Denner's Wreck

Chapter Sixteen

“In the southern portion of the desert west of the mountains, in the harshest part of the desert, where nothing grows, nothing lives, here is the domain of Madame O. The man who finds her is fortunate indeed, for not only will he be saved from death by thirst in that barren land, but he will be given food and drink the like of which most mortals dare not even dream, foods of spun crystal and glossy velvet, drinks like liquid song. He will see sights most mortals cannot imagine. Her chambers flow with light and color; the very touch of the air is like strange silks. The grass that grows in her courtyard is as soft to the touch as a kitten's fur, and fountains on the amber terraces sing like silver bells as they pour forth flashing streams of stars…"

– from the tales of Kithen the Storyteller

“I want to go home!” Lady Sunlight wailed, turning about as if looking for an exit from the great stone chamber that served as Brenner's central guesthall.

The others ignored her. “You're sure that he'll do it?” Sheila asked, shifting uncomfortably in her red pseudo-leather chair. She was not accustomed to chairs that refused to reshape themselves to accommodate her.

“Of course I'm sure!” Brenner snapped, as he continued his slow pacing, each step timed to the ancient music that played softly as a constant background. “If I weren't sure I wouldn't have said anything. Barring a miracle, Thaddeus will be through the wall in the south tower within half an hour."

“We're doomed,” Lady Sunlight moaned. “All doomed!” Her pet clung to her neck and chittered in sympathetic distress.

“Will you shut up?” Brenner snarled at her, still pacing.

“No, I won't shut up!” she shouted back. “That madman is probably going to kill us all!"

“No, he isn't,” Brenner replied, in a more moderate shout than her own. “And if you'll shut up I'll explain why not."

“Thaddeus is certainly capable of murder,” Rawl pointed out quietly. “We all know what he did on Alpha Imperium."

“Yes, we do know,” Sheila said, annoyed. “And we don't need you to remind us of it just now."

“I never forgot it,” Brenner said, forcing himself to stop pacing and to maintain an even, conversational tone. “That's why I've always kept a closer eye on him than the rest of you, and I suppose that's why he attacked me first."

“I had always supposed that you simply didn't like him,” Rawl remarked, settling back in his black pseudo-leather chair.

“Why? Did you think none of us had any appreciation for justice but you?” Brenner's tone was harsher again, but he kept his voice down to a normal volume.

Rawl shrugged.

“And for all of that, if you're so concerned with justice and punishing those who have done evil, why didn't you ever do anything about him? You knew who he was."

“Yes, I knew,” Rawl admitted. “And I knew I should have turned him in before we ever left Terra. I was weak. I chose not to get involved. I bowed to the obvious will of the majority.” The sound of an explosion penetrated the surrounding stone and forcefields. “Had I done what I knew was right, we would not be here now. I would apologize, but it seems a little late for that, and in any case you're all as guilty as myself."

“He must be crazy!” Sunlight shouted, waving her arms and sending her floating polychrome dress into wild, billowing contortions that sent floral perfume out in thick waves.

“Oh, yes,” Rawl replied. “He's obviously been quite mad for centuries."

“On that we agree,” Brenner said.

“Oh, we're all going to die!” Lady Sunlight said again.

“No, we are not,” Brenner replied, rocking on his heels. “And if you'd all ever shut up for a minute and stop distracting me I'd explain why not."

“Speak, then,” Rawl said. “'If thou hast any tongue, or use of voice, by Heaven, I charge thee, speak!’”

“Really, Rawl, if you're going to start quoting Shakespeare…” Sheila began.

“Hush, and let the man speak,” Rawl replied.

“I will,” Sheila retorted. She turned, and said, “Go on, Brenner.” She and Lady Sunlight looked at him expectantly.

“Right,” he said. “Yes. Well. We aren't going to die, because if that was all Thaddeus wanted I think he could have gotten in here a lot more quickly than he has. He hasn't tried anything really ruthless; he hasn't nuked us, for example. My castle could hold off a few small nukes, but if he laid into us with a series of serious high-yield thermonuclear warheads I think we'd all fry in pretty short order. There's something in here he wants intact, and I think it's probably us, or at least one of us."

