The spearhead that capped it was just as elaborate. A third of a meter in length and wickedly sharp, it was deeply engraved with enigmatic designs and geometric patterns that went back to a time before the characters on the shaft had even been conceived of.
The spear carrier stepped forwards, and solemnly held it out to them. Ingrit took it from her, grasping the shaft firmly and planting the butt end into the soft earth at her feet. Lilith followed suit, grasping a spot just above her partner’s. Then they looked at one another and recited the first words of their marriage vows.
“I will protect you,” they said together, “and the home that we will build. I will stand with you against all dangers. I will fight by your side, and should you fall, I will be your spear and your shield.”
Looking up at the spearhead gleaming proudly in the sunlight, Lilith recalled an expression that she had sometimes heard the Zommerlaandars use, ‘die Spaaran ann Zommerlaand, ‘‘the Spears of Zommerlaand.’ It generally referred to the young women who went off-planet to serve in the military.
But now she fully understood its meaning. To the women around her, the spear that she was holding represented the sacred duty that they all shared to protect their family and their folk. It was the symbol of safety around which they all rallied in times of danger. When she had joined the Navy, she had sworn an oath to protect the Sisterhood, and now that promise had been given a personal face. She too, was now a Spear of Zommerlaand, she realized, just as much as she was a naval officer. It was an added responsibility that she was more than happy to take upon her shoulders.
Grammy nodded to a third woman. She held a brace of antique keys, strung together by a long braided cord. These were the symbol of the household that they would create, and the duty to care for it, and each other. The Wise Woman tied the free ends of the cord around their wrists, and bound them to their spear.
Lilith and Ingrit made the next part of their pledge. “I will care for you,” they promised each other, “and the home that we will make, through the good times and the bad. I will be your helpmate and your partner.”
They had reached the final part of their oath. The part that would marry them. Lilith’s throat tightened with emotion as she struggled to keep her voice from breaking, and her eyes misted over with tears of happiness.
“By this bond I pledge my troth to thee,” they declared in unison, “from this day forth, our fates are wedded together; through the spring of our new union, through the summer of its fullness, to the fall and winter of our old age, until we are returned to the earth at last.’
“I name thee now in the presence of all who have assembled here; you are my wife, my lover, my helpmate, and my friend. I am pledged to thee until the very end of my days. May all who are present, hear my oath and place their blessings upon it. Za es var.”
For a few seconds, the assembly was utterly still, and then a collective cheer of ‘Za es var!’, ‘It is done!’ went up. As Lilith and Ingrit were unbound, and kissed, Grammy added her own words to the occasion, but Lilith didn’t hear them. Neither did Ingrit. Their eyes and ears were only for one another.
My wife, Lilith thought, marveling that someone so wonderful had chosen her for a mate. Looking into Ingrit’s violet eyes, she saw that they shone with the same wonder, and the same joy.
The wedding feast that followed was held down at the farmhouse in the front yard. Huge trestle tables had been set up there, with a place of honor at the largest of these for the brides, with Grammy and her Wise Women seated next to them, followed by the immediate family, and then everyone else.
Sarah however, was not at the main table, but had situated herself at one of the smaller ones, off to the side. Lilith ignored this slight however. This was her wedding day, and she didn’t intend to let anything spoil it, even her daughter’s extreme views, or her intransigent attitude. Thankfully, the company around her was convivial, and the food and drink where just as magnificent.
But Lilith only ate a little of it, and Ingrit was just as sparing. They had other appetites in mind, and as soon as they saw the chance, they stole away to the farmhouse, and went upstairs. As custom dictated, everyone attending the celebration pretended not to notice when they left, but the next morning, when Lilith stepped outside their bedroom, sore but happy, she nearly tripped on the presents that had been quietly deposited at their door step during the night.
