Jack Chalker - Empires of Flux & Anchor

Cass felt everything drain away to be replaced by new and far different emotions. She wanted to hug Spirit, but couldn’t because of the baby. Well, there would be plenty of time for hugging later.

Dannon and Cloise still seemed in a state of shock. They could no more conceive of Spirit’s choice than she could of theirs. Cass grinned at them and looked back at Spirit. “If you ever want out, just let me know, somehow, and I’ll switch with you. I owe you that.”

Spirit smiled back at her. “You just want in ,” she replied, took little Jeffron and stepped into Flux.

Cass turned back to the gaping pair, stiffened, clicked her heels together and saluted. Then she turned and followed her daughter and grandson. She’d just been offered a very nice job, and this choice wasn’t hard at all.

“He’s dead,” Gifford Haldayne told the other five. “The-son-of-a-bitch is truly dead.”

Romua Togloss, the former Queen of Heaven, President of the Council and Haldayne’s half-brother, smiled and nodded.

There were smiles and nods all around. They were all there, in a rare gathering in a small, remote Fluxland all their own. Here was Chua Babaye, the beautiful self-styled Witch of the Southern Wastes, and Ming Tokiabi, the tiny, brilliant head of the technical department, and Vrishnikar Stomsk, the lean, gaunt, goateed mathematical wizard, and Zelligman Ivan, the huge, gruff military expert. Although now only six, they were the Seven Who Come Before, the Seven Who Wait, the most powerful wizards dedicated to opening the Hellgates.

“We must add a new member and select a new President,” Ivan pointed out. “As much as we are relieved to be rid of that madman, we owe him a debt of thanks. In one series of strokes he demoralized the empire, eliminated Sister Kasdi as a symbol and a threat, sowed fear in enemy Anchor, and halted the relentless military progress. The empire is in discord, each little group and area preoccupied with its own selfish interests. It is exploitable discord!”

Haldayne nodded. “Indeed it is. And as the Political Affairs Minister here, I will take full advantage of it. We must, however, continue to encourage and fund scientific research and cooperation. Coydt knew more than any of us. We must locate and unify his research teams, know what he knew but withheld from us. With a knowledge and understanding of the Guardian’s language, the Gates are open to us. Taking all seven Gates will not be easy, but I feel it will come. Licking the communications problem is the major obstacle.”

“You underestimate the Nine if you think taking the Gates no problem,” Gabaye commented. “To take and hold one Gate, two, even four or five, perhaps. But all seven at the same time will not be easy.”

“I didn’t say it was easy, just attainable,” Haldayne snapped back irritably. “But the amplifiers don’t work well around the Gates, and the Flux damps out any wireless signals, even if we could find some way to curve them around the whole of World’s surface.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll let them solve it,” his sister soothed. “We have had to be patient for so long, so very long. What are a few more decades even, if we all live to see our dream come true?”

They murmured and nodded assent. An assistant came in and poured drinks all around. Haldayne rose and raised his glass. “To our certain victory and to a Utopian world!”

“To power!” responded Zelligman Ivan.

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