Quest (13 page)

'This time Discord is everywhere, Herra. In all lands and upon all worlds. Those of the Serpent are just one of the many manifestations of Evil.'

The God was silent for a while and the two women waited patiently. When at last their Brother spoke, he sounded weary. 'I've been considering how best to help you, Herra.'

'Help us? Are you going to come down to us at last?’

Davred paused, wondering how to explain what he wanted them to do in words that the Sisters would understand.

'No. But I have another device for you. I know you don't like devices, Herra, but sometimes they're necessary.'

'They stop people from developing their own skills, Brother. I'm not even sure I should wear this one for you.' She touched a little embroidered pouch at her waist.

'It's important,' he said.

'Yes. I know. So I shall wear it for a while. But not for ever.'

'Thank you.'

Katia suppressed a gasp. Was Herra real y daring to deny the God his wishes?

'Sometimes, devices are necessary,' he said mildly. 'I couldn't speak to you without the farspeakers, and I can't see what's happening unless you wear the tracer. And,' he added sombrely, 'I can't protect your temples without using the stasis cubes.'

'What are stasis cubes, Brother of the World?'

'Devices which
still
everything around them for a certain distance until someone turns the device off. It's similar to when you
still
a person, but the machine does it for you, and can hold that person in stasis for as long as you choose.

But there are some disadvantages: no one can get inside the stasis field once it's switched on and no one can get out of it, either. Anyone inside is helpless; anyone outside is unprotected. So there must be some people from the Sisterhood left outside, in order to switch off the device when times are safe again. And the worst part is - I have only six of the
QUEST Shannah Jay 46

cubes. So I can only save six temples. How shal I choose which ones, Herra? How shal I give life to some and leave others to die?'

Katia looked at him surreptitiously. She had thought the God would be awesome, but he seemed just a man, a rather attractive man, quite young and with a delightful smile. His body, what she could see of it, seemed only lightly muscled, and his co-ordination was definitely less sure than her own. When he grew sad, she could hear his breathing deepen, and it didn't sound control ed at all. How could that be? She spoke without thinking, for she could never bear to see anyone suffer. 'Il ustrious Brother, to save even some is a miracle.'

'Thank you for that comfort, Katia.' His smile was warm upon her. She smiled shyly back, then lowered her eyes, afraid of her own presumption. Davred turned again to Herra. 'So, Herra, you are the oldest and the most powerful Elder Sister of al . Advise me. Tel me what I must do. No other Sister has your experience or your wisdom. Where shall I send the devices? Which six temples shall I save?'

'I can't make this decision for you or for my Sisters, Brother. Such a decision doesn't belong to one person.'

'How shal we decide, then?'

'We must hold a Great Gathering of all the Sisters - it's been done before in times of crisis. If all choose together who shall be saved, none will resent the decision, or blame you for their fate. And some can still be saved in other ways.

Your machines are not the only method we have of protecting ourselves.'

'Herra, what do you mean by a Great Gathering?'

'A Gathering of all the Sisters in all the temples, Brother.'

'Do you mean by using the farspeakers?'

'No, Brother. We shall
gather.
All at once.'

'You mean you can link your minds together across the whole world?' He sounded startled. But not more so than Katia. How was it possible that the God didn’t know such things? The Great Gatherings were legendary. Every novice learned about them as a matter of course.

'Yes, Brother. Your fifth Manifestation showed us how to do it. We rarely use the technique, though, because it can be dangerous for the one who leads it. But I've studied how to do it in the Archives, just in case. I
knew
it might be necessary.'

Davred drew a deep breath. 'Tell me about it.'

'You know about it already, Brother. You yourself taught us the skill.'

Davred bit off the questions he longed to ask. He mustn’t betray himself and spoil the delicate balance of their trust in him, nor must he transgress Confex rules. This night had given him information he still couldn’t believe. The Sisterhood continued to surprise him.

'How soon can you arrange this Great Gathering?'

'It'll take about twenty days to make the preparations. It's not a thing lightly undertaken.'

