He paused before speaking in a quieter voice. ‘Remember the years after Exodus. Remember how close civilization came to total collapse. Fidelis, our mutual loyalty and sacrifice, saved Beta sector and all humanity. Fidelis remains the united heart of Beta sector.’
His voice started rising in volume again. ‘We would not abandon Fidelis when the revisionists demanded conformity with other sectors. We declared the Second Roman Empire and stood alone. When that empire ended with the reunification treaty of Artemis, other sectors swore to respect our customs and honour our betrothal and marriage contracts, but now they have broken the treaty of Artemis, insulted our banners, and challenged Fidelis!’
He raised both arms above his head. ‘I call the clans to remember their oaths as Betans. Loyalty to those we love.’
‘Fidelis!’ The crowd shouted the word.
‘Loyalty to family and clan.’
‘Fidelis!’ The crowd answered him, and I heard Lolmack and Lolia shouting the word along with them.
‘Loyalty to Zeus and Beta sector.’
I found myself joining in the massed shout of the crowd. ‘Fidelis!’
Raven’s voice murmured from beside me. ‘Deity aid us!’
After that emotional crescendo, Lucius Augustus Gordianus abruptly changed to a perfectly normal conversational voice. ‘I summon the Senate to meet in emergency session. To demonstrate respect for the Fifty, we must draft a reciprocal agreement on relationship contracts between Beta sector and Earth, which will recognize not just future contracts but also apply retrospectively.’
It was a weird anti-climax to such a passionate speech. Beta Sector Daily went back to its studio, where two people started babbling away in incomprehensibly strong Betan dialect, openly defying all the rules about newzie channels only using standard Language. Playdon turned down the sound, and Lolia and Lolmack went off into a corner to keep listening to it on their lookups.
Fian shook his head. ‘What’s the point of that? Jarra will be 18 and Military again long before Beta sector finishes passing their legislation.’
‘This isn’t about your betrothal any longer,’ said Raven, grimly. ‘This is about whether Beta sector declares the Third Roman Empire.’
‘What?’ I stared at him. ‘You can’t be serious.’
‘I’m perfectly serious,’ said Raven. ‘Adonis Knights start learning politics in their cradle. The recognition of Betan betrothal contracts and triad marriages was a key clause in the reunification treaty of Artemis. Lucius Augustus Gordianus just pointed out yesterday’s court order broke that clause, and demonstrated he only had to say the word to be proclaimed emperor. Then he spelt out exactly what other sectors had to do to stop that happening. Make the same legislation changes as Beta sector, not just to uphold the treaty of Artemis, but as a declaration of support for Betan culture and respect for the Fifty. If they don’t …’
Raven grimaced. ‘If they don’t do it, then humanity is divided again, which could mean the sort of full-scale war we haven’t had since the days of pre-history when everyone lived on Earth. The united banners of the Military and August alliances send a terrifying message. I’ve been part of a planetary peacekeeping force keeping two factions of arguing civilians apart, but the idea of war between the sectors … Going into combat against the Betan Military clans. My own friends!’
I shared Raven’s nightmare for a moment, picturing Fian and myself caught in the middle of cross-sector war. We were Military officers, raised on one side of the divide and members of a clan on the other. I couldn’t leave Earth, and that would surely have to remain neutral territory for the sake of the Handicapped babies born on either side, but Fian …
‘How could something as simple as joining my clan cause so much trouble?’ I wailed.
‘It didn’t,’ said Raven. ‘When the Second Roman Empire ended, the reunification treaty of Artemis was supposed to be a new beginning, but the divisions between Beta and the other sectors never healed. Tension and mutual suspicion have been building for over a century. If the Tell clan ceremony hadn’t triggered this, something else would.’
I thought of Playdon’s lectures about the early twentieth century. The First World War hadn’t really been caused by the assassination of one man, but by the explosive political situation.
‘The other sectors don’t even try to understand Betans,’ said Lolmack. ‘When we came to Earth with our baby, the Hospital Earth staff didn’t believe we really wanted to keep Lolette. We were Betan, and we’d been part of a triad marriage, so they thought we just wanted an excuse to try and seduce them.’
