Event Horizon, page 17
Once the vehicle was out of sight, Eli said, "How could you do that!?"
"We've made worse deals."
"So you're just going to screw over Dakota, I mean, Nate?"
Margo turned to face him. "You heard what Graiko said. He knew I own this craft. He knew my name, my real name. And probably all of yours. What do you think would have happened if I had said no?"
Eli shrank back and averted his eyes. "He would have contacted the authorities. Told them why we're really here."
"Exactly."
"So, we're not really going to hand Nate over to that guy?" asked Donovan.
Margo hesitated.
"What the hell!" Donovan burst. "You're actually—"
"Shut up," Margo ordered. Donovan obeyed, clenching his fists. "Graiko doesn't expect to see us for ten months, perhaps longer. A lot can happen in that time."
"What if we don't show?" asked Eli, his face pale. "Could he still do something to us? Tell the authorities to arrest Event Horizon and everyone onboard?"
Margo stared off into the direction Myrddin had walked. He had talked her into the perfect deal. Do as he said, get rewarded. Don't and get screwed over. They could be on the opposite side of the Republic, and Myrddin would be able to give the authorities her name, the name of her craft, and possibly the transponder number.
She could alert the authorities about the deal, but that would raise more questions. Why was she on Novatera under a false name? Why was she harboring a fugitive? And why would a nobleman from a planet she had never set foot on make a deal with her?
No one would ever believe her.
27
Aftermath
Donovan leaned against a wall in his small room in the Solis Embassy. People crowded the streets below, ready to celebrate the new year. Far more people than he was comfortable with. The crowds prompted him to remain in his room whenever he wasn't working, not like there was a lot of work in the first place. And it was an excuse to avoid Margo and Nate.
He could understand being in a tight spot. It had happened to them before. But her ambiguity towards the deal, acting like she would follow through, left a bitter taste. And what if he ran into Nate? He was the reason Donovan was in good health. Could he resist telling the kid the truth? Probably not.
A weak knock came at the door. Donovan pulled himself away from the wall and answered it.
In the hallway stood Eli, his face downcast with two days’ worth of stubble. His eyes were bloodshot. He smelled faintly of the bar down the street.
"I've been thinking," Eli began, his speech slurring, "about..." He motioned with his hands, not wanting to say the words aloud. "You know. I need to talk."
Donovan moved out the way, and Eli entered, stumbling into a chair. Donovan locked the door and stood near his crewmate.
"Past two days," Eli continued, "I haven't slept at all. I keep thinking about that guy and how Margo..." His face contorted into a grimace. "We need to tell Nate, Dakota, whatever his name. We can't just drag him along like this."
"I've been thinking about that, too. Do you think, if he's really a seer, that he already knows?" Another reason Donovan had avoided Nate. He might read Donovan's mind and learn everything in seconds.
Eli shrugged. "Could he really know? I mean, how easy is it for him to read minds?"
He read your mind pretty damn easily. After their run-in with Graiko, Eli and Donovan had sought refuge in a nearby bar. Eli downed his third drink and confided in Donovan about Nate reading his mind, digging up old childhood memories. No wonder Graiko wanted Nate. That ability could make him and Graiko incredibly powerful.
"You're probably right," Eli added.
"So, he could know that Margo and Graiko made a deal, and that she wasn't one hundred percent sincere. He might be smart enough to run away."
"You think she wasn't sincere?" Eli scoffed. "I know that look. She'll go through with it."
"Not if we tell Nate."
"Right now?" Eli leaned forward in the chair as Donovan walked towards the door.
"Yes." Donovan didn't always make the right choice. But this choice was staring him dead in the eyes. He could not ignore it. "We tell him, and then he either tells Cass or confronts Margo. And then she'll be cornered. Four against one."
"What about my brother?"
Donovan sneered. Hugo could go jump in a black hole. "He only chooses the winning side."
Eli shot to his feet and instantly went pale. He leaned against the chair for support. Donovan offered him a hand. "Where's Nate now?"