“That's not very much more appealing than dying,” Sheila remarked.

“Speak for yourself!” Lady Sunlight snapped.

“I did,” Sheila replied calmly.

“It doesn't matter which is worse, because neither one is going to happen,” Brenner said. “I told you, I've been watching Thaddeus. I thought he might try something, and I'm ready. There's a way out of the High Castle that he doesn't know about. There are several secret ways out of here, actually, but I think he may have found some of them. There's one, though, that I know no one has been poking around, and that's the way we're going out. Rawl, you keep all your equipment with you, don't you?"

“Generally speaking, yes,” the Adjuster agreed cautiously.

“So if we get out of the castle, you can contact the others?"

“Easily,” Rawl said.

“Even if there's interference, and Mother isn't on line?"

Rawl paused, considering, then said, “Not as easily, but still yes."

“Can you transport us?"

“For short distances, or if I leave two of you behind to anywhere on the continent."

“Well, that's fine, then. We'll get out of here, and put through some calls, and get everyone together to take care of Thaddeus before he gets out of hand."

“He may already be out of hand,” Rawl suggested.

“Well, I mean before he becomes unmanageable."

“He may already be unmanageable. We don't know what's been happening out there for the last hundred hours or more; he's got us completely cut off. He could easily have done a lot of damage already. Most of the others wouldn't be prepared to resist as you have."

Brenner looked at him, disconcerted. “That's true,” he said thoughtfully.

“What do you think he's trying to do, anyway?” Sheila asked.

Rawl shrugged. “He probably wants to rebuild his empire."

“Here? On Denner's Wreck?” Sheila waved an arm to take in the entire planet.

“Why not? It's a start."

“Can we stop arguing about all this and get out of here?” Lady Sunlight demanded.

Something crackled loudly, and a nearly-subliminal flicker ran through the chamber's lights.

“Yes,” Rawl said, “I think that would be a very good idea."

“Right. This way.” Brenner turned and marched out, leading the way from the guesthall. Lady Sunlight ran after him, so close on his heels she nearly collided with him, her pet clinging for its life.

Sheila rose and followed more calmly, and Rawl brought up the rear, glancing about with interest as they passed through passageways he had never seen before.

At the end of a winding corridor a dropshaft took them down into the depths of the mountain, where they followed a twisting and circuitous route through the surrounding bedrock, Brenner pausing every so often to point with pride to some security device or other, only to be hurried along by Lady Sunlight before he could explain it adequately.

The lights flickered and died while they were still deep inside the mountain, and Rawl provided illumination for the rest of their journey in the form of a free-floating energy field radiating a warm yellow.

“How much further?” Lady Sunlight asked as they rounded yet another curve.

“Not far,” Brenner replied. “Look ahead there-you can see daylight."

Rawl stopped dead in his tracks, and his light vanished, plunging them into darkness.

“Rawl, what the hell…?” Sheila began, as she, too, stopped.

“Shh!” he hissed.

“What's the matter?” Lady Sunlight demanded.

Brenner seemed determined to ignore the Adjuster's action. “Come on,” he said. “I see light ahead!"

“That's why I stopped,” Rawl said. “Have you all forgotten? It was dark out when we came down here. According to my internal clock, the sun won't be up for almost half an hour."

“Then what…” Sheila began.

“Your clock is wrong,” Lady Sunlight said. “Come on."

“It's not,” Rawl insisted.

“That's right,” a new voice said, as light again filled the passageway, a harsh blue-white glare. Brenner began cursing.

“The sun isn't up,” Thaddeus said, “but your time is. Now, come on out, and I won't have to hurt you."

Lady Sunlight began sobbing; Brenner continued to curse, switching from one language to another every few phrases.

“And if we don't?” Rawl asked.

“Believe me,” Thaddeus said, “you don't want to know. Now, step on out and let my machines collect you. I have a fine welcome for you all here in Fortress Holding."

In the new light they could all see the little silver darts of heavily-armed floaters cruising slowly in toward them, weapons trained forward, ready to fire.

Still cursing into his beard, Brenner reluctantly raised his hands. Lady Sunlight continued weeping. Sheila spat, and Rawl shrugged, but none of them put up any further resistance as the floaters surrounded them.