‘We didn’t help things though,’ said Lolia. ‘We got angry, so we acted like the caricature Betans they expected. We did the same when we first joined this class, to make everyone stay away from us and help keep Lolette’s existence a secret.’
‘It wasn’t our fault,’ said Lolmack. ‘If the outlanders hadn’t judged Beta sector purely by its sex vids, then we’d never have done it.’
‘It was partly our fault,’ said Lolia. ‘They judged Beta sector by its sex vids, which show nothing of the real Betan culture, but our clan makes those vids!’
Lolmack frowned. ‘You have a point.’
‘The newzie channels in every sector have been discussing the Tell clan ceremony for days now,’ said Playdon. ‘People in other sectors are finally starting to understand the Betan clan system and the importance of the Fifty. The politicians will surely do what Beta sector want.’
He paused. ‘I’m not sure if we should go and excavate some pre-history ruins, or stay here watching modern history happen on the wall vid. This year has been the most …’
He broke off as a couple of chimes from lookups were followed by a yell of protest, and gave a slight shake of his head. ‘Now what?’
Sudi and Akram were on their feet, facing each other. ‘How could you do this to me?’ demanded Akram.
‘Read the full message,’ said Sudi. ‘I didn’t cancel our contract. Earth Registry did!’
She turned to face Playdon. ‘Earth Registry says that court order doesn’t just mean Jarra and Fian’s Twoing and betrothal contracts are illegal, but every relationship contract involving someone who isn’t a citizen of Earth. They’re cancelling all of them!’
‘Something like this must be on …’ Playdon set the wall vid to show Earth Rolling News.
‘Contracts taken out on Earth between two citizens of Earth remain valid,’ said a presenter. ‘We repeat: Earth Registry regrets yesterday’s court order invalidates every Twoing contract or marriage involving a sector citizen that was registered on Earth.’
Four couples in our class had been Twoing, including Fian and me, and all those contracts had been registered on Earth. Twin chimes from behind me meant another couple were getting their bad news. Lolia and Lolmack had been married on Artemis in Beta sector, so they were safe.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I said.
‘It’s not your fault. It’s the fault of that nuking Deltan law firm!’ said Akram in a savage voice. ‘I know that word isn’t allowed under the Gamma sector moral code, but right now …’
‘I accept this is an extremely distressing situation,’ said Playdon. ‘I’m definitely not risking taking people in a state of high emotion to work on the dig site. We’ll …’
He broke off as his lookup chimed. He glanced at it, his face twisted in pain, and he changed the wall vid to Delta Sector Vision.
‘… ironically, what was intended as an attack on betrothals between norm and Handicapped is mostly affecting norm couples. Contracts between norm and Handicapped usually involve a norm with Earth citizenship. Either a norm child born on Earth to Handicapped parents, or a norm parent who has accompanied a Handicapped child to Earth and been given automatic citizenship under the Hospital Earth assisted relocation plan.’
Coverage swapped from the studio setting to a presenter standing in some sort of public building. ‘The number of people affected by this is far higher than you might expec
t. Large numbers of history and medical students have spent time on Earth, and a Twoing contract taken out years ago can have huge implications right now.’
The image panned out to show two women standing next to him. ‘Perhaps you could explain your situation for our viewers.’
‘We’re both citizens of Delta sector,’ said one woman. ‘We met when we were medical students and we registered our first Twoing contract on Earth.’
‘We’ve been married for twenty-three years,’ said the other. ‘Now we get a mail message saying our first Twoing contract was invalid. That means we don’t have the prior Twoing contracts legally required to marry in Delta sector, so our marriage is invalid. If I get my hands on those lawyers …’
‘What are you doing about this?’ asked the presenter.
‘We’ve petitioned our planetary representatives of course,’ said the first woman. ‘Beta sector is working on legislation to fix this situation, and Delta sector needs it too, but we aren’t waiting around months for the politicians to act. Epsilon sector allows instant marriages without prior Twoing contracts, so we’re going there to get married again.’
