The two walked together along a portico lined with statues of heroes of the Jihad. In an uncharacteristically warm moment, Salvador embraced his brother, held him close. “I’m sorry about Nantha. We’ll punish whoever was responsible.”
Roderick caught his breath, almost choked on it. He and Haditha would never, ever get over the death of their child. It was a loss that needed to be avenged by breaking the Butlerian movement. His voice came out in a low growl. “We already know who is responsible.”
TWO DAYS AFTER the order went out for her father’s arrest on Péle, Empress Tabrina barged into Roderick’s office without an appointment. A strikingly beautiful woman with dark, almond eyes, she moved with the slender grace of a cat. She wore a long dress of glittering gold and ruby-colored fabric.
“My father is not subject to Imperial interrogation,” she said without ceremony. “Blanton Davido died at the hands of the Grand Inquisitor, and House Péle has already paid the shortfall in taxes plus the outrageous fines. The matter has been corrected — make Salvador see reason and stop all this nonsense! We should forget about the whole troublesome episode. After the Butlerian riots, the Imperium needs calm. We should get back to normal.”
Seeing Tabrina’s fiery personality, and aware of the loathing she had for Salvador, Roderick could only think about how much he loved Haditha and their children. And Nantha.
He did not get up from his desk. “I will never get back to normal, Tabrina. My daughter was murdered in the Butlerian madness, and I have no intention of forgetting her or what the fanatics did.”
The Empress looked flustered and embarrassed. “Yes, I am very sorry. I remember the dear girl.…” She fidgeted with her hands, lifted her chin. “So you can understand that I must try to save my own father.”
“I understand … but unlike your father, my poor daughter was innocent.”
SISTER DOROTEA ACCOMPANIED Roderick as he went to find the Emperor, who was taking a midafternoon break in his private dining hall. The Truthsayer kept a respectful step or two behind Roderick as they entered.
Salvador looked up from a bowl of blue-tomato soup, wiped his lips with a white napkin. “Give me good news about Omak Péle. Is he here, being interrogated by Quemada already?”
Roderick shook his head. “We do not have him. I received word just this morning that he went renegade, abandoned all his holdings, and fled to one of the distant Unallied Planets. He is out of our reach. I do not believe Empress Tabrina even knows where he is.”
The lanky Dorotea added, “After listening to court conversation, Sire, I suspect that Lord Péle received help from certain Landsraad families. There could be cascading repercussions.”
“Good, let’s root out all the traitors. I am the Emperor—”
“And they are the Landsraad, Salvador,” Roderick said. “If you begin crushing one house after another, how long will it be before they band together and overthrow House Corrino?”
Salvador squirmed, looked at his soup with distaste. “So I am just to ignore this fraud? House Péle stole from the Imperium — from me!”
Roderick continued, “There is a better resolution. House Péle is effectively gone. Their transgression has been exposed, so now we seize all of their assets.”
The Emperor perked up, took another spoonful of soup, then said, “Rich mining interests, substantial holdings. And Omak Péle was so proud of his luxurious foldspace barge — I want that brought here, refitted, marked with the Corrino crest.” He grumbled. “It’s a start, at least. But I still want Lord Péle found — people shouldn’t be allowed to run away from justice in my Imperium.”
Dorotea added, “For what it’s worth, Sire, Empress Tabrina is innocent of any involvement in the scheme — I have observed her closely, listened to the stresses and intonations of her voice when she discusses the Péle scandal, and I am convinced she was unaware all along.”
The Emperor frowned, seemingly disappointed by the news.
With a sigh, Roderick said, “I just lost my daughter, Salvador, and enough is enough. It is not fitting that Tabrina should lose her father, too. House Péle was a valuable political asset when you secured your throne, and now you have everything.”
“I am the Emperor. I’m supposed to have everything.” Salvador pondered for a long moment, wrestling with his dissatisfaction, and finally he looked up. “And you think this is a good solution?”
“I do. It demonstrates that you are firm, but not vindictive. It’s the mark of a true leader.”
Salvador sighed. “Very well, brother, it is my command that the assets of Omak Péle are forfeit. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Chapter 28 (With the right tools and proper concentration)
With the right tools and proper concentration, we can unlock secrets hiding within the human mind. Unfortunately, some of those secrets are better left sealed away.
— GILBERTUS ALBANS, Mentat Doctrines
Erasmus observed his subject, conversed with her, and instructed her. Now that he finally had the grudging permission of Gilbertus, he wanted to spend every moment studying the puzzle of Anna Corrino. He was learning much from their interactions, and felt a sense of satisfaction that she seemed to have grown so fond of him.
Unfortunately, the young woman had her routine class exercises, and, being human, she also required sleep. The independent robot had no such biological frailty; he possessed sufficient energy to concentrate, discuss, and analyze all day long, but Erasmus could detect when the young woman’s energy reserves were being depleted.
Through the spy-eyes he saw that Anna looked haggard, her eyes red from lack of sleep, as well as from periodic weeping when the robot prodded her about the disappointments in her life. He liked to provoke the emotional reactions in her, so he could study them in detail. It had been so long since he had complete freedom with all his interesting human subjects, and he wanted to make up for lost time. Still, though his curiosity remained unabated, Erasmus needed to let her rest … to an extent.
How he wished he could interact with her directly, though, in a personal and tactile way. Gilbertus had had ample time to find Erasmus a permanent artificial body, but he’d been unable, or unwilling, to do so. He didn’t understand why his ward would stall. Had he not served Gilbertus extremely well as a paternal presence and mentor? Surely even the Headmaster wanted more than a conversational companion. Erasmus could well imagine how much he’d accomplish in his experiments if he were more than a disembodied voice in Anna Corrino’s ear.
Erasmus mused about how Anna might react if she discovered that her secret new friend was a reviled robot. Would she still consider him such a close confidant if she knew what he was? Considering the young woman’s fragmented mind and sometimes rational, sometimes volatile emotions, maybe she would.…
Late at night, when Anna lay on her bed, Erasmus spoke through the hidden wall speakers. To continue her instruction, he suggested mental exercises similar to the ones he had used to train the young, feral Gilbertus Albans. But Anna found those challenges too simple, and her mind was already sophisticated at solving puzzles. She could rearrange complex shapes, interlock them, and build exquisitely beautiful sculptures. In a holographic tactical room where Mentats performed strategic exercises with imaginary space fleets, Anna easily spotted patterns, too, and few of the other trainees would even play against her anymore.
As Anna drifted off to sleep, so mentally exhausted she was unable to stay awake, Erasmus told her about old military engagements, machine forces versus the Army of the Jihad. Although he focused on battles where the unpredictable humans had lost, he did not editorialize, merely instructed — and corrected — her in certain historical facts. He talked about the great machine victories in the Jihad, some led by Omnius’s forces, others led by General Agamemnon and his cymeks. He enjoyed providing details about the machine conquests of Ix, Walgis, and Chusuk, where entire populations had been slaughtered.