"Probably at the other embassy," replied Donovan. "Someone working there should know."
Donovan headed out the door, not bothering to close it. There was nothing inside worth stealing. And there was no time to waste. Eli trailed behind him.
***
Dakota fidgeted in his seat. He felt out of place sitting next to so many dignitaries. The Dionysians sat on his left and the Mirrans on his right. The group from Dionysus seemed to have calmed down. They no longer perceived Dakota as an immediate threat. That was thanks to Emperor Rowland and the president of Mirror, assuring them that there was nothing to fear. And the two planets had found allies in each another, someone to trust in all this chaos.
Yet Dakota could not shake his own fear. He first thought it was due to being at the Peace Summit, surrounded by people and guards who might out him as a seer. And the knowledge that Myrddin was alive and well in the city. The fear was persistent, as though he had checked under the bed for monsters a dozen times but was still convinced that the monsters were truly there, waiting for him to let his guard down.
"Are you okay?" Cantara asked him.
"Just nervous." He readjusted the jacket. It belonged to Cantara's brother Malchus and was too large for him. The jacket kept slipping down his shoulders. Malchus Graiko seemed nice, but he always acted like he was withholding information, words he was not sure if he should speak. "How are things on Dionysus?"
"Could be better, but it could be much worse. There are some people who want to dissent, but nothing violent has happened. Only a few isolated riots. No major conflicts." Cantara glanced over at her father and brother. They were speaking with President Novak about potential trade deals after the war. She asked Dakota, "Why don't you come back with us?"
Dakota's heart skipped a beat. Obviously, he wanted to go with her, to be with someone he considered a friend. Maybe he could re-enroll in Colmekell University, get his life back on track. "I want to, but..." But what kind of life would he have? Would people see him as a distinct person, or would his family's past continue to haunt him? He could hide out at the Imperial palace, but how long before the public found out? And a million other things.
"It's not like you'll be wanted," Cantara added. "The news hasn't mentioned you in months. I doubt most people would care if you lived there. And look at everyone here. You don't see any of them freaking out."
"They were before." Some diplomats continued to give him unease looks, waiting for their fears to be confirmed.
"They know the truth now. Or part of it." Back on Dionysus, the official story was that Dakota Allerson was an undiagnosed schizophrenic. Because of his family history, he was mistaken for a seer and was manipulated by Myrddin. Even the assassination attempt on Acheron was not truly his fault. The details on that story varied widely. Lathan neither confirmed nor denied Allerson's involvement, claiming those memories were missing. Officially, he was no longer considered a threat.
"Can I think about it?" He thought about Viceroy Hart's advice, to leave Novatera as soon as possible without alerting the high lord. Leaving with Cantara would comply with the advice, but it might still be a risk. It would take a month for them to return to Dionysus. People's loyalties could change multiple times in the span of a month. Would they land as Dissenters on a world loyal to the Republic? Or vice versa? Dakota did not know which side to take. The war had always been something distant, too far away to reach him.
"We won't leave for a few more days." Cantara added, "Is it the war?"
"What?"
"Something's bothering you, and I know it isn't just my offer."
"I guess." The past two nights, more nightmares of eyes painted on a wall had plagued him. The blue and green eyes glared at him, burning his skin. The surrounding forest had grown too dense for him to run away. "Ever get the feeling that something bad is going to happen?"
"Occasionally," said Myrddin Graiko as he slipped into the empty seat across from Dakota. "But I'm usually in control, so it's nothing to lose sleep over. Hello, Cantara. How are you?" he asked with a wolfish grin.
Cantara's face burned red. Every Dionysian turned to face the familiar voice. All eyes were fixed on Myrddin, waiting for his next move.
The voice in Dakota's head screamed at him to run, run fast and don't stop, never stop. But he sat there, paralyzed. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. All this time, a year and a half spent running away, only to come face to face with Myrddin Graiko. Why did he have to board Event Horizon? Why did they have to bring him to Novatera? Why didn't he run when he had the chance?
I won't be his personal seer. I won't, I won't, I won't!
Myrddin smirked as he observed the others. "Is no one going to welcome me?"
Several eyes turned to Rowland, silently asking for permission to react. Rowland cleared his throat and said, "What would you have us say?"
"Maybe, glad to see you again. Or we're surprised that you're still alive. Honesty, how many of you thought I was dead?"
Two or three timid hands raised.
Myrddin grinned and returned his attention to Dakota. "I for one am certainly glad to see you alive, Mr. Allerson. How has the past year treated you?"
"Go away," he replied, barely audible and trembling. As if those two little words would do any good. This was not a nightmare he could wake up from.
"I hear you're working in transportation. Must be fun, getting to travel across the Republic. What's left of it," he smiled.
Dakota glanced over at Cantara and Rowland, hoping one of them would do or say something, save him from this man.
Myrddin continued, "Does your boss know that you're a seer? You could increase your value tenfold, a hundredfold, if you tell her the truth."
Her. Myrddin knew he was working for Margo. How did he learn that?
Two figures flashed in Dakota's peripheral vision. He turned and saw Eli and Donovan. They started to speak but froze in their steps when they saw Myrddin. Dakota received flashes of the spaceport. Myrddin standing next to Event Horizon. Shaking hands with Margo. Donovan and Eli outraged. An impossible situation. Dakota's heart sank.
He faced Myrddin, anger boiling inside him. How dare this man screw up his life again! "Why are you here? You didn't really believe I'd work for you, did you?"
Myrddin grinned and replied, "There was little hope of that. I just wanted to say hello, and to tell my brother that I'm leaving Novatera with him. I hope that's not an inconvenience, Rowland. I already informed the high lord of my intentions. It wouldn't be wise to piss him off any further, now would it, brother?"
Dakota and Cantara looked to one another as though for the last time, their hearts sinking. They had been reunited only to be separated again. Maybe this time for good.
An attendant rushed into the room, her face ashen, and her voice shaking so badly that Dakota had trouble understanding her. "Your attention, please!" she shouted, standing next to a series of screens. "Your attention! Everyone, please look here." She turned on the screens to the news channel.
The room was dead silent as the broadcaster, his eyes red and glistening, said, "Reports are coming in from Farson, Bedlam, that the Novateran Embassy there has just been bombed. At least ten people, including the Novateran ambassador, are dead, and dozens more are in critical condition.
"I am told that Joseph Walker, the lead Dissenter in the area, and his group have taken responsibility, stating that they will no longer tolerate Novatera's presence on Bedlam in the new year. We now go live to High Lord Quintillius Volerius on Novatera."
The feed switched to the high lord who stood in his usual place in the Senate building. His face was stoic, and there was a slight tremor in his voice. "Due to the horrific events that have unfolded on Bedlam, I am ordering all military crafts within a week's journey of the planet are to go to Bedlam and end this anarchist presence once and for all. For the sake of everyone in the Republic, we must put an end to all who wish harm and violence to others."
"End violence with violence," Rowland muttered. Myrddin hissed at him to shut up.
The news feed switched back to the broadcaster. On the screen behind him appeared images of the embassy. The building bellowed red and orange flames. People ran in all directions, seeking safety. Emergency services scrambled to put out the fire which threatened to spread to the neighboring buildings. Doctors in white uniforms carried away injured people and black body bags on stretchers.
The room quickly filled with uneasy murmuring. Yes, the Dissenters had committed violent acts before. It was how they got the Republic's attention. And when fighting broke out, there were deaths on both sides, but most deaths were military personnel and Dissenters. Civilians rarely got killed, and only if they happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Public buildings were not targeted unless they were emptied and used as traps. Few of the Dissenters targeted Novateran diplomats, and none had been killed. Until today.
"This changes things," said Myrddin, more so to himself. "Brother, I'll see you again in the morning. Goodbye, Mr. Allerson, and happy New Year." Myrddin stood and sauntered out of the room.