The couple headed off past big red information signs about off-world portal charges.
‘I hope they don’t have problems in Epsilon sector,’ said Amalie. ‘Some people there are prejudiced against two women marrying.’
‘They are?’ asked Krath. ‘Why?’
‘Think about it, nardle. Epsilon has far more single men than women. Marriages between two men, or triad marriages between two men and one woman are encouraged, but …’
The presenter started talking again. ‘This couple have the chance to go to Epsilon and marry again. Many don’t. Widows, widowers, and even the heirs of deceased couples are receiving mail messages. An act of hatred against one couple’s mixed relationship is …’
I missed the rest of the sentence as I hurried out of the hall, scrubbed my arm across my face to get rid of the wetness round my eyes, and tapped urgently at my lookup. I was doing the same thing I’d always done as a child, making an emergency call to my ProMum to ask her to fix the mess I’d created.
‘Jarra?’ Fian’s voice spoke softly. ‘Are you all right?’
I looked up and saw both Fian and Raven had followed me. ‘No, I’m not. I could have gone to University Earth, but I joined this class to get my revenge on the hated exos. I’ve done that. Oh yes, I’ve really done that. Did you see Playdon’s expression when his lookup chimed?’
‘What?’
I spelled it out for him. ‘The news presenter said widows and widowers are getting messages too. Playdon is a widower. He and his wife worked on Earth dig sites, and she was killed here at the California Rift. You can bet that either their marriage, or one of their Twoing contracts, was registered on Earth.’
‘Oh nuke!’ Fian gave a startled look in the direction of the hall door. ‘That must …’
Candace answered my call. ‘Jarra, what’s the …?’
I didn’t wait for her to finish the question. ‘We have to stop Registry doing this. I don’t want them hurting all these people just because my betrothal contract was cancelled. I’ll be Military again soon, and Fian and I can sort things out.’
Candace shook her head. ‘You can’t stop this, Jarra. When the bigots attacked your relationship with Fian, it was an attack on all the Handicapped, saying we weren’t fit to associate with norms. The Handicapped people working in Earth Registry are telling the sectors they won’t accept that. They’re saying that prejudice is wrong, and the Handicapped and norms should be treated equally. You agree with that message, don’t you?’
‘Yes, but why do they have to send it by hurting innocent people?’
‘Because this is the first chance the Handicapped have ever had to make a protest that anyone hears,’ said Candace. ‘For centuries, we’ve been dumped on Earth and ignored. You can’t stop Earth Registry doing this, neither can I, and I wouldn’t if I could. I have three norm children, the youngest only a year older than you.’
I was shocked to hear her talking openly about her family. Even more shocked by the raw emotion in her voice as she continued.
‘Our lives are ruled by statistics, Jarra. 90 per cent of babies born to a Handicapped couple are norms. When they grow up, they go to off-world universities to study. They’re scared of the prejudice, so they hide the fact their parents are Handicapped. They graduate and get jobs, lead double lives, hide their background from friends, partners and employers, but it’s a terrible strain. Gradually they stop coming to Earth for visits, and there’s longer and longer between calls. Eventually 83 per cent of them break off contact entirely.’
Candace was crying now. ‘I’m sorry about hurting your norm friends, Jarra, but we have to take this chance. It may help me keep contact with my children. It may mean I’ll meet my grandchildren one day.’
She ended the call and I stood there staring blankly at my lookup. ‘Candace is right, I can see she’s right, but doing this to Playdon, to all those people … I don’t know what side I’m on any longer.’
Raven took a step forward. ‘Your professional mother is perfectly right, Jarra. If things are ever going to change, it has to be now. When people saw you on the newzies …’ He pulled an apologetic face. ‘Please don’t hate me for this, but I’d always assumed the Handicapped were different from norms. We were taught at school that the only difference was a faulty immune system, but all the jokes people make about the smell, the stupidity, and the ugliness … Well, that had a bigger impact than one science lesson.’
