He took a breath. "My joint commanders refused to sign because yours wanted to grant every escaped slave freedom. Yours refused to sign because mine demanded the slaves be returned."
"That hasn't changed," Kelric said. "My people will never agree to slavery. Not today. Not in a thousand years. My last wife was a taskmaker. I was a provider. I'll never subject another human being to what we lived through." Softly he added, "To what you must suffer every day of your life."
"No." Jaibriol doggedly evaded the words. "Give me three months. Any Eubian slave found within your territory must be sent back if they have been free less than that. After three months, they are free." He willed Kelric to consider the compromise. "The Ruby Pharaoh almost agreed to that during our talks, before ESComm balked."
Kelric made an incredulous noise. "ESComm will never agree to that. Nor will your Trade Minister."
"They've already agreed to trade negotiations. That was why my office contacted the pharaoh's office. To start this dance we always do when we want to communicate with each other."
"Trade?" Kelric's voice sharpened. "Of what? People?"
"No! Gourmet delicacies. Curios. That sort of thing."
Kelric squinted at him. "Your people want to export food and souvenirs to mine?"
"Well, it's a start."
"Selling us those tentacled monstrosities you call gourmet food hardly seems a step to better relations."
Jaibriol smiled. "Ah, well." He agreed about the Taimarsian squid. "It isn't the goods, but the motivation."
"Whose motivation?"
"General Barthol Iquar for one. He wants the Iquar title."
"Tarquine already has it," Kelric said flatly.
Just hearing him speak her personal name cut Jaibriol. He steeled himself and went on as if he didn't care, though it felt as if broken glass were grinding him inside. "She'll give it to him."
"Give up control of the strongest Aristo Line after Qox?" Kelric didn't look convinced. "She would never do it."
"She's the empress," Jaibriol said. "Her child will sit on the throne. She can afford to give up her Iquar title."
"It doesn't matter how much power Tarquine has. She always wants more."
"Nevertheless, it seems she is going to do it."
"For you." Kelric sounded tired, as if Jaibriol's words made him feel old.
"I don't know for what."
"You think the title would assure Barthol's agreement?"
"It's possible."
"That's only one of the signatures you need."
Jaibriol made himself speak, though he hated to go on. "Admiral Erix Muze will sign because he wants to live."
Kelric snorted. "You can't execute your joint commander for refusing to sign. ESComm would revolt against you."
Jaibriol spoke quietly. "No one except Colonel Vatrix Muze and Hidaka saw me crawl out of the Lock. Hidaka shot Vatrix."
"I'm not sure how this connects to Erix Muze."
"Hidaka told everyone Vatrix tried to kill me," Jaibriol said. "A Razer cannot lie about such a thing."
"Did he know what he was seeing in the Lock? About you."
"Yes. He knew."
"And he didn't reveal you?"
"No."
Kelric's voice gentled. "No wonder you mourn him so."
It hurt even to think on, like a blade turning. "As far as anyone knows, Vatrix Muze tried to murder me. By Aristo custom, it is my right to have his kin executed in retaliation."
Kelric was watching him closely. "Did Erix Muze have anything to do with what happened?"
"Nothing."
"So you're telling me that with no trial or evidence, you can have one of your joint commanders executed for a murder attempt he knew nothing about. And no one would condemn you for it."
Jaibriol forced out the answer. "Yes."
"A murder attempt that didn't actually exist because your Razer killed the colonel and lied about it."
"Razers can't lie."
"Like hell."
"Assassination is a serious matter."
"Gods," Kelric muttered.
"No, the world of the Aristos isn't pretty," Jaibriol said. "But it is mine. I deal with it as I can."
"Would you actually put Erix Muze to death?" Kelric asked.
Jaibriol didn't know the answer to that himself. "What matters is that he believes I will do it."
"What about the Trade Minister, Parizian Sakaar? You need his support as well."
"He won't object."
"Why not?" Kelric demanded. "The trade of people is the life's blood of your economy. He'll set himself against any treaty that dilutes his control of that godforsaken industry."
"Let's just say he has other interests to protect."
"In other words, you have something on him."
"It would seem so." It was Tarquine who had something, but Jaibriol had no intention of discussing her further with Kelric.
"Is it enough to make him sign?"
"I think so."
"Corbal Xir is next in line for your throne," Kelric said. "He won't support a treaty that weakens his power."
"Corbal won't fight it." Jaibriol also doubted Corbal would ever forgive him.
"Why not?"
"Because I know many truths about him." Corbal also had truths about Jaibriol, but if he revealed those secrets, Jaibriol could drag down not only him, but also his son Azile, his granddaughter, and the entire Xir Line. And Sunrise. It killed him to threaten Corbal after his cousin had protected him, but his personal life meant nothing compared to what their peoples could gain. No matter how much the Aristos reviled him for seeking peace, he needed only four signatures on that treaty: himself, Corbal, Barthol, and Erix.
