The Marriage of the Living Dark

Unless we act”

“Okay,” Kim said, feeling more comfortable by the moment “I think you’d better tell me exactly whaf s going on here.”

Cho Yi had gone to relieve himself. While he was gone, Han Ch’in took the chance to speak to his brother of a private matter.

“I did not know you were going to bring Cho Yi,” he began, “else I would have said something. But I wanted your advice, Yuan.” “My advice?” Yuan laughed. “Since when did you start listening to advice, elder brother?”

Han shrugged, as if admitting the mild criticism, then. “What you said earlier, about getting engaged ...”

“Then if s true.”

“No. And yet I am in trouble. I have been seeing this woman.”

“A married woman?”

Han looked dawn, troubled. “I wish she were. It would make my present problem much easier to deal with. No ... she is pregnant.” “Ah ... And she will not relinquish the child.”

Han’s eyes came up. “Kill it, you mean?”

“I was trying to be sensitive ...”

Han raised a hand, acknowledging that “No. Nor would I have her kill it It is my child, after all. But the woman is common.”

“Common?”

“All right. She’s a whore, damn it! I’ve been seeing her for several years now.”

“But whores ...”

“Take precautions, yes, but this one didn’t”

“So pay her off. Give her an allowance.”

“I offered, but she refused point-blank”

“Then cut her dead.”

“I cannot, I...” Han looked down, embarrassed deeply. “I like her, Yuan.”

“Enough to marry her?”

Han Ch’in nodded.

“Ah... I see now. The roan in you wishes to marry her, but the Major... the Major is worried what his superiors will say. And as for your chances of becoming Consul...”

“They would cut me dead.”

It was true. For a Consul to marry a whore was impossible. It would be effectively an insult to every wife of every man he met and had dealings with. “Aiya...” Li Yuan slowly shook his head, then, seeing Cho Yi coming back across, leaned across and laid his hand over his brother’s. “Let me mull this over for a while, dear brother, and consider what would be best to do. Tell her you will give her your decision in a week.””And if she will not wait that long?” “She will wait, Han Ch’in. I assure you. In the meantime write down her address.

I will go and see her.”

“Do you think that1 s wise, brother?”

“If I am to advise you properly in this matter, I had best meet the woman, neh?” Han frowned, then. “I guess so.” Taking a napkin, he scribbled down a name and an address, then handed it to Li Yuan. “There,” he said, with a slightly shamefaced expression. “But please... do not say who you are, Yuan. Not yet.

I...”

But Cho Yi was back and no more could be said. Li Yuan pocketed the napkin, then looked up, smiling as Cho Yi took his seat again. “I’ve made my mind up,” Yuan said, smiling at his partner. “I think I’ll have the boiled monkey.”

Kim looked down at his hands and frowned. “Eighty-four billion?”

“Eighty-four billion.”

“But how do they feed them all?”

“They don’t. Several billion - three, some say four, billion -are starving in this world.”

“But that still leaves ...”

“Eighty billion.”

“So?”

“Mars is a farming world. There are massive greenhouses out there. And nine-tenths of its output is shipped back here. And then there are the floating factories. Great orbital farms many times the size that you and I are used to.” “But why? Why did they let it all get out of hand?” “For the same reasons it happened in our worlds. Because mankind’s urge to multiply obeys no laws of reason. And because it suits the people of this world to let it be so. Imagine the size of the markets here! The five Presidents are powerless beside the Heads of Companies. They are the real rulers of this world, and that” s why DeVore has chosen the marketplace as his battleground.” “The stock markets?”

“Yes. And he’s about to strike. Tomorrow, if I’m right There’ll be a trigger event of some kind, no doubt, but it was all prepared long ago.” “Prepared?”

“As on our worlds.” K. looked at the surprise in Kim’s face and laughed. “You mean, you didn’t know? You think the great economic collapses that struck our worlds were accidental? No. They too were DeVore’s doing. But in both those cases he struck too soon. Despite the Century of Blood, as it was known, mankind survived that body blow.”

Kim’s eyes widened. “Tsao Ch’un?”

