Venus of Shadows (72 page)

"No," Dyami said. "We thought we'd leave them free for those who might be joining us here."

"I doubt that very much," Jonah said. "You were probably just hoping that your Habber friends would return before long. They won't, you know. Get that through your heads. They don't care what happens to you now. You'll learn who your true friends are."

Jonah thrust his wand under his sash, then folded his arms; those standing to either side of him kept their wands aimed at their prisoners. "We're going to search those dormitories, and then we'll be accompanying all of you to your residences. You'll be given a chance to collect whatever you may need. Then you'll be housed in the Habber dorms. We'll dismantle the other dwellings and use your dorms ourselves for the time being."

Allen stood up. "May I speak?" he asked.

"Ah, you're learning some manners. Go ahead."

"Wouldn't it make more sense for you to use the Habber dorms and for us to stay in the others? The Habber dorms can house only about twenty-five people each, while the men's and women's dorms can each house nearly fifty. There are about sixty of you, and some two hundred of us."

"You'll live where we tell you to live." Jonah turned to the man standing at his right. "Start searching the Habber dorms."

*  *  *

The rest of the day was spent in waiting. When the Habber residences had been searched, those who lived in the other dormitories were led outside in small groups. They returned carrying packs; from whispered comments, Dyami learned that they had been allowed to have no more than a mat and a few clothes. He supposed that this was part of teaching them to be more indifferent to possessions.

When the dormitories had been searched, the people of Turing were allowed to line up near the kitchen, where they were given what food remained; apparently their guards would not let them prepare more. Dyami made do with a piece of bread, water, and a spoonful of bean soup. Guards led them in small groups to the lavatories in the dorms, then back to the hall, where they were to sleep. Those with packs used them as pillows as they rolled out the mats they had been allowed to keep; the others stretched out on the floor.

Dyami slept restlessly on the hard floor. Their guards, watching them in shifts, refused to dim the lights. Once, he started up out of his sleep only to see a hard-eyed young man standing near him, toying with his wand as if he were trying to decide whether or not to stun Dyami with its beam.

They were given no food at first light. More people were led outside, to return with packs and mats. Dyami was aching with weariness by the time Jonah's people began to summon those who lived in the shacks along the creeks. He, Amina, and Tasida were the last to be brought outside.

The tents in the hollow around the dining hall had been taken down. Jonah was standing near a cart heaped with various items; Dyami could see a few microdot library holders, graphic compositors, personal ornaments, and several pocket screens.

Jonah came toward them with five of his men. "I'll accompany these three myself," he said, then glanced at his screen. "Dyami Liang-Talis. Yes, here's your image, hard as that is to believe. What a burden it must be for the Guide, having a brother like you. Don't think that relationship will earn you any special privileges. And you two must be Amina Astarte and Tasida Getran." He looked up. "Amina Astarte. Unusual name — easy to remember. There are a few volunteers here from ibn-Qurrah who spotted your name on the list. Not much escapes the patrol's notice. They'd heard some unpleasant things about you and certain of your female acquaintances there, but you'll be making a new start now."

Dyami moved closer to the women; one of the men prodded him in the back. "Let's go," Jonah said.

They followed him toward the creek. Another cart had been driven up to the bank. On top of one of the seats, Dyami saw a sculpture he had cast for Willis Soran, one of the young men who lived in a shack near his. The group halted in front of Dyami's shack. "Which of you lives here?" Jonah asked.

"I do," Dyami said.

"Then you two must share the other." Jonah looked toward the shack next to Dyami's, then back at the two women. Tasida's freckled face was very pale; Amina's blue eyes were angry; "Kind of close quarters. But maybe you two like it that way." His lip curled. "I'll tell you what I've told some of your friends. There won't be any more offenses to the Spirit practiced here. Any of us might enter your new residence at any time, and if we see anything we shouldn't, you'll be very sorry." He turned to Dyami. "Let's see what you've got."

Dyami went inside as three of the men pushed the women toward their shack. Even with the light outside, the room was still dark; he bent to turn on his light globe. "I haven't got much," he said, "just a pocket screen and a few books on microdot, and my mat and clothes, of course." He straightened as Jonah came inside. "You see, I have learned something from my dear sister about how meaningless possessions are."

The stocky man scowled. "Don't mock the Guide. You won't be needing the books or the screen."

"What about messages?" Dyami asked, although he could already guess the kind of answer he would get. "I do send them when I can, and the people I know will surely be sending more to me. They might wonder if they don't hear from me."

"Whether you get to view any of your messages is going to depend on how you conduct yourself. If you behave, you'll be allowed to view them in the presence of one of my volunteers, and even to send one if we choose. One of us will be with you when you do. We must try to free ourselves from the temptation to keep secrets."

Dyami sighed. There were screens in the south dome's installations, but he was sure they would all be watched while they were at their work. His last link with the outside was gone. He trembled a little, then tried to steady himself. If Risa did not hear from him in the next two weeks, she would know that something was wrong. He had to hope she could find a way to help him.

The other two men came inside. One of them pulled aside the curtain concealing the place where Dyami slept, then stooped to pick up a metal object next to the mat. "What's this?" the man said.

Dyami felt the blood drain from his face. The man was holding a sculpture he had cast of Balin. He had given the bust to his lover but had kept this piece for himself, one he had made only a little while before the Habbers were told to leave. The sculpture showed a nude Balin in repose, his head resting on one hand, his other arm draped over one raised knee.

Jonah reached for the sculpture. "Our friend here's quite artistic. We found some of his work in a few other residences. I asked who had made the stuff." He hefted the image of Balin, then looked up. "I assume you made this one."

"Yes," Dyami managed to say.

"Who is it? I don't recall seeing anyone here who looks quite like that."

"It's one of the Habbers." He might as well admit that now; Jonah could find it out from anyone here.

"A Habber? Did you use your imagination, or did you have him pose like that?"

"It's hardly unusual, doing a nude." Dyami struggled against the fear that was rising inside him.

"Hardly unusual? Having a man take off his clothes for you? Having a Habber strip so that you can make a nice image of him?" Jonah peered at the sculpture. "He looks well equipped. Maybe you liked seeing that."

One of the other men laughed. "Get your clothes and your mat," Jonah said. "You won't be needing this."

Dyami gathered his few clothes quickly and put them into his pack, then rolled up his mat. He followed Jonah outside; the other two men were walking toward the cart with his screen and the sculpture.

Amina was standing on the bank, her pack on her back. "Please," he heard her say to the dark-haired man standing near her, "surely you can let me keep that. It was a gift."

The man lifted his hands. He was holding a delicate crystalline globe on which the stars in this region of the galaxy were represented by tiny gemlike points and clusters. "Who gave it to you?" he asked. "It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen."

Amina was silent.

"I'll bet it came from a Habber. It did, didn't it? I don't see what use you have for anything like that." The man lifted the globe, then hurled it toward the creek. The crystal shattered against a rock; glinting shards pierced the water.

Twenty-Nine

Eva Danas greeted Risa at the door. Risa had expected the usual courteous and cool greeting, but the blond woman seemed genuinely happy to see her. "It's been a while," Eva said as she clasped Risa's hands. "Chimene will be delighted to see you."

Risa was not so sure about that. Chimene had returned to Oberg almost three weeks ago, and it had taken that long to arrange this visit. Risa had left several messages, only to get brief responses from either Matthew or Boaz: The Guide is resting from her journey; she's preparing a speech; she's having a conference with the Council; she's counseling a brother or sister; she's conferring with members of the fellowship in other settlements over the screen. She had expected a similar answer this time, but Eva had called back to say that Chimene would welcome a visit.

"I'm pleased she was able to make some time for me," Risa said. "Boaz and Matthew had led me to think she might not really want to see me."

"My brothers are sometimes a bit too solicitous." Eva's eyes narrowed; her expression was a little colder. "Anyway, they're not home at the moment." She released Risa's hands. "When Chimene heard you wanted to see her, she was quite anxious that I call you back. She's with some students now — Lakshmi Tiris and a few of her young friends — but they should be just about finished with their instruction."

