Chapter Four

“En-shun!”

The ranks of the Familee personal guard stood straight and erect, their chests pushed out and their arms perfectly straight by their sides. The officers in the forward ranks held their swords forward, the edges of their blades glowing with energy. All eyes stared directly ahead.

The great hall in the palace of House Familee was a richly decorated affair, with high walls and carved arches, hangings dating back centuries swayed slowly in the breeze created by the huge doors at the far end opening. Silver- and gold-coloured frames held holographic portraits of all the great leaders of the House, Barons and Lords and the Kings that preceded them, painstakingly hand-etched by a dozen different light artists. They lined one wall, and then the other, and even spilled out into the antechamber and the corridor beyond. The bloodline of House Familee was a rich and powerful one.

Baron Familee was walking down the line of troops, inspecting their dress and composure. He nodded with contentment, looking over at his Colonel with a small smile as he tried his best to find fault. Colonel Stepha walked with him, trying to mask his smugness. The Baron had never found anything wrong during inspections, and he always tried his best to keep that tradition.

At the end of the line, the Baron turned to his old friend and smiled.

“As impeccable as ever, Stepha. How do you keep them so beautiful?”

Stepha glowed with both pride and relief. Pride with his troops, relief at another successful inspection. “My men are always ready, Sir.”

Ready, yes, thought the Baron, but ready for what? There had not been a war fought since the Janos invasions all those years ago. The closest these men ever got to battle was training simulations. The only time they fired their weapons was during range practice. They had only swung their vibro-swords during sparring sessions. What was there in the galaxy to threaten the planets of the Ki-Ki Sector?

Of course, one had to discount rebellions, something of which House Familee, thankfully, had never experienced.

What am I thinking? The Baron shook his head; the movement confusing the Colonel and making him assume his Baron had found a problem with the rank. What am I thinking? Since Lord Verid had voiced his concern over the child three days ago, he had been thinking of nothing but doom. Despair. His fear for the welfare of his daughter had outweighed other concerns, and now he was dragging childhood fears of invasion and bloodshed into the fold.

Fears he knew only too well. After the last battle against the Janites, where Chinngard had been victorious, he had been virtually the only survivor.

And, since those damnable Minds had arrived two days ago to investigate the death of Mind Filli, the atmosphere around the palace had been tense and icy, as if the Minds were purposefully manipulating the brains of all on the world. No one here, especially the Baron, liked them or trusted them. For one ‘cult’ to be placed in charge of all interplanetary communications was inviting trouble, an opinion he had voiced to the Ki-Ki Chambers, and to the deaf ears of the Prime Lord himself.

There I go again. Pede Familee, you must calm your thoughts and try to be strong for your family.

He turned and smiled at the Colonel, suddenley aware he had been standing thinking and not paying attention to the matter at hand. Stepha, his face twisted with worry and confusion, said, “Is everything to your satisfaction, Sir?”

“Oh, yes, Colonel, most satisfactory.” He nodded and smiled at his friend, trying to compose himself.

He noticed a side door open as he glanced over the Colonel’s shoulder, and Lord Verid entered. He saw the look of concern on the Lord’s face. “You may dismiss the men, Colonel. Well done to you all.”

“Thank you, Sir. Rank! Le-fas! Quee-mach!” The gathering of soldiers spun to their left at the first instruction, and began the march to the great doors, Colonel Stepha walking just a little ahead and leading them.

Over the sound of hard heels on stone, Lord Verid approached and stopped just in front of the Baron with a slight bow at the waist. “Baron, I have just come from the enhancer chamber.”

Baron Familee sighed with frustration, guessing what Verid was going to say and jamming his thumbs into his belt. No doubt the Minds were going to make more demands of him. “What do they want now, Verid?”

The Lord looked nervous which made the Baron uncomfortable. “Sir, they demand and immediate audience with you and your family. As you know, they repaired the enhancer when they arrived and have been in almost constant contact with the Mindmoon.”

“I’m aware of that. They seemed to be very concerned with something, but I fail to see why it should involve us. Or do they intend to blame us for what happened to their Mind?”

“I do not know, Sir, but they were very adamant. They seemed quite perplexed.”

The Baron sighed again, letting his discomfort show and shaking his head. After rubbing some life back into his face with his sword arm, he nodded. “Where are my sons?”

