Read Online The Blood Solution (Approaching Infinity Book 3) by Chris Eisenlauer - Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Eisenlauer
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wormholes that so plagued us were both times the result of a woman’s death. In both cases, Jav Holson’s woman.
“There is another such woman on this planet and I fear that there will be more along the way to The Place with Many Doors .
“So far, I have not interfered with the state of Jav Holson’s memories, and I would keep it so. But I would have his mind on other things. His duty, another woman, some other distraction. It does not matter what.”
He paused for a moment, his features suddenly altered so that Tia could feel the weight of his gaze intensify upon the back of her bowed head. Her eyes went wide as she began to understand what she was being asked to do. Spinning truths and even outright lies to the Viscain people through Public Relations and Standards was one thing, directing her power at another Shade—for anything besides achieving her own physical pleasure—was something else entirely.
“Do you understand, Tia Winn?”
The question was like a stab, the tone almost mocking when considering its timing—the perfect length of his pause—in conjunction with her thoughts.
“Y-Yes, Lord Emperor.”
“Good. At your earliest convenience, then.”
“Yes, Lord Emperor.”
10,689.155
Planet 1026 was a long way from Sarsa—now Planet 1401—but the Emperor was the Vine and could direct his attention anywhere along its length at any time. Now he chose Planet 1026, where Salton Stoakes, the last of the 19th Generation Generals, made his home. Stoakes’s retirement planet had no artificial sun to light or warm it, but the sparkling sea of stars that shone down from all around still managed to produce shadows in the dark. A great, lone concrete cube kept the Vine company at a distance of about one kilometer. No other structures stood upon the land, at least as far as the horizon, in any direction. Stoakes lived here alone and rarely saw visitors. He was often out himself, though, visiting any of the hundreds of Imperial colony planets to pursue his own interests, but he made a point to stay close to the former Root Palaces—always the heart of colony world civilizations—and so did not miss the Emperor’s attempts at contact.
In the Emperor’s stark, high-ceilinged chambers, within the abandoned Root Palace on Planet 1026, a gourd budded and grew frighteningly fast, spilling from its bottom countless thin strands that lengthened and writhed with something like life, thickening to fat, fleshy proportions until finally the figure in the likeness of a man stood in the room. The Emperor flexed his new, temporary fingers. At this point along the Vine, there had been no Witchlan—no need of him in those simpler days—so this Palace was not as well-equipped to produce effective terminals. He ran his rough fibrous fingers along the stem that chained him to this Palace.
The Emperor thought back to the time when this planet was the frontier and how complacent he’d become by then. Complacency had been his only recourse after Pylas Crier had robbed him of so much so long ago on faraway Planet 1. But The Place with Many Doors would change everything. Eventually the Emperor would have freedom, true freedom, once again. Until then, he must accept limitation, but such was irrelevant now. Salton Stoakes would come when called. A physical manifestation was not, strