Гэрет Уильямс - Темное, кривое зеркало. Том 3 : След на песке

"Yes. I understand that, and I commend you for it, Jarno. But…. why like this? I could…. arrange for something to be placed in your food, or your drink. It would be quick and painless. You will drift away in your sleep, and you will be buried with all the status your rank deserves."

Jarno was silent for a moment, speculating on the manner of Lord Valo's death. He had heard the story being disseminated, but he did not believe it for a moment. He knew the truth, and he wondered if Valo had been more…. accommodating than he was.

"No. I do not deserve such a quick death, or such a…. noble funeral. A rope around the neck at dawn, a pauper's pyre. Nothing more."

"That is…. not fair…. You were misled and manipulated. We both know who is to blame."

"I…. have no idea of whom you are speaking," Jarno lied. He knew very well.

"Mariel. My dear, loving wife. The attack on Kiro was her idea, was it not? Come, Jarno. We both know the truth. Why do you defend her?"

"Defend her?" He laughed. A bitter laugh, with no genuine mirth. "I am not defending her. She has…. she will pay for her actions in her own way, and I assure you, Majesty, I will escape far more easily than she will."

"What are you talking about?"

"A prophecy…. A dying prophecy. One third of it has already come true. At dawn tomorrow, another third will have come to pass. Destiny will not allow Mariel to escape her part." He paused and flicked his gaze to the ground, away from the gallows. He then turned to look briefly at his new Emperor. Londo looked…. tired. He could barely have been sleeping even before his inauguration.

"Where…. where is Mariel now?" Jarno asked tentatively.

"Under close guard…. for her personal safety of course," Londo replied bitterly. "I regret I can take no real action against her…. not so soon in my reign and not without constructive proof. As it is, I will send her to one of my outlying estates. Perhaps among the rebuilding projects at Camulodo. She will of course be under heavy armed guard all the time. For her own personal safety.

"It is preferable to the fate Timov would have in mind for her."

Jarno smiled, and nodded. "I…. thank you for coming to visit me, Majesty. I hope I can serve the Republic better in death than I did in life."

Londo nodded, and then turned and left. His strange Minbari companion at the door waited for the Emperor to depart, and then stepped outside. There was the sound of a bolt sliding shut.

Jarno did not care. He had returned to gaze at his gallows, and his death.

I am not afraid. I've faced down ancient ships that screamed in my mind. I've stood against Minbari warships that wanted to destroy me. I've looked at aliens that made me want to run and hide in terror. I've looked into the eyes of my best friend, both of us knowing he'll never move again.

I've done all that…. and I've never been so scared in my entire life.

I will ask her. I will ask her.

Commander David Corwin sighed and leaned back against the wall. He had been planning this for a long time, but he had never been able to find the nerve before. It had been so easy just to put it off. But then, fighting a desperate, doomed struggle to defend Epsilon 3, he had realised just how close he had come to death, and had made a silent promise to ask her.

But now it was all in ashes. He had survived, yes, but why him? Michael was dead, the Captain would never move below his neck again. Bester had betrayed them all. Susan was…. here….

What right have I got to think of a future, when there are so many people who don't have one any longer?

But that was it, surely? There were so many who had lost their futures, and he hadn't. He had to recognise his good fortune, had to live for the moment of life he had gained by surviving the battle. He had to….

"Yes?" came the voice through the comm. "Who is it?" She did not sound well. He supposed he couldn't blame her.

"It's me, Mary," he replied. "It's David."

"Oh," she said softly. "Come in."

The door opened and he entered, patting at his pocket to be sure the small box was still there. It was. It seemed so heavy.

Mary was seated on the couch, a book lying open at her feet. She rose as he entered, and he could see just how dreadful she looked. Her eyes were heavy, her face gaunt and haggard. She was still in her nightdress, which was rumpled and dirty.

"Haven't seen you in…. a while," she said, coughing. "Do you want a drink? I've some Narn wine here somewhere…."

"No, thank you," he replied. "Ah…. you…. are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied, flatly. "I haven't been…. sleeping very well recently. Not for the last few days in fact. The beds here are a little…. hard. Not very comfortable."

"Drazi design probably," he said, apologising lamely.

"Yes. That's it. Anyway, I thought I'd do a little reading. I…. What time is it anyway?"

"Coming up to midday, Kazomi Seven time. I…. couldn't say what time it is EST."

She nodded. "I haven't quite adapted to…. the time here. It's…. Why did you send me away?"

He stopped as if poleaxed. "Wh…. what?"

"From Babylon Four. You sent me away."

"We…. we sent all civilians away, Mary. The place was…. at risk. We had to get you all out of there."

"A civilian. Is that what I am? David, you didn't come to see me. You didn't come to check if I was all right. You didn't…."

"I was busy!" he replied. "I was…. I was afraid. I…. heard things about what had happened on the planet. I was worried about you! I wanted to get you to safety as quickly as possible!"