Dakota looked back at Eli and Donovan. Eli's attention was fixed on the screen. Donovan walked up to Dakota and asked, "Who the hell was that?"
"This isn't the first time you've seen him," Dakota stated. He did not have to read Donovan's mind to glean that fact.
Donovan frowned. "Then you know?"
He nodded. From Donovan's thoughts, he ascertained that Margo made a deal with Myrddin, and it concerned himself. There was nothing else Myrddin would want from her. But the details were fuzzy. Margo had almost a year to follow through. If she followed through. Donovan was unsure of Margo's true intentions.
"Then why are you still here? Why haven't you run away?" Donovan asked, genuinely concerned for him.
Dakota had been asking himself that question a lot. He said, "I don't want to raise Margo's suspicions." Yes, that was a valid excuse. "Besides, I need a clean way off this planet, just like you. So, you go along with Margo, and I'll play dumb."
Donovan began to protest, but he saw the logic. A message pinged on his phone. "It's Margo. She says we're leaving tomorrow morning." The blood drained from his face. "We have to go to Bedlam."
"Why?" Dakota glanced back at the screens. Dark silhouettes ran in front of the orange flames.
"All transportation crafts are to deliver goods and military aid," he said, scrolling through the message. "We don't have a choice."
Dakota looked back at Cantara. Even if he wanted to go with her, he couldn't. The Republic would not allow a transport worker to gallivant off with nobles when it required him to help. And Myrddin would be a constant threat. It wasn't fair. Why can't I get what I want for once?
"Looks like we're going our separate ways again," she said, her face blank.
They looked back at the screens. At the live footage of the burning embassy.
28
The New Year
Dakota moved around in a daze as he helped the Mirran diplomats prepare to leave. The new year was meant to be fun and happy, a chance to start fresh. But hardly anyone spoke or showed a positive emotion. New Year's was the biggest and most important holiday on Novatera, with parties and grand celebrations throughout the day. Even when he was moving from town to town on Hellespont, Dakota had still been able to celebrate. The New Year's Eve Bombing, as it was now being called, brought the war into a new and deadlier light.
"Do you really think it's a good idea?" asked Zora. Dakota had told her that he had to travel to Bedlam, and that he had little choice in the matter.
"It's better than staying here."
"He'll be watching you," Zora replied in a monotone voice.
"Who?" Dakota asked as he placed a pair of matching black suitcases into the hallway. His sprained wrist was almost healed, leaving behind yellow bruises. He had one thing to be thankful for.
A puzzled looked came over Zora's face. "The vision stops there. Your guess is as good as mine."
Dakota lowered his voice. "Is it Myrddin Graiko?" That was the obvious guess. But Myrddin had gray eyes, not blue or green like in his dreams. The phrase "He's watching you" was now etched into every tree.
"I doubt it," Zora replied. "You're going to different parts of the Republic. He won't be a threat to you there."
"I think that's everything," said President Novak, the downcast look finally lifted from his thin face. He held out his hand. "Thank you, Dakota, for attending to us. May your days be as many as the stars."
"Thank you?" he replied, shaking Novak's hand. He had never heard the phrase before.
The president smiled. "It's an old saying back on Mirror. The reply is 'and may yours be double'. Anyway, I hope you will stay out of harm's way."
"Thank you, sir." President Novak had suggested that Dakota return to Mirror with them. As a seer, he did not have to fear for his safety. But Dakota declined. A gut feeling told him to stay with Event Horizon. Uriel agreed. Ignoring the feeling could spell disaster.
Dakota led the way to the lobby where the Dionysian diplomats slowly filed in. Scanning the room, he did not see Cantara or the emperor. Those there gave him wary looks. He was not, however, the only thing on their minds.
"Can you believe Myrddin's returning?" Dakota overheard a man in a dark suit say.
"Think he'll make things better?" asked a noblewoman. Dakota recognized her as Rowland and Myrddin's cousin.
"Most likely worse."
"We can at least agree that Myrddin is better than Rowland."
"To Hell with you!" yelled a woman in a suit, a representative. "Rowland's a greater emperor than his father."
