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

And it all came down to one man. Kill him, kill the traitor to humanity…. and it would all be over. So simple.

But for one tiny detail.

"I know," she whispered to her eternal guardians. "There's a Vorlon. It's coming here."

Sheridan stirred. He seemed to be stabilising in time. He had been under a lot of strain recently. Too much. Her guardians seemed to be content. Maybe they were winning the battle, and none of this was necessary?

"Wake up, John," she said, trying to put some warmth into her voice. She failed, but then the thought of Satai Delenn angered her. She…. remembered what Delenn had become. A mockery of everything her brother had died for. "Your Minbari whore's coming for you, and him as well. He's coming too."

"Who…. who are you talking about?" He tried to rise again, and managed to hook his arm over a handrail and haul himself up. Susan watched him, thinking about Anna. She had loved this man, and he had betrayed her.

"I don't suppose she told you, did she? No, truthfulness and honesty are not particularly big Minbari virtues, whatever they like to tell anyone. Minbari do not lie, they say. Maybe not, but they never tell anyone the whole truth either.

"What do you know about Valen?"

Before today she had hardly known anything herself, but they had told her all she needed to know.

"Minbari…. not born of Minbari," Sheridan muttered.

"So, maybe she does tell you something after all? Pillow talk, perhaps. Yes, Valen was Minbari not born of Minbari. He was human in fact. A human from this time who used some machine to change himself into a Minbari, and took this station backwards in time to the last war against my people, where he led the Vorlons and the Minbari and all the other perfect little races to victory.

"And imagine our surprise when we discovered all of this. Imagine our surprise when we realised that all we had to do was kill one man and we'd win the war then. The Minbari would be finished and…." She paused, her tone of voice changing, becoming more…. soft, more human.

"Think about it, John! If we kill Valen now, then the Minbari will be destroyed. A thousand years ago! No Minbari, no Battle of the Line, no destruction of Earth. None of this will have happened. You'll still have your Anna. I'll still have my mother. Everything can be so much better."

And then a coldness swept across her mind, and she stiffened. What was the point? He wouldn't listen. They knew that. They had told her as much. "But no. Don't bother answering. I know you. You're worse now than you will be in the future. I know you won't help me, at least not willingly.

"They're coming for you. Your little Minbari whore and the one who betrayed us all, the entire human race, by becoming one of them. They're going to come for you, and we're going to kill them."

"Delenn…." he rasped. "No…." He stumbled forward and fell, blinking, his body swallowed in the mist.

Susan sighed. Another time flash. How many was that? What was he seeing? Past, future…. what? She briefly wished she could share his visions. Oh, to know the future, to know if she would be successful here, that would be….

She turned, warned by her guardians. They began to shimmer into view, just as Valen appeared at the far side of the hall.

He stopped, and stood stock still.

"Mollari! Mollari!"

Valo was furious. He was also bleeding profusely. Cartagia. That complete madman Cartagia. What was he up to? What…?

"Aaagh!" Valo continued limping forward. Two of his soldiers were at his side, helping him. He knew both of them well, had done since the Immolan campaign. Good men, both of them. They deserved better than to be led by that feeble-minded Cartagia, or the rest of the weak Court.

And Malachi was still alive. That was the worst bit, but…. ah well. He was an old man, and would probably die from his injuries. And Valo's forces still controlled the majority of the palace compound as well. They would track down Cartagia soon enough. And then…. he didn't know. What would that bastard do if he had Valo in his power?

He dreaded to think.

"Mollari! Where are you?"

This was absurd. Carn had been given an express task. He was to stay at the back, co-ordinating things from the central base. He would receive reports on which nobles had been killed, which areas of the palace had been taken and so forth. Carn was a loyal man, so where in the Gods' Names was he?

"Mollari!"

"Here I am, Lord." Carn came into view from a nearby doorway. Valo recognised it as leading into a large barracks. Carn must have moved the base there. Perhaps there had been more wounded than they had expected.

"I need a medic, and quickly. Cartagia…. got to me."

"Yes, in here, Lord. Hurry."

Limping forward as fast as he could, supported by his two companions, Valo made for the door and entered the room. It was a typical barracks, a place where the Palace Guards slept, rested and did…. whatever it was they did when they were not on duty. This one was just like every other barracks room Valo had seen, except for one small detail.

