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Authors: Marilyn Campbell
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received from them before they were blocked out was a blood oath
to one day destroy Norona and all its allies."
Cherry's eyes opened wide. "Innerworld
is a Noronian colony. Does that mean the Illusians intended to destroy Earth as
well?"
"Exactly,"
Gallant confirmed with a nod. "But until recently, the threat had been
forgotten. Illusia has been visually monitored at a distance by the
Consociation ever since. Over the years, they watched the barbarians set aside
their warlike ways and develop into a peaceful farming and industrial
society."
"I get the feeling
you're leading up to the big finish here, but I don't have a clue as to what it
might be."
Gallant gave her points for
astuteness. Fortunately, he was a master at keeping some things hidden. "The
monitors show that a prolonged drought has stricken Illusia and its inhabitants
have been relaying visual distress signals from all over the planet."
"Let me guess. The
Consociation is trying to decide whether to respond, or let the cretins die
off."
For that, he gave her a
thumbs-up sign. "The representatives are divided about the wisdom of
raising the shield to give assistance, regardless of whether it means the
survival of the race. At least half of the reps still recall the stories their
ancestors told them about the Illusians. The other half feels the time has come
to reanalyze the harsh judgment bestowed on them."
"But you said that was
four hundred years ago. It's totally unfair to assume the Illusians are still
the barbaric animals they were then."
Gallant's mouth dropped
open in surprise. "Do you really believe that?"
"I wouldn't say it if
I didn't believe it. You're the liar, not me. Anyway, I got a taste of that
kind of unwarranted prejudice when I first arrived in Inner-world."
"How can you compare
the two? Outerworlders had been given their freedom long before that."
"Freedom, yes, with
limitations. Equality, no. There were plenty of Innerworlders who believed
Terrans were an inferior species capable of terrible violence. Aster and Rom's
joining helped change some attitudes, but not all. I still run into a diehard
bigot once in a while.
"I realize it's not
precisely the same, and you obviously side with those who assume the Illusians
are still dangerous, but don't you see how wrong it is to judge them today
based on the crimes of their ancestors? Shouldn't someone try to get more facts
before a decision is made?"
Gallant never expected her
to sympathize with the Illusians. It would have been much easier to remain
indifferent to her if she had despised them. "Uncovering the facts is what
my mission is about."
"You said you were
employed by the Consociation." Cherry inched forward, anxious to find out
what all this background was leading up to. "Are you saying your mission
has something to do with the decision about Illusia?"
He nodded, relieved that
she was making this so simple for him. "A short time ago, the Weebort
trader you saw secretly sold a document to a Con rep. He claimed the document
had somehow been smuggled through the Illusian shield and contained information
that would help them decide Illusia's fate. The Consociation employed a
language and antiquities expert, who confirmed that the document's paper could
have come from Illusia, and that it was written fairly recently in a known
Illusian dialect."
"Then what's the
problem?" Cherry was beginning to lose patience with his long narrative,
and it was making her fidget.
"Unfortunately, the
expert had barely begun the translation when he was killed and the document
disappeared. Two others who had handled the paper were also murdered. The
method was incineration, just like the Weebort's assassination, and Frezlo had
been spotted in the vicinity at the time of the crimes.
"I had hoped to get to
the Weebort first and find out what he knew, but now the only lead I have left
is Frezlo. If nothing else, he could tell me who hired him, and that could get
me a step closer to the truth."
Cherry
to one day destroy Norona and all its allies."
Cherry's eyes opened wide. "Innerworld
is a Noronian colony. Does that mean the Illusians intended to destroy Earth as
well?"
"Exactly,"
Gallant confirmed with a nod. "But until recently, the threat had been
forgotten. Illusia has been visually monitored at a distance by the
Consociation ever since. Over the years, they watched the barbarians set aside
their warlike ways and develop into a peaceful farming and industrial
society."
"I get the feeling
you're leading up to the big finish here, but I don't have a clue as to what it
might be."
Gallant gave her points for
astuteness. Fortunately, he was a master at keeping some things hidden. "The
monitors show that a prolonged drought has stricken Illusia and its inhabitants
have been relaying visual distress signals from all over the planet."
"Let me guess. The
Consociation is trying to decide whether to respond, or let the cretins die
off."
For that, he gave her a
thumbs-up sign. "The representatives are divided about the wisdom of
raising the shield to give assistance, regardless of whether it means the
survival of the race. At least half of the reps still recall the stories their
ancestors told them about the Illusians. The other half feels the time has come
to reanalyze the harsh judgment bestowed on them."
"But you said that was
four hundred years ago. It's totally unfair to assume the Illusians are still
the barbaric animals they were then."
Gallant's mouth dropped
open in surprise. "Do you really believe that?"
"I wouldn't say it if
I didn't believe it. You're the liar, not me. Anyway, I got a taste of that
kind of unwarranted prejudice when I first arrived in Inner-world."
"How can you compare
the two? Outerworlders had been given their freedom long before that."
"Freedom, yes, with
limitations. Equality, no. There were plenty of Innerworlders who believed
Terrans were an inferior species capable of terrible violence. Aster and Rom's
joining helped change some attitudes, but not all. I still run into a diehard
bigot once in a while.
"I realize it's not
precisely the same, and you obviously side with those who assume the Illusians
are still dangerous, but don't you see how wrong it is to judge them today
based on the crimes of their ancestors? Shouldn't someone try to get more facts
before a decision is made?"
Gallant never expected her
to sympathize with the Illusians. It would have been much easier to remain
indifferent to her if she had despised them. "Uncovering the facts is what
my mission is about."
"You said you were
employed by the Consociation." Cherry inched forward, anxious to find out
what all this background was leading up to. "Are you saying your mission
has something to do with the decision about Illusia?"
He nodded, relieved that
she was making this so simple for him. "A short time ago, the Weebort
trader you saw secretly sold a document to a Con rep. He claimed the document
had somehow been smuggled through the Illusian shield and contained information
that would help them decide Illusia's fate. The Consociation employed a
language and antiquities expert, who confirmed that the document's paper could
have come from Illusia, and that it was written fairly recently in a known
Illusian dialect."
"Then what's the
problem?" Cherry was beginning to lose patience with his long narrative,
and it was making her fidget.
"Unfortunately, the
expert had barely begun the translation when he was killed and the document
disappeared. Two others who had handled the paper were also murdered. The
method was incineration, just like the Weebort's assassination, and Frezlo had
been spotted in the vicinity at the time of the crimes.
"I had hoped to get to
the Weebort first and find out what he knew, but now the only lead I have left
is Frezlo. If nothing else, he could tell me who hired him, and that could get
me a step closer to the truth."
Cherry
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