"If you and I sign this document," Jaibriol said, "I'll get the other signatures." He couldn't guarantee it, but he had a chance.
Kelric considered him. "For my people, the Ruby Pharaoh, First Councilor, and I must sign. And the Assembly has to ratify it."
"Will they?"
"The pharaoh, I think so. The First Councilor, I don't know." With a grimace, he added, "If I'm convicted of treason, my signature won't matter. In that case, our joint commanders must sign." Wryly he said, "You only have to deal with two of them. I have four." He thought for a moment. "Chad Barzun would probably sign. Maybe Dayamar Stone of the Advance Services Corps. Brant Tapperhaven of the J- Force? He's a wild card. But Naaj Majda, the General of the Pharaoh's Army, will never sign. She wants Eube broken. Period."
"They won't convict you." Jaibriol didn't know if he said it to convince himself or Kelric.
"Don't be so sure." Kelric sounded as if he felt heavy. "Many people abhor the split of hereditary and democratic rule in our government. If I'm accused of conspiring with you, it will weaken ISC support for the sovereignty of the Ruby Dynasty. The Assembly might well jump at the chance to remove me from my seat." He rubbed his eyes, his fatigue obvious. "As you may have noticed tonight, I am not universally liked."
"Nor I," Jaibriol said. To put it mildly. "But if we can complete this document tonight, would you sign it?"
For a long moment Kelric looked at him. Then he said, simply, "Yes."
Jaibriol couldn't believe he had heard the word. Fast on the heels of exultation came the sobering knowledge that even if he and Kelric signed, they had no guarantee their governments would support their agreement.
But they could try.
That night, beneath the stars of the planet that had birthed their race, two leaders sat together, a young man who was forever scarred and an aging man who had lost more in his life than he could measure. They had no lofty hall, no pomp, no protocols. They didn't go to work in a great amphitheater. No broadcasts covered their efforts. They sat on a rocky hill in the dark and went over the document step by step, sentence by sentence, word by word, until they agreed.
Then they signed together the first peace treaty ever established between their empires.
XXXI
The Meld
Kelric awok
e as the sky began to lighten but before the sun lifted it orb above the mountains. The air smelled of smoke, ashes, and pines. Birds called in the distance. For a while he lay on his back, staring at the sky. Blue. On his home world, the sky had a violet tinge. As strange as Earth's looked to him, the color felt right in a way he couldn't define.
The events of last night soaked into his waking thoughts. Najo, Strava, and Axer were gone. He felt hollow without them.
Even with his nanomeds distributing painkillers, his leg ached. At least the hydraulics in his limb had kept it from snapping off. It would heal, he supposed, though his limp was going to be even worse. Of course, that wouldn't matter if he were dead. As much as he wanted to believe ISC wouldn't execute him, the realist in him knew otherwise. Too many people had too much to gain from his dishonor and death. Given who else had nearly died in this attack, he doubted the commandos had a link to ESComm. It wasn't that he didn't believe they might be involved in a murder attempt against their emperor; he wasn't that naïve. But Jaibriol claimed they hadn't known about him. With his mind so sensitized, he would have picked up an intent to kill him, and Kelric would have known if he lied about it.
The team investigating the last attack against Kelric had thought the would-be assassins operated alone. Either they were wrong or else other groups also wanted Skolia's Imperator dead. It was a grim thought. That the killers had known he was here suggested someone high in the government or ISC was involved.
Kelric slowly sat up. His muscles protested with stabs of pain, and he grunted, wishing he wasn't so stiff.
"My greetings," a voice said.
He looked around. Jaibriol was sitting on the rocks behind him, his booted feet braced on the ground, his elbows on his thighs, his hands clasped between his knees.
Kelric maneuvered around, dragging his leg until he was facing the emperor. "How long have you been awake?"
"About an hour." Jaibriol rubbed the back of his neck. "I looked for food, but I didn't find anything that seemed edible."
Although Kelric knew he was hungry, his biomech web muted the pangs by releasing chemicals that fooled his body into thinking he had eaten. It wouldn't stop him from starving, but it eased his discomfort.
"We should search the cabin," Kelric said.
"I did." Jaibriol lifted his hands, then dropped them. "Nothing is left but debris. Not even water. The blast and fire destroyed everything, even the plumbing."
"Water must be here somewhere." Kelric motioned at the forest. "Otherwise this wouldn't grow."
Jaibriol grinned, an unexpected flash of teeth that made him look years younger. "We can make history with our treaty, but we can't find a drink of water. Strange, that."
Kelric smiled. "I guess so." He picked up a staff of wood that was lying next to him. "This wasn't here last night."
"I made it while you were sleeping." Jaibriol rose to his feet with a supple ease that Kelric envied. "If you can walk this morning, I think we should leave as soon as possible."
Using the staff, Kelric struggled to his feet. By putting his weight on his good leg and leaning on the staff, he was able to stand. Jaibriol was right. They shouldn't wait for rescue. That no one else had been with their attackers didn't mean no one would show up. They could just as easily be picked off elsewhere, but at least they would be getting closer to help.