He paused. ‘I was on a base in Gamma sector when the news broke about the alien probe arriving at Earth. There were three hundred of us packed into a hall watching the vid coverage. We saw you, startlingly young for the job you were doing, with a name that told us you were descended from Tellon Blaze, then …’
He shook his head. ‘Then some bigoted civilian called you an ape, and we realized you were Handicapped. I think we were as stunned by that as by the news of the alien probe. That moment changed my image of the Handicapped from a slow-witted semi-human to a glowing girl. People in every sector had that same, eye-opening experience, Jarra. You’re their image of the Handicapped now and …’
He broke off because Rono was striding down the corridor towards us. I caught my breath as I saw a white regrowth fluid patch on Rono’s forehead, conspicuous against his dark skin. Fian and I exchanged anxious glances, and followed him into the hall.
‘Every relationship on Cassandra 2 just got hit, including my own marriage to Keren,’ said Rono. ‘We’re going to Epsilon to get married again. Given the state my people are in, we’re taking the whole team with us. I’m afraid safety protocols mean you can’t work on the dig site while we’re away.’
‘That doesn’t matter,’ said Playdon. ‘I just got a message from the Dig Site Federation. So many people are rushing off world that all dig sites are closing for two days.’ He hesitated for a moment. ‘Your head? An accident?’
‘No, I’m just getting rid of that old scar. I don’t want the sight of it bothering Keren when he’s this upset.’
Playdon nodded. ‘I understand. I’ve got some students in the same position as you. They’ll only need to get to Alpha sector to reregister their Twoing contracts, but Earth Rolling News reports there’s chaos in all the Earth Off-worlds. Can you take them through Earth America Off-world to Alpha sector with your team?’
Rono nodded. ‘They’ve got exactly three minutes to pack anything they want to take. My team are deeply distressed. They need to be doing something constructive, even if it’s only standing in a queue.’
Six figures sprinted for the door. They knew Rono by now. If he said he was leaving in three minutes, he meant it.
There was a short silence then Krath spoke. ‘Amalie, can we go with them? We won’t be able to register a Twoing contract on Earth now, so …’
‘If anyone else is coming, they only have two minutes to pack,’ said Rono.
/>
‘We don’t need luggage,’ said Amalie. ‘We just need us.’
I gave her a startled look. ‘You’re really going to Two with Krath? Surely Epsilon sector is full of men who are more … more everything.’
Amalie laughed at me. ‘You think I’d want to Two with someone intelligent, sensible and mature?’
I nodded.
‘But that would be like going to live in Alpha sector where everything has already been built. Krath’s the human equivalent of a frontier world.’
Krath frowned at her. ‘What? Why?’
Amalie gave him a casual slap on the back of the head. ‘Because the raw material is there, but it’ll take huge amounts of work to improve you. I can’t resist the challenge.’
I stared at her in bewilderment. ‘So you like Krath because of all the things that are wrong with him?’
‘Exactly.’ Amalie grinned at me.
Rono turned to Playdon. ‘Dannel, I’m really sorry there’s no way you can …’
Playdon shook his head. ‘No court order can change the fact Cadee was my wife. A marriage is far more than just legal clauses.’
Six breathless figures tumbled back into the hall and looked expectantly at Rono. He glanced at their hover bags.
‘We’ll go back to my dome to pick up my team, and then portal to America Off-world. It’s going to be mayhem there, so you’d better carry your bags instead of letting them chase after you.’
Rono patted Playdon on the shoulder and went out of the door. Eight figures hurried after him, and the hall suddenly seemed very quiet.
24
Playdon didn’t want to give lectures when eight of the class were away. We could have spent the day by the pool, but instead everyone sat in the hall watching the newzies. In mid-afternoon, a man in shiny clothes gave a statement on behalf of the Delta Sector Parliament. He had the anxious expression of someone who’d taken a long hard look at the amount of Delta sector that bordered on Beta sector, and was desperate to calm down an explosive situation.