"I heard the cruiser land," the young woman answered, coming down the stairs slowly, a pleasant smile on her face now. Coming to the bottom of the stairs, she stepped forward, holding her hand out to Jelka. "You must be Jelka Ward. I've heard a great deal about you."
Jelka raised an eyebrow. Now that the young woman was right before her, something about her face seemed familiar. She tried to recollect where she might have known it from, but nothing came. With a shrug and a smile she took the hand and shook it warmly. "Forgive me for not remembering you, but any friend of Gregor Karr's . . ."
"We've not met," the girl answered, "yet you could say we have much in common. In my researches I have read much about your family. Your father was a great man."
"Yes, and he was often wrong and stubborn and . .."
"Loyal?"
Karr's single word stopped her short. 'Tes," she said. "Loyal. That best describes him. He was like a huge pillar, holding up a vast stone ceiling."
"And mother and father to you, so I understand," the young woman said, then, with a little bow of her head, "and my name is Shang Han A, though my good friends call me Hannah."
Jelka stared at her anew, the name now matching the face. "You were the Minister's daughter, no?"
Hannah nodded, smiling guardedly. "That is so."
"Then we do have much in common," Jelka said, recalling the circumstances.
Hannah's father, Minister Shang had served the I Lung, the "First Dragon", Head of the Thousand Eyes, the great Ministry itself, whose task was to watch over Chung Kuo and guard and preserve the false history their ancestors had created. The Ministry had done their job well, for even now few common citizens knew that the history of their world was false - that its true history had been suppressed, the past changed to suit their Han masters. But so it was. So she herself had discovered.
"And your researches?" Jelka asked. "They have to do with your father's work?"
"Indirectly. But let me show you." She looked to Karr. "You men, I take it, have 'important matters' to discuss?" Karr looked to Heng Yu and nodded. "Okay," Hannah said, looking back at Jelka, "then let's take the opportunity to discuss a few things ourselves, neh?" Hannah turned to Marie. "You'll join us, I hope, Marie?" "I'll make some ch'a," Marie answered, "and bring it up." "Good." Hannah smiled first to Karr, then to Heng, each of whom bowed respectfully to her. "Then come, my friend," she said, taking Jelka's hand and turning toward the stairs. "I have much to show you."
Jelka looked about her at the book-lined room, astonished. The last time she had seen so many forbidden items was in her father's study years ago, and even he had not had a tenth as much as this.
"I didn't know so much had survived," she said, looking to Hannah, who stood at her side. "Where did they all come from?"
_ "My father saved much of it," Hannah answered. "He was one of the few who were authorised, you understand. Whenever there was a raid, whenever something illicit - something forbidden by the Edict - was recovered, it would pass through his hands before incineration. But sometimes the odd item would be retained by him." Hannah smiled wistfully. "It's only now that I understand how carefully he chose those items. It's as if ... well, as if he knew that what he were doing were wrong, and by this means he could somehow preserve the past. A past he was avowed professionally to destroy."
Jelka nodded, then sighed. "And you, Shang Han A? You carry on his work?"
"The preservation, yes. I'm writing a history, you see. A true history of Chung Kuo." Jelka laughed. "My husband did that once." "I know," Hannah said, touching her arm gently. "And nearly died for it, so I understand." Jelka looked to her, surprised that she knew. "Look," Hannah said, going across to her desk in the corner of the room and bringing back a loosely-bound folder. "Do you recognise this?"
Jelka took it and, flicking open the plain green cover, read the title page: "The Aristotle File, being the true history of Chung Kuo ... by Kim Ward." She looked up, staring at Hannah. "That's the original," Hannah said. "The first printout from which all the other handwritten copies were made. Take it. I'd like you to give it to your husband."
Jelka smiled, clearly moved by the gesture. "Why, that's very kind . . ."
But Hannah shook her head. "Not kind. It's... well, if s like the completion of a circle, I guess. You see, that's not all I want you to give him. I want you to give him what exists of my own history. It was inspired by his, you see. Karr, and his friend Kao Chen, urged me to write it, but it was your husband's work that made it possible - that gave me the framework for my own history. Without it ... well, I guess I wouldn't have known where to start, where to look first." "You have it here?"
"On disc, for you to take with you. Nine copies. One for Kim and two for each fleet." Jelka frowned. "You know, then?"
Hannah nodded, then smiled reassuringly. "We all know. If s never talked about. . . not openly, anyway, but the very fact that the starfleets exist gives us all hope. What's happening down here . . . well . . ." she sighed heavily, "I suppose Chancellor Heng has told you all about that." "Some of it. Not why he's here with Karr."
Hannah turned and walked over to her desk, then looked back, sighing again. "If s time we talked, Jelka Ward. Time you found out what's really going on."
From his bedroom Tom could see the white and orange sphere of Jupiter's second moon, Europa, its tiny satellite, sewn like a button onto the gas giant's swirling cream and gold waistcoat. For a time he lay there, staring at it thoughtlessly, then heard the airlock door hiss open out in the corridor and turned, staring at the open doorway. Tom?
Tom knew Sampsa could sense him there, but didn't answer. He was still angry with Sampsa from last night.
He heard the door slide closed, the click of the catches as Sampsa removed his helmet, then footsteps in the corridor outside. A moment later Sampsa poked his head round the doorway. "Tom?"
Tom glared at him then looked away. His head was full of anger and resentment; emotions he knew Sampsa could feel.
Sampsa sighed. "Are you going to keep this up all day? I'm sorry, okay? I spoke out of order. I even thought out of order.
But that doesn't change things." He clicked the catches at his right-hand wrist, rotated the sealing ring, then began to pull off the heavy glove. "You want to go home, you go home. But I'm staying. I haven't time to go back to Chung Kuo. There's too much going on here. Too much to be got ready."
Tom glanced at him, glowering still. We could have gone , .with her.
Sampsa huffed. "Yes, but we didn't, did we? We decided not to. You agreed with me." He leaned across and poked Tom's forehead with his forefinger. "I even felt it in there."
Tom jerked his head back angrily. Don't touch me like that.
"What, like this..." Sampsa put his hand out to poke Tom's forehead again, but Tom batted it aside.
Tom stood and walked across to the thick view window, his back to Sampsa. You didn't look. You only saw what you wanted to see. If you'd looked deeper.
Sampsa sigh of exasperation filled the room. "Aiyal" He took a deep breath, then began again. "So you want to go back, yes?"
Tom turned. Yes.
"Then go. And take Lu Yi with you. I'm sure she'd like to see Chung Kuo again."
Tom looked down. And you?
Sampsa shivered. 7 have to stay. Can't you see that, Tom? The people here need me. There's so much to do. So much to get ready.
Tom's eyes lifted, meeting his own. And us? What about us?