Risa had heard about Lakshmi, the girl who had come to live in this house. "Well, I'd better go to her room."

"Oh, she isn't in her room. There's a place outside where she likes to go lately. I'll take you to her."

Eva turned to her right and led Risa down one corridor. The doors to all the rooms were open, as they often were whenever someone was visiting. She glanced into Chimene's room and noticed that several new garments were hanging on the clothes rod; for a woman who owned nothing, her daughter certainly did not lack for things to wear. The exit opened; she followed Eva through the trees bordering the house until they came to a small clearing in back of the dwelling.

Chimene was seated on a reclining chair in the center of the grassy circle; a screen rested on her lap. She wore a long red robe; a shiny black stone hung from a pendant around her neck. Her shoes were only thin soles with slender straps, useless for walking, no more than ornaments for her feet. Lakshmi Tiris and several other children sat on the ground, gazing intently at the Guide. Teaching was what Chimene called it, the process of filling the heads of these children with Ishtar's twisted reasoning and tales of the world to come.

"Greetings, Mother," Chimene murmured. Risa winced a bit at this expression; its formality only seemed to increase the distance between her and her child. "Lakshmi, you and the others may go into the house with Eva, and she'll give you all a treat. I must visit with my mother now."

The children got to their feet. The beautiful dark-haired girl with the long braid had to be Lakshmi Tiris; she already had some of Chimene's poise. "I'm so pleased to meet you," the girl said. "The Guide was telling us all about your mother Iris today and how she gave up her life for Venus. It's one of my favorite stories."

"Indeed." Risa's mouth twitched. Chimene often invoked Iris's memory, making it seem as though her ancestor would have sanctioned the Guide's aims.

Eva beckoned to the children. "Come along now." She led them toward the house. Risa gazed after them; she had heard all the rumors about Lakshmi. She was like a daughter to the Guide; some claimed that she might eventually become the Guide herself. Chimene would be filling the girl's head with dreams of her destiny, as Kichi Timsen had done with her.

"Do sit down," Chimene said. Risa seated herself near the chair, feeling at a slight disadvantage as she looked up at Chimene. The younger woman was thinner, as if she were still recovering from the rigors of the tour of the other settlements. Any other woman would have looked too drawn or unattractively bony. Chimene only seemed more beautiful; she was a fragile object one might want to treasure, a being so perfect that she hardly belonged in this world.

Risa could barely glimpse the house through the trees. They might have been in the middle of a forest on a garden world. "I enjoy coming here," Chimene said. "It was Boaz's idea, clearing this little spot, and a few of the fellowship donated their labor to do so. I've spent many happy hours here lately. One can feel so enclosed — by rooms, by walls, by the domes around us."

"I suppose it's refreshing after your tour."

"I enjoyed seeing so many of my sisters and brothers, but I'll confess that it was tiring."

Risa tilted her head. "Some say the tour seemed as much Boaz's as yours. A few even say that he sees himself as your Guide."

"He's closest to me. There are no barriers between us, and I've chosen him to be the father of the child I'll have someday. The Spirit has often spoken to me through his lips."

"And he loves you," Risa said.

"Of course."

"And you love him."

"As I love all my brothers." Chimene fingered the stone at her neck. "Did you come here to speak of Boaz? Has your heart finally warmed a little to him? It would give me such pleasure if my mother and the man who will give her a grandchild were friends."

"I came here about another matter," Risa responded. "My thoughts have been very troubled lately. I hope you'll listen to what I have to say."

"But I always do."

"No, you don't. You let me talk, and then you dismiss me from your mind. Let me speak plainly. I'm appealing to you not only as your mother but as a citizen who knows you have the power to help me, and I also have your own interests at heart."

Chimene turned her head toward Risa. "What is it?"

"I'm very concerned about Dyami. I haven't had a message from him for nearly two months, and that isn't like him. I've sent him messages, and he never replies."