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

"My lord," she said, softly.

"My lady," he replied, numbly. "Why have your wounds not been tended to?"

"There are others here with more serious injuries than mine. I tend to them first."

"You will be no use to them if you pass out here. Rest, my lady. That is an order."

She lifted her head, eyes blazing. "You are a warrior, my lord. You kill! I am a worker, and so I build! Allow me to build here."

For a moment he was taken aback. "My lady…." he said softly. "Speak to me…."

"Kozorr is dead," she whispered, and he closed his eyes. He had known it. He had known somehow, back when the warrior had first given his vow of fealty. "He died, in my stead."

Sinoval nodded, unable to think of words to say. Kats turned from him to resume her work. He spun on his heel and stalked from the room.

There would be a reckoning. Some day soon, there would be a reckoning.

"I…. I am…. dying now…."

Londo looked down at the ashen face of one of his oldest friends, and tried to think of the words. He was feeling very light-headed, almost giddy with the day's events. He had not yet had time to eat, and Timov would be furious if she were here.

"Hush, Malachi. You will make a fine recovery."

"Bad…. liar, Londo. Never a good trait in a politician…. but a…. welcome one in…. you…." Malachi winced, and tried to sit up. "Much to tell you…. Doctors…. have…. given me…. drugs to…. dull the pain. But they…. make me…. sleepy."

"Then you should rest. You will need to recover your strength."

"Why? For my execution? No…. Londo. Better…. I die here. You…. more than anyone…. you were right for this task. I tried…. to spare you…. this…." He coughed, and reached out with a trembling hand for the beaker at his side. Londo helped steady the dying man's hand and guided it to his mouth. Malachi drank deeply, and spluttered.

"Foul stuff," he rasped, his voice a little stronger now. "Why…. must all medicine taste so awful, Londo?"

"One of life's great mysteries," came the reply.

"Ah…. well. I will have to wonder. Londo…. it was a custom, a long time ago, for leaders to record their thoughts and advice on their death. A chance…. for their wisdom never to die. It has not been used much…. recently. Too many would not want this…. advice…. or would try to exploit it for their own purposes. We have fallen far, Londo. Very far."

"We will return, Malachi. You will be there at my side all the way."

"Deluded…. Londo. No, let me explain. This is…. my deathbed confession, I suppose. I've done a lot that I have not been proud of. I only wish history could remember the good…. as well as the bad."

"History will. I…. I will see to that."

"Thank you…. My…. confession. I ordered the murder of Emperor Refa, and arranged for you to be framed. I sent guards to kill you, although I…. hoped they would not succeed. I only wanted to frighten you, Londo. I wanted you…. gone. Somewhere safe. With G'Kar…. perhaps. Fighting a greater war than ours."

"You…. know about G'Kar?"

"I know a great deal. After Turhan died, I left here. I…. I wanted to retire somewhere, live out my remaining days in peace. It…. was not to be. I was sent a message by Lady Morella the night after my retirement. She…. gave me a…. vision. One I had to heed. I…. I would change our people, fulfill the destiny I always wanted. So…. I faked my suicide, and disappeared. I travelled throughout our Republic in disguise…. learning and…. seeing all the things I had missed for so many years." He began to cough again, and wiped his mouth awkwardly with a cloth.

"Londo…. do you know who my father was?"

"I…." He hesitated. "Yes…. I…. give me a moment…. Lord Revil…. Yes…. that was it…. Oh…. no, I remember…. You…."

"I…. was adopted…. yes. My true father was a carpenter in a village on Immolan Five. I was…. adopted by Lord Revil after his death, at Turhan's request."

Londo was stunned. He had known none of this. "I…. why? How did this happen?"

"Ah…. I'm jumping around. Forgive me, Londo. The dying ramblings of an old man. Turhan and his father visited Immolan Five when he was a child, as was I. The procession passed through our village, and…. assassins tried to kill Turhan that night. My father shouted a warning…. and saved his life. The Emperor offered my father any reward…. and he asked…. he asked for a better life for his son. The Emperor promised to have me adopted by a noble of the Court.

"He then carried on his way, and forgot all about it. My father was beaten to death by some of the Royal Guard a few weeks afterwards. Turhan…. he reminded his father of his promise, and I was…. adopted by Lord Revil, and placed close to the Court. My prior identity was destroyed, wiped from existence. I was a new noble of the Court, not a carpenter's son.

"Do you know what life is like for the lower classes, Londo? Of course not…. how could you? You were born to the purple. That was why I….

"Oh…. sorry. Jumping around again. Turhan promised social reform, but…. he tried…. He was truly a good man. He tried to reform, lower taxes, erase local corruption…. but he failed. The entire nobility, a fraction of our people, survive by the hard work and slavery of so many…. and no one cares. Turhan failed…. but he tried. It was more than his son would do…. More than the rest of you would do. You were all born to the purple.