Residence of Trina n’Daeva, Marpesia District, Thermadon Val, Thermadon, Myrene System, Thalestris Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1048.11|16|08:33:15
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Trina liked what she saw. Very much. Although Sarah was out of town, this didn’t mean that all the fun in life had to be put on hold. There were other women with the same needs as Sarah, and although they didn’t bring her the same satisfaction, they still sufficed. One of these, a clerk at the RSE headquarters, was on her way over for some well-deserved punishment.
As always, Trina had carefully prepared herself for their session. Her coveralls were gone, and she had put on her thigh length leather boots, matching gloves, and her strapaadi was belted around her hips, fully charged and ready for work. Patting the curls of her thick black pigtails, she smiled in anticipation, imagining the pleasure that she would get when she made her first few thrusts with the strapaadi into her guest, and the humiliation that this would cause.
The door chimed just as she finished inspecting herself, and she walked over to it, signaling it to open with her psiever.
“I warned you about making me angry,” she started to say. “Now I’ll have to—“
The rest of her statement died with her surprise.
Angelique was standing there. The woman waved her hand and the world went dark.
When Trina came to, she realized that her wrists were cuffed to the chain that she kept suspended from the ceiling. She had been hauled up so high that her toes could barely find the mattress.
Angelique held an antique dagger in her hand and was looking at it appraisingly. “Yes, I think that this is definitely appropriate for this particular occasion,” she said to herself. “I think that Lucrezia would approve.”
Trina had no way of knowing it, but during her unconsciousness, Angelique had dosed her with a special substance. Produced for the RSE by the recently acquired Lida Labs in the ETR, Substancé “D” accomplished several things at once. It produced a hallucinogenic state where the victim’s fear response was elevated, and at the same time, it stimulated human nociceptors while blocking the production of opiates. The result was a state of profound panic accompanied by a truly stellar level of pain perception. Just by her dilated pupils alone, Angelique could tell that her captive was deeply under its influence.
Those same eyes welled up with tears of desperation as Trina realized what was happening.
“P-please--!” she begged. “Don’t do this! I--I can help you. I’ll even kill Sarah for you if that’s what you want! I know how—and she’ll never suspect me until it’s too late.” At the same time, her bladder let go, and Angelique glanced down at the puddle on the mattress, delicately wrinkling her nose in disgust.
“Oh, I don’t want Sarah dead, “she said, moving closer and pinching the nipple of Trina’s breast between her gloved fingertips.
“Far from it. I want you dead, and not just because you tried to sell Celina’s song to our enemies. Your crimes are much worse than that. I will see you dead for what you have done to Sarah.”
“W-what?! I-it’s just a song and I haven’t done anything to Sarah.” Trina protested.
“There you are quite wrong. On both counts,” Angelique replied. “That little song is the very key to the balance of power in this galaxy. And as for Sarah, you have committed a truly monumental offense; you made her your slave and you preyed on her weaknesses.’
“I for one, have tolerated your excesses for far too long. I need the Song kept safe, and I need Sarah to be strong. As long as you are alive, neither of these are possible.”
With that, she brou
ght up her knife and deftly sliced off Trina’s nipple, casting the bloody thing away from her. Trina let out a deep ululating wail of pain, but Angelique ignored her, and went to work on the other breast.
It was only the beginning of what she intended to do to her. Trina was a cancer, and she was going to cut away every bit of her, slowly and methodically, until nothing at all was left.
“Now Sarah is free,” she exclaimed. Trina was too caught up in her agony to hear her though, or see the radiant smile on Angelique’s blood-flecked face.
Grunvaald Haarmaaneplaatz, Vaalkenstaad Township, Zommerlaand, Sunna 3, Solara Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1048.11|17|03:63:47
Sarah was surprised when the hovercar came down the drive to the farmhouse. Then she took in the RSE logo on the sides and the two uniformed women riding inside of it. As it stopped, and they got out, she recognized the passenger. It was Angelique, and her expression was somber.
She got up from her place on the porch and went out to greet her. “Angelique? What is it? Why are you here?”
“Sarah,” Angelique said. “I have some very bad news. Trina is dead. She was killed last night.”