"We've made worse deals."
"So you're just going to screw over Dakota, I mean, Nate?"
Margo turned to face him. "You heard what Graiko said. He knew I own this craft. He knew my name, my real name. And probably all of yours. What do you think would have happened if I had said no?"
Eli shrank back and averted his eyes. "He would have contacted the authorities. Told them why we're really here."
"Exactly."
"So, we're not really going to hand Nate over to that guy?" asked Donovan.
Margo hesitated.
"What the hell!" Donovan burst. "You're actually—"
"Shut up," Margo ordered. Donovan obeyed, clenching his fists. "Graiko doesn't expect to see us for ten months, perhaps longer. A lot can happen in that time."
"What if we don't show?" asked Eli, his face pale. "Could he still do something to us? Tell the authorities to arrest Event Horizon and everyone onboard?"
Margo stared off into the direction Myrddin had walked. He had talked her into the perfect deal. Do as he said, get rewarded. Don't and get screwed over. They could be on the opposite side of the Republic, and Myrddin would be able to give the authorities her name, the name of her craft, and possibly the transponder number.
She could alert the authorities about the deal, but that would raise more questions. Why was she on Novatera under a false name? Why was she harboring a fugitive? And why would a nobleman from a planet she had never set foot on make a deal with her?
No one would ever believe her.
27
Aftermath
Donovan leaned against a wall in his small room in the Solis Embassy. People crowded the streets below, ready to celebrate the new year. Far more people than he was comfortable with. The crowds prompted him to remain in his room whenever he wasn't working, not like there was a lot of work in the first place. And it was an excuse to avoid Margo and Nate.
He could understand being in a tight spot. It had happened to them before. But her ambiguity towards the deal, acting like she would follow through, left a bitter taste. And what if he ran into Nate? He was the reason Donovan was in good health. Could he resist telling the kid the truth? Probably not.
A weak knock came at the door. Donovan pulled himself away from the wall and answered it.
In the hallway stood Eli, his face downcast with two days’ worth of stubble. His eyes were bloodshot. He smelled faintly of the bar down the street.
"I've been thinking," Eli began, his speech slurring, "about..." He motioned with his hands, not wanting to say the words aloud. "You know. I need to talk."
Donovan moved out the way, and Eli entered, stumbling into a chair. Donovan locked the door and stood near his crewmate.
"Past two days," Eli continued, "I haven't slept at all. I keep thinking about that guy and how Margo..." His face contorted into a grimace. "We need to tell Nate, Dakota, whatever his name. We can't just drag him along like this."
"I've been thinking about that, too. Do you think, if he's really a seer, that he already knows?" Another reason Donovan had avoided Nate. He might read Donovan's mind and learn everything in seconds.
Eli shrugged. "Could he really know? I mean, how easy is it for him to read minds?"
He read your mind pretty damn easily. After their run-in with Graiko, Eli and Donovan had sought refuge in a nearby bar. Eli downed his third drink and confided in Donovan about Nate reading his mind, digging up old childhood memories. No wonder Graiko wanted Nate. That ability could make him and Graiko incredibly powerful.
"You're probably right," Eli added.
"So, he could know that Margo and Graiko made a deal, and that she wasn't one hundred percent sincere. He might be smart enough to run away."
"You think she wasn't sincere?" Eli scoffed. "I know that look. She'll go through with it."
"Not if we tell Nate."
"Right now?" Eli leaned forward in the chair as Donovan walked towards the door.
"Yes." Donovan didn't always make the right choice. But this choice was staring him dead in the eyes. He could not ignore it. "We tell him, and then he either tells Cass or confronts Margo. And then she'll be cornered. Four against one."
"What about my brother?"
Donovan sneered. Hugo could go jump in a black hole. "He only chooses the winning side."
Eli shot to his feet and instantly went pale. He leaned against the chair for support. Donovan offered him a hand. "Where's Nate now?"
"Probably at the other embassy," replied Donovan. "Someone working there should know."
