“Completely ignoring of course, that the secret undermined your position of office,” she sniffed
Talin only nodded, looking older.
“He is a megalomaniac, completely insane,” she concluded.
Talin actually chuckled, “I cannot disagree. I have watched him over the years, watched him change from a wise, visionary and forthright ruler to a secretive old man, scheming to forward his objectives, over the true needs of the people... ”
“Including fostering the opposition,” she interjected.
“Yes. But looking back at his sly deception, you have to give him at least some little acknowledgment. He must have concluded early on that we could not cope with the various splinters of opposition who were constantly rising up against him.”
“After all that has happened, you can still think that?”
He shrugged, “Even you have to admit his plan was most cunning. He formed the Preservers and one-by-one the opposition groups were gradually absorbed. In one bold stroke, he virtually broke the back of the resistance movement and all without their knowledge.”
“And as the Leader, he masterminded the plans and oversaw all the activities of the Preservers,” she finished, amazed by the Grand Patriarch’s boldness.
“Yes,” Talin agreed. “Did you know he had actually engineered the attacks on the outsider?”
Her eyes widened, “Amazing. As a member of the Preservers’ inner circle, I knew of the attacks and with the identity of the Leader revealed, I can see now why they failed time and again.”
“I had not known you were that high in the organization’s hierarchy,” he said.
She shrugged, “I suspect that when the Grand Patriarch found I had joined he was ecstatic. My being selected to the inner circle was just a means to control and monitor my activities outside the government.”
She shook her head. “But returning to the subject of the attacks, the attacks he directed on the outsider only demonstrate that the Grand Patriarch has strayed far from the path of sanity. Think about it,” she said earnestly. “All of his grandiose schemes were dependent on getting the precious Outsider safely within our borders. And yet he risks the single person in the universe, he claims, who is to be the deliverer of our salvation! Only madness can explain his irrational behavior.”
“I asked him about that very contradiction.”
Her eyebrows rose in skepticism “Oh? And what did he say in his defense?”
“He said that the risk to Janus Owens was minimal. He had made sure that ships and ordinances that were used in the attacks were of the poorest condition, even for our current sorry state of technology.”
“Even with these precautions, it remained a serious risk,” she countered.
“He went on to say that some of his guards were planted within the ranks of the volunteers to ensure that the attacks would ultimately fail.”
She shook her head, “In his diminished state, it amazes me that he still commands that much loyalty. Sadly, when they volunteered, they must have known that in doing so, it meant their lives.”
“He has always depended on that loyalty and used it to his best advantage,” Talin answered. “But in this case, they received extra conditioning. As a result, they would make sure there were no survivors or evidence from the failed attacks, including themselves. From his perspective at least, he left nothing to chance.”
“He rationalizes his flawed judgment. Anything could have gone wrong. It was only phenomenal good fortune that the Outsider survived.”
He nodded, “I agree. However, fortune or not, look at what he has achieved thus far.”
“Perhaps,” She said looking down at her hands. She had noticed they were tightly clenched. A thought occurred to her and she looked up at Talin. “But the last attack, what about the last attack? Sharné was almost killed! His own daughter! Under his guise as the Leader, he claimed it was unsanctioned and blamed another for it. Did he also mention this attack?”
“Yes, and even if had he not, I know he was not responsible. He was genuinely frantic with worry over Sharné when he first heard about the attack on the Light Saber. He seemed completely surprised by it. I know him too well to believe his reaction was feigned.”
“But you cannot deny that he was your closest friend,” She said.
“No,” he sighed. “I cannot.”
“Then could not your friendship and loyalty for him blind you to his true state of mind?”
“At one time perhaps, but no longer,” he said, looking at his hand on the table. As with Lauren’s hands, it too had closed into a tight fist. He looked back up at her and said, “My past friendship is not a factor. The Grand Patriarch told me the person responsible was a minor colonel in the military. He said with some pride, he had killed the man himself.”
She was silent on hearing this latest revelation, thinking back on the dramatic way in which the ‘Leader’ had ground the symbol of the man’s rank under his heel. The Grand Patriarch killed with his own hands. She had underestimated him all along. With this thought, she suddenly felt exhausted, the recent events seeming to have finally taken their toll. She was weary of the politics, the plots, the lies and the wasted deaths. She was tired, tired of it all.
“You should leave now, Talin. You have risked far enough on my behalf and I can never repay you. Were it not for you, I would have been arrested long before now.”
He shook his head, his voice gentle, “I was only trying to protect the one person who could oppose him within the Ministry. I could not simply stand by and allow the Grand Patriarch to continue with his mad agenda and not protect the strongest voice of sanity remaining within the government.”
“And for that, I thank you. However, it must not be discovered that you helped me. You should leave.” She looked down at her hands again, her voice falling to a bitter rasp, “We have lost, Talin. Mad or not, he will have his victory. But at least you will be free. It is important that someone of your standing remain at large. You hold the truth.”
Talin nodded, “Yes. He has had his victory, at least as far as silencing the opposition, the opposition whom he knows of. I am sure he too believes he has succeeded, that all the major hurdles have been removed. However, that belief will be his ultimate undoing. To this, I vow.”