“In the capital city, on a tour of the new landing facility. Shall I have them recalled?”

“Yes, but don’t convey the urgency. Just have them come as soon as they can. Inform our guests I will see them, but only when my family is gathered.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Again the Lord bowed slightly at the waist and started to turn. The Baron looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Verid?”

“Sir?”

“Why do you always act very formal when you’re worried about something?”

Verid grimaced. “Oh, you noticed.”

“I did.”

After a few moments of contemplation, Verid shrugged and quick-stepped to the side door.

The Baron stood alone in the hall, and slowly turned to take in the greatness of the House Familee. He stood like that for a short while before a voice came from the shadows. “Pede?”

He spun quickly, his hand going for a weapon at his belt that wasn’t there. He was slightly bent at the knees, one hand clenched and the other hand searching...

“I’m sorry,” Baroness Julid Familee stepped from the shadows and approached her husband. “I couldn’t help overhearing you and Verid.”

The Baron relaxed, annoyed with himself and his reaction. He was too nervous. He had to be strong, to act as the foundation of the House to keep it stable. Showing distraction and tension in the open would only serve to increase the already bad atmosphere within the palace walls. He knew that rumour had already spread to the capital city and the surrounding provinces.

He looked at his wife and smiled. “Then you heard that the Minds want to see us all.”

“Yes, I did.” Julid placed a hand on Pede’s shoulder and massaged it gently. Her black hair was tied up. Her long dress was decorated with the patterns of the House. Tradition dictated she had to wear the garment for a week to celebrate the birth of a new member of the line. The patterns were a symbol of solidarity, with each newborn Familee a new patch had to be embroidered by the mother to symbolise the unity of the family. “Do you fear it has something to do with our daughter?”

“Ah, I cannot even begin to guess at what twisted schemes these Minds are planning. But yes, first and foremost I am afraid for our daughter. She has not been named yet and already...” He broke off his sentence, realising others were entering the hall to clean and polish the hangings. He kept his voice low, “Come,” and offered his arm to his wife. She slipped her ringed fingers through the inside of his elbow and allowed herself to be guided to the doors.

“I am worried, but not just for the child. This House has known nothing but contentment for a long time, and now this. The people are worried. I can feel it.”

Julid nodded agreement. “You can feel it in the halls. They are afraid to talk about it in case one of the Minds intercepts their thoughts. I’m afraid, too.”

The Baron stopped under the archway of the doors, turning to his wife and placing his hands on her shoulders. “We must be strong, for our daughter, our sons and our people. We will see what these Minds want and then place a request with the Prime Lord to have them removed and a fresh messenger placed here to use the enhancer. Then we will try to get things back to normal.”

“That will depend on what the Minds want,” Julid said with a bleak tone, as if she already knew that the Minds were going to make things worse.

The Baron squeezed her shoulders. “Where is she, anyway?”

“With the nurse. I will have to feed her soon.”

“Then when you have fed her, have her dressed and bring her down here. It should not be long before the triplets return, and then we can have this meeting and get it over with.”

Unfortunately, it was a long time before the three brothers made it back to the palace. The co-ordinator of the new landing facility was so proud of his construction that he had kept them busy with a tour of the site and invited them for dinner. It was three hours before the military skyhopper touched down in the courtyard, it’s stubby wings folding and it’s exhaust flaring. The triplets disembarked with relief, undoing collar buttons and looking wide-eyed at each other.

“That was something,” Simion said as they crossed the threshold into the palace. “Remind me never to agree to anything like that again. How can one being be so boring?”

“Now, now, Simion. There is nothing wrong with a man being proud of his achievement. Even if we already have six others all over the planet. Anyway, it was a nice dinner, don’t you think?” Corii raised an eyebrow after asking the question.

Yedda held back a belch. “I think I had one too many coofas.”

Simion smiled and shook his head. “I don’t think I ever saw anyone eat as much as that.”

The brothers came to a halt when they heard a voice drift down the hall to them. They stopped their chatter to see Arkin hurrying toward them. Corii looked at the bodyguard’s weapons belt and was concerned to see a sword and blaster pistol hanging from them. The pistol had an energy pack inserted into the back of it. The other two just waited for Arkin to reach them.