Most of the other barracks did not contain Lord-General Marrago, accompanied by twelve soldiers bearing the seal of the island of Selini.

"Valo. I wish we could have met under different circumstances, but we take what we are given, hmm?"

"Marrago! What are you doing here? Mollari, what is the meaning of…?"

"I arrived here a few moments ago, accompanied by as many of the Selini Guard and militia from Gallia and Sphodria as we could muster. I will give them credit. There were more than I had anticipated. They must be grateful that we saved their cities. And now we will save the capital. You will stand down your weapons, and your men."

"Joking, of course, Marrago. Join me. The Republic needs strength, you can see that. We're both soldiers, and we were both betrayed by this Court. You know what the Republic needs."

"Yes, I do." Marrago stepped forward slowly. "And the Republic does not need you. You will issue an order to your men to stand down, now."

"No! The Court is ours now. I will rule here. I…." Marrago reached out and struck him hard across the face. Valo fell sprawling, crying out as his wound tore open again. His two guards went for their weapons, but Marrago's Selini Guard trained theirs on them. They paused.

"You will issue that order, Valo."

"Mollari…. help me. What…. what are you…?"

"I'm…. sorry, my Lord, but I was with the Lord-General from the beginning. I had hoped matters would not go this far, but…." Carn bowed his head. "I am sorry, my Lord."

"Damn you, Mollari! Damn…. you!"

"You will recall your men now. You will give them all an order to stand down their arms and report to me personally. I assure you, Valo, that only the commanders will be held responsible for what has happened here today. Those soldiers who were merely following orders…. they will be permitted to rejoin their regiments. The divisions within this Court, and this Republic…. they all end today.

"We should not be fighting each other, Valo."

"We…. needed…. strength."

"And we shall have it. But not under you. You brought only chaos and anarchy. Issue that order."

"You will…. protect…. my men…?"

"Yes, Valo. You have my word as a soldier, and as a General. Only the commanders and those who refuse to stand down will be punished."

"Damn you, Marrago…. and…. damn you…. Mollari…. I will…. give…. your order…."

Marrago nodded, smiling.

The heavens opened, blazing with a myriad of colours. For some the sight might be a thing of beauty, an image to inspire words and verse and more things of beauty.

Not for Sonovar. Like the man who had trained him, one of the few things they had in common…. like Sinoval, Sonovar was no poet.

He could see them all. Minbari warships, led by those who had sworn fealty to Sinoval, some of those ships that had been assigned to guard and protect the other worlds. There were the Soul Hunter ships, for so long instruments of fear to the Minbari. It was ironic that they would now be bringing salvation.

And there was Cathedral, the massive vessel that housed the Soul Hunters and their souls…. and their Primarch.

"There are many of them, my lord," spoke Forell, at his side. "More than us, perhaps?"

"Numerically, yes," Sonovar acknowledged. "But then I knew that when I started this. The relative firepower of the Tak'cha and the Shagh Toth has yet to be determined, however, and I would rather not test it out here. We have done what we came for, after all. No, there will be no battle here today."

"Then, with respect, lord…. why are we still here?"

Sonovar threw back his head and laughed. "Ah, Forell, you are no warrior. You have no courage, and that is why your caste could never truly rule. There is something to show…. Primarch Sinoval. I will show him the lengths great men will go to…. for victory."

He fell silent as two Tak'cha ships blazed forward. They were smaller than a Minbari capital ship, but larger than one of the Shagh Toth carriers. These vessels were designed for transport more than battle, after all.

The nearest Minbari warship fired. Sonovar could not identify it, which was a pity. He would have liked to be able to say a prayer for the soul of its captain.

The Tak'cha ships swivelled in space, dodging the blasts. Moving with startling speed, they shot forward. And with an explosion Sonovar could see but not hear, they crashed directly into the warship.

"Hear me, Sinoval!" he roared, knowing that his message would be sent to his enemy. "Everyone and everything who follows you, I will destroy! All you love, I will destroy! Your ships will be torn apart, and your worlds sown with salt!

"And your Shagh Toth demons…. them I will annihilate utterly. You are a dead man walking, Sinoval, as are all those you love, and all those you lead."

He stood back, ending the signal. Jump points opened, and his entire fleet fled into hyperspace. Sinoval would not try to follow. He was too experienced a warrior for that. A battle commenced in anger was a battle lost from the instant it started.

"A victory, my lord," observed Forell drily.

