The Ships of Earth: Homecoming: Volume 3 (7 page)

Now Meb raised his hand.

“Good,” said Elemak. “And now for the other matter. We have a decision to make,” he said.

The sun had not yet risen, so it was still bitterly cold—especially for the ones who had done very little of the work of striking the tents and loading the camels. So it might have been just the cold that made Mebbekew’s voice tremble when he said, “I thought
you
were making all the decisions now.”

“I make all the decisions that have to do with keeping us alive and moving,” said Elemak. “But I don’t fancy myself some kind of tyrant. The decisions that
don’t
have to do with survival belong to the whole group, not to me. We can’t survive unless we all stay together, so I’ll tolerate
no
divisions among us. At the same time, I don’t recall a point where anybody actually decided where it was we were going.”

“We’re going back to Father and Issib,” said Nafai immediately. “You know they’re counting on us to return.”

“They have plenty of water as long as they stay put. They need someone to go and fetch them sometime in the next few months—they’ve got years of supplies, for that matter,” said Elemak. “So let’s not turn this into a life and death matter unless we have to. If the majority wants to go on until we reach Volemak in the desert, fine. That’s where we’ll
all
go.”

“We can’t go back to Basilica,” said Luet. “My father made that very clear.” Her father, of course, was Moozh, the great general of the Gorayni, though she had not known that until a few days ago. But by reminding the others of this newfound family connection, she hoped to make her words carry more weight. She wasn’t skilled at persuasion; she had always simply told the truth, and because the women of Basilica knew her to be the waterseer, her words were taken seriously. It was a new thing, talking to a group that included men. But she knew that asserting
one’s family status was one of the ways people got their way in Basilica, and so she tried it now.

“Yes,” said Kokor, “your tender loving father who tried to marry his own daughter and then threw us all out of the city when he couldn’t.”

“That’s not the way it happened,” said Luet.

Hushidh touched Luet’s hand to still her. “Don’t try,” Hushidh whispered softly. “Koya’s better at it than you are.”

No one else heard Hushidh’s words, but when Luet fell silent they understood the effect of what she said, and Kokor smirked.

“Luet is right enough that we probably can’t go back to Basilica,” said Elemak, “at least not right away—I think that was the message we were meant to understand from the fact that he sent an escort of soldiers to make sure we got safely away from the city.”

“I’m so tired of hearing how
none
of us can get back to Basilica,” said Mebbekew, “when it’s only
those
who embarrassed him in front of everybody.” He was pointing at Hushidh and Luet and Nafai.

“Do shut up, Meb,” said Elemak with genial contempt. “I don’t want us to be standing here talking when the sun comes up. We’re in exactly the kind of country that bandits like to hole up in, and if there are some hiding from the darkness in caves nearby, they’re bound to come out by daylight.”

Luet wondered if in feet Elemak
had
picked up some intimation of the bandits that the Oversoul had been controlling. Perhaps Elemak knew all along that such men were only brave in the sunlight, and hid at night. Besides, it was possible that Elemak was receiving the Oversoul’s messages subliminally, not realizing where the thoughts and ideas were coming from. After all, Elemak was as much a result of the Oversoul’s secret breeding program as any of the rest of them were, and he
had
received a dream not long ago. If only Elemak would simply admit that he could communicate with the Oversoul and follow her plans willingly—it would uncomplicate everything. As it
was, she and Hushidh had been working on plans to try to thwart Elemak in whatever it was he was planning to do.

“Even though we really can’t go back to Basilica immediately,” Elemak went on, “that doesn’t mean we have to go join Father at once. There are many other cities that would take in a caravan of strangers, if only because Shedemei has an extremely valuable cargo of embryos and seeds.”

“They’re not for sale,” said Shedemei. Her voice was harsh enough, her answer abrupt enough, that everyone knew she had no intention of arguing about it.

“Not even to save our lives?” said Elemak sweetly. “But never mind—I don’t propose selling them anyway. They’re only valuable when they come along with the knowledge that Shedya has in her head. What matters is that they
will
let us in if they know that, far from being a band of penniless wanderers recently expelled from Basilica by General Moozh of the Gorayni, we are instead accompanying the famous geneticist Shedemei, who is moving her laboratory away from strife-torn Basilica to some peaceful city that will guarantee her a place to do her work without disturbance.”