“Sirs, the Baron requires your immediate presence in the great hall,” Arkin said in an almost impossibly deep voice.

“Yes, I know we were called back, but what is so important we cannot get washed first?”

As soon as Simion had finished his sentence, Arkin glared at him and clenched his jaw. The bodyguard was a being of very few words these days, letting his visage explain matters for him. The triplets immediately got the message and re-adjusted their uniforms. Arkin, without waiting for the brothers, turned smartly and headed back to the hall.

Upon entering the hall, the triplets were led to the platform where the Baron was sat with his wife, who cradled a murmuring baby in her arms. The rest of the collected consisted of Colonel Stepha, Lord Verid, several other advisors and the four Minds, all dressed in their flowing coloured robes, their trademark bald heads shining with sweat under the heavy lights. The brothers ascended the platform and greeted their parents in unison. “Father, mother.”

The Baron motioned a greeting and indicated they should stand behind their chairs. Arkin took up his usual position by the Baron’s side and looked at the Minds warily.

The brothers glanced at each other, aware of the tenseness in the room and worried about what this meeting bode for the future. The head Mind, a Cheifmind apparently, stepped forward. The other Minds held back, expressionless.

“Well, Cheifmind Posht, you have this family’s undivided attention. What is it you wanted?”

The Cheifmind looked directly at the Baron and cocked his head. He transmitted his reply. “Baron Pede Familee of...”

“Dispense with your tricks,” the Baron said, and shifted in his seat. He did not like having conversation placed in his head, it sounded as though someone was whispering in both ears and yet he could feel no caress of breath on his skin. “What you have to say must be to all here. You never wanted this meeting just to speak with me.”

The Cheifmind adjusted himself, his mouth twisted into a snarl. He quickly changed his expression, and, for the first time in many months, spoke physically. His voice was harsh from lack of use.

“Baron Pede Familee of House Familee, we have completed our work here and will leave for the Mindmoon when a starship is available.”

The Baron was quite willing to arrange a starship to take them away, but he kept his thoughts to himself and waited.

When he received no answer from the Baron, the Cheifmind continued. “During our investigations we discovered many things. The abilities of Mind Filli were not to blame for the accident, and neither was the operational quality of the enhancer. Upon contacting the Mindmoon with these facts, we learned of new information gleaned from an investigation by our Techminds on the enhancer on the moon. Were you aware that another mind died there, at the same time as Mind Filli? This Mind was in contact with her at the time of the accident and was killed by the same method.”

“No, I was not aware, although my own technicians theorised that the same thing probably happened to whoever Filli was talking with.”

The Cheifmind was aware that House Familee technicians examined the enhancer every chance they got, but had not uncovered the secret of the workings of the machine. He smiled.

“It also appears that there was a third factor which may have caused the damage. There is a Mind here which may have caused the accident through misadventure.”

The Baron tensed. He almost knew what was coming next. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Julid tighten her hold on the baby, her eyes wide with fear and loathing of the Mind standing before her.

“According to our Techminds on the Mindmoon, the signal that may have disrupted the enhancers came from a newborn, a child which may have entered this existence with the talent. What children have been born here recently?”

You know the answer to that, Mind bastard, the Baron thought, hoping that Posht had read his anger and heard his thoughts. He cast a quick glance at his wife and then back at the Mind.

Cold silence. Corii could see Arkin flexing his hand as if preparing to draw his weapon and fire. His eyes were wild.

But not as wild as the Baron’s eyes. He had his hands on the arms of his chair and was leaning forward slightly as if ready to leap on the Mind and strangle the life from him. The advisors were looking at each other nervously, wondering at how their Baron was going to react and what the consequences would be. The nurse to the Baroness gasped and placed a hand over her mouth, allowing tears to well up and flow freely. The Baroness just clutched her daughter protectively, her gaze changing from fear to pure uninhibited anger.

“My daughter was born at the time of the accident,” she said, her neck so tense her head shook slightly.

Cheifmind Posht nodded, nonplussed by the show of outrage from the platform. “And I sense the talent is with her, Baroness. I will return to the Mindmoon with the child for further study.”