With those simple words, the entire universe went into a spin, and Sarah’s knees buckled. She sank to the ground with a moan…
…Grammy watched the tragedy unfolding in her front yard but didn’t come out to help right away. Instead, she observed from a distance and ‘felt’ the players, quietly.
It was only when Angelique had helped Sarah back up to a sitting position and was whispering words of comfort into her ear that she walked out to join them. She had never met Angelique in person before, but as their eyes met, Grammy confirmed what she had sensed on the porch. For all her soothing words, she had been the one who had killed Trina. Grammy’s Sight had revealed the murder to her in a cruel succession of images and impressions—and had shown her many other murders besides.
She wasn’t terribly surprised. Her visions had only augmented what she already knew about Angelique bel Thana, thanks to her good friend and longtime associate, Lady Ananzi.
Bel Thana was not just a killer though. She was also a deadly threat to the nation that Grammy held dear.
But she masked these thoughts from the woman as she approached, expertly concealing them under emotions of concern and worry. Naturally, Angelique was none the wiser. To her, Grammy was nothing more than an eccentric old rustic, and instantly dismissed as a threat.
It was often like that with the young, Grammy reflected privately. They tended to forget that the old had once been young themselves, and sometimes had a past worth reckoning with.
Before becoming known by the affectionate title of ‘Grammy’, she had been Helga Mariasdaater, and had been trained in the Art of the Wise as a very young woman. She had gone on from there to join the Navy as one of the many ‘Spears of Zommerlaand’, and had attained the rank of Lieutenant, serving in the DNI, the Divis da Naval Intelle, the Naval Intelligence Division. This had been at the very height of the War of the Bandits, and then the Sisterhood’s struggles against the Bio Action Army terrorists, where she had distinguished herself as a ruthless and effective operative.
Recognizing this, the OAE had come forwards and recruited her. Her talent for espionage and counter-terrorism had not been the only reason for their interest however. They had also understood the potential that her occult past offered them. Like many successful intelligence organizations throughout history, the OAE had learned to appreciate the value of someone who lived to uncover arcane secrets, and knew how to keep them. It also understood the fact that not every problem could be solved by purely mundane means, and that an agent with skills which could transcend physical limitations possessed a decisive edge over her opposition.
And this was where the official record ended. According to her OAE file, she had washed out of their training program due to low testing scores, and had quietly returned to the Navy.
The truth was quite different. Helga Mariasdaater had gone on to serve the Agency, but in a clandestine branch with no official existence, or accountability to anyone but itself. Eventually, and after many years of distinguished service, she had retired to her farm on Zommerlaand. But her loyalty to ‘Negotiation Unit 9’, and Lady Ananzi had never ceased, and when she had been asked by her to help with the present crisis, there had been no question about accepting the invitation, or returning to active status. No one, least of all her, ever truly left the OAE, or forgot what they owed their nation, or their friends.
Had she had the freedom to do so just then, she would have gladly killed Angelique. She knew the threat that ambitious women like her represented to the Sisterhood, and she had terminated many others just like her during her time with the Unit. For the moment however, circumstances dictated otherwise. The Tree and stewardship of the Three were too important. So she restrained herself, and played the role that Angelique expected of her.
“We’ll take her back to Thermadon,” Angelique announced.
“I think that would be well,” Grammy agreed. She felt sorry for Sarah and hated the idea that she would be consigned to this evil woman’s care, but it fit in with the greater plan and would have to suffice.
Sensing the disturbance, Maya had come out as well, fairly reeking of confusion and worry, and Grammy had to stifle a knowing grin. For all of her bluster about hating her mentor, Maya had actually come to care deeply for Sarah, and the situation had clearly rattled her.
“What’s going on?” Maya asked. “What’s happened?”
“Sarah has just lost someone very close to her,” Grammy explained. “I think we’ll need to keep this among ourselves. Lily doesn’t deserve to have something like this ruining her honeymoon. We’ll just tell her that her daughter was called away on business, né vaar?”
