Revolution's Shore (40 page)

“I have heard the term, yes, but I know neither its origin nor its meaning.”

Robbie's face betrayed the simple pleasure he felt in being the bearer of such momentous tidings. He hesitated only long enough to glance at Lily, as if to offer her the privilege, but she shook her head, a minute gesture in keeping with her effacement, and he went on.

“The Hierakis Formula, comrade—comrades—is a life-extension serum developed and perfected in the home worlds. It is a simple draught administered to each individual, and with the slightest of side effects: about two to three weeks of flulike symptoms. And it effectively alters human”—he shook his head—“I am no physician or geneticist, comrades, to describe the physiological workings of such a treatment, but the end result is that humans can expect to live upward of one hundred eighty years.”

In the silence created by this speech, the echo of a distant rail lumbering through some subterranean corridor could be heard, the deep core of human interchange bound for further destinations.

Jehane stood poised as if on the edge of a precipice, but it was a man Lily did not recognize who spoke first.

“We haven't had reason to disbelieve you before, comrade Pero, but even if such a—a formula exists, we were long since abandoned by the old worlds, and the ways back have long since been lost. So how are we to benefit from this now?”

“Because some people from the old worlds have gotten through to Reft space. Just a few, mind you,” he added quickly, seeing the stir that this additional revelation caused in his audience—all excepting Jehane, of course. “Not any wholesale migration, and more by accident than design, I suppose. But one of them has the Formula and has begun to manufacture it. Here. In Reft space.”

Several people began to speak at once. Jehane lifted a hand, and silence descended again.

“Comrade Pero.” His voice was soft. “What are you suggesting?”

For the first time, Robbie looked taken aback, but he recovered quickly. “According to this physician, the Formula is easily manufactured except for the minute components of its base. The base is what he has been making, with a view toward distributing it to the entire population. Comrade, as soon as Central has surrendered—which they will inevitably do—you can announce this great boon at the same time you announce the restoration.”

Jehane shook his head slightly, as if saddened by some thought that only he could comprehend. “My dear Robbie. Only consider. There will be
riot
if such news gets out. First we must consolidate our government. Then manufacture this Formula. Then we must develop a system of dissemination, and work out the mechanics of the administration of its distribution.”

“But I didn't explain,” Robbie continued, breaking into Jehane's cool recitation of these difficulties. “The beauty of the Formula is that once the base is widely available,
any
dispensary can blend the correct ingredients. Any clinic—even those in the poorest neighborhoods. It needs no centralized distribution. It truly can be available to all.”

Jehane sighed. “And what of people who manufacture it incorrectly? Who hoard it and sell it at increased prices? Poor clinics may not have the facilities. Such a valuable”—he hesitated—“such a gift
must
be controlled from a central source that will assure that it will be doled out fairly, and judiciously.”

“No,” said Robbie.

The force of that simple word permeating the room gave Lily a sudden shudder of fear. Kuan-yin took a step forward, but some infinitestimal movement by Jehane stopped her from coming any farther.

“No,” repeated Robbie. “I appreciate the difficulties inherent in distributing something that people so desperately want. That is exactly the reason that the information must be made available to every person—over the net, broadcast, sent to every terminal, every clinic, available to be bought in every store. Surely you of all people, comrade Jehane, understand that this Formula must never become a privilege, restricted to those who can pay enough, or who line up for rewards. The Hierakis Formula is a right, one each and every citizen of the Reft possesses, and I will do everything in my power to see that the knowledge of it, and the base that is needed for manufacture, is disseminated through every means
I
have at my disposal.”

Jehane smiled, looking a little tired. “Of course you are right, comrade Pero. Your argument has convinced me.”

But Lily noted that his eyes took careful stock of each person who stood in the room, or near enough to have heard Robbie's news. She eased herself two unobtrusive steps along the wall toward the door, but Jehane's soldiers stood as intent as ever—if not more so, now—at their posts.

“But first,” Jehane continued to Robbie, “before we send you off to begin your task, perhaps you will accompany us to Central.”

