Кристофер Банч - Empire's End

"That's why I'm being so pedantic," Rykor confessed. "I tend to be pompous when I imbibe."

"I see I have some catching up to do," Sten said. He raised the stregg. "Confusion to our enemies," he toasted. He drained the glass and refilled it.

Although Sten's situation hadn't improved, he was feeling much better. It had little to do with the stregg.

He'd left his minifleet tucked away offsystem while he made this visit to Seilichi to seek Sr. Ecu's counsel. Sten had immediately been whisked to the hidden chamber beneath one of the planet's Guesting Centers.

Finding his old friend Rykor waiting there was not only a surprise, but a bonus. Having two beings like Sr. Ecu and Rykor on his side made him feel that the odds had shifted slightly in his favor. Now he figured he only had a ninety-nine percent chance of winding up quickly and horribly dead.

He gulped more stregg. As he did, a sudden thought jolted him. "Sr. Ecu, do you usually keep stregg on hand? Somehow I can't imagine that many diplomatic types with a lust for this evil Bhor brew."

More tendril wriggling. "No. It's for you. And you alone."

Sten puzzled. "I can't imagine why you'd keep it in stock. The last time we met, I rejected your invitation. I was pretty damned firm about what I intended to do next. Which was to get the clot out of the Emperor's way and bury myself somewhere. And mind my own business."

He was referring to Sr. Ecu's secret visit to the Altaics, bearing proof from Rykor that the Emperor had gone mad. The Manabi had urged his help. Sten had given him a definite no.

"I said I had faith in you. I laid in the supply of stregg as soon as I returned."

"I am in a room full of beings," Sten said, "who know more about what I am going to do next than I do myself."

Rykor woofed through her whiskers. "Illogical. But understandable in the circumstances… Oh, brother. There I go being pedantic again… Still, I hope the thought gives you no distress."

"No. I just hope the Eternal Emperor isn't as good at calling my shots as you are."

There was no answer to this. Silence for a moment, as each being contemplated various sins and partook of his or her own favorite brand of poison.

"Back to that visit, Sr. Ecu," Sten finally said. "I assumed at the time that when you asked for my help, you had something in the works."

"Ah… The illusive plan," Rykor burbled. Before Sten could react, she added, "Which is a very natural assumption for two fugitives such as ourselves."

She hoisted herself higher in the tank. Waved a flipper at Sr. Ecu. "You do have a plan, don't you, my dear friend? I would hate to think I was facing a life on the run. It's difficult to dodge about for someone of my needs… and size."

Sten buried a sudden hilarious image of Rykor ducking in and out of dark alleys, hauling her tank behind her.

"Actually, I don't," Sr. Ecu said. "I'm a diplomat. Not a soldier. And I fear this situation requires military action first. Negotiating, later."

"The Emperor won't negotiate," Sten said. Flat. "Even before… when he was—" The word stuck in his throat.

"Normal?" Rykor completed it. "How can a being with apparent immortality ever be normal? No. He was mad all along. I understand that now. Something only made his condition worse… A judgmental word, I realize. But I think it applies."

"Here is the situation as I see it," Sr. Ecu said. "I speak for the Manabi, now. All our progs come to the same conclusion. The Empire is finished. The future will be nothing more than a slow, miserable descent into chaos."

"We predict the bloodiest wars in the universe's history. Starvation and plagues on an unimaginable scale. A complete collapse of all societies and cultures. In the end, we will all end up where we began. As barbarians."

"All the progs call for only one solution. The Emperor must relinquish power. Quickly. Because all progs also indicate delay will produce the same disastrous results. To use diplomatic jargon, "The window of opportunity is very small.' We act now. Chit will soon close."

Sten had been too battered by recent events to be shocked by this doomsday prognosis. It all made very tired sense. "Fine. The window's open. How do we get through?"

"I have nothing I can dignify with the word plan, " Sr. Ecu said. "But I do have a proposal…"

"Thank God. Let's hear it."

"All over the Empire, many beings feel exactly as we do. Perhaps all they need is encouragement. Now… You have forces at your command. What if you waged a guerrilla campaign? A series of blows that would arouse the citizens everywhere. Many of them might join us."

"When the pressure builds until the Emperor can no longer bear it, we make an offer. We demand he abdicate… or agree to a constitutional monarchy. There have been successful governments of that type in the past. He would be Emperor still. Have all the glory. But not total power."

Sten's hopes sagged. "We don't have a prayer for that," he said. "You're right, Sr. Ecu. You're no soldier.

"Here's the reality. The Emperor holds all the cards. The only reason I've kept my head on my shoulders so far is because he's still in a reactive position."

"He may be mad, but he's certainly the smartest being I've ever met. The Empire's enormous. So it takes a very long time to come up to speed. If the Emperor wants to throw a punch, thousands and thousands of details have to be dealt with first."

"But, believe me, when that punch lands—which it will, and I guarantee he won't miss—we'll all be bloody smears on the pavement."

Rykor rolled in her tank, spilling water over the side. "He's right, Sr. Ecu. I've lost count of the number of operations the Emperor has consulted me on. And that was how it always came out in the end."

"Another flaw," Sten said, "is even if we could bring that much pressure to bear, he'd never agree to step down now. Much less share power. Why should he? He's the Eternal Emperor. Practically a god to some beings."

"No wonder," Sr. Ecu said, very grim. "He appears immortal. A key definition of godhood as I understand it."

"I really doubt that," Sten said. "No one can be immortal. Claudius proved that."

"But we all saw what happened when the privy council struck," Sr. Ecu protested. "All over the Empire, billions witnessed him die. Then… six years later… we were there to greet him, you and I, when he stepped off that ship. As if he had risen from the dead."

"Mahoney said it's happened before," Sten said. "Several times. And each time he was assassinated, according to Ian, there was a very large explosion. Just like this last time. As if he had a bomb implanted in his body.

"Also, each time he was quote killed endquote, he returned approximately three E-years later. This time it was six. The longest it has ever been."

"But you don't believe our late friend?" Sr. Ecu said.

"I have to admit Ian knew more about the Emperor than any other being alive. I have whole cases of research he compiled aboard my ship. When there's time, we plan to go through it. See if there are any weaknesses we can uncover."

"But as far as immortality goes… No. I don't believe it. He's as human as I am."

"Then how do you explain what happened?" Sr. Ecu asked.

"I don't," Sten said. "The historical facts say it occurred. Natural facts say it can't. I'll stick with nature over history every time. History has been known to lie."

"Now I know what the Christians were envisioning when they invented Hell," Rykor said. "We are living it. And are doomed to stay here until the end of time. And after listening to Sten, I see no possible solution."

Sten sipped absently at his drink. Scattered thoughts were beginning to coalesce. He slammed the glass down. "We're going to try, dammit!"