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

It had only been a few hours since the battle's end. It was possible that some sections of the ships were still pressurised, possible that people still lived, trapped and alone in a dead prison.

But more than that, they were searching for a body, the body of one among so many who were believed to be dead.

Captain John Sheridan. He was there…. somewhere.

"He is not dead."

Commander David Corwin sighed and rubbed at his eyes. How long had it been since he had last slept? He had grabbed a quick three or four hours after the attack by Clark's forces, during the preparation of the station. But he had awoken from that feeling just as tired as he had been before.

With Mary, the night Bester's recall signal had been given. How long ago had that been? Three days or so…. Maybe a little longer. He couldn't tell any more. But then, the woman with him could not have slept much either. Of course, she wasn't human…. well, not entirely, and for all he knew she did not need to sleep.

But still….

"He is not dead."

Corwin gave her credit. She almost sounded as if she believed the words she was saying. He was sure he did not. The Captain…. had known what would happen. He had chosen to stay on the bridge of the Parmenion . He had chosen to order the evacuation of his crew, and to give the order to launch a ramming action.

In some way, he had wanted to die.

"He is not dead."

"I'm sorry, Delenn," he said, surprised by how hoarse his voice sounded. He was thirsty. "There are people out looking, but…. No one could have survived that, Delenn. The ship was destroyed, completely wrecked. Delenn…."

She raised her head and looked at him. He was trapped by her piercing eyes, and he contemplated her for a minute. He had never really been comfortable around the former Satai Delenn, but he could see just what it was about her that made her able to rule dynasties, to lead leaders, and to capture the heart of the great Starkiller.

Corwin admitted he did owe her slightly. She had once helped the Captain free himself from a difficult situation, at Corwin's request. He supposed he might have helped push them together by asking that of her, and he was not entirely sure how he felt about that.

Still, the Captain had been happy these last few months. That was something, at least.

"A part of the bridge could still be pressurised. You said yourself that communications on the Parmenion were down before the…. end. He could still be alive, trapped in a pressurised section of the ship, unable to alert us to his position." She was speaking calmly and rationally, explaining each point precisely. He did not want to listen. He had run over every argument he could think of, and he could still not believe anything other than the fact that Captain John Sheridan was dead.

"Delenn," he said, interrupting her. "I want him to be alive just as much as you do…. but…. it's impossible."

"Nothing is impossible," she snapped, her voice firm. She sounded angry. "Nothing is impossible while there is hope, and faith. We have a saying, one John heard and understood. Faith manages, Commander. Faith manages."

"It hasn't done a very good job for me so far," he muttered angrily, but then he sighed. "I'm sorry, Delenn. I didn't mean that."

"No, Commander. It is I who should be sorry. John…. liked you a great deal. He respected you."

Corwin nodded and looked around, trying to avoid the lure of those green eyes. The quarters were not very luxurious, but then Drazi ones never were. They were on board the Drazi Sunhawk Stra'Kath , one of the few ships to remain in the Epsilon Eridani area. Most of the fleet that had fought in the Battle had gone back to Kazomi 7, for repairs and to off-load the wounded.

Captain Smith had taken his Babylon there and was now in detention, awaiting the decision on his fate. Susan was also there, and Corwin definitely did not want to think about her. So was Mary, and…. and he had something to ask her. He had been trying to build up the courage for a long while, but the battle had sharpened his focus. He would ask her….

But first he had a duty to his Captain. He would stay here until the body was found, and he would ensure it was taken back to Kazomi 7 and buried there. It was not really what the Captain would have wanted, but a burial on Earth was impossible now, as was one on Proxima.

"You should return to Kazomi Seven," he told Delenn. "The Government will need you now. G'Kar has also requested to see you. He…. he seems to be recovering well from his injuries."

"I am glad," she replied, her voice hollow. "But I will not leave here without John."

"Delenn, this is not rational. You…. you have responsibilities. The Captain would have wanted it this way. He…."

"I know what he would have wanted! But I will not let you send me away. I loved him…. I love him, and I will not believe him dead until I see his body. Not until then." She fell silent, and bowed her head.

"I…. know. And he loved you too." It was hard for him to admit that. He had never been able to reconcile himself to the Captain's feelings for this…. this Minbari.

"He is alive, Commander. I know that. I…. know."

"Faith manages," he muttered.

"Exactly," she replied, deadly serious. "Faith…. manages."

"What…. what is to do be done with me?"

Her guards did not reply. She was not even certain they could understand her words, but a vague legacy of senses she could not explain seemed to indicate that they had. Her telepathy was now once again barely present. It appeared that everything the Shadows had done to her had been erased by Kosh's sacrifice.