Robbie bowed his head in acknowledgment of the honor accorded him by this offer. “I have no talent for such methods of war, comrade, or I would gladly accompany you. I ask that you excuse me.”

“Ah, but there ought to be very little fighting. I long since determined that the cost in lives of our soldiers to storm the walls of Central would be prohibitive. Violence is not always the most expedient solution.”

“Then?”

“
Vende patria
, comrade. A man who knows when the time is right to shift allegiance.” Jehane glanced at the doors that lead into the concourse. “Where is our new colleague?” he asked. “He was supposed to be with us now.”

“He's coming now, comrade,” replied one of the soldiers.

There was a rustle of movement, and a slight reordering of positions, as two new people entered the room. Lily recognized the tall, white-haired man immediately: Pinto's father, Senator Isaiah.

I
SAIAH DID NOT RECOGNIZE
her: that became apparent when the Senator, looking carefully around the room, did not give Lily a second's glance, dismissing her as unimportant. At Robbie he paused, but then dismissed him as well and came forward to stand beside Jehane.

“We'd best go,” he said to Jehane, sounding both impatient and, surprising to Lily, respectful. “The override program I installed in Central's main computer won't wait, and we have to strike as soon as it goes into action.”

Jehane nodded at Kuan-yin to precede the party out of the room.

“Then it
is
true,” Isaiah continued in the pause while Kuan-yin reordered the soldiers to provide what she considered adequate security. “That you personally led the breakout on Blessings against two centuries of Immortals—and made it out alive.” The awe in his voice gave Lily a sudden understanding of the obvious respect with which he treated Jehane—not a politician's respect, but the giddy fear that a true man of action and physical power instills in a man of more sedentary habits.

“I was not alone,” said Jehane. He checked his wrist-com. “You are right, Senator. We have very little time.”

“We're ready,” said Kuan-yin, consulting comrade Vanov, who had just appeared from the corridor. “A number of vehicles are leaving this area now. Our truck is waiting to take us to the tac center.”

Senator Isaiah seemed about to ask a question, but Jehane efficiently swept him out of the room, leaving the rest of his retinue to follow behind. Robbie did not even pause, but followed out the two Arcadians Lily did not know. The two commanders hurried after them, but Lily hung back. Robbie's decision she could no longer influence; now she needed to meet Pinto and put into motion whatever plan Kyosti had devised. It would be easy enough to fall behind, to slip off undetected.

“Comrade.” Comrade Vanov, flanked by four soldiers, halted behind her. “We've orders to be sure that everyone here goes on to headquarters.”

Lily eyed him speculatively, but he had too much backup, and he was too aware, and too well armed. All the doors but one in that long corridor had now closed before her: she followed Jehane's party.

The truck in which they traveled had the exterior of a common cargo van, but inside it had been redesigned to carry passengers in comfortable padded benches. She sat in silence in the back row, Vanov on one side, a soldier on the other, and listened to the quiet flow of conversation from the seats in front. Several conversations intertwined, eddying around Jehane's silence: The Hierakis Formula. Jehane's single-handed routing of the Immortals on Blessings. The disposition of Jehane's forces surrounding Central, poised at every gate in the huge wall that would soon be opening, unbeknown to those besieged inside, at the command of one of their own, turned traitor. How Jehane had had to be talked out of leading the first assault himself.

Robbie sat with a distant, intent look on his face that betrayed to Lily that he was thinking very hard about something or, perhaps, planning a speech. Jehane sat perfectly still, face impassive, in that way that only honed fighters perfect: conserving their energy. Now and then he shifted his gaze, examining his retinue.

Without realizing it, she discovered that she was looking directly at him, and he at her. An instant, where he was perhaps as unguarded as she, and the kind of communication that is always wordless, and the more profound for it, passed between them.

