Темное, кривое зеркало. Том 3 : След на песке.(ЛП)

She stopped one of the mercenary soldiers she had managed to gather and asked him. The answer she received hardly filled her with solace.

The seeress had not moved in all the time since Mariel had been here last. Neither, it seemed, had Jarno. He was still standing there, looking directly at the Lady Ladira. He looked so pathetic. Ladira was sitting on the floor, her legs still crossed, in some kind of trance. Jarno could well have been in some kind of trance himself, judging by his expression.

"Good news," she said, walking up to his side. She lifted her veil and kissed him once, briefly. "He confessed. He was actually plotting a coup. All the evidence is in his computer records. I would know where to find it, but alas…. such things are beyond a simple lady of the court. You will have to help me, my love."

"Is he…. did you…. is he…?"

"Dead? No, not yet. We may need him alive for more information, but I dare say his wounds will kill him before long. Be happy, my love. We have pulled off a great victory, removed one of your rivals, and we are now a step closer to your securing the throne. Next…. I think we may be strong enough to deal with Prince Cartagia and that…. that slut of his. The Lady Elrisia will surely be put out once she hears of this."

"The Lady Elrisia called you a slut from the woods with no manners, class, breeding or intellect, Mariel. I think that sours your opinion of her just a little."

"I told you never to repeat that!" she snapped, slapping at him. "Don't forget who has brought you this far. Without me, you'd still be languishing in some Gods-forsaken post as under-sub-secretary to the clerk to the secretary of the Minister of the Treasury."

"I know full well where you've brought me, Mariel. And that you only latched yourself on to me because your husband went missing in action. But still, if Kiro really was planning a coup perhaps some good will come out of this after all."

"Of course some good will come out of this. We're one step nearer the throne for you. Remember…."

"Jarno!" cried a familiar voice. Mariel groaned slightly, and then underwent a conscious change to her bearing, expression and tone of voice. It was a skill she had taken great pains to learn, and practised at every opportunity.

"Why, Daggair, dear. How wonderful to see you here."

"What have you done, Jarno?" cried Mariel's beloved sister-wife. "Word has reached the Court. They're calling it treason. They're…. they're going to arrest you. I came to…. to see if it was true…. What have you done?"

"Nothing, dear, now please leave us alone. They won't dare do anything to us. They…." Mariel stopped abruptly, as a sudden cold wind rushed through the room. She turned back to Jarno and followed his gaze, with much the same expression of horror. Lady Ladira was rising to her feet.

"The Darkness is coming," hissed the seeress, swaying drunkenly. She reached out her arms as if for Jarno, but he backed away in a terrified panic. "The Darkness is coming for us all.

"I can see it. I can see it reaching this world, claiming us all. It has already claimed you.

"By knife, by madness, by rope…. all here shall die. Surely you…. and surely I. By knife, by madness, by rope we must die. Surely you…. but firstly I."

Jarno let out a strangled cry and moved forward. His hand seized a goblet from the mantle at his side. It was an old ornament, and heavy. Stumbling forward, as if he had inherited the same near-drunkenness that afflicted her, he dashed the goblet against Ladira's head.

She fell crumpled to the floor, a brief spot of blood dropping from her crushed skull.

"Oh, Gods," cried Daggair. "What have you…? The Court must…. must…." She turned and lurched for the door. Mariel was faster, sliding a thin blade from the spine of her fan. Daggair had hardly reached the corridor outside the door when the blade pierced the back of her neck, and she fell.

"She was right," said Jarno, looking at the two bodies before him. "She was right."

"Shut up! There's no backing out of this now, Jarno…. none. We are in this to the end. Do you hear me?"

"Rope, knife, madness. Rope, knife, madness."

Mariel sighed, and noticed a speck of blood on her gloves. She cursed slightly as she tried to wipe it off. Then, mindful that her companion seemed incapable of doing anything, she called for the guards to remove the bodies.

Then she fled to a distant corner to be terribly sick.

Captain Dexter Smith refrained from checking his uniform for the eighth time and drew in a deep breath. He was the representative of the conquering heroes after all. He had won. Well, not just him, but he had been a part of it.

Maybe now the ghost of the Starkiller would leave his shoulder.

He walked forward into the docking bay of the station the Narn had, strangely, named Babylon 4. That was the proper name for the place of course, but Smith was less than sure why a Narn would call it that. Ah, who could fathom the motives of aliens? His security guards were behind and beside him. Enough of them…. for the moment. Enough to deal with such problems as might arise.

A small group of aliens was waiting for him. Most of them were Narns, wearing peculiar sunburst insignia, and carrying weapons. In front of them were a Drazi, glowering unpleasantly, and a Brakiri, dressed in an immaculate copy of an Earth business suit.

The Brakiri stepped forward, as Smith came to a halt. "I am Lethke, Minister of the Economy for the United Alliance of Kazomi Seven. It is with…. some reluctance that I hand the station over to you, Captain Smith."

"I thank you, Minister Lethke. Reluctance need not play a part. This station was meant to be ours and this area of space does belong to the Resistance Government. Our diplomats will be more than happy to confirm this, and once they have done so you and your staff will be free to return to your home. We at Proxima would value good relations with the United Alliance."

The Drazi barked something in a strange language, and the Brakiri nodded once. "It is unfortunate, I suppose, that those more qualified than I to authorise an action such as this are not here. Messrs G'Kar and Ta'Lon are currently missing, and the Narn security forces here seem to accept me as the acting leader…. at least for the moment."

"We will be happy to discuss matters with G'Kar and Ta'Lon when they make themselves known to us, Minister. Now, where is Satai Delenn? I have orders to take her into custody."

"Ah, Delenn no longer goes by that title, Captain, and I do not know where she is. I should also point out that any measures taken against her will constitute hostile action against the Alliance, and we will respond in kind."

"Neither I nor my Government has any wish for hostilities with the Alliance, Minister. However, Delenn is wanted for war crimes against my people, and my orders are to make sure she stands trial for them."

"Well then, Captain, it appears we are at an impasse. I cannot allow Delenn to be taken into your custody. Would it not be said she possesses diplomatic immunity, as head of the Alliance?"

"My Government has not recognised that position." Smith hoped his bearing did not betray his concern. His orders had stated that the capture of Delenn was second in importance only to the capture of the Machine. War with the Alliance would be a trifling price to pay if it brought the President Delenn. And yet…. Smith did not want to start a war, and he did not want to hand someone over for torture and probable execution. He had no doubt that she would have no qualms about doing the same to him, but he liked to believe that that was what made him better than the Minbari.