Donovan headed out the door, not bothering to close it. There was nothing inside worth stealing. And there was no time to waste. Eli trailed behind him.
***
Dakota fidgeted in his seat. He felt out of place sitting next to so many dignitaries. The Dionysians sat on his left and the Mirrans on his right. The group from Dionysus seemed to have calmed down. They no longer perceived Dakota as an immediate threat. That was thanks to Emperor Rowland and the president of Mirror, assuring them that there was nothing to fear. And the two planets had found allies in each another, someone to trust in all this chaos.
Yet Dakota could not shake his own fear. He first thought it was due to being at the Peace Summit, surrounded by people and guards who might out him as a seer. And the knowledge that Myrddin was alive and well in the city. The fear was persistent, as though he had checked under the bed for monsters a dozen times but was still convinced that the monsters were truly there, waiting for him to let his guard down.
"Are you okay?" Cantara asked him.
"Just nervous." He readjusted the jacket. It belonged to Cantara's brother Malchus and was too large for him. The jacket kept slipping down his shoulders. Malchus Graiko seemed nice, but he always acted like he was withholding information, words he was not sure if he should speak. "How are things on Dionysus?"
"Could be better, but it could be much worse. There are some people who want to dissent, but nothing violent has happened. Only a few isolated riots. No major conflicts." Cantara glanced over at her father and brother. They were speaking with President Novak about potential trade deals after the war. She asked Dakota, "Why don't you come back with us?"
Dakota's heart skipped a beat. Obviously, he wanted to go with her, to be with someone he considered a friend. Maybe he could re-enroll in Colmekell University, get his life back on track. "I want to, but..." But what kind of life would he have? Would people see him as a distinct person, or would his family's past continue to haunt him? He could hide out at the Imperial palace, but how long before the public found out? And a million other things.
"It's not like you'll be wanted," Cantara added. "The news hasn't mentioned you in months. I doubt most people would care if you lived there. And look at everyone here. You don't see any of them freaking out."
"They were before." Some diplomats continued to give him unease looks, waiting for their fears to be confirmed.
"They know the truth now. Or part of it." Back on Dionysus, the official story was that Dakota Allerson was an undiagnosed schizophrenic. Because of his family history, he was mistaken for a seer and was manipulated by Myrddin. Even the assassination attempt on Acheron was not truly his fault. The details on that story varied widely. Lathan neither confirmed nor denied Allerson's involvement, claiming those memories were missing. Officially, he was no longer considered a threat.
"Can I think about it?" He thought about Viceroy Hart's advice, to leave Novatera as soon as possible without alerting the high lord. Leaving with Cantara would comply with the advice, but it might still be a risk. It would take a month for them to return to Dionysus. People's loyalties could change multiple times in the span of a month. Would they land as Dissenters on a world loyal to the Republic? Or vice versa? Dakota did not know which side to take. The war had always been something distant, too far away to reach him.
"We won't leave for a few more days." Cantara added, "Is it the war?"
"What?"
"Something's bothering you, and I know it isn't just my offer."
"I guess." The past two nights, more nightmares of eyes painted on a wall had plagued him. The blue and green eyes glared at him, burning his skin. The surrounding forest had grown too dense for him to run away. "Ever get the feeling that something bad is going to happen?"
"Occasionally," said Myrddin Graiko as he slipped into the empty seat across from Dakota. "But I'm usually in control, so it's nothing to lose sleep over. Hello, Cantara. How are you?" he asked with a wolfish grin.
Cantara's face burned red. Every Dionysian turned to face the familiar voice. All eyes were fixed on Myrddin, waiting for his next move.
The voice in Dakota's head screamed at him to run, run fast and don't stop, never stop. But he sat there, paralyzed. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. All this time, a year and a half spent running away, only to come face to face with Myrddin Graiko. Why did he have to board Event Horizon? Why did they have to bring him to Novatera? Why didn't he run when he had the chance?
I won't be his personal seer. I won't, I won't, I won't!