He did not trust her. She knew it from his gaze. Felt it. But more than that, worse by far, she had a deep glimpse of what her instincts had felt all along: he was a genuinely dangerous man—not because he did not believe in the revolution, but because he believed he was the only person fit to lead it. It was her trust in Robbie that had blinded her; Robbie's idealism that blinded him. Of course it had been right to tell Robbie about the Hierakis Formula—but by doing so, and by coming along with him when he made the inevitable and—she saw now—misguided choice to tell Jehane, she had forced Jehane's hand.

He smiled at her, softly mesmerizing, and she knew without a doubt that he did not intend to let her or Robbie out of his zone of control until things had fallen out as he wished them to. All the doors were shut now. Hawk, and whatever allies he chose to trust on the
Forlorn Hope
, were alone, because she always acted before she really investigated her gut feelings.

She wrenched her gaze away from his hypnotic one and did not look up again for the rest of the ride.

Headquarters proved to be one of Arcadia's large net centers: broadcast headquarters for several image and sound nets. From the outside, little distinguished it from the rest of the buildings surrounding it, but inside, the security measures were both obvious and brutal. Everyone but Jehane and Kuan-yin was searched twice. Lily was relieved of even her com-screen. The soldiers under Kuan-yin's command entered fully armed.

Again, when she lagged behind as the others swept into the elevator, Vanov prodded her forward, not very gently. He was enjoying himself.

They came out of the elevator into another security checkpoint, and then walked down a long corridor studded with white-clad soldiers at every branching and door. Eventually they came to a huge room filled with screens and consoles and banks of computers that all served to coordinate the flood of information and images and transmissions that intersected in this chamber.

Lily came up beside Robbie as they entered and paused, taking in the melding of images and sound and the quiet intensity of the people staffing the consoles.

“Perfect,” said Robbie in a strangely normal voice. “I'll get to work right away encoding and positioning the message about the Hierakis Formula so that it can be broadcast as soon as Central has surrendered. But I'll need additional information from you, Lily.”

Lily glanced to either side, aware that although Jehane had gone forward to greet the staff, Vanov stood less than four paces from them. The soldier glanced across at Kuan-yin, who had followed Jehane.
Her gaze
was fixed on Robbie.

“Robbie,” Lily said slowly. “I don't have any more information.”

He glanced at her, clearly puzzled by her tone of voice, and then looked straight at Vanov. “Comrade.” His gaze, as always, was open and direct. “Perhaps you can ask your commander to introduce me to whichever of your staff here can assign me a free terminal.”

“What for?” asked Vanov rudely.

If his bullying tone startled Robbie, he did not show it. Jehane had circled around the room quickly and now returned efficiently to their side. “To encode and position a message about the Formula,” Robbie answered, leaving the
of course
unsaid but clearly understood.

“Of course,” interposed Jehane smoothly as he came up to them, as if he were echoing Robbie's unspoken words. “Comrade.” He looked at the green-clad civilian beside him. “Comrade Pero needs a console. Do we have one free?”

“Yes, comrade Jehane. Certainly.” The man bobbed his head enthusiastically. “This way, comrade Pero. I have heard your speeches many a time, and my own cousin was swayed by your ‘waters shall not rise' speech last summer when before she had nothing but scorn for the movement. And the ‘I see this system' speech, too, I recall with great pride, although perhaps”—his voice lowered a note in respectful sorrow—“those were your predecessor's words.”

“Yes,” said Robbie simply. “They were.”

Both Jehane and Kuan-yin watched as the green-clad man led Robbie away. Lily tried to drift unobtrusively away, to escape into the maze of consoles that littered the floor of the chamber, but Vanov continued to trail her at a distance. She roamed slowly through the activity, marking the three exits from the room—each heavily guarded—watching Kuan-yin's brisk circuit of all the soldiers stationed at doors and on the balcony that led to a plastiglassed booth overhead. Jehane had halted beside the large central console and now spoke with a nervous-looking Senator Isaiah and the two mercenary commanders.

Across the array of screens, Lily saw images of units massing for the strike, or else static screening whatever existed inside Central's walls. Many people spoke in the room, collating or processing the deluge of knowledge and communications that collected in this chamber, but overall it came to her as a hushed buzz, anticipatory and controlled, not frantic.