* * *

It was not until he’d finished his turn on watch that Davred had time to think through the implications of what Herra had said.
Your Fifth Manifestation showed us how to do it.
Who had these other Manifestations been? Not for the first time, he wondered whether he and his colleagues were the first group of space-travellers to visit Sunrise. He hadn’t dared suggest this to Robler yet, for he and his Exec were barely speaking to one another. After Davred had been granted Provisional Commitment to Sunrise, things between them had gone from bad to worse.

As each of the mandatory five years of Provisional Commitment passed, Davred had applied for permission to visit the planet. His desire to commit himself permanently to Sunrise had grown stronger each year. If his current request for approval to visit was denied by Confex, he had decided to appeal to Galactic Central.

At that night's weekly conference on the satellite, Davred again mentioned his intention of using the stasis cubes
QUEST Shannah Jay 47

to save the temples.

'No!' Everyone stared as Robler thumped his fist on the table. 'I've told you already that it's dangerous to tamper with primitive cultures. You're allowing your obsession with those women to warp your judgment. I thought you'd dropped the idea.'

'I can't drop it. I'm just waiting for Confex to give me permission,' Davred said wearily. He was so tired of these arguments and iterations. And he had already promised Herra that he would save some of the temples. He would keep that promise, at whatever cost to his relations with Robler.

'I've strongly recommended that they don't!' snapped Robler. 'It'll only cause trouble and bitterness among those not protected. It could break up the whole stability of their religion.'

'You've done what?' Davred half rose in his seat.

'I've recommended that your request to use the stasis cubes be denied. Strongly recommended.'

'You said nothing to me about that!'

'I'm the Exec, not you. There's no compulsion for me to tell you everything I do.'

'And I'm the xeno-anthropologist. The expert, remember? I'm also the one who's been granted Provisional Commitment to Sunrise. You could at least have told me what you were doing.'

'I did as I thought best. Such a move will cause more trouble than it's likely to prevent.'

'Not, surely, if it's the Sisters themselves who decide which temples to save,' said Soo. She had shown more interest in the Sisterhood than any of the others and was now quite familiar with their ways and was learning to use their language more skilfully than the basic hypno-learning provided. Other watchers had come and gone on short-term contracts to the exploration team. Now only Soo, Davred, Robler and Mak remained of the original eight who had first staffed the observation satellite.

Like Davred, Soo and Mak were on a long tour of duty, and the three of them had become close friends. Only Robler had stayed aloof, growing more and more bitter as Davred failed to achieve his potential as a CA.

'That Great Gathering sounds interesting, Davred,' Soo said thoughtfully. 'I'll observe it with you next month, if I may. If the Sisters really can do what they say, it'll mean that they have a form of planet-wide telepathy, and that could put them into a Class 1A Total Intervention category.'

'It mustn't!' Davred's voice was so sharp with fear that everyone stared at him. 'I'd fight such a decision in every way possible, Soo. Total Intervention would destroy their culture and with it, over twenty thousand years of careful planning - not to mention any hopes of future development of their powers. If we intervened, they would become just another Confederation planet, however carefully we worked. We don't have the skill to leave a delicately-balanced culture such as theirs unharmed. Even as the Manifestation of their God, I try very hard not to interfere as I continue to learn from them. Their Disciplines may work for us too, one day. Their wisdom may help us to end our own violence.'

There was dead silence in the room, then Robler cleared his throat. 'Twenty thousand years of
planning
, Davred?

Have you been keeping information from us? I've seen nothing to suggest such specific long-term planning.'

Because you were too interested in what minerals you could pillage from this planet's moons, and in watching over me, thought Davred bitterly. Aloud he merely said, as mildly as he could, 'I'm still gathering evidence about that.

At present, it's merely a hypothesis that the Sisters have been working for twenty thousand years at least on this Quest, possibly under the guidance and intervention of - of someone else. The Precursors, perhaps.'

He had everyone's full attention now.

