Valhai (The Ammonite Galaxy) (20 page)

“I got nowhere, I’m afraid,” he confessed.

“You did your best, Vion. Never mind. I will try to get her to see sense, I promise.”

“I know you will. By the way, what is this project you have on the twenty-first floor?”

It was merely a sociable question, but he was amazed at its effect on the young girl. She froze at his words and the colour literally drained from her face. It took her whole seconds to assimilate the question and even more to formulate a response.

“H . . . how . . .?” she stammered.

Vion held up a hand to calm her. He could actually see her heart leaping in her rib cage. The question he had asked had terrified her. But why? “I’m sorry. Grace, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . . that is, it was an intrusive question. Forgive me.”

She took a huge breath. “No, it’s okay. I . . . its just . . . I have been working on a project . . . a . . . a painting. It’s nothing really. I just didn’t know my mother had noticed I was using that floor.”

“Well. Take the best care of her that you can.” Vion touched the tips of his fingers to hers. “And take care of yourself.”

She managed a weak smile. “I will. Thanks for your visit.” But as soon as he had gone she closed her eyes and sank into a chair.

SIX STARED AT Atheron thoughtfully. Despite the man’s afable expression, Six’s senses were screaming an alarm that would have been impossible to ignore, even if he hadn’t known what the Sellite’s plans for him were.

“You think I deserve a few days off?” he repeated.

“Yes.” Atheron put on what he undoubtedly hoped was his most disarming smile. “You have finished the most advanced section of quantum physics, and your last three exam results have been quite satisfactory.”

Of course they had. Six had not been backward in taking full advantage of Arcan’s brain as well as his own. But he didn’t like the sound of these “holidays”.

“Before we start the next topic?” he asked.

“Exactly. A few days to clear your head. Take a rest.”

“And . . . what will the next topic be?” he asked.

The grey head looked up at the ceiling. “Well, you know. I’m not sure. I don’t think it has been decided yet.”

I bet, thought Six violently. Because there is no topic. I have finished the course and it’s my time under the knife, right? You slab-faced old hypocrite, you can’t wait to get rid of me, can you? But don’t count on me being part of the plan just yet. We will see what Arcan has to say about that!

He could hardly wait until the Sellite had disappeared from his usual column before he signed Diva.

“Hey, Six, what’s new?” she replied in her usual rapid rattle of fingers.

“I’m about to go under the block, is what,” he told her.

“WHAT? No way. Don’t worry; we will get you out of there long before you get the same treatment I did. Arcan, are you monitoring this?”

“I am. We must call a meeting. I do not think that Six should have to pass through the same experience you did.”

“Definitely not. The thought of half a million little Sixes appearing on Xiantha or Cesis is terrifying!”

“I hadn’t thought of that!” Six appeared much struck by this comment. “Perhaps I shouldn’t deny posterity this chance to get at my genetic material. One doesn’t like to be too selfish, after all, does one?”

“One is going to be left in one’s bubble if one doesn’t shut up, isn’t one?” Diva retorted.

“No need to get violent, Diva, Arcan won’t like it.”

“This is true, I do not agree with violence. This you both know already,” Arcan said.

“Who wants to use violence?”

Six chuckled. “Leave it Diva. And I really am in a mess, so if you wouldn’t mind putting your heads together and coming up with a solution?”

“I do not have a head,” said Arcan.

“Don’t worry Arcan, neither does Diva. She thinks out of her—”

“—
Six
!” warned Diva.

“Oh, very well. I will be good. Please, pretty please, can you giant intellects get yourselves organized and GET ME OUT OF HERE?” The strength of the last five words actually hurt Diva’s hands.

“Ouch!” She jumped back.

“SOONEST.” But only Arcan caught the last word.

“We will be in contact,” he replied to the Kwaidian.

“Yeah, yeah. Hope I won’t be out vaniven riding. I will tell my butler to admit your communications.”

Arcan signed Diva, who had reconnected,“What is this butler?”

“Just a joke, Arcan. He is making fun of me. I used to have a butler. He is a man who . . . who . . . opens doors and things,” she finished lamely.

“Opening doors is a difficult task on Coriolis?”

“No. But I was a very important person there.”

“You are a very important person here.” Arcan considered. “Not as important as I am, of course, but very important all the same.”

“Thank you.”

“Does this mean I should have one of these butlers?”

“No, Arcan. That is only on Coriolis. The Sellites don’t use them here on Valhai.”

“Good. Good. I expect they are a nuisance.”

She burst out laughing. “A very great nuisance,” she agreed. “Now, what are we going to do about Six?”

Arcan was surprised. “We will talk to Grace, of course. She is the person indicated here.”

“You don’t think I can come up with a plan on my own?” Diva wasn’t sure if she was offended.

“Grace is my luminary,” he said simply. “You are pure motion, the person who sees it all through. Grace is the one who gives the answers, you make them happen. Six is . . . Six is . . .”

“I know, Arcan, He leaves me speechless too!”

“Go get Grace, Diva. We need her.”

Once Grace had been brought up to date with all the news she sat for a long time, thinking.

“It isn’t just Six,” she said finally. “The others must be about to have their operations too. They will be behind Six, because they haven’t had Arcan’s help, but it won’t be very long before their turn comes. And we have no way of knowing because they don’t know how to sign.”

Diva pursed her lips and gave a soundless whistle. “You’re right,” she said, “but if we move now, before the operations, even just with Six; then the Sellites will know, won’t they?”

“I can’t see any alternative, can you?”

“No. Unless we let them be operated on, and pull them out when the Sellites have no further use for them, like we did with me? That would solve the problem of the Sellites taking reprisals against our home planets.”