“Perfect,” said Vas. “There’s not a City of the Plain that would refuse us entry on those terms.”

“They’d offer us money, in fact,” said Obring.

“They’d offer
me
money, you mean,” said Shedemei. But clearly she was flattered—she hadn’t really thought of the fact that her presence would convey a certain amount of prestige on any city she settled in. Luet could see that Elemak’s flattery was having its effect.

〈He’s going to put it to a vote.〉 The Oversoul spoke in Luet’s mind.

That much is obvious by now, said Luet. What is his
plan?

〈When Nafai opposes the decision to return to the city, it will be mutiny.〉

Then he must not oppose.

〈Then my work would be thwarted.〉

Then control the vote.

〈Whose vote should I change? Which of them would Elemak believe if he suddenly voted to go on?〉

Then don’t let the vote happen.

〈I have no such influence with Elemak.〉

Then tell Nafai not to oppose!

〈He must oppose, or there will be no voyage to Earth.〉

“No!” cried Luet.

Everyone looked at her. “No what?” asked Elemak.

“No vote,” she said. “There will be
no
vote.”

“Ah yes,” said Elemak. “We have another freedom-lover here who realizes that she doesn’t approve of democracy after all, when she thinks the vote will go against her.”

“Who said anything about voting?” asked Dol, who was never terribly sharp about what was going on around her.

“I vote we go back to civilization,” said Obring. “Otherwise we’re slaves to marriage—and to Elemak, for that matter!”

“But I said nothing about putting things to a vote,” said Elemak. “I said only that we must make a decision about where to go. A vote might be interesting, but I won’t be bound by it. It’s your counsel that I need, not your governance.”

So they counseled him, eloquently—or tried to. But if anyone even began to advance an argument that someone else had already stated, Elemak would silence them at once. “I’ve already heard that. Anything new to add?” As a result, the discussion didn’t last very long at all. Sooner than Luet would have thought possible, Elemak asked, “Anything else?” and no one answered.

He waited, looked around at them. The sun was coming over the tops of the distant mountains now, and his eyes and hair glowed with reflected light. This is his finest moment, thought Luet. This is what he has planned for—a whole community, including his father’s wife, including his brother Nafai, including the waterseer and the raveler of Basilica, including his own bride, all waiting for the decision that will change their lives. Or end them.

“Thank you for your wise counsel,” said Elemak gravely. “It seems to me that we don’t have to choose one way
or
another. Those who want to return to civilization may, and soon enough those who want to go on into the desert on this errand for the Oversoul may do so as well. We can call it a rescue of my father or we can call it the beginning of a voyage to Earth—that’s not at issue now. What matters is that all can be satisfied. We’ll go south a little way and then come over the mountains and down into the Cities of the Plain. There we can leave those who can’t bear to live under the harsh law of the desert, and I can take the stronger ones with me.”

“Thanks so much!” said Mebbekew.

“I don’t care what he calls me, as long as I have my freedom,” said Kokor.

“Fools,” said Nafai. “Don’t you see that he’s only pretending?”

“What did you say?” said Elemak.

“He intended to take us back to civilization all along,” said Nafai.

“Don’t, Nafai,” said Luet, for she knew what was coming next.

“Listen to your brideling, Brother,” said Elemak. His voice was deceptively mild.

“I will listen to the Oversoul,” said Nafai. “The only reason we’re alive right now is because the Oversoul has been influencing a band of robbers to stay holed up in their cave not three hundred meters away. The Oversoul can lead us perfectly well across the desert, with or without Elemak and his stupid desert law. It’s a game for boys that he’s playing—who can make the boldest threats—”

“Not threats,” said Elemak. “Laws that every desert traveler knows.”

“If we trust in the Oversoul we will be perfectly safe on this journey. If we trust in Elemak we’ll return to the Plain and be destroyed in the wars that are coming.”

“Trust in the Oversoul,” said Meb with a sneer. “What you mean is do whatever
you
say”

“Elemak knows that the Oversoul is real enough—he had a dream that led us back to the city to marry our wives, didn’t he?”