Myrddin smirked as he observed the others. "Is no one going to welcome me?"
Several eyes turned to Rowland, silently asking for permission to react. Rowland cleared his throat and said, "What would you have us say?"
"Maybe, glad to see you again. Or we're surprised that you're still alive. Honesty, how many of you thought I was dead?"
Two or three timid hands raised.
Myrddin grinned and returned his attention to Dakota. "I for one am certainly glad to see you alive, Mr. Allerson. How has the past year treated you?"
"Go away," he replied, barely audible and trembling. As if those two little words would do any good. This was not a nightmare he could wake up from.
"I hear you're working in transportation. Must be fun, getting to travel across the Republic. What's left of it," he smiled.
Dakota glanced over at Cantara and Rowland, hoping one of them would do or say something, save him from this man.
Myrddin continued, "Does your boss know that you're a seer? You could increase your value tenfold, a hundredfold, if you tell her the truth."
Her. Myrddin knew he was working for Margo. How did he learn that?
Two figures flashed in Dakota's peripheral vision. He turned and saw Eli and Donovan. They started to speak but froze in their steps when they saw Myrddin. Dakota received flashes of the spaceport. Myrddin standing next to Event Horizon. Shaking hands with Margo. Donovan and Eli outraged. An impossible situation. Dakota's heart sank.
He faced Myrddin, anger boiling inside him. How dare this man screw up his life again! "Why are you here? You didn't really believe I'd work for you, did you?"
Myrddin grinned and replied, "There was little hope of that. I just wanted to say hello, and to tell my brother that I'm leaving Novatera with him. I hope that's not an inconvenience, Rowland. I already informed the high lord of my intentions. It wouldn't be wise to piss him off any further, now would it, brother?"
Dakota and Cantara looked to one another as though for the last time, their hearts sinking. They had been reunited only to be separated again. Maybe this time for good.
An attendant rushed into the room, her face ashen, and her voice shaking so badly that Dakota had trouble understanding her. "Your attention, please!" she shouted, standing next to a series of screens. "Your attention! Everyone, please look here." She turned on the screens to the news channel.
The room was dead silent as the broadcaster, his eyes red and glistening, said, "Reports are coming in from Farson, Bedlam, that the Novateran Embassy there has just been bombed. At least ten people, including the Novateran ambassador, are dead, and dozens more are in critical condition.
"I am told that Joseph Walker, the lead Dissenter in the area, and his group have taken responsibility, stating that they will no longer tolerate Novatera's presence on Bedlam in the new year. We now go live to High Lord Quintillius Volerius on Novatera."
The feed switched to the high lord who stood in his usual place in the Senate building. His face was stoic, and there was a slight tremor in his voice. "Due to the horrific events that have unfolded on Bedlam, I am ordering all military crafts within a week's journey of the planet are to go to Bedlam and end this anarchist presence once and for all. For the sake of everyone in the Republic, we must put an end to all who wish harm and violence to others."
"End violence with violence," Rowland muttered. Myrddin hissed at him to shut up.
The news feed switched back to the broadcaster. On the screen behind him appeared images of the embassy. The building bellowed red and orange flames. People ran in all directions, seeking safety. Emergency services scrambled to put out the fire which threatened to spread to the neighboring buildings. Doctors in white uniforms carried away injured people and black body bags on stretchers.
The room quickly filled with uneasy murmuring. Yes, the Dissenters had committed violent acts before. It was how they got the Republic's attention. And when fighting broke out, there were deaths on both sides, but most deaths were military personnel and Dissenters. Civilians rarely got killed, and only if they happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Public buildings were not targeted unless they were emptied and used as traps. Few of the Dissenters targeted Novateran diplomats, and none had been killed. Until today.
"This changes things," said Myrddin, more so to himself. "Brother, I'll see you again in the morning. Goodbye, Mr. Allerson, and happy New Year." Myrddin stood and sauntered out of the room.
Dakota looked back at Eli and Donovan. Eli's attention was fixed on the screen. Donovan walked up to Dakota and asked, "Who the hell was that?"