Kelric looked up the hill. "I'd like to go up." He wanted to pay his respects.
Jaibriol seemed to understand. He offered his arm.
"I'll be fine," Kelric said. He took a step—and his leg buckled. Jaibriol caught him before he fell, but Kelric's weight nearly knocked them both over.
Kelric swore under his breath. Then he pulled away and tried another step. He managed by using the staff as a crutch and keeping the weight off his broken leg. On flat ground it worked reasonably well, if slowly, but when he tried to climb the slope, his leg gave out. He couldn't manage even with Jaibriol's help.
The emperor spoke quietly. "I'm sorry."
Kelric couldn't answer; it hurt too much. Good-bye, he thought to his guards. You will be missed.
Jaibriol motioned to a notch across the small valley. "I think we can get out that way, and the land stays flat."
Kelric nodded, already tired. Then he began the painful process of walking. Jaibriol stayed at his side, moderating his stride to match Kelric's speed. It was humbling. It was hard to believe he had ever been young and full of energy. That was the man Tarquine had desired, the prince she had seen in broadcasts. Why she had paid that amorally ludicrous price for a dying man, he would never know.
They made their way through a narrow gap between two hills. Needles and twigs crackled under their feet, and branches rustled overhead, inundating them with the deep scent of pines. It was surreal, walking here with Jaibriol the Third as if the two of them were on a vacation.
Jaibriol's hair shimmered in the early morning light and his red eyes were visible from a good distance away. Anyone who knew anything about Eube would recognize him as an Aristo. Nor could Kelric hide his own offworld heritage. People on Earth didn't have metallic coloring.
After a while, Jaibriol said, "I think those implosions are connected to the Locks."
It took a moment for Kelric to reorient his thoughts. The space- time implosions. He felt too tired to talk. Given what he had done, though, activating the Lock while the emperor was in it, he owed Jaibriol more than silence.
"When my people built the Kyle web," Kelric said, "we knew almost nothing about the Locks. Everything was guesswork. But I'm starting to understand. I think the web strains the interface between Kyle space and our universe. Every time we add another gate, it adds to the strain. The Locks are a balance. When I turned one off, it destabilized the system. If we don't reactivate it, the implosions will get worse." Uneasily he said, "I think it could destroy large regions of space, entire solar systems. Maybe more."
He expected Jaibriol to be incredulous, ask a question, something. When the emperor had been quiet for too long, Kelric glanced at him. Jaibriol's face had gone pale. His fear hit Kelric like a bright light.
"What is it?" Kelric asked.
"The SSRB has no Lock." Jaibriol drew him to a stop. "When Hidaka fired at the colonel, we were inside that octagonal room that houses the singularity."
Kelric felt as if his pulse stuttered. "Are you telling me your guard fired a laser carbine inside the Lock chamber?"
Jaibriol nodded. "It missed me. But not much else."
"Ah, gods." Kelric suddenly felt bone weary.
"We've had no implosions I know of since then."
"Maybe it eased the pressure when I activated the Lock," Kelric said. "But I had the impression it only operated for about a minute."
"Yes." Jaibriol rubbed his neck again, a mannerism Kelric suspected came from the constant tension he lived with. "Three Locks. For a Triad."
Kelric resumed his painful limp. "As far as I know, the Triad doesn't require three Locks to exist."
"Then maybe neither does the Kyle. It had two Locks and two Keys. Now it has two Locks but thr—" He stopped abruptly, then spoke carefully. "If the Kyle once again had three Keys, maybe the two Locks would be enough."
"Maybe." It was plausible with what Kelric knew. He hoped it were true. In every way, the survival of his people depended on this young man. The emperor had gone to great lengths to attain the treaty, and Kelric had no doubt he wanted it. But if he changed his mind, he had within his grasp the ability to create a Kyle web for ESComm, negating the advantage Skolia had over Eube, the technology that kept them a step ahead of the Traders. Jaibriol didn't need a Lock to build such a web. The Triad Chair wasn't in the chamber, it was on a dais at the start of the corridor, well removed from the singularity. Jaibriol had been sitting in it the first time Kelric had seen him, ten years ago.
Back then, Kelric hadn't thought Jaibriol knew anything about the chair. Maybe that was still true. He strengthened his mental shields, blurring them, too, so Jaibriol wouldn
't realize he had cut off his thoughts. Then he said, "You need the Lock to build a Kyle web."
"I don't have a Lock," Jaibriol said.
Kelric probed his mind as discreetly as he could manage. Jaibriol had no idea what to do with a Triad Chair. He just thought it was an uncomfortable throne. Nor did he comprehend what it meant to be part of the Triad. He only wanted free of its presence. He didn't know he could never leave the powerlink. Neurological changes had begun in his brain the moment he became a Key. To withdraw now would cause fatal brain damage.