“Oh. Yes. That is something else to be taken into account,” agreed Grace. “I would hate to put Six through that operation, though.”

“Me too. I just can’t see any other way.”

“How long have we got?”

“Six doesn’t know. Atheron said a few days’ holiday, so perhaps we can count on twenty-four to forty-eight hours?” suggested Diva.

“Let’s sleep on it, and then we’ll go bare planet tomorrow and have a proper meeting with Arcan. If we haven’t come up with anything by then perhaps he will have.”

Grace went back to the 48
^th
floor immersed in thought. She stepped out of the lift and came straight up against Amanita.

“Aah! You scared me to death.” She put a hand to her heart, as if the gesture would calm its beating. “What are you doing here, Sister-in-law?”

“I wondered why I couldn’t find you.” Amanita’s inquisitive eyes went from the lift to Grace, and back to the lift. “Where have you been?”

“Just down to the ground floor.” Grace tried to sound nonchalant. “I use it for my painting.”

“Oh yes. Your . . . painting.” Amanita smiled nastily. “I don’t think you will be having much time for painting in the future.”

“Has . . . has my brother decided about my studies?”

Amanita inclined her head. “You are to study house management,” she said. “At my old college, where I still have enough contacts to be able to keep an eye on you.”

“I said art! I told him anything but house management!” Grace’s voice came out in a squeak.

“Yes, I know.” Amanita smiled again. “Fortunately, he decided to take my advice, and not yours.”

“I won’t go!”

“You have absolutely no choice, Grace. Where would you go? You can’t stay here because your brother will take your biosign off the list, and I can assure you that no other house on Valhai will take you in. And,” she finished acidly, “you have no money to go to another planet.”

“I have a right to part of the artifacts!”

“Not so, I’m afraid. If you had studied harder at your school level house management course, you would know that all the artifacts in a skyrise are the sole property of the current head of house. Incumbents,” She looked meaningfully at Grace. “have no say in the distribution of the skyrise’s wealth.”

Grace was crushed. That meant she truly had no choice. She bent her head, determined that she wouldn’t give Amanita the pleasure of seeing her tears of chagrin.

“Anyway,” Amanita went on, “the Commission is with your mother at the moment, so we shall shortly know her future too.”

Grace gasped. “You said you would let us know when they were coming!”

“Did I? It must have slipped my mind.”

“But she wasn’t even dressed. She was . . . was . . . in . . .”

“The sarcophagus? I know.” Amanita’s eyes glittered with satisfaction. “Don’t worry, though, Grace, I took them straight through to her myself.”

Grace straightened herself up, she felt instantly adult, as if she had just lived five years in five minutes. “You have gone to an inordinate amount of trouble to get rid of us, Amanita,” she said scathingly. “I just hope your little plan doesn’t backfire on you.”

“I don’t think it will.” The woman smirked.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Grace put her head up, walked through the open door leading to the family rooms and went to find her mother.

It was just as bad as she had imagined. Cimma was dressed in the old dressing gown, and had clearly been resting. She was shouting at the Commission, which consisted of three men and two women. All were looking at her as if she were an alien.

“You have no authority here. This is my floor. And don’t you think I will just go along with you easily, because I won’t. You’ll have to drag me screaming from here, and I will make such a fuss that everyone on Valhai will hear all about it.”

“Mother.” Grace went to her side, and faced the Commission. “My mother was not informed of this visit,” she said calmly. “She was, as you can see, not prepared. You will have to return another day. I am very sorry for your inconvenience. May the perfect heavenly triangle remain stable.” She gave a slight curtsey of deference.

“I think we have already seen more than enough,” snapped one of the women. “I really don’t think it will be necessary to come back again.” She glanced around the others with a raised eyebrow. They shuffled their feet and shook their heads. “No? – I’m afraid the decision is unanimous. Your mother will be transferred within two days to the hospital on Cesis.”

“You are wrong,” burst out Grace. “Please! You must let her stay here. She needs to be close to my father.”

The woman looked at the stairs up into the nearby sarcophagus and gave a delicate shudder. “I am sure she will progress better in an environment untainted by personal memories.”

“No! She will hate it! Please, don’t do this! She is just mourning my father, that is all.”

“Our duty is clear,” The tallest man said. “Almagest, Cian and Valhai.” On these words of departure all five of the Commission turned and walked out, in the direction of the main lift.

Grace went to hug her mother. “It will all be all right,” she said, knowing it wouldn’t.

But her mother pushed her away and went back to the stairs. “I don’t know what Sell is coming to. If your poor father were alive he would turn in his grave.”

Grace was left staring after her. Then she gave a giggle. She had totally understood that last mixed sentence.

Grace saw Amanita off in the lift without a word and then went to her office and put her face in her hands. It was all too much. She had no idea even where to start. Arcan, Diva, Six, Cimma, Vion. She had to come up with some help for Six, and for her mother too.

In the end she made her way to the tridiscreen. It was only possible to do one thing at a time, that was for sure. She dialed up the code for her brother.

“Grace?” Xenon was in his own office. “This is most inconvenient.”

“Do you know what your Amanita has done?” Grace demanded stonily. She told him about the Commission.

Xenon looked down. “I really have no say in that,” he mumbled. “I leave all that sort of thing to my wife. She is the expert in—”

“House management,” finished Grace. “I know. So you aren’t going to do anything to help Magestra?”

“This
is
to help her, Sister.” He tried to sound convincing.

“No, Xenon. This is just to help
you
. Is that your last word on the matter?”

“It certainly is, and I don’t take kindly to being interrupted like this. Please make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”