If God Will Send His Angels
PART THREE
"There's an insect in your ear
If you scratch it won't disappear
It's going to itch and burn and sting
You want to see what the scratching brings?"
–U2, "Staring At The Sun"
The ocean-colored woman sat in a black cell, surrounded by a fire-colored girl, her sky-colored sister, and their stone-colored leader. A priest of light and darkness sat with a jeweled girl on the other side of them. Kelvena sighed impatiently.
"We've been here long enough, don't you think?" Dominia groused.
"It's probably seemed that way to you, Min," Tolone said, "only because you didn't sleep."
"Honor prevents it," Dominia snapped. "And don't patronize me, Tolone."
"Please," Seraphita said. "Fighting isn't going to solve anything. We have to find a way to escape and get back to Kahr."
"I don't know about that," Billy said, abruptly. "I'd say our first priority ought to be carrying out our mission." The four women stared at him in shocked silence. "I'm taking over."
"And just what gives you the right?" Dominia shouted.
"Min, quiet," Kelvena said. "You'll wake Emeralda."
"I don't care!" Dominia replied. "I want some answers, dammit!"
"If you'll kindly shut up, Dominia," Billy said evenly, "I'll give them to you.
"Sigurd knew Kahr was unstable," he continued. "That's why I'm here. Not as someone to watch over Emeralda, but as a backup leader."
"That's impossible," Tolone said. "We never told Sigurd about the letter."
"What letter?" Billy asked. Instantly the four women groaned.
"I'm sorry," Tolone said after a few moments. "Something... I mean, I thought..."
"It's all right," Kelvena said, laying her hand on Tolone's shoulder. "I guess it's time for us to come clean, too," she continued.
"Kahr... He sent me a suicide note a month ago," Dominia said. "We swore we'd prevent him from doing it; but when we got separated, I guess I started fearing the worst."
"I knew about the suicidal tendencies," Billy said. "I reported them to Sigurd after I came back from Dazil."
"So Sigurd knew all along?" Seraphita said. "And after we went to so much trouble to keep it secret from him!"
"It doesn't matter now," Billy said. "Emeralda's not getting any better, so we're going to have to think about how to get out of here and set up a base."
Dominia looked about to respond, but instead whirled to face the cell door. "Quiet!" she hissed. "Someone's coming!"
The group fell into silence for a few tense moments. Some metallic clanking was heard, and a shaft of bright light filtered into the cell. A man's voice called out, "Kelvena?"
Kelvena's features stood out sharply in the new illumination. "No... it can't be..."
[Thank the Empire I found you!] the man said, entering the cell. [Are you all right, Kelvena?]
"Brian!" Kelvena said, rushing into the man's arms. [Brian, what are you doing here?]
"Brian?" Billy asked. "Kelvena, do you know this guy?"
"Oh, sorry," Kelvena said, putting a modest amount of distance between herself and the newcomer. "Reverend Black, this is Brian Asaba... my fianc馥."
"I remember meeting Brian Asaba before the lighthouse. He was a big guy– definitely of solid, First-Class Solarian stock. I think maybe he was captain of the wrestling club for three years running in Jugend. Not that that really counted for why Kelvena was attracted to him– he was a gentle and compassionate person himself. One could hardly believe the same traits could be found in two totally different-looking people.
"In a way, I envied him for his relationship with Kelvena. Then again, that was a relationship I had spent a better part of three months purposefully avoiding. Miang changed that– Miang changed everything, but that's a different story. He was one of the best people I ever met in Solaris– had he been born a couple years earlier, almost certainly he would have been an Element.
"As it stood, he played an important part in the lives of the Elements, nonetheless."
–Kahran Ramsus, "Autobiography"
"So, I have your assurances my team will not be harmed?" Ramsus said, seated. Doctor Saffron VanAlton stood before him, a clipboard in her hand. "And they have been treated humanely in the interim?"
"We have complied with all human-rights specifications set forth by Solaris military law," Saffron said, "and have exceeded them. The Elements and the other two have been cared for very well. They will be absolved of any wrong-doing and may come and go freely as they please."
"Fine," Ramsus said. "Bring them here, and I'll break the news to them."
"As you wish, Lord Ramsus," Saffron said, bowing.
"First rule, Doctor," Ramsus said sharply. "Never, and I mean never, call me that. You and I both know what's really happening, so there's no point in faking any kind of deference. You can unseat me at any time."
"True, but at the cost of my own leadership," Saffron said. If she was perturbed at Ramsus' apparent obstinacy, she did not show it. "We are in a mutually dangerous situation."
Bear that in mind when you stab me in the back, Ramsus thought bitterly. "Fine," he said. "Next, don't think I'm doing this out of some kind of return to the old Solaris. There are going to be some changes around here."
"It is as you wish, Kahran," Saffron said. "But will the people accept them?"
"They will, and you know they will," he said evenly. "You said it yourself. An outside influence, different from your own urgings, will spur the people into action."
"Be careful, my liege– pardon, Kahran," she corrected. "The power of the people is very easy to mold into that which will destroy you. The purpose of a ruler is to mold the people into a weapon for himself to wield, without being pierced by it."
"I know enough about ruling," Ramsus snapped. "Bring the Elements to me."
"It is an honor to meet you, Reverend," Brian said, offering his hand. "But I did not believe that members of the Solaris clergy were called Reverend."
"That's because I'm not a priest of Solaris," Billy said, shaking the man's hand. "I used to be an Etone with the Ethos, but those days are long behind me."
"Brian, we haven't seen you since," Seraphita said. "Well, since Etrenank blew up."
"Etrenank... was destroyed?" Brian asked, a puzzled expression on his face. "What are you talking about?"
"How long have you been down here, Brian?" Tolone asked, without preamble.
"About two years," he said. "Ever since the Umbra showed up, we've been sequestered here. We've been awaiting orders to return to Solaris."
"None will