Hugh Cook: The Worshippers and the Way

"You don't have to hold them forever," said Hatch impatiently. "Just give me a couple of days and I'll seize control of Dalar ken Halvar. After that, well, I'll make my peace with Manfred Gan Oliver. Once I've got control, control of the city, the Free Corps will come to order very fast."

"Take me through it slowly," said Paraban Senk. "Take me through it a step at a time."

The mind-boggling deceit which Hatch was planing would never have occurred to Senk, because Senk was quite lacking in that inspirational audacity which allows a politician to scheme up a Big Lie. Hatch, on the other hand – Hatch was surprising himself.

"We begin," said Hatch, speaking slowly as his mind raced, working out the logical detail of his inspiration, "we begin by announcing the opening of the Chasm Gates. We say that the Nexus demands peace, and that, ah, that in view of the disorder in Dalar ken Halvar, it is sending, ah, a senior, the most senior available officer. To rule. To rule in Dalar ken Halvar. A military governor, I mean. And, ah, I'm that most senior officer. So I'm appointed to rule Dalar ken Halvar as – well, emperor."

"The Nexus does not use any such title," said Senk. "You could be military governor, but that's it."

"No," said Hatch. "I have to be emperor, because I need the prestige of the title."

"We will argue about the title later," said Senk. "Let us say, for our present purposes, that you venture forth as military governor. But why? Why is the Nexus sending you? If the Chasm Gates have opened, surely our skies should be swarming with Nexus warcraft."

"Ah," said Hatch, "but you're forgetting about the quarantine. The Nexus quarantine protocols."

"I'm not forgetting anything," said Senk stuffily. "There's no such thing as Nexus quarantine protocols."

"There is now," said Hatch. "We just invented them. The Chasm Gates have been closed for twenty thousand years, so the Nexus is imposing a ninety-day quarantine on this planet. Meantime, there'll be regular announcements, we can use the Eye of Delusions for that, I'm sure you can synthesize all the newscasts and official communications which would be attendant on the opening of the Chasm Gates, and – "

"But we'd get military commands from Charabanc," said Senk.

"If the Chasm Gates were really opened, they'd – "

"That's what I've been talking about," said Hatch. "The whole of this deception is founded upon your ability to fabricate just such commands."

There was a silence from Senk as the Teacher of Control began to digest the full implications of Hatch's scheme.

"I know it's hard for you," said Hatch. "I mean, after paying lip service to the Nexus for twenty thousand years, you – "

"It was never lip service!" said Senk, abruptly angry. "It was real, it was – "

"All right, all right," said Hatch, endeavoring to be placatory. "Just put it this way. I know it's no fun to jump off a mountain. But sometimes there's no alternative. Let's start. Let's talk – "

"Hatch," said Senk, "I still don't see how this works.

Granted, you could tempt the Free Corps into Cap Foz Para Lash.

Granted, I could hold the Free Corps prisoner. But with the Free Corps imprisoned, how are you then going to single-handedly seize control of Dalar ken Halvar? I mean, even though you've declared yourself for Nu-chala-nuth, is that enough? There was a conspiracy, Hatch. A conspiracy to make revolution. The leaders of that revolution will think themselves the natural leaders of Dalar ken Halvar. Son'sholoma Gezira, for instance. He'll think he's got a claim to power."

"That's very simple," said Hatch. "You support my authority by fabricating an announcement from the Nu-chala. The Nu-chala designates me as his deputy on this planet. So I act in Dalar ken Halvar with his authority."

This gave Senk even more to digest.

"You want me to forge commands from the Nu-chala?" said Senk.

"Commands from the leader of the Nu-chala-nuth?"

"Precisely," said Hatch.

"But," said Senk, "that would inflame many of the Free Corps leaders, who – "

"Senk, Senk, Senk," said Hatch, in frustration. "Don't you see the logical sequence? First you announce the opening of the Chasm Gates, announce me as military governor, then call in the Free Corps. Once the Free Corps is inside Cap Foz Para Lash, then you use the Eye of Delusions and speak to the world, speak as if you were the Nu-chala. It's simple, Senk."

"Yes, but," said Paraban Senk, the Teacher of Control, "I am still concerned about the long-term safety of those Combat Cadets and Startroopers whom I have spent so long training. That is my mission, Hatch. To train Startroopers. How do you reconcile the general establishment of Nu-chala-nuth with the survival of those members of the Free Corps who hate the Nu-chala-nuth?"

"You may," said Hatch slowly, "have to persuade Lupus and his friends to make a token conversion to Nu-chala-nuth."

"That will not exactly be easy," said Senk.

"No," said Hatch. "But – trust me, Senk. I give you my word.

I personally guarantee the safety of Lupus Lon Oliver, of Manfred Gan Oliver, and of all the other members of the Free Corps."

"What value am I supposed to put on your word?" said Senk.

"You know me as a man of honor," said Hatch. "You know me as a man of my word. That should be sufficient. Meanwhile – let us get to work. The sooner we move, the sooner we stabilize Dalar ken Halvar. The sooner we stabilize the city, the fewer people get killed. Let's start by talking to the dorgi. The dorgi, that's the first thing. The dorgi will have to be part of our subterfuge."

Silence from Senk.

Senk obviously needed a little more persuading.

"Have you got a better idea?" said Hatch.

Senk continued thinking in silence, then said:

"Yes, Asodo. I do have a better idea. Or… an improved idea, at any rate. My idea is that I should take hostages to ensure your good behavior. You're a dangerous man, Asodo, and I don't trust you with the safety of my Startroopers. I can't trust you with their safety unless I have the security of having possession of hostages."

"Then that's, ah, unfortunate," said Hatch, "for I've got no hostages to give you."

"Of course you have," said Senk.

And shortly Hatch found himself engaged in the tricky and distasteful task of persuading his wife Talanta, his daughter Onica and the Lady Iro Murasaki into the combat bays. Hatch assured them that life in the illusion tanks was exactly that – life in another form.

"I don't understand," said the Lady Iro Murasaki. "Why do we have to do this?"

"Because," said Hatch, "I am engaged on a tricky task in the service of the demon which rules these underground caverns, and you as my allies may be attacked by the enemies of that demon unless you enjoy the security of the illusion tanks."

"But will there be fighting?" said Onica.

"Like me with Lon Oliver?" said Hatch. "Of course not."

"It would be easier if you were there with us," said Talanta.

"Well," said Hatch, "that's | | wait. Wait, and I'll see if that's possible."

So it was that Asodo Hatch shortly entered one of the combat bays, seated himself in its initiation seat, and found himself transposed to an illusion tank scenario designed to train Combat Cadets in the military applications of ecology. The scenario featured a planet devastated by war. On this planet there was one bubble-complex, big enough to contain an environment which could not be fully explored in less than three days. This bubble-complex contained a complex ecosystem ranging from a micro-miniature coral reef – complete with tropical fish – to a dense rainforest.

Here Hatch was joined by the Lady Iro Murasaki, by Talanta, and by Onica. He showed them the crew-quarters, and was surprised by the speed and ease with which they habituated themselves to those quarters. But of course, though Hatch had earlier unconsciously condescended to the Lady Iro Murasaki by talking of the Combat College in terms of "demons", she, like Talanta and Onica, had learnt much of the Nexus from watching the Eye of Delusions.