her and Zhun'Mar's support. Sini gave me a brief, reassuring smile.

  "We have no choice then," Lydmila said. "We must declare war to save our honor. Send the Armada to wipe every Tamok off the face of the galaxy."

  Kiptani's face looked like he'd just sucked a sour goh fruit. "Commandant," he said, "you know the Armada doesn't have the capacity to wage the massive offensive deployment it would take to invade Tamok. The past twenty loops we've succeeded in seeding the Encircling Belts with enough maser blasters to create an impenetrable defensive wall. That's our protection. The Armada should remain in deep peri
meter patrol to monitor any movement of Tamok fleet in our direction. Let's not respond rashly to what appears to be an internal Tamok power struggle. Let the Tamok sort out their own affairs."

  Zhun'Mar rose from his chair. "It doesn't matter if this is an internal Tamok struggle or not. Without the new generation of chips, the Belts' blasters will fail and we will have no defensive wall. And as long as I remain on the Golden Vine Throne, the Tamok will not sell us the sihlcon. I will never again be able to function effectively in intergalactic affairs."

  He held up his right hand. "Just as I can never regain this finger that Mhorg sliced off my hand, I will never regain the credibility with the Tamok that was tore from me by Fiotr's death.

  "Contrary to Petrella's tirade, the Vharsa Protocols are clear on what I must do to restore Tirano's credibility." He took the Golden Vine Ring off his index finger. "I must abdicate and submit the investigation of my and Mirae's role in Fiotr's death to the Galactic Judiciary. Hopefully, after the Judiciary declares our innocence the Tamok will agree to sell us the sihlcon we so desperately need."

  He handed the Ring to Sini. "I hereby abdicate in favor of Siniastra. Mirae and I will remain in isolation at Brehon Compound until Galactic Judiciary informs us of where we will be interrogated. My last request is that all of you serve Queen Siniastra as faithfully as you have served me."

  Zhun'Mar held out his arm for Mirae and they strode out of the room before any one could speak or act. I looked at Count Rohfek, thinking he would do something. Rohfek's mouth gaped open, and for once speechless.

  Even though as a legist I'd studied the Vharsa Protocols and knew that abdication had always been an option, I was as stunned as Count Rohfek. When one offers a flag of parley, one vouches by his honor that no harm would come to those asked to parley. If harm comes to any who accepted the offer of parley, the party who offered parley would thereafter be persona non grata to all other planets who had signed the Vharsa Protocols. The non grata status could only be removed by turning over the person or persons who caused the harm to Galactic Judiciary. If a Galactic Judiciary investigation could not determine the person or persons who caused the harm, two options existed: reparations or abdication of the head of state. Either would acknowledge that the harming person or persons could not be determined and that a penalty must nonetheless be incurred for such failure of protection during parley and in determining guilt.

  Because no instance of a head of state abdicating had ever occurred, I'd figured that abdication would be discussed by the Council, the merits debated, and then rejected. But Zhun'Mar, Mirae, and Sini hadn't waited for counsel. They'd decided on their own.

  Sini stood, raised her frame to its full height. "I hope all of you will honor my father's request. I know it is traditional that Council members proffer their resignations. That will not be necessary. I want all of you to remain on the Council." She turned her gaze to me, gave him another brief smile. "The only change to the Council will be the addition of Master Kuinsi as a member as Associate Lord Chancellor."

  Why put me on the Council? I wanted to scream. I wasn't ready to be a member of the Royal Council. Unlike Sini who had trained her whole life to be Queen, I needed a lot more seasoning before I'd be qualified to assume the responsibility of making decisions that would affect the fate of Tirano.

  Rohfek coughed to draw attention to himself. "Your Highness, I move that Master Kuinsi be appointed to the Royal Council."

  Admiral Kiptani peered at me. "Seconded," he said without expression.

  "All in favor," Sini said.

  A chorus of "ayes" followed, although Lydmila remained silent.

  Before I had time to say anything, Mom stood and bowed to Sini. "My Path has always been joined with Zhun'Mar and Mirae's. If they no longer serve, I too am compelled to resign from the Council. I ask your leave to do so. You will be served well by the Sibyl training of my son."

