The Night's Dawn Trilogy (253 page)

“Even armed with antimatter?” Prince Howard inquired.

“Oh, yes. We would have taken a pounding, no doubt about it. But we would have won; in terms of firepower our SD network is
second only to Earth’s. The thing which concerns our strategists most is the Organization’s theoretical expansion rate. They
have effectively doubled their fleet size by taking Arnstadt. If another five or six star systems were to fall into Capone’s
hands, we would be facing parity at the very least.”

“We have distance on our side,” Lady Phillipa said. “Kulu is nearly three hundred light-years from New California. Deploying
any kind of fleet over such a distance would be inordinately difficult. And Capone is having trouble resupplying his conquests
with He3, he simply isn’t getting any from the Edenists.”

“Your pardon, Prime Minister,” the admiral said. “But you are taking a too literal interpretation of these events. Yes it
would be physically difficult for Capone to subdue Kulu, but the
trend
he is starting would be a different matter indeed. Others returning from the beyond are equally capable, and some have considerably
more experience in empire building than he does. Unless planetary governments remain exceptionally vigilant in searching for
outbreaks of possession, what happened to New California could easily be repeated. If Capone was all we had to worry about,
I would frankly be very relieved. As to the Organization’s He
₃
shortage: deuterium can and will be used as a monofuel for starship drives. It’s less efficient and its radiation output
has a progressively detrimental effect on the drive tube equipment, but do not imagine for a moment that will prevent them
from using it. The Royal Navy has contingency plans to continue high-level operations in the event that Kulu loses every single
He3 cloudscoop in the Kingdom. We can fly for years, conceivably decades, using deuterium alone should the need arise.”

“So lack of He3 isn’t going to stop him?” the King asked.

“No, sir. Our analysts believe that given the internal nature of Capone’s Organization he will have to continue his expansion
efforts in order to survive. The Organization has no other purpose, growth through conquest is all it is geared up for. As
a strategy for maintaining control over his own people it is excellent, but sooner or later he will run into size management
problems. Even if he realizes this and tries to stop, his lieutenants will stage a coup. If they didn’t they’d lose their
status along with him.”

“He seems to be running New California efficiently enough,” Lord Mountjoy said.

“That’s a propaganda illusion,” the Duke of Salion said. “The agencies have come up with a similar interpretation as the navy.
Capone boasts he has established a working government, but essentially it’s a dictatorship backed by the threat of ultimate
force. It survives principally because the planetary economy is on a war footing which always distorts financial reality for
a while. This idea of a currency based on magic tokens is badly flawed. The energistic ability of the possessed is essentially
unlimited, you cannot package it up and redistribute it to the have-nots as if it were some kind of tangible commodity.

“And so far no one has challenged Capone, he’s moved too swiftly for that. But the Organization’s internal political situation
won’t last. As soon as any kind of routine is established, people can start to look at how they are being made to live and
consider it objectively. We estimate that serious underground opposition groups are going to start forming within another
fortnight among both communities. From what we’ve actually seen and what we can filter through the propaganda, it would be
very tough for possessed and non-possessed to live peacefully side by side. The society Capone has built is extremely artificial.
That makes it easy to destroy, especially from within.”

Lord Mountjoy smiled faintly. “You mean, we don’t have to do anything but wait? The possessed will wipe themselves out for
us?”

“No. I’m not saying that. Our psychologists believe that they cannot form societies as large or as complex as ours. We have
system-wide industrial civilizations because that is what it takes to maintain our socioeconomic index. But when you can live
in a palace grander than this one simply by wishing it to be, what is the point of having states whose populations run into
hundreds of millions? That’s what will eventually neuter Capone; but it doesn’t get rid of the general problem which the possessed
present. Not for us.”

“I never thought a military solution was the right one, anyway,” Alastair said with a contrite nod at the admiral. “Not in
the long term. So what kind of threat are we facing from the possessed infiltrating us? Have we really caught all of them
who were at liberty in the Kingdom? Simon?”