She looked at him, a question on her face.
Talin's expression was thoughtful, “Yes. He can have this victory, but for the moment only. He has yet to complete his plan. Its ultimate goal has yet to be achieved.”
“What are you saying, Talin?”
The Guardian turned harsh, “Only that there remains a chance, a very real chance the Grand Patriarch may not realize his final goal. His scheme is far from being completed. His complex stratagem is constructed around a single dynamic. Take it away, the plan collapses and he loses control of the situation.”
“You are talking about the Outsider.”
“Yes,” Talin agreed. “This Janus Owens is the keystone to the Grand Patriarch’s plan.”
She looked at him intently. “What are you saying?”
“You were adamantly against bringing in the Outsider...”
“Of course,” her voice hardened. “When the Grand Patriarch first broached the subject during a Central Assembly some years ago, I was horrified. It runs counter to the Founder’s tenet in the Book of Light. As you well know, one of the ‘Six Pillars’ is Self-Sufficiency. To have the Outsider here, within our borders, is nothing less than blasphemous.”
Talin knew of her deep religious beliefs. He would have to tread carefully if he was to gain her full support. “I too was against bringing in someone from the outside,” Talin replied. “But now that he is here…”
She looked nonplussed. “Talin, I do not believe what I am hearing! Are you proposing to go through with the Grand Patriarch’s mad scheme? How can you even contemplate such a thing?”
“Unfortunately, I do not see that we have any real choice.” He saw she was about to interrupt and he held up a han
d to forestall her protest. “Just indulge me for a moment, Lauren. There are a few things you might not have anticipated, things that may modify your stand on this.”
“I do not see what could possibly change my mind.” She frowned. “I think the Outsider should be eliminated before he can cause any more trouble.”
Talin shook his head, “Unfortunately, it is far too late for that. By bringing the Outsider within our borders, the Grand Patriarch has already set the wheels in motion that could lead to our destruction.” Seeing the disbelief on her face, he quickly went on, “Lauren, the opportunity to prevent the potential catastrophe was lost when Janus Owens entered our system. In fact, the Grand Patriarch was counting on this.”
“Explain,” she demanded.
“A clock was started when Golstar’s message requesting Janus Owens was sent to Confederated Planets.”
“Wait,” she said. “The Outsider was not contacted directly?”
Talin shook his head.
She said, “The Preservers were never given the details. We were told in general terms of the ruse to get the Outsider within our borders. I assumed this Janus Owens had been contacted directly and lured here in secret on the promise of great wealth.”
“Sadly, this was not the case. The Grand Patriarch kept many of the details to himself. I found out about his message to Confederated Planets only after it was sent.”
“I do not believe it! Not even he could be so mad!”
“It is true, Lauren.” His voice was as grim as she had ever heard.
“Incredible!” She was shaken to her core.
“Yes, it certainly is. It was his intent all along to pique Confederated Planet’s curiosity. He has always believed that another excursion by our enemy was coming. By his actions, he has ensured it will occur sooner rather than later.”
“But why…” She stopped abruptly. “I begin to see his twisted logic.”
He nodded, “Once the message was sent, the era of non-interference from Confederated Planets ended and if our culture is to survive, we have no choice but to go through with the Grand Patriarch’s plan.” Talin stood up and looked down at her. “In his madness, the Grand Patriarch has left us no choice. Janus Owens must fulfill the purpose for which he was brought.”
She sat mute with thoughts reeling, trying to grasp the enormity of what Talin had said. Why had they not foreseen this?
As if reading her mind, Talin said, “You are wondering how this came to be. How could one man, granted the single most powerful man in our society, was able to do such a thing without anyone raising more than a few tokens of resistance?” He reached into an inner pocket of his coat and threw something against the flagstone fireplace.
Her eyes followed the object as it struck the stone and fell to the floor. She stared at the ornate headband lying on the hearth; its central jewel had become dislodged and had fallen close to the fire. Mesmerized, she watched reflections from the blaze dance on its faceted surface. Finally, she looked up at him. She did not hide the accusation in her eyes. “I cannot believe you would do such a thing. It is the signet of your standing within our society. You have broken it.”
He shook his head. He knew he was taking a serious risk. “That may have been true once, but no longer.”
“You are wrong, Talin. Our signet bands provide necessary protections, so we may know the hard truths, to govern effectively and with wisdom.”
“As we all have been told over the long centuries. Lauren, you must listen carefully. What I have to say is painful, but you must know the truth.”
“What truth?”
“You know, through the still-functioning mechanisms within the Sanctuary, the Grand Patriarch still has limited access to the Controllers’ technology, do you not?
“Yes.”
“What you and others do not know is that the Sanctuary includes controls that can alter the functions of the Symbols of Light. He could modify the indoctrination filters. The jewels’ protocols have been drastically changed along with the messages provided by the Symbols of the Light.”
Her expression changed to one of fear, “In what way?”
“The Grand Patriarch is manipulating the minds of the Council… all of them. He rejected what he viewed as disruptive dissent, as he puts it. He claims it is for the good of the people, to preserve the Way.”
