John Wright - The Golden Age

Evidently Eveningstar concluded it was no longer appropriate to be polite to him; his senses were filled with the Red Manorial version of the dreamscape.

The voice from behind him said, "Does Phaethon wish to introduce crime and violence once again into our peaceful civilization? There are many folk who wish to do far worse ills than merely burglary or invasion of privacy. Why should they restrain themselves when it seems that you do not?"

"I don't want to hear a lecture, Eveningstar." said Phaethon in a voice of endless weariness.

"Then should I summon the Constables for your arrest?" "I attempted no crime. I admit I thought about it when raised my fist. But as I was bringing it down, I realized that I could not succeed, since I was not here physically. The whole structure of the manor-born way of life prevents us from hurting each other; we're always safe. I suppose you may have me arrested if you like; I don't really care any more.

But kidnap and burglary and invasion are all crimes of specific intent; and I did not have that intent at the time."

"May we examine your mind to verify what your intent was at the moment you lowered your fist? ... I'm sorry, but a silent nod of the head is not a legally sufficient sign of consent."

"I swear it."

A large penguin dressed in a top hat from which a black mourning-scarf floated waddled from the receiving chamber into the hall. The Red Manorial protocol surrounded the Rhadamanthus image with such an atmosphere of undignified humor that it hurt Phaethon's eyes. He recoiled. But Rhadamanthus had to be on-line to conduct the Noetic reading.

Since Rhadamanthus was present, Phaethon adjusted his sense-filter to route through him. Phaethon blinked, and suddenly the scene was no longer throbbing and trembling with melancholic emotional overtones. Objects were bright and crisp and clear, even in the dim lighting; everything was sharp and well-defined, down to the trace of dust motes floating in the sunlight. Phaethon had frankly forgotten how clear and regular everything looked when viewed through Silver-Gray senses.

Eveningstar—now a woman again—looked at the penguin inquiringly. The penguin said: "Phaethon is telling the truth."

She said, "Will you share your data with me so that I may make an extrapolative model of Phaethon's mind. If, in my judgment, his grief and passion will prompt him to attempt criminal actions in the future, we shall certainly proceed by calling the Constabulary; but if this is a momentary aberration, an outcome of chaos mathematics, we will let the matter rest."

The penguin stroked its yellow bill with one fin, looking thoughtfully toward Phaethon. "Naturally, I can do so only with the young master's permission."

Phaethon said, "Cease this charade. I know your systems can interact much more swiftly than the time it would take to speak those words aloud in front of me. And yes, you have my permission; I have nothing to hide."

The Eveningstar representative nodded and vanished. Perhaps it was another small sign of impoliteness to show her displeasure, if displeasure, or indeed, any human emotion could be attributed to minds such as Eveningstar's. Or perhaps this was how she interpreted his request to "stop this charade."

Rhadamanthus said, "Eveningstar asked me to tell you that she will not be charging you with a crime to the Constabulary. She and I have discussed the matter at some length, and we both agree that you were acting quite out of character. I told her you were operating under the influence of an Eleemosynary self-consideration software routine which you found in a public casket, and that you had intoxicated yourself with vainglory." Rhadamanthus cocked one goggle eye at him. "And she could not overlook that this was just the type of direct emotional self-manipulation which Silver-Gray standards forbid. I told her you would probably not take such ill-considered actions again. But Eveningstar is going to expect some sort of apology or reparation from you. I assured her that you were a gentleman, and would live up to what was expected of you."

The condescension of it all rankled Phaethon. He had his back to the casket, facing Rhadamanthus, and he was glad his wife could not see this scene. "You Sophotechs treat us like children."

"No. We treat you like adults. Children can be forgiven without penalty, because they know no better."

"If I'm penniless, I can pay no reparations."

"Money does not enter into it, my dear Phaethon. She is asking for a gesture to show you are contrite, something unpleasant enough that you will feel a relief of your guilt and embarrassment."

"And if I refuse?"

"Why should you refuse? Young master, do you think you acted correctly?"

"I did not do anything wrong."

"Hm." The penguin rolled its goggle eyes, and slapped its webbed feet once or twice on the green marble floor. "You

did not do anything illegal, that is true. Not by a nice and precise reading of the letter of the law. But not everything which is wrong is illegal."

That phrase sobered Phaethon. He felt the last of whatever excess pride he had wished upon himself slip away. "Eveningstar is trying to keep me out of trouble with the Hortators, isn't she?"

The penguin nodded gravely. "Despite how large and varied the Oecumene population is, it would be an easy matter for the College of Hortators to post in the Middle Dreaming a memory, available to anyone who glanced at you, the way you let your anger get the better of you, the contempt you showed for civilized law, the foolishness of trying to use an Eveningstar-built mannequin to damage Eveningstar property. Most of the Oecumene schools are quite zealous in their support for Hortator-called boycotts."

"But why would she want to help me?"

"Eveningstar is aware, as I am, that the Earthmind spoke to you directly, and showed that She favored your case. Eveningstar has more latitude of freedom than have I; she does not need to guard Helion's interests, for example. Therefore Eveningstar was free to consult with one of the Ennead, one of the Nine overminds, which the Sophotech community has constructed to construct the Earthmind. The overmind she consulted deduced the reasons why Nebuchednezzar Sophotech was unwilling to advise or assist the College of Hortators when they drafted the Lakshmi Agreement. Humans have relied on Sophotechs and mass-minds for so long to do their legal work that the practice of the lawyer's art is somewhat atrophied. The Lakshmi Agreement contains a crucial error. Because of this error, the overmind deduces that you would succeed in your goals, which are also goals the Earthmind favors, provided you do not open the box of ancient memories. Monomarchos has arranged the outcome of the law case to your satisfaction. The faction opposing you, including the Hortators, do not possess a crucial piece of information concerning Helion's memory and disposition; this fact will lead

to a condition which you will, once you recover your memory, consider a satisfactory victory."

"Victory ... ?" The word was bitter in his mouth. He turned and stared down at the crystal coffin.

Then he said: "Was this part of my plan? Did I know— the version of me before I forgot so much—did I speak to her before she did this ... ?"

The penguin said, "You already have sufficient evidence to deduce that you did not know what Daphne Prime intended till it was too late. Her fear that you would be exiled drove her to this suicide. Your grief over the loss was one of the factors which prompted you to agree to the Lakshmi bargain. Young master, when I say you will have a victory, I did not mean that you would necessarily win Daphne Prime back."

Phaethon stood with his head bowed, brooding. Some part of his mind not stained with grief noted that this was another clue. Whatever it was he had done, it must be something which would tempt his wife to such despair that she would destroy her life beyond repair. What he knew of Daphne Prime told him it could not have been a small matter.