Horizons

NINE

NO SOONER HAD THE BOY USHERED AHNI FROM THE chamber than part of the wall shimmered and thinned to reveal an arched doorway, and a bed beyond, covered with a raw silk coverlet. Xai stepped through the door, threw his head back and laughed.. “My little sister!” He grinned at Li Zhen, threw his arms wide, the long tail of his midnight hair knotted with ruby strands of fiberlight.

“She is so determined! And the pot. I really think she believed it was from the old emperor’s tomb.”

“It was.” Li Zhen turned away from him, staring at the layers of life that still covered the wall.

“Waste of a valuable antique then. She’ll cuddle it all the way back down to give it to Father.” Xai’s face twisted briefly. “You know, listening to you, I wonder if I can really trust you, my longtime friend?” He smiled, but his eyes glittered. “You sounded like some driven monk, talking about tomorrow.”

“You have your tomorrow in hand,” Li Zhen said mildly, his eyes still on the wall. “I have mine. They happen to converge for a time.” He turned to smile at Xai. “I would rather your little sister stay on Dragon Home until you have finished.”

“I would rather she did not.” Xai stared at him coldly. “Do not interfere with her. I will take it personally.”

”Your sister will do exactly as she wishes. Has it occurred to you to ask why she did not reveal your deceit to your father?”

“She wants to be his heir.” Xai grinned. “Let her.”

“I think you underestimate your sister’s subtlety. Remember that you will not kill her, up here.” Li Zhen frowned. “How is the slow fire in our sister city?”

“I will not kill her if she is no threat. It is ready to explode.” Xai threw himself down on the sofa, rolled onto his side to snatch Ahni’s chopsticks from her plate and help himself to a dumpling. “Hire the right person, and your path is made easier.”

“How soon?” Li Zhen looked at the door. “Wait.”

A moment later, the young cousin’s son appeared with a tray and a new pot of tea with two fresh cups.

Took away the cups Li Zhen and Ahni had used.

“No antique for me, cousin?” Xai picked up the white pot, tipped it to pour, the stream canting slightly into the cup, a visible reminder of the spin gravity that gave them a down. “As to how soon, I don’t have that much control. The right incident will take place with the right people in attendance. Already there have been several small… skirmishes. And the camera-eyes I tipped off are prowling for blood.” He grinned broadly. “You will look so virtuuous, cousin, as you humbly step in to save them all. They will worrship you and you will have your empire to build your tomorrow in.”

“I am not interested in worship.” Li Zhen poured himself tea, sipped it reflectively. “Just the Council vote.

Where did you find your point of access?”

“Would you give me that information if I asked it of you, cousin?” Xai smiled and crossed his arms behind his head. “There is always a back door and always a key to it that may be purchased. Let us say that my father’s money has been well spent, as has my own. The latest word is that a motion is on the table in the World Council to send the CSF to NYUp to maintain order.”

“It won’t pass.” Li Zhen prowled across the chamber, blanked the view of the orbital’s many levels. “The Pan Malaysian Compact will vote for the intervention because they are in a quiet trade war with the North American Alliance and would like to see it discomfited. So will the Estados Latinos, simply because they always vote against the NAA unless they have a pressing agenda of their own. Of course my father will vote for it. As will the Taiwan Famili yes?” He raised an eyebrow at Xai.

“Honored Father always votes with the Tiger.” Xai grinned. “He is very predictable.”

“That is not enough.” Li Zhen seated himself, frowning at the bright gleam of the fiberlights in Xai’s hair.

”You stand out quit nicely in a crowd,” he said absently. “Is that clever?”

“Everybody wears light fibers in NYUp.” Xai shrugged impatiently. “It’s the fashion statement of the moment.”

“The vote will not pass.” Li Zhen shook his head. “The NAA will vote against it of course. The North Americans have never tolerated outside intervention at all, and the EU always backs the NAA. The Black Sea States always vote against the Pan Malaysian Compact because they are very anti-Muslim.”

Li Zhen shrugged. “We need two votes. The Black Sea States have two votes.”

“Some things have more power than religious intolerance.” Xai rolled lithely to his feet. Bowed. “I will see what I can discover by way of my “back door.” He hesitated. “There is one complication. The local faction that promotes autonomy on NYUp –NOW — is led by a very strong and charismatic individual.”

“Dane Nilsson, the Chief Botanical Engineer for the hydroponic system there.” Li Zhen inclined his head.

“We have not met, but he has contacted me in the past, wearing the cloak of their secessionist movement.

Do not underestimate him.”

“I don’t.” Xai nodded, grinned again, showing the tips of his teeth. “He is in my way. I plan to remove him. Permanently.”

“No.”

Xai’s eyes narrowed at the Chairman’s tone. “Why not? He conceivably could complicate matters. He has a large and very loyal following there.”

“Precisely.” Zhen folded his hands, unsmiling. “If you kill him, he becomes a martyr. It is dangerous to create a martyr. They are immortal. And untouchable. Better to destroy the man before he becomes a martyr.”

“And just how do you plan to do that?”

The Chairman smiled slowly. “I have an arrow that will destroy the man and his chance at martyrdom.”

“What arrow?”

Li Zhen smiled. “You gave it to me.”

Xai scowled. “Just shoot that arrow soon, will you? I can fine tune the moment when events proceed, but only so far. Nilsson may be able to stop it.”

“The arrow has already left the bow.” Zhen rose to his feet. “Do you need transportation back to the orbital?”

“No.” Xai gave him a brief hard glance. “I do not. I hope it’s a swift arrow.”

He left unceremoniously, and for a long time Li Zhen stared after him, frowning thoughtfully.