Everything they had done to her, but nothing she had done to herself.

The events of the last few years were clearer to her now, crystal clear as if she were looking at them through a lake of still water. Everything she had done…. breaking open Delenn's chrysalis, her part in Anna's death, her part in Laurel's death, her attack on Ambassador Sheridan and…. everything she had done on board Babylon 4.

"He couldn't have taken them away too, could he?" she muttered to herself. Not that anyone was really listening. Only the two Narn Rangers guarding her were present, and they hardly looked at her. Ta'Lon had told them she was powerless now, and they had believed him.

"No…. he had to let me remember everything. Every single damned thing."

She sighed, and bowed her head. As she slowed down the Narns turned to glare at her angrily, and she resumed walking again. All of these corridors seemed much the same. Whether that was typical of Drazi architecture or a sign of the limited budget of the United Alliance she did not know. Or particularly care.

What was waiting for her? A cell…. or a place of execution? She supposed what she had done might merit death, at least…. to the Drazi perhaps. Maybe the Narns, too. G'Kar wouldn't be exactly kindly disposed to her at the moment. Not after her part, however unwilling, in his removal from the Great Machine. She was the only one of that squad still alive.

She supposed that a lot of what she had done was wrong, but she had never intended to do harm. All she had wanted was to save humanity. That couldn't be so bad, could it?

And then her Russian pessimism returned. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Bad ones too, probably.

The Narns stopped in a section of corridor seemingly identical to the ones they had been tramping down for the past half an hour or so. There seemed to be a few more security cameras around, but little else was different. She did not even know which building this was. She'd never been to Kazomi 7 before, and she doubted she'd have much time for sightseeing while she was here. Not that there was much to see, apparently.

One of the Narns stepped forward and raised a strange-looking card. He placed it against the wall, and it slotted into a indent she had not noticed before. A section of the wall slid aside, revealing a small, well-lit room containing a bed and…. well, nothing else.

"Narn cells?" she asked. "Or Drazi ones?" The Drazi had been responsible for much of Kazomi 7's design, hadn't they? She was sure it had been a Drazi colony at some time in the past. From the looks of the corridors it didn't seem as if Delenn had had a hand in the design, though. Susan had been in Minbari cells before, and they were a little…. less accommodating than this one.

Not gently, she was pushed forward into the cell. She crossed the threshold with a soft sigh and a resigned grace. Turning, she saw the door slide shut.

With a gentle sigh and a click of her tongue, Susan Ivanova lay down on the bed and began to await her judgement.

Londo Mollari looked at his council of advisors, the nucleus of his new Government, and felt a sudden and quite inexplicable surge of pride. There was a long way still to go, yes, but the earliest obstacles had been overcome. They were past the beginning of the long journey.

"The Palace Guard have, almost to a man, sworn fealty to you, Majesty," Minister Durano was saying. The new Minister of Intelligence was a canny man, always acutely aware of the way the political winds were blowing. He was also however a principled man, and a meticulous one. If he said he would do something, then it would be done.

"Those who have not done so are under arrest. It would of course be foolish to assume that all such conversions are genuine. I recommend our own guards from Selini, or if that is not possible, then those from Gallia or Sphodria. They are in our debt, after all. A list of all such persons is appended to my report."

Londo shifted his gaze to his nephew. Carn Mollari, captain of the warship Valerius , new Commander of the Imperial Guard, and recently appointed Minister of Security. "There are a number of guards I do not entirely trust, but between myself, Minister Durano and Guards-Captains Kerrik and Volga we will soon have an efficient force answerable only to you, uncle." Kerrik and Volga had been the captains of the guards at Selini and the Court. Both were loyal men, woefully overlooked by the previous regime. That was not a mistake Londo could afford to make. For one thing, good and loyal men were far too rare, and for another…. he had a promise to an old friend to fulfill, and this was as good a starting place as any.

"The Court itself is…. er…. well, in a state of chaos, as you might expect," spoke up Virini, or rather, the 'Minister for the Court'. In the past the timid little man had been the butt of many a joke by those who failed to see that he heard everything, saw everything, knew almost everything and yet said very little. Rare attributes indeed. Now that he had returned to his former position, he preferred his former title, that simply of 'Minister'. The fewer people who knew his name, he argued, the more inconspicuous he was.

"The majority of Prince Cartagia's followers are either dead or under arrest. The body the guards…. uh…. recovered from the warehouse district has been confirmed as being that of Lady Elrisia, although some people do not appear to believe this. The…. uh…. the old guard faction are in disarray with the…. er…. incapacitation of Lord Kiro. Depending on the treatment of those responsible for the attacks on his estate, they may well decide to align themselves with you, Majesty. They are at least not openly hostile."