"I can look after myself, and I don't need you protecting me." She paused. "I'm the one who had to talk to Lianna after all…. explaining why her husband won't be coming home."

"Lianna." He sighed, and swore silently. "I'd completely forgotten…. oh…. How…. how did she take it?"

"How do you think she would have taken it? We didn't get to speak long. Something's…. up at Sanctuary. But…. I knew what she was thinking. He ran away from her. She loved him too much to see that, but I could see it. And so could you, and you did nothing!"

"I…. what? Mary, what are you saying?"

"They were having problems. Difficulties with Frank, disagreements over Bester. Lianna wanted to get out of there, start somewhere new. Michael…. he wanted to stay with Bester. Felt he owed him. But rather than talk it out, he…. he ran away. He came here, he stayed here for months on end, and he…. he got himself killed because it was easier for him than staying around!"

"I had no idea," David whispered softly. "Mary, I…. I swear to you…. I had no idea." He moved forward, but she pulled away from him.

"I'm just so…. so angry…. at him, at you, at Bester, at…. at everything! At everyone! At this whole pathetic little war of yours! It isn't some game. It's not heroic, or glorious, or…. or…. People are dying, and people are being left behind to mourn…. and I just…." She took a deep breath.

"I'm leaving, David. I'm leaving this place. I hate it. The sky's wrong, the time's wrong, the air doesn't smell the same…. I'm going back to Sanctuary to pick up Lianna, and from there we're going to one of the outlying colonies. They're free again now, and some of them are a long way away. Far away from the Minbari, and the Narns and…. everything!"

She paused and looked at him intently, folding her arms. "You could come with us. I…. I want you to."

"Mary, I…." He took a deep breath, and kept feeling the box in his pocket. "I…. I came here to ask you to marry me."

She smiled, and then shook her head sadly. "I was wondering when…. No, it doesn't matter. I'd love to, but not here. Give all this up, David. Give up this war, give up fighting this hopeless cause. You can't win. There's always another enemy. Give it up…. and come with me. I do want to marry you, but I won't sit at home like Lianna, waiting for news to come through that you've been killed somewhere, fighting for some cause no one understands."

"I…. Michael…. his death was…. It wasn't…."

"It doesn't matter, David. He's dead, and how or why won't help at all. You…. know what I want."

He picked the box from his pocket, and looked at the ring inside. He had bought it in the market here on Kazomi 7. It was a Brakiri design, and he had had it altered a little so that it would fit a human finger. It was…. beautiful.

"I love you, Mary," he said pathetically. "I love you…. but…."

She sighed, and looked down. "That's what I thought. Go away, David…. please. I…. I can't sit and wait by the news reports every night like this. Go away."

"I…." He closed the box and gently laid it down on the table. He made to take a step towards her, but then sighed and turned away.

He left the room without looking back. Only then did he start to cry.

Time passed, neither slowly, nor quickly. It simply was. For Delenn of Mir, the few months after the Battle of the Third Line were hard. The year wove its way slowly towards an end and work became harder and harder. She slept even less now than she had before, and her few brief hours of slumber were normally spent in a chair at John's bedside.

The state of affairs on Kazomi 7 was not especially good, but neither was it especially bad. Much of her time was taken up in helping with the reorganisation of G'Kar's Rangers. The loss of Epsilon 3 and Babylon 4 had hit them hard, but G'Kar had been canny enough not to place all of his resources in one area. He was recovering from his injuries as well as could be expected, and he and Ta'Lon were working closely with Taan Churok and Vejar to make Kazomi 7 the new base of the Narn Rangers.

A few weeks after the battle word came in from Centauri Prime, news which was most welcome. Londo had become Emperor. He was dealing with the wreckage of his bloody ascension, and would appoint an Ambassador to Kazomi 7 as soon as he could. He specifically requested no outside assistance. The presence of aliens on the planet now might well make matters far worse.

There was no word from Alfred Bester. None at all.

John's condition did not improve, and the initial prognosis had proven distressingly accurate. His spine was irretrievably broken, and he would never move below the neck again. He could not even breathe without artificial help. How he had remained alive until he had been found, nobody knew. Delenn spent as much time with him as she could, holding his hands that could never feel hers. When she was not there, Commander Corwin was, relaying reports of the defensive capabilities of the system, of the field testing of the commandeered Babylon , and various other matters. Sheridan listened, and gave back advice when he could.

Unfortunately as time passed he suffered more and more violent headaches. The lights in the ward hurt his eyes, and he frequently suffered bad dreams. Neither he nor Delenn spoke about it, but the doctors had been given all the available information on his virus, and they were beginning to speculate that quarantine might soon become necessary.

There was a brief reply from Sinoval, stating that he would need to remain behind at Tarolin 2 to help rebuild, and to increase security at the other colony worlds he controlled. He said little else, but Delenn knew that someone was threatening the remaining Minbari worlds. The number of Minbari refugees coming to Kazomi 7 increased briefly for a month or so. Few of them were possessed by Keepers though.