'Are you serious about that?' asked Mak. 'We've seen no sign of them on Sunrise, surely?'

‘No. But there's some other force at work here. I've had tantalising hints.'

'Wishful thinking,' scoffed Robler.

QUEST Shannah Jay 48

'We've discovered traces of them in many sectors of the galaxy. Why not here?' Davred's smile was scornful.

'Besides, I was waiting until I had proof before I told you. You always insist on proof, don't you, Robler? But I might have had to tell you al soon anyway, in order to get your help to make certain investigations.'

'It's mere conjecture, then,' snapped Robler.

'Not to me. Haven't you noticed the anomalies? This is the only planet we've ever found with one shared language at this stage of its evolution. Did you never consider that strange? And . . . I think the Sisters have had a selective breeding programme going ever since Temple Tenebrak was built, tostrengthen those genetic lines with certain skills - call them what you like, prescience, ESP, telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, second sight. Even people as
civilised
as members of the Confederation have many names for those talents and believe in their existence. But we don't often develop them ourselves, do we, Robler? Except for the occasional potential Cathartic Agent, that is.'

The small group erupted into argument. After years of working together, everyone knew of Davred's potential, but it was rarely referred to openly. And he had never shared his speculations about Sunrise with them before.

Indeed, over the past year or two he had become very withdrawn and Robler had ordered Mak to keep an eye on him in case he was becoming mentally unstable. But Mak had seen no signs of that. What he had seen was a young man becoming more sure of himself and his skills, and more attuned to another culture. Which did sometimes happen with xeno-anthropologists. But Robler refused to accept that diagnosis.

When he could make himself heard again, Davred asked, 'If I can prove all of this, will you agree to recommend keeping up only a Minor Intervention and Wardship, as we have now, Robler?'

'I'd have to inform Confex. But you can be sure that I wouldn't disobey their directives.'

'Thank you. I'm sure
they’ll
have enough sense not to interfere.'

Robler flushed and glared at him.

'I'll find the proof for you, Robler, never fear - when I deliver the stasis cubes.'

'Deliver?'

Davred nodded, excitement lighting up his face. 'Yes. When my Commitment has been fully approved, which it should be any day now, I'll be able to go down to the planet. It's been five years, you know, since I was granted Provisional Commitment. After my latest reports have been analysed, Confex is bound to grant me Full Commitment, and then I shall definitely make a visit to my planet. I shall have to, if I'm to devote my whole life to its welfare, shall I not?'

'You can only go down in a case of extreme emergency - and with my permission.'

'This is an extreme emergency. And I shall go as the Manifestation of their God. Little danger of damage that way.'

'Minor belligerence between primitives is not an extreme emergency! And what if Full Commitment is refused?'

Robler's expression was one of sneering contempt. 'You're too sure of yourself, Davred. Full Commitment isn't always granted. That's why there's a five-year provisional period.'

'They can't refuse. You saw the last report and the probability charts I sent. I was commended on them. Confex can't possibly refuse me.'

Robler smiled, and Davred eyed him narrowly. 'I see. Another recommendation from you, I suppose?'

Robler nodded.

'Well, we shall have to differ on that point. I still believe Full Commitment will be granted. Confex cannot be so stupid as to deny the wishes of a CA.'

'Potential CA,' corrected Robler.

'Full CA now,' Davred said quietly.

Mak stared at him. Again, there was no sign of mental instability, just that quiet confidence.

QUEST Shannah Jay 49

Robler snorted. 'You're not a full CA, Davred. That claim, too, will have to be investigated and confirmed.

Confex will do nothing unless they believe you've really achieved your potential. And for that, you might have to return to Confex Central for testing. Until then, you're not a CA in my book, and your wishes will not necessarily be granted.'

He smiled triumphantly and walked out.

Soo came over and laid her hand on Davred's shoulder. 'Confex won't deny you, Davred,' she said quietly. 'Not after five years and three Official Commendations on the high quality of your work here.'

Davred was standing very still, his face expressionless. 'They may do. If someone listens to Robler, they just may.