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Back Eternity Save as PDF
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

Mirsky listened to this without comment, face bland.

Korzenowski considered briefly. He still carries part of Patricia Luisa Vasquez, Lanier thought. It’s obvious in his eyes. “Can you bring him to Thistledown, first chamber, within two days?” the Engineer asked Lanier.

Lanier felt a mix of deep anxiety, resentment, and an old, contradictory excitement. He had been away from important affairs for so long…

“I think I can arrange that,” he said.

“Is your health good?” Korzenowski asked, some concern in his voice. None but Old Natives and the most fanatically orthodox Naderites refused all methods of prolonging life and health. Lanier was ridiculously decrepit by almost any accepted standard today.

“I’m doing well enough,” he answered shortly, feeling the ache in his legs and now his back.

“Then I will meet you on Thistledown shortly after you both arrive, however long that may take. Ser Mirsky, I must say I am not completely surprised to see you.” The image faded.

Mirsky met Lanier’s astonished glance. “A knowing man,” he said. “Can we leave soon?”

Lanier turned to the console and made the necessary arrangements. He still had influence, and he had never been displeased to exercise influence.

The situation was evolving; Lanier was no less baffled, no less resentful, but more intrigued.

9

Thistledown

Accompanying the old soldier to the first chamber, Olmy had helped Mar Kellen book shuttle passage to Earth. Mar Kellen seemed to have gained a kind of mystic serenity after revealing his secret. They walked toward the bore hole elevators, Mar Kellen smiling faintly, shaking his head as he ran his eyes along the ground, scuffing his heels on the stone paving.

“All I need is a few weeks to think things over. Might as well do it on the birth world. Beni was not quite orthodox, but she would appreciate my going down there. She told me it was beautiful…”

“Star, Fate and Pneuma be kind,” Olmy said.

“Formula, hm? Between two cynical old soldiers?”

Olmy nodded. “Comforting sometimes.”

“Fairy tales after what we’ve seen and done.” Mar Kellen looked up at the tubelight, squinting unnecessarily. “Maybe you’ll need comforting now. I’m almost sorry for you. I thought you were the only one who could handle it. But maybe I did the wrong thing.”

“You didn’t,” Olmy said, not sure himself.

“I’ll climb a mountain for you,” Mar Kellen said. “A real one, not something in the fifth chamber, all carved away by machines. Tall, with wide glaciers and deep places. Taller than anything on Thistledown.” He winked. “Good-by.”

Olmy watched Mar Kellen enter the elevator. He received a mental impression—perhaps intuition, perhaps a quick subliminal pict from Mar Kellen’s mind—that the old soldier would hike into wilderness, deep into a mountainous region, where he could be sure of never being found.