"Yes," he admitted, smiling. "A victory, but a beginning only. It is very far from over."

And on the pinnacle of his castle of the winds on Cathedral, standing above the space from which Sonovar and his ships had just fled, Primarch Sinoval was silent, looking at the devastated wreckage of the Hosigeru.

"I heard your words," he said softly, his eyes dark. "You will kill all I love, hmm? Ah, but Sonovar…. there is no one I love."

Londo looked at the throne before him, draped in the Imperial purple. How many had died for that strip of cloth and that uncomfortable-looking chair? He hobbled forward to it and ran his hands across the fabric.

Then he snorted and turned, trying to remember the way to Malachi's quarters. He had lived in the Court for most of his life, but it had never felt so alien to him as it did now.

There was the sound of movement off in a corner. "Who is there?" Londo barked, hoping his voice was sterner than he felt.

"Minister Mollari?" said a frightened voice, and a stumbling figure came out from behind the purple drapes. "It's me…. You remember me, don't you? Vir Cotto. I was Ambas…. I mean, Emperor Refa's attach? on Minbar."

"Vir! Yes, I remember you. I hadn't heard anything about you for months. I'd supposed you were dead. It is…. good to know that you are not. Have you heard anything from…. our other friend recently?"

"No. No, not a word. Interstellar communications have been down for a long time, apart from some special ministerial business. Emperor Refa made me a Runner for the Court and, well…."

"Yes, yes. We will have time to talk later. Which…. which way is it to…?"

There was the sound of more movement from behind him and Londo spun, as easily as he was able to, anyway. A lot of movement this time.

"Greetings, Londo," said a familiar voice, one he had never expected to hear here. "We have taken the capital. It is…. pacified and united."

"Marrago! What are you doing here? You were to stay behind in Gallia and Sphodria. You…." Behind him there were a great many soldiers, some Londo recognised from the Selini Guard, others from the palace itself.

"Your wife persuaded me otherwise. A most forceful woman."

"Oh, I know," he said, with a hint of pride. "What is the…. what is the state of things here, then?"

"Lord Valo is under arrest, and his men have been recalled. Valo's commanders are to answer for their actions, but his men will not be punished. There will be considerable leeway, I think, to explain today's events. A task that will fall to you, Majesty."

"Good. Is there any fighting still…. what did you call me?"

"Yes, Majesty. Some of Valo's men have refused to accept the recall order, but they will soon be caught. I would propose the institution of martial law in the capital and surrounding areas, as well as a curfew for the foreseeable future until order is restored. I will also send as many of our forces as can be spared to Selini, Gallia and Sphodria, to maintain peace there."

"Yes…. yes, that is fine, but…. about that 'Majesty' part…."

"There is no other viable candidate, Londo. None at all. The Republic must be made strong, and we cannot be made strong until we have a strong leader, and a strong military. I will deal with the military, but I fear the rest is up to you."

"I merely wanted to expose Cartagia and Elrisia…. reform the Centarum…. bring some order, and then let them choose a new Emperor. I never wanted…."

"I fear there is no choice in this matter, Majesty. Go…. claim your throne."

"But…."

"The army will follow me, and I will follow you. The Centarum can wait until later. It will take a long time to recover from the ramifications of these events, and a stern hand will be needed in the interim."

Londo nodded, his face ashen. "Damn her. She was right. Damn him too."

"Majesty?"

Londo waved in the direction of Cartagia's body. "Take…. take him away. He…. I will not let him win. You hear that, Marrago? I will not let him win."

"No, Majesty. He will not win."

Londo looked back at the throne, cursing softly. He had grown to hate that chair. It caused nothing but hatred, fear, and death. And now he was to sit in it. Oh well, someone had to. There was something Lennier had once said to him: Who better to claim power than the one who does not want it?

Lennier…. "Malachi!" Londo cried out. "He is wounded. Find him. Get him to a doctor. Now!"

"Your will, Majesty." Marrago turned and began barking orders to his soldiers. Londo made to go with him, but Marrago stopped him. "You will need a doctor yourself, Londo. Cartagia cannot have died easily."

"He wanted to die, Marrago. He foresaw…. all of this. I will be the Last Emperor, and I will guide us all to the brink of oblivion. He knew that. That was why he didn't want the task. He wasn't strong enough for it." The words were delivered quietly, in a near whisper. Only one other person heard them.