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Back Eternity
Chapters (90)
  1. Eternity
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. EPILOGUE
  90. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“It will be,” Mirsky said. “One way or another. I did not count on such difficulties. Even with a better mind than I now have. If I fail, the consequences will be spectacular….”

“Is that a threat?” Ram Kikura asked.

“No. It is a certainty.”

“How spectacular?”

“I do not know. I did not make the contingency plans. I probably would not understand them in my present form, anyway.”

“Too many questions,” Korzenowski said unhappily. “Ser Mirsky, when your story is made public…how many of our citizens will believe you, and how many will think your appearance here is an Orthodox Naderite trick to keep us locked to Mother Earth?”

“I can be no more convincing than I am now,” the Russian said, releasing his hands and stretching. “Do you not believe me?” He looked around the group, thick eyebrows raised in query.

Karen, who had yet to see his presentation, ventured no opinion. Korzenowski, Olmy and Lanier did not hesitate to express their belief. Ram Kikura reluctantly said she concurred.

“We have to set our strategy,” Lanier said. “Between us, we can devise something worth presenting to the opposing corpreps and senators. They can make their case—Ram Kikura can carry the case to the judiciary. A two-pronged assault.”

“I think I’d better start on Earth,” Ram Kikura said. “There’s a meeting of the Earth Hexamon Council in a few days. We were going to report our conference results there anyway—nobody in the Nexus will be any the wiser if Karen and I leave and attend that meeting. How much of this is officially confidential?”

“All of it,” Korzenowski said. “Until the advisory is made, none of us is supposed to talk.”

“That’s not strictly legal either,” Ram Kikura mused. “The Nexus neo-Geshels have become an eager group, haven’t they? I’m surprised Farren Siliom would go along with them…”

“He’d rather keep his government together than turn everything over to his opponents,” Lanier said.

Ram Kikura picted a complex symbol he could not read. “I’ll steer clear of mentioning the weapons. That could involve me in defense law—and I’m no expert there.”

“Somehow, when I was not in this body, and my mind was immense, I thought all rational people would agree,” Mirsky said, shaking his head. “What a surprise to be human again!”

Lanier smiled thinly. “Back to being thick as a brick, hm?”

“Not thickness,” the Russian said. “Perversity, twisting.”

“Amen,” Karen said, glancing at Ram Kikura. “People are the same all over.”

37

The Way

The ghost of Demetrios hung translucent and unhappy before Rhita. Her face was white with horror; she had expected nothing like this. Now she understood she was beyond the reach of any god or gods; or in the hands of the wrong gods.