“I believe I’d make a medium-to-good king… Come to think of it,” Corbus ruminated, “I’ve always wanted a nice little feudal domain in a good wine country… Fancy uniforms, operettas, beautiful women…” his voice trailed off. “Anyway, put my name down for the job.”
“It’s yours, if I’ve anything to say about it—and I have.”
“Thanks. My first official act will be to clean out that den of fakers, Myrtlesee Fountain. Or does my empire run that far?”
“If you want Myrtlesee Fountain you’ve got to take the Palari Desert and the Rebbirs along with it.”
“Draw the boundary along the River Oust,” said Corbus. “I know when I’m well off.”
Big Planet landscape, swimming in the halcyon light of late afternoon, slipped astern. Glystra finally found it impossible to ignore the quiet figure in the rear of the car. He stepped down from the control platform, settled upon the seat beside her. “As far as I’m concerned,” he said gruffly, “I’m willing to believe that you were an unwilling accessory, and I’ll see that—”
She interrupted him in a low and passionate voice. “I’ll never be able to make you believe that we were working for the same things.”
Glystra grinned a wry sad smile, remembering the journey east out of Jubilith. Darrot, Ketch, Pianza, Bishop: all dead, and if not by her direct action, at least with her connivance. An angel with bloody hands. In order to win his confidence she had feigned love, prostituted herself.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, “but let me speak—and then you may drop me anywhere, in the middle of the ocean if you like.
“The gypsies burnt my home with all inside,” she added in a dull voice. “I told you so; it is true. I wandered to Grosgarth, Charley Lysidder saw me at the Midsummer Festival. He was crying crusade against all the outside world, and here, so I thought, was how Big Planet might be made safe and evil beings like the gypsies exterminated. He called me to his chambers; I did not refuse. What girl refuses an emperor? He took me to Earth; on the way back we learned of your plans. Apparently you projected nothing more than the persecution of Charley Lysidder. I was bitter against Earth and all its people. They lived in wealth and security, while on Big Planet the great-grandchildren of Earth were murdered and tormented. Why could they not help us?”
Glystra started to speak; she made a weary gesture. “I know what you will say: ‘Earth can only wield authority over a finite volume of space. Anyone who passes through the boundaries forfeits the protection of those within.’ That might have been valid for the first ones to come out from Earth, but it seems cruel to punish the children of these thoughtless ones forever and ever… And it seemed that while you would do nothing to help us, you wanted to thwart the only man on Big Planet with vision and power: Charley Lysidder. And much as it hurt me, because—” she darted him a brief look—“I had come to love you, I had to fight you.”
“Why didn’t you?” asked Glystra.
She shuddered. “I couldn’t. And I’ve lived in misery… I can’t understand how you failed to suspect me.”
“When I think back,” said Glystra, his eyes on the past, “it seems as if I knew all the time, but could not make myself believe it. There were a hundred indications. Morwatz’ troopers had us bound and helpless; you refused to cut us loose until it was clear that the Beaujolains were dead and the gypsies were coming. You thought the Fountain insects sounded like birds. There are no birds on Big Planet. And when Bishop was killed—”
“I had nothing to do with that. I tried to slip off to the dome. He came after me and the priests killed him and took his head.”
“And Pianza?”
She shook her head. “The traders had already killed Pianza. I kept them from killing everyone else. But I let them take the trolleys, because I thought that if you would only return to Kirstendale we could live together safe and happy…” She looked at him and her mouth drooped. “You don’t believe anything of what I’m saying.”
“No, on the contrary, I believe everything… I wish I had your courage.”
Corbus’ voice came raucously down from the control platform. “You two are beginning to embarrass me. Clinch and get it over with.”
Glystra and Nancy sat in silence. After a moment Glystra said, “There’s a lot of unfinished business behind us… On our way back we’ll drop in at Kirstendale and hire Cloyville to pull us around the streets in a big carriage.”
“Count me in,” said Corbus. “I’ll bring a long whip.”