“No!” Baroness Julid screamed, the sound echoing from wall to wall and reverberating as if it would go on for eternity. The Baron was on his feet with a roar, the triplets had gathered around their mother with defensive intent. All three wished they were armed somehow, wish they could shoot the insolence out of this Mind. Arkin stepped forward, his one hand on his Baron’s shoulder, the other on his pistol. He knew he had to control the Baron so as not to make the situation flare up out of control, but he knew that if anything did happen, he would be ready. He flicked a switch on the pistol’s side and it whined quietly into life.

“I’ll be damned if I’ll allow my daughter to be taken to your den to be prodded and studied! She is the daughter of House Familee and will not be treated like this! Get out!”

All four of the Minds stepped back, trying to block out the mental rage they could feel sweeping down from the platform. Even the advisors were on their feet now, staring at them with hatred. The Colonel and Lord Verid stepped over to their Baron and flanked him, showing a force of unity and that the Baron’s anger was shared by them also.

The Cheifmind looked at them all, knowing that any more conversation would be met with a solid wall of resistance, but he had to attempt it. “Baron Familee, you cannot refuse. The other Houses allow their talented children to be absorbed by the Mindmoon. All talented have to trained for their own safety and...”

“Whose safety?” The Baron was still loud in voice and hard of face. “Whose? The child’s or the Mind’s? You take them from their families and turn them into mindless walking corpses who only exist to serve the cult of the Mindmoon! Go back to Lordmind Estoor, Posht, and tell him that if any Minds come here demanding my daughter they will be run off Chinngard. I will do whatever is necessary to protect my daughter!”

The Cheifmind smiled as if contemplating a bigger picture. “Whatever is necessary? That sounds like a threat, Baron, and a threat to the Mindmoon is a threat to...”

But the baron would not let him finish. “You’re right, it was a threat! Don’t tell me higher powers will get involved with this, Posht, not even the Prime Lord will have my daughter!”

Arkin was listening intently, and he squeezed the Baron’s shoulder hard, trying to remind him that what he was saying was starting to get treasonous. The anger being vented was creating a swirl of emotion, and he feared the Baron would say something he would regret later.

The tension was broken by a murmur, then a small cough. After several gasping sobs, the baby began to wail its discomfort. Julid Familee rocked the child, making shushing sounds and trying to calm her. She stood and approached the nurse.

The Minds suddenley gasped as one, the Cheifminds clenching their teeth and balling their hands into fists. The two lower Minds grabbed their temples and screwed their eyes shut as they were struck by something that felt as though it was trying to tear out their brains.

The Baron and the others watched, their demeanour changing from anger to shock. What was happening?

As the nurse started to leave the room with the child Arkin noticed the Cheifminds watch her progress, their eyes locked firmly on the baby. Could the baby be broadcasting her talents uncontrollably, her obvious distress caused by the emotion in the hall and being subsequently amplified by her own? He could not feel anything wrong, but the Minds, who were obviously more susceptible to the empathic burst, were probably receiving the brunt of her power. As the nurse left, all four Minds visibly relaxed.

The Baron turned back to the matter at hand. “You have my answer, Posht. My final answer. Go and search for the blame somewhere else. I find it hard to believe my three-day old daughter could do such a thing.”

Cheifmind Posht took several deep breaths, knowing that he was not empowered to make any demands of the Baron or level any threats at him, so he settled for, “I will inform my Lordmind of your decision, and no doubt he will inform the Prime Lord. In the meantime, Mind Hillit will remain here as a replacement messenger to use the enhancer until other arrangements can be made. I thank you for your hospitality, Baron.” With his mental voice, tunnelled so that only the Baron could sense it, he added, “But do not think I will not return. The child is too important to be left in the hands of the untalented.”

The Baron made no answer, letting the message remain a private one for him. He continued his glare as the four Minds bowed, turned and walked from the hall.

“Arkin,” the Baron motioned his bodyguard over. “Watch my daughter at all times. I will make arrangements for a starship to take those maniacs straight back to their moon immediately. Put a guard on that Mind Hillit, and try to monitor his transmissions and movements. I have a feeling things just went bleak for this House.”

He looked over at his wife, who stood staring after the departed Minds, tears flowing down her cheeks and turning her eyes red. He looked at his sons who were staring in the same direction, obvious anger and distress on their faces. Then he looked at Lord Verid, who stared back at him knowingly and nodded.

“I think, Sir, that bleak is too small a word.”