  "No," Lydmila shouted. "The Council needs a real Sibyl, especially now." She pointed a finger at me. "Not him. A Sibyl wannabe."

  I tried to open his mouth to agree but no words formed. Lydmila was right. I had received Sibyl schooling and could access the Sibyl computers, but I wasn't a Sibyl. Sini would need Mom's knowledge, experience, and Sibyl abilities.

  Rohfek held up the back of his hand to silence Lydmila. "Even though the High Sibyl has traditionally served on the Council, Caykondra is within her rights. We cannot force anyone to remain on the Royal Council. I for one have confidence in Master Kuinsi's abilities and look forward to serving with him

  He craned his head and held Lydmila's gaze. "Our duty is clear. We must ensure a smooth transition to the reign of Queen Siniastra. As Zhun'Mar said, we must put aside our personal feelings and do what is best for Tirano."

  "Thank you Lord Chancellor," Siniastra said. "Please take the appropriate measures to inform the Archonan Assembly of what has transpired. We will meet again tomorrow at sixth deci to formulate a formal reply to Tamok."

  She turned to Mom. "High Sibyl, would you please accompany me? My parents wish to speak to you before they leave."

  Sini walked out of the room with Mom. A sudden sense of being alone seized me. I would no longer receive the counsel of Zhun'Mar who had treated me like a son. Mom would now spend most of her time at the Sibyl Compound immersed solely in Sibyl affairs. And Sini was the Queen, no longer a childhood playmate. I couldn't rely any longer on my lifelong supports.

  "Congratulations." Admiral Kiptani's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. He stood beside me. "Sini needs someone on the Council her age that she's comfortable in confiding to." He shook my hand.

  "I'd like to talk more, but you'll have to pardon me. I have to meet with my senior officers to discuss the status of the Tamok convoy. However, meet me in the Grand Concourse in a deci. I need to take you to Belts Control Headquarters and register you as a Council member." He strode out of the chamber before I could respond.

  Lydmila stepped to my side and blocked my view of Count Rohfek. "I'll be watching every move you make," she whispered in my ear. "One wrong step and I will personally destroy you, Earther boy." She pivoted and marched out of the chamber.

  An unexpected sobering poured through me. I'd known my whole life that most, if not all, Archonan, didn't accept me because of my Earth blood. They knew little of Earth. Earth was a planet on the other side of the Black Cavities, and only Mom, Zhun'Mar, and Mirae had ever passed through the Cavities and returned. What they did know was that Earthers weren't Archonan, and therefore, had to be inferior. My father had remained on Earth, and Archonan purists felt Mom should not have returned with me in her womb. I'd never suspected, though, that a Vhirko would have such purist prejudices, especially the Vhirko who had been Tarnlot's personal bodyguard. Surely, she knew the stories of how happy Tarnlot had been on Earth and should have good feelings about Earth.

  If any member of the Royal Council would have such prejudices, I'd assumed it was Count Rohfek. He'd never treated me unfairly, but as former Speaker of the Archonan Assembly he associated with many I knew to be purists, including Rheginahld Nhoth who now was next in line for the Golden Vine Throne until Sini produced an heir. I had no idea how to deal with the purists on the Council constantly trying to discredit me.

  I clenched my fist and banged the table. Count Rohfek looked up from his note and arched his eyebrows. My face reddened.

  "Don't let her get under your skin, son," Count Rohfek said gently. "Once she knows she can upset you, you'll have no peace." A smile crossed his pudgy cheeks. "I've dealt with her for dekas. Let me run interference for you for the next few spins until you get your feet on the ground. I'm sure that she'll relent when she knows you better."

  Relief rushed through me, along with a dose of guilt about my ill thoughts about Count Rohfek. A purist would never make such an offer. A purist would prefer to see me fail, and would help Lydmila destroy me.

  "Thanks," I said.
Count Rohfek would be a formidable guardian. He could blunt any accusations Lydmila could make.

  He puckered his lips. "I assume the Admiral will take you to Belts Control before tomorrow's Council meeting,"

  I nodded. "In a deci."

  "Good," he said. "Be sure to get some rest tonight, young man. Tomorrow will be another long day."