“Ninety-nine point nine per cent, Your Majesty, certainly here on Kulu itself. Unfortunately, I can’t give you absolutes.
Sheer probability dictates that several have eluded us. But the AIs are becoming increasingly proficient in tracking them
down through the net. And of course, if they begin to build up in any numbers they become easy for us to spot and eradicate.”

“Hardly good for morale, though,” Lady Phillipa said. “Government can’t guarantee you won’t get possessed, but if it does
happen don’t worry, we’ll see it.”

“Admittedly inconvenient for individual subjects,” Prince Howard observed. “But it doesn’t affect our overall ability to respond
to the threat. And the Kulu Corporation has already built a prototype personal monitor to safeguard against possession.”

“You have?”

“Yes. It’s a simple bracelet stuffed with various sensors which is linked permanently into the communications net. It’ll stretch
our bandwidth capacity, but two AIs can keep real-time tabs on every person on the planet. If you take it off, or if you are
possessed, we’ll know about it straightaway and where it happened.”

“The civil rights groups will love that,” she muttered.

“The possessed will not,” Prince Howard said levelly. “And it is their opinion which matters the most.”

“Quite,” Alastair II said. “I shall publicly put on the first bracelet. It ought to help ease public attitude to the notion.
This is for their own good, after all.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lady Phillipa conceded with reasonable grace.

“Very well, we cannot guarantee absolute safety for the population, but as my brother says, we can still conduct broad policy.
For the moment, I have to be satisfied with that. As to the principal thrust of that broad policy, we must make a decision
about Mortonridge. Admiral?”

“My staff tactical officers have been running battle simulations along the lines young Hiltch suggested. His experience has
been a lot of help, but for my mind there are an awful lot of variables and unknowns.”

“Do we win any of these simulations?” the Duke of Salion asked.

“Yes. Almost all of them, providing we devote sufficient resources. That seems to be the clinching factor every time.” He
gave the King a worried look. “It’s going to be risky, Your Majesty. And it is also going to be extremely costly. We must
maintain our current defence status throughout the Kingdom simultaneously with running this campaign. It will take every military
reserve we have, not to mention stretching our industrial capacity.”

“That should keep the baronies happy,” Lady Phillipa said.

Alastair II pretended he hadn’t heard. “But it can be done?” he pressed the admiral.

“We believe so, Your Majesty. But it will require the full support of the Edenists. Ideally, I’d also like some material cooperation
from the Confederation Navy and our allies. The more we have, the greater chance of victory.”

“Very well. Kelman, this is your field. How did your audience with the Edenist ambassador go?”

The foreign minister attempted not to smile at the memory; he still wasn’t sure which of them had been the more surprised.
“Actually, Ambassador Astor was extremely receptive to the notion. As we know, the old boy doesn’t exactly have the easiest
of jobs here. However, once I asked, he immediately put the whole embassy over to working on the practical aspects. Their
military and technology attachÉs agree that the Jovian habitats have the capacity to produce Tranquillity serjeants in the
kind of quantities we envisage.”

“What about commitment?” Prince Howard asked.

“Such a request would have to be put before their Consensus, but he was sure that given the circumstances Jupiter would consider
it favourably. He actually offered to accompany whatever delegation we send and help present the argument for us. It might
not sound like much, but I consider such an offer to be significant.”

“Why exactly?” the King asked.

“Because of the nature of their culture. Edenists very rarely enact a Consensus, normally there is no need. They share so
much in terms of ethics and motivation that their decisions on most subjects are identical. Consensus is only required when
they confront something new and radical, or they are threatened and need to select a level of response. The fact that the
ambassador himself is in agreement with our request and that he is willing to argue our case for us is a very positive factor.
More than anyone, he understands what it has cost us to ask for their help in the first place, the pride we have swallowed.
He can convey that for us.”

“In other words, he can swing it,” Prince Howard said.

“I consider it a high probability.”