“I cannot believe that even he would contemplate such an action.”
“Believe it, Lauren. He wants only deferential puppets to carry out his bidding. Rather than judiciously filtering the benevolent messages of faith, hope and virtue for the Light of the Way, the signet bands have instead focused newer messages of unquestioning obedience to the Grand Patriarch.”
“And yet I do not seem to be affected.”
“To a degree, you have been, as have we all. It is only by virtue of your own natural resistance you escaped much of the indoctrination. To the chagrin of the Grand Patriarch, you, I and a surprising number of others within the Council have not fully succumbed to his attempts at mind management beyond that affecting the general populace. As you know, even they are beginning to show mild signs of rejection. How else would the resistance movements gained momentum?”
She was genuinely horrified. “It is outrageous! Such a thing cannot be permitted. The ruling class’ minds must remain crystal clear so that they may govern judicially. It is for the good of the people; their souls bathed in the light of the orbs, and given proper guidance through the benevolent aura of the Light. The grand vision of the Founder cannot be fulfilled otherwise.”
Talin shook his head, “As long as he remains in control, we are all at risk.”
“Then we must stop him! The original orb protocols need to be immediately reestablished and if necessary reinforced for the good of all!”
CHAPTER 50
Owens nursed a cup of strong coffee, trying clear the lingering cobwebs from his mind. He yawned widely and his rubbed dry, itchy eyes. He spent a restless night rehashing his abbreviated meeting with the Grand Patriarch. His mind twisted around the many still-unanswered questions, crowding out any possibility of sleep.
He had finally given up on getting any rest and instead spent most of the night prowling his suite of rooms, rehashing his experiences on Selane. It wasn’t hard for him to guess the possible consequences resulting from of his exposure to the Controller. Golstar’s reaction was likely to be severe once they found out that he knew about the concealed centers of alien technology. He could only hope their hidden agenda would override their usual lethal response to a violation of their laws. In any case, in his present circumstances, there was nothing he could do about it.
He yawned once more and wondered if he would ever sleep again. Even after taking a quick shower, he was still not fully alert. He had dressed in clothing provided by one of the omnipresent stewards and was again back in the room where he had first met with the Grand Patriarch. His normal curiosity was tempered by the uncertainty of his situation. He could only hope this next meeting would at least provide some explanations before he was carted off to the firing squad.
He absently took another swallow of the dark, strong brew and continued his fruitless musings surrounding the original intent of Golstar. So far, the Grand Patriarch provided no new information. He was still in the dark as to the true reason he was brought to Berralton. All he really had to go on were the few facts he had gained since the attack and a whole lot of conjecture. He was both tired in body and of being kept in what seemed to be a perpetual state of ignorance.
He shook his head ruefully and gazed at his surroundings. He again idly noted the room’s furnishings. The Victorian influence could clearly be seen. The Founder must have been real a fan of the period.
He was finishing his third cup. The caffeine was just starting to kick-in, when the ponderous door creaked open and the Grand Patriarch entered. He was followed closely by two tall men in military uniform. They fluidly took up positions on either side of the door as the Grand Patriarch continued
into the room. Owens took note that the men carried large, lethal-looking side-arms.
The Grand Patriarch motioned for Owens to stay seated and then eased himself down into the chair he had used the night before. Without an apparent signal, a steward magically appeared bearing a tea service and an artfully arranged platter of pastries. The steward served the Grand Patriarch a cup of tea and a pastry. He then departed.
The Grand Patriarch ignored his tea and took a large bite out of the flaky turnover. Without a word to Owens, he quickly finished the pastry and took up his cup of tea. Looking over his steaming cup, he eyed Owens. “I understand you slept poorly. Were your accommodations unsatisfactory?”
Owens wasn’t particularly surprised to find out his room had been bugged. “Actually, the suite was quite luxurious. Generally, I don’t need a lot of rest.” He thought a moment, and then continued, “But even so, the situation I find myself in…” his voice took on wry tone, “…is not exactly one that lends itself to a restful night’s sleep.”
If the Grand Patriarch was preparing to respond, he was interrupted by the arrival of Sharné. She entered the room and Owens stood. He noted her pale complexion and the hint of dark circles around her eyes. Obviously, he wasn’t the only one who had spent a restless night. However, in spite of her obvious fatigue, Owens could not help but admire the beauty that the weariness couldn’t mask.
She paused, looked at Owens then back at the Grand Patriarch.
The Grand Patriarch motioned to a chair, “Good morning. Please, sit down.”
She stared for a moment at the Grand Patriarch without expression, then gave a curt nod and sat in a chair on the other side of Owens, away from the Grand Patriarch. Owens hesitated before he too sat.
The Grand Patriarch smiled at her benignly and asked, “Tea, Daughter?” She nodded, not returning his smile and accepted a steaming cup. She took a careful sip of the tea and looked over again at Owens.
The slight crinkling of his eyes was the only outward indication of Owens’ mild satisfaction at confirming his thought the previous night that the Keeper of the Way also happened to be the Grand Patriarch’s daughter. Well, now there was no question as to the meaning of the Grand Patriarch’s words the night before.
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