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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

Karen looked out to sea. Beyond Barber’s Point, three aircraft flew toward them, sharp white against the billowing gray mid-morning clouds. They banked and approached the house, slowing and hovering, their flight fields knocking bits of gravel and dirt from the senator’s driveway and yard.

“Ser Lanier,” a voice from the craft boomed above them. “Please respond.”

“I’m Garry Lanier.” He stood away from the others.

“Ser Lanier, you and your wife are to return to New Zealand immediately. All Old Natives are being returned to their homelands.”

Ram Kikura stepped out beside him. “Under whose orders, and by what law?” She lowered her voice. “There are no such laws,” she muttered.

“By Revised Recovery Act. Direct presidential authority. Please board your shuttle. Its flight plans have been changed.”

“Don’t go,” Kanazawa said. He lifted his eyes to the three craft and raised a fist. “I am a senator! I demand a meeting with the president and the presiding minister!”

The hovering craft did not reply.

“You won’t board the shuttle,” Ram Kikura said. “We’ll all stay here. They won’t dare use physical force.”

“Garry, they said all Old Natives were being returned—even those with permanent residency on the orbiting bodies?” Karen’s face resembled a child’s, horribly disappointed, disbelieving.

“I don’t know,” Lanier said. “Senator, we can do more in our own territory…unless we’re under house arrest, in which case it doesn’t matter where we are.” He turned to Ram Kikura. “I assume you’ll go back to Thistledown.”

“Assume nothing,” she said tightly. “All rules are off. I certainly didn’t expect this.”

“They do this,” Karen said, her face red, “and they’ll really have a fight on their hands.”

I doubt that, Lanier thought. The fight is probably over right here and now. They feel the need to play dirty.

The three craft held their position, implacable. A light sun shower began to fall. Ram Kikura wiped wet hair from her face. “We shouldn’t just stand here like disobedient children,” Lanier said. “Senator, thank you for listening to us. If we can talk again, I’ll—”

“Please board your shuttle now,” the voice boomed.

Lanier took his wife’s hand. “Good-by,” he said to Kanazawa and Ram Kikura. “Good luck. Let Korzenowski and Olmy know what happened here.”

Ram Kikura nodded.

They boarded the shuttle and the door flowed shut behind them.

43

The Way, Efficient Gaia

A maze of brilliant green lines sketched themselves in parallel around them, breaking pattern to draw a harness or cage about the bubble faster than Rhita could move her eyes to follow. After a brief pause, another array of lines rose from the surface of the Way, far below, originating at a single dazzling vertex near one of the stacked disk towers. The lines connected and the oval bubble descended with alarming rapidity, though again with no sensation.