Elemak only laughed. “Babble on, Nafai.”

“It’s as Elemak said. This isn’t a matter for democracy. It’s a matter for each of us to decide. Go on with the journey as the Oversoul has directed, and we’ll take the greatest voyage in forty million years and inherit a world for us and our children. Or go back to the city where you can betray your spouse as some of you are already planning. As for me and Luet, we will never go back to the city.”

“Enough,” said Elemak. “Not another word or you’re dead this instant.” A pulse was in his hand. Luet had not noticed he was carrying it, but she knew what it meant. This was exactly what Elemak had been waiting for. He had set it up very carefully, and now he could kill Nafai and no one would dare condemn him for it. “I know the desert and you don’t,” said Elemak. “There are no bandits where you
claim
there are, or we’d already be dead. If that’s what passes for wisdom in your fevered little brain, Brother, then anyone who stayed with you would surely be doomed. But no one
will
stay with you, because I’m not about to let this group split up. That would mean certain death for anyone who went with you.”

“A lie,” said Nafai.

“Please, speak again so I can kill you as the mutineer you are.”

“Hold your tongue, Nafai, for my sake!” said Luet.

“You’ve all heard him, haven’t you?” said Elemak. “He has proclaimed rebellion against my authority and attempted to lead a group away to their destruction. That’s mutiny, which is far more serious than adultery, and the penalty is death. You are all witnesses. There’s not one of you but would have to confess it in court, should it ever come to that.”

“Please,” said Luet. “Let him be, and he’ll say no more.”

“Is that true, Nafai?” asked Elemak.

“If you continue to head back to the city,” said Nafai, “the Oversoul will have no reason to restrain the bandits any further, and you will all be killed.”

“You see?” said Elemak. “Even now he tries to frighten us with these fantasies of nonexistent bandits.”

“That’s what you’ve been doing all along,” said Shedemei. “Making us do what you want for fear of bandits finding us.”

Elemak turned to her. “I never claimed they were a few meters away, hiding in a cave, only that there was a chance that some would come upon us. I’ve said nothing but the truth to you—but this boy thinks you’re such fools that you’ll believe his obvious lies.”

“Believe what you like,” said Nafai. “You’ll see the proof soon enough.”

“Mutiny,” said Elemak, “and all of you—even his own mother—will be my witnesses that I had no choice, because he would not desist in his rebellion. If he were not my own brother, I wouldn’t have waited this long. He’d be dead already.”

“And if you didn’t carry genes that the Oversoul regards as precious ones,” said Nafai, “Gaballufix would have killed you when you failed to lead Father into his trap.”

“Accusing me does nothing but compound your crime,” said Elemak. “Say good-bye to your mother and your wife—from where you are, and no nearer!”

“Elemak, you can’t mean this,” said Rasa.

“You yourself agreed with me, Rasa, that our survival depends on obedience to the law of the desert, and what the penalty had to be.”

“I see that you maliciously—”

“Careful, Lady Rasa. I’ll do what must be done, even if it includes leaving you to your death as well.”

“Don’t worry, Mother,” said Nafai. “The Oversoul is with us, and Elemak is helpless.”

Luet began to catch a glimmer of what Nafai was doing. He seemed quite calm—unbelievably calm. Therefore he must be quite sure that the Oversoul would be able to protect him after all. He must have a plan of his own, and so Luet would do best to be silent and let it unfold, no matter how frightened she was.

It would be nice if you would share the plan with me, though, she said to the Oversoul.

〈Plan?〉 answered the Oversoul.

Luet’s hands began to tremble.

“We’ll see how helpless you are,” said Elemak. “Mebbekew, take a length of packing cord—the light line, and a good length, several meters—and tie his hands. Use the cinching knot, so it binds tight, and don’t worry about cutting off the circulation in his hands.”

“You see?” said Nafai. “He has to kill a bound man.”

Don’t! Cried Luet in her heart. Don’t provoke him into shooting you! If you let him tie you, then you have a chance.

Elemak glanced at Mebbekew, at which Meb took a few steps to one of the waiting camels and came back with a cord.

As he was tying Nafai’s hands behind his back, twining the cords around and around his wrists, Hushidh stepped forward.