"That was all I wanted. The lower classes…. the farmers and artisans and leather workers and…. all of them…. they can rule themselves. They're not…. puppets for our courtly games. They're not slaves or servants for our pleasure. They're us, Londo. We could not see that. The Court…. could not see that.

"You've lived in the Court all your life. You know what our nobility has become. Weak and indecisive, like Jarno. Paranoid and nostalgic, like Kiro…. Monsters, like Cartagia. We are not fit to rule any longer. I…. all I wished to do was show the Court that. I would turn all their games upon themselves…. bind them into corners…. and all the while…. the rest of the Republic would work on…. alone, and content. They would have peace…. and eventually…. even freedom.

"I tried…. Londo. I…. I caused a lot of pain, and a great…. many deaths. I set Valo off on his course, I'm sorry — but I had nothing to do with Cartagia…. or with Marrago's betrayal. I had no idea the Narns would attack so fast. I…. I thought they would be more cautious. I…. I'm sorry…. Londo. I….

"I…. I can't…. keep…. awake."

Londo stood back, silent in horror. "No one will know," he said at last. "No one will know, my friend. I…. I'll finish your work. I'll reform our Republic. I'll make it mean something. I'll make it all mean something. For all of us. Malachi…. Malachi!"

There was a gentle pressure on his arm and he turned, blinking past his tears, to see Marrago standing there. "He will not wake up again, Majesty. He took a fatal dose. He…. he knew what he was doing."

"He was my friend, Marrago! Whatever he did, he was my friend!"

"I…. I did not hear his last words, Majesty," Marrago said, lying smoothly. "I am sure he will be remembered with all the honour and glory he deserves."

"He…. was my friend."

"He was a great man."

"So…. is that it, Marrago? Is it all over now? Did…. did all this bloodshed have some sort of meaning?"

"It is never over. Elrisia is still free, and there is the matter of what to do with Jarno. Lord Kiro is threatening a dire revenge…. once he recovers sufficiently. The Shadow Criers are still a threat, of course. And…. there are always the Narns."

"So…. did we accomplish anything by this?"

"Of course we did. The Court is united and pacified. We have saved the Republic from Hell, Majesty…. now we will help her to Heaven. The restoration will begin here…. it has to begin somewhere, after all."

"So…. what now?"

"Now…. Now there are a great many people who wish to speak to their Emperor."

Valen stiffened. He began to say something, but then he realised he did not know what to say. He had felt it, somehow. He had known. He had tried to warn her…. but….

He had known. Somehow he had always known.

In all his memories of the past yet to come, Catherine had been in none of them.

"No," he whispered. "She is not gone. I will remember her…. I…. will…. find her again."

The Vorlon gave a look that might have been quizzical.

"I…. don't understand."

Now, he did understand.

The Shadows were gathering. They had Sheridan. Delenn was wavering. Ta'Lon was fighting a desperate holding action. Outside, the rift was collapsing. People were dying.

"I am ready," he said simply. "I am Valen now, aren't I? Completely and utterly."

""

Zathras moved up beside him. "You are wrong. Valen is wrong. Sinclair is wrong. You are not Valen. No. You are not Sinclair. You are…. both. Yes. Joining of two. Combination of two. Greatest leader Minbari will ever know. But…. human as well as Minbari. That is important detail. Zathras know these things. See…. people should listen to Zathras more."

"So…. what now?"

"Problems outside. Problems inside also, but bigger ones outside. Rift is…. collapsing. Will not hold much longer. Zathras is afraid something has happened to Great Machine, but nothing Zathras can do about that now. We must free Captain Sheridan…. send him and Delenn back to their ship, and…. must do one other thing. Then…. we get back in time quickly."

"Do we have time?"

"There is always time…. but Zathras understand you, yes. We have time…. if the rift can be kept open long enough. Zathras…. cannot do that, but Zathras knows Vorlon who can."

"Kosh." The Vorlon turned. "You can keep the rift open?"

But Valen understood just how.

"Life energy," said Zathras sadly. "Powerful thing…. if used properly. If used by one who knows how."

The Vorlon moved to the docking bays. Helplessly, still burdened by the weights of destiny and duty, Valen followed. Delenn and Zathras were just behind. Kosh turned to Delenn, and spoke just one word.

All around them, the Shadows began to appear. Ivanova was in the middle of them, as was Sheridan.

Kosh was still, and then…. his encounter suit began to open.

The others there would no doubt see it in different ways. Delenn would witness a confirmation of futures past and present, and a reaffirmation of the path she was to take. Susan Ivanova would see the sorrows of her life, and all those waiting for her at her death, and she would be drawn closer to her redemption. Zathras saw…. who could tell?

But as Kosh purged his essence, channelling his life energy, sacrificing his life for the good of the past and the future, it was the man called Jeffrey Sinclair, the Minbari called Valen, who saw most, and understood most.

I am Valen.

I am Valen!

I AM VALEN!

I am Jeffrey Sinclair.