She saw the approval in Angelique’s eyes, and the comprehension in Maya’s as she realized who that ‘someone’ had been.
“Her friends here will take good care of her,” Grammy added reassuringly “You will be told when you can join her.”
Maya was too shocked, and too street-wise to respond, and remained silent. Together, they watched as Sarah was helped aboard the hovercar and driven away. When the vehicle was out of sight, Grammy guided the younger woman back to the farmhouse.
“Let’s go and get ourselves some tea,” she suggested. “I think we could both use a cup right about now. And a cookie. Cookies always help.”
They encountered Lilith just as they came into the kitchen. “Was that Sarah?” the woman asked them. “I saw the car come in. Is something wrong?”
Grammy answered for the both of them. “Nothing is wrong” she told her. “Some last minute business came up and your daughter was called away. Nothing to concern yourself about.”
Lilith took in the dust cloud left behind by the hoverlimo and regarded them doubtfully. “As you say, Grammy.”
CHAPTER 10
Residence of Angelique bel Thana, Themiscrya Tower, 898th Floor, Agamede District, Thermadon Val, Thermadon, Myrene System, Thalestris Elant, United Sisterhood of Suns, 1048.12|25|03:01:67
Angelique’s heart soared when she saw that Sarah had seated herself at the window. They had been back for more than three weeks, and she had taken the step of working from home in order to nurse the woman back to life. Even though Sarah still saw little of the city’s gleaming promise, she knew that she was slowly, but inexorably, retreating from the dark abyss of her grief.
Sarah was even smiling now and again, and just the day before, Angelique had taken the entire afternoon off to walk with her in the rose garden at Concordance Park. They had talked of little inconsequential things, and she had carefully avoided any mention of Trina, or her death. Sarah had still not asked, and Angelique hadn’t volunteered the cover story that she had prepared. When that time did come, she intended to tell her that Trina had tried to sell classified information to another star nation, and had been murdered by a buyer. She would never tell her the truth.
; Nor would she allow herself to entertain any feelings of guilt. Sarah’s anguish was the absolute proof that what she had done to Trina had been both right and necessary. Thanks to her decisive action, Sarah would not only recover, but would arise from this crisis stronger than ever.
And once she was fully herself again, Angelique intended for them to move on together, and share in a glorious future. They would rule the galaxy as Queens, and as lovers. Any price was worth paying to make that a reality, even, and especially, the murder of a non-entity like Trina.
As the memory of that woman’s protracted death came sharply to her mind, she carefully suppressed it and walked over to tenderly caress Sarah’s cheek. A wan smile was her reward.
Sighing heavily, Angelique left her at the window to begin the day’s business in her home office. It was just as secure as the one that she used at the RSE headquarters, but far more private. Here, she could conduct her affairs without any fear of interruption, or being overheard by the wrong ears. Given the state of things, it was the ideal workplace.
Her personal AI, Locusta, greeted her as she entered the room. “Bian dea, mistress. I have several messages awaiting your attention.”
“Good,” Angelique replied crisply. “Engage the privacy field and play them for me in order of priority.”
The first one was from an asset of hers who was embedded in the Intel Department, Omniplex Division 14. Per her orders, a running surveillance was being kept on every notable in the Sisterhood, with a special eye on mathematicians, archeologists, artists, and engineers. Now that she was certain that Celina was the Singer, it was only a matter of time before they identified the other two women that would make up the Trio.
At present, two individuals stood out in particular, and her asset had sent along their files. One woman was a Professor of Xenoarcheology at the University of Thermadon, and when she opened her dossier, Angelique saw that her interests had recently shifted to the Necropolis at Ashkele. The woman was also in the process of authoring an article that posited the idea that the ruins were not a city in any sense, but some kind of great circuit board. She still hadn’t determined its overall purpose, but she was straying dangerously close to the truth.
Sisterhood of Suns: Daughters of Eve Page 39
