uranian throne - episode twenty-five

the decision

by
robert gibson

For the story so far, see:

volume I: the terran heir
1: Dynoom; 2: Hyala;
3: the nebulee; 4: Exception;
5: the lever of power;
6: the infrastructure throbs;
7: the claw extends;
8: the brain-mist writhes; 9: the last card;
10: the londoner; 11: the terran heir;
12: the city cracks; 13: the validator rips;
14: the heartland beckons; 15: zyperan

volume Ii: the golden cloak
16: confluence at ao; 17: the scared logician;
18: the rash down-payment;
19: the non-dummy run ; 20: the immigrants;
21: the cincture; 22: The golden cloak;
23: On the eve

volume IiI: the downheaval
24: underway.

[ + links to: Glossary - Index of proper names - Timeline - Maps - A Survey of Ooranye - Plan of Olhoav - guide to published stories ]

"Death," explained Ydova Sganna, "to an Earthmind, is so final, you see."
Her twin brother, who occupied the chair next to hers, divided his attention three ways: between his enigmatic sister, her admirer Nion Rax, and the wall-screen in the canteen of Namazz.
Not many others of the skyship's crew were, at this moment, using the canteen; the tables adjacent to Ydova, Nion and Tsritton were all empty. Tsritton was able to relax in amusement.
He was habitually entertained by how Ydova only needed to toss her aureole of bouncy blonde hair in order - every time - to dash a breaker of enthrallment on poor Nion. That's to say, on no less than sponndar Nion Rax of Jaax, Cinctee! Still, the fellow retained enough presence of mind to pursue the point raised.
"You're ahead of me, Ydova," Nion said, keeping his voice even. "What has death to do with what we've just seen?" He did a slight head-toss of his own at the screen, which had just showed the airships behind Namazz begin to veer alternately to right and left.
"What we've just seen," the young woman explained, "is, if I mistake not, a sign that the fleet is manoeuvring to surround Olhoav; that the Sunnoad wishes to lay siege rather than storm the place. Otherwise we'd keep our momentum and charge at the enemy without more ado."
"Not demand a surrender first?"
"Dempelath will never surrender."
"Then," said Nion, "what is your father hoping for?"
"Quite," said Ydova. "Exactly. It's what I'm leading up to ask. What in the name of all the skies could the Sunnoad's plan possibly be?" She turned to her brother. "What do you think?"
"A counter-revolution," Tsritton guessed.
Nion looked from one to the other. "Maybe that could happen," he said. "But not without deaths, I should have thought."
"Not as many, though, as a battle fought now," Ydova Sganna said. "Which was the point of my earlier remark. Half of Sunnoad Yadon's mind is of Earth, and, since death for an Earthman is the end of mundane existence and the door to the complete unknown, he's squeamish about causing a lot of it. So he'll try hard to avoid battle. That's my guess. He's not got fully accustomed to our easier Uranian attitude, our view - of most of us anyway - of death as merely a pause between first and second incarnations."
"Only applies to first-lifers," Tsritton reminded her.
"Which most people still are," said his sister.
"True. Though it will be less and less true as time goes on."
"Well, if you're going to take as long a view as that," Ydova remarked, "I think we should take a walk!"