“That’s right. Ironic, isn’t itf That the great Tyrant should have been the one to save us. I’ve looked upon him with kinder eyes since I’ve known. But here Tsao Ch’un never got his chance. He lived and died in obscurity. His moment never came. And DeVore kept his nerve, building his own economic empire - a shadow empire - within those of the great Merchant Lords.” K. sighed. “Little do those great and powerful men know it, but the majority of their holdings - vast as they are -are in the hands of their chief enemy. The man who would bring it all rumbling down on top of them. He has built a great web of companies, connected in such complex ways that even the subtlest-minded analyst would never guess who was the Puppetmaster behind them all.” “And yet you did.”

K. shrugged. “It was easy. I knew what I was looking for.”

“And what was that?”

“DeVore himself. Once I found him, I found the main root After that I merely had to dig.”

“But why tomorrow?”

“Because it is the last day of this world.”

Kim felt a shock ripple through him. “You know that for a fart?” “Not for a fact, but I asked the Edderiminaru, and they sense nothing beyond tomorrow.”

“Then we shall fail.”

“Only if we do not try to change things.”Kim laughed sourly. “That seems a quantum leap of faith. A Vill we, won’t we?’ kind of affair at best” “Maybe. But if s the best we’ve got. I know what DeVore plans. So maybe we can prevent it If we can only find out what will trigger the collapse.” “It seems a long shot.”

K. grinned. “It is a long shot But we’ve twelve hours at least in which to do it” “And if we can’t?” “Then we kill DeVore. If we can.”

The girl was very pretty. That was, if you liked that kind of full-blown, curvaceous look to a woman. Personally, DeVore liked his women sum and breastless, like boys.

“She’ll do,” he said, looking to Wyatt, who was standing close by, looking on nervously. “You’ll get her to the reception at eight Oh, and Edmund.” “Yes, Howard?”

“Don’t go buying any stocks and shares.” Wyatt laughed then winked at his old friend. “I shan’t” DeVore watched them depart, Wyatt pushing the girl before him into the black windowed glide. As the sleek Min Chang HI climbed into its airlane, DeVore turned away, walking back across the sunlit park towards where his own white executive glide hovered beside the lake. It was all in place. All organised. The thought of that made him laugh. How ironic it was - that one needed to plan so carefully, to organise so efficiently, to bring about such chaos. And there was no doubt in his mind that there would be chaos, for once the props went, it would all fall down, like a pack of cards. And there would be no building it again. No phoenix would rise from these ashes. And no one would know why. That was the beauty of it. The humility of it, in fact Let others gloat over their petty triumphs. He would destroy a world and have no one there to see it That was humility indeed. The glide sank to the floor. A door hissed open.

As he stepped inside, he wondered for a moment whether he shouldn’t keep Wyatt alive. As witness. Then he dismissed the notion. “No survivors,” he said quietly. “Not a single one.” “I beg pardon, sir?” the driver said, his sapphire-blue eyes meeting DeVore’s in the driving mirror.

“Nothing,” DeVore said, sitting back as the glide began to climb. “Just take me home, Haavikko. I think I need to rest.”

As they crossed the huge square that marked the intersection between the east and west cities, Li Yuan leaned across and, nudging the dozing Cho Yi, said:

“There’s something I have to do, Master Cho. A favour for my brother. I’ll get the driver to drop me, then meet you back at the office in an hour.” Cho Yi yawned and stretched, then smiled at Li Yuan. “A favour?”

Li Yuan nodded.

“Okay,” Cho Yi said. “I’ll mind the fort.”

“Thanks.”

Li Yuan looked away, smiling, as much at Cho Yi’s attempt at the American colloquialism as at Cho Yi’s condition.

As ever, Cho Yi had eaten far too much, and now all he wanted to do was sleep. But Cho Yi would never admit that Cho Yi would rather sit there at his desk, plugged in, and snore aloud, than admit he needed an hour’s nap. But this once it wouldn’t harm. And it would give Li Yuan the opportunity to sort out this mess his brother had created for himself. A whore! Who would have believed it of Han Ch’in? Han Ch’in who could have talked the silk briefs off of any woman in the city!