The King paused for a moment, weighing up the troubled faces confronting him. “Very well, I think we should proceed to the
next stage. Admiral, start to prepare what forces you need to support the liberation of Mortonridge.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Kelman, the immediate burden rests upon your ministry.

The admiral says he requires support from the Confederation Navy and our allies, it will be up to the diplomatic service to
secure it. Whatever interests we have, I want them realized. I suggest you confer with the ESA to see what pressure can be
applied to anyone displaying less than wholehearted enthusiasm.”

“What level of assets do you want activated?” the Duke of Salion asked cautiously.

“All of them, Simon. We either do this properly or not at all. I am not prepared to commit our full military potential against
such a powerful enemy unless we have total superiority. It would be morally unacceptable, as well as politically unsound.”

“Yes, sir, I understand.”

“Excellent, that’s settled then.”

“Um, what about Ione?” Lady Phillipa asked.

Alastair almost laughed openly at the Prime Minister’s meekness. Not like her at all. Everyone did so tiptoe around the subject
of Tranquillity in his presence. “Good point. I think it might be best if we employ family here to complement Kelman’s people.
We’ll send Prince Noton.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lord Mountjoy said guardedly.

“Any other topics?” the King asked.

“I think we’ve achieved all our aims, sir,” Lady Phillipa said. “I’d like to announce that plans to liberate Mortonridge are
under way. A positive step to regain the initiative will be just what people need to hear.”

“But no mention of the Edenists,” Lord Mountjoy interjected quickly. “Not yet, that still needs to be handled with care.”

“Of course,” she said.

“Whatever you think appropriate,” Alastair told them. “I wish all of you good luck on your respective tasks. Let us hope Our
Lord smiles on us, the sunlight seems to be decidedly lacking of late.”

•  •  •

It was only the third time Parker Higgens had been invited into Ione’s apartment, and the first time he’d been in alone. He
found himself disturbed by the big window in the split-level entrance lounge which looked out into the circumfluous sea; the
antics of the shoals of small fish flashing their harlequin colours as they sped about did not amuse him. Strange, he thought,
that the threat of pressure which all that water represented should be so much more intimidating than the vacuum outside the
starscraper windows.

Ione welcomed him with a smile and a delicate handshake. She was wearing a yellow robe over a glittering purple bikini, her
hair still damp from her swim. Once again, as he had been right from the first moment he saw her, Parker Higgens was captivated
by those enchanting blue eyes. His only comfort was that he wasn’t alone in the Confederation, millions suffered as he did.

“Are you all right, Parker?” she inquired lightly.

“Yes, thank you, ma’am.”

Ione gave the window a suspicious look, and it turned opaque. “Let’s sit down.”

She selected a small circular table made from a wood so darkened with age it was impossible to identify. A pair of silent
housechimps began to serve tea from a bone china set.

“You seem to have made a lot of new friends in Trafalgar, Parker. An escort of four voidhawks, no less.”

Parker winced. Did she have any idea how penetrating that irony of hers could be? “Yes, ma’am. The navy science analysts are
here to assist with our interpretation of the Laymil recordings. The First Admiral’s staff suggested the procedure, and I
had to agree with their reasoning. Possession is a terrible occurrence, if the Laymil had a solution we should not stint in
our efforts to locate it.”

“Please relax, Parker, I wasn’t criticising. You did the right thing. I find it most gratifying that the Laymil project has
suddenly acquired so much importance. Grandfather Michael was right after all; a fact he must be enjoying. Wherever he is.”

“You have no objection to the navy people scrutinizing the recordings, then?”

“None at all. It would be a rather spectacular feather in our cap if we did produce the answer. Although I have my doubts
on that score.”

“So do I, ma’am. I don’t believe there is a single answer to this problem. We are up against the intrinsic nature of the universe
itself, only God can alter that.”

“Humm.” She sipped her tea, lost in contemplation. “Yet the Kiint seem to have found a way. Death and possession doesn’t bother
them.” For the first time ever she saw real anger on the old director’s gentle face.