"This isn't the first time you've seen him," Dakota stated. He did not have to read Donovan's mind to glean that fact.
Donovan frowned. "Then you know?"
He nodded. From Donovan's thoughts, he ascertained that Margo made a deal with Myrddin, and it concerned himself. There was nothing else Myrddin would want from her. But the details were fuzzy. Margo had almost a year to follow through. If she followed through. Donovan was unsure of Margo's true intentions.
"Then why are you still here? Why haven't you run away?" Donovan asked, genuinely concerned for him.
Dakota had been asking himself that question a lot. He said, "I don't want to raise Margo's suspicions." Yes, that was a valid excuse. "Besides, I need a clean way off this planet, just like you. So, you go along with Margo, and I'll play dumb."
Donovan began to protest, but he saw the logic. A message pinged on his phone. "It's Margo. She says we're leaving tomorrow morning." The blood drained from his face. "We have to go to Bedlam."
"Why?" Dakota glanced back at the screens. Dark silhouettes ran in front of the orange flames.
"All transportation crafts are to deliver goods and military aid," he said, scrolling through the message. "We don't have a choice."
Dakota looked back at Cantara. Even if he wanted to go with her, he couldn't. The Republic would not allow a transport worker to gallivant off with nobles when it required him to help. And Myrddin would be a constant threat. It wasn't fair. Why can't I get what I want for once?
"Looks like we're going our separate ways again," she said, her face blank.
They looked back at the screens. At the live footage of the burning embassy.
28
The New Year
Dakota moved around in a daze as he helped the Mirran diplomats prepare to leave. The new year was meant to be fun and happy, a chance to start fresh. But hardly anyone spoke or showed a positive emotion. New Year's was the biggest and most important holiday on Novatera, with parties and grand celebrations throughout the day. Even when he was moving from town to town on Hellespont, Dakota had still been able to celebrate. The New Year's Eve Bombing, as it was now being called, brought the war into a new and deadlier light.
"Do you really think it's a good idea?" asked Zora. Dakota had told her that he had to travel to Bedlam, and that he had little choice in the matter.
"It's better than staying here."
"He'll be watching you," Zora replied in a monotone voice.
"Who?" Dakota asked as he placed a pair of matching black suitcases into the hallway. His sprained wrist was almost healed, leaving behind yellow bruises. He had one thing to be thankful for.
A puzzled looked came over Zora's face. "The vision stops there. Your guess is as good as mine."
Dakota lowered his voice. "Is it Myrddin Graiko?" That was the obvious guess. But Myrddin had gray eyes, not blue or green like in his dreams. The phrase "He's watching you" was now etched into every tree.
"I doubt it," Zora replied. "You're going to different parts of the Republic. He won't be a threat to you there."
"I think that's everything," said President Novak, the downcast look finally lifted from his thin face. He held out his hand. "Thank you, Dakota, for attending to us. May your days be as many as the stars."
"Thank you?" he replied, shaking Novak's hand. He had never heard the phrase before.
The president smiled. "It's an old saying back on Mirror. The reply is 'and may yours be double'. Anyway, I hope you will stay out of harm's way."
"Thank you, sir." President Novak had suggested that Dakota return to Mirror with them. As a seer, he did not have to fear for his safety. But Dakota declined. A gut feeling told him to stay with Event Horizon. Uriel agreed. Ignoring the feeling could spell disaster.
Dakota led the way to the lobby where the Dionysian diplomats slowly filed in. Scanning the room, he did not see Cantara or the emperor. Those there gave him wary looks. He was not, however, the only thing on their minds.
"Can you believe Myrddin's returning?" Dakota overheard a man in a dark suit say.
"Think he'll make things better?" asked a noblewoman. Dakota recognized her as Rowland and Myrddin's cousin.
"Most likely worse."
"We can at least agree that Myrddin is better than Rowland."
"To Hell with you!" yelled a woman in a suit, a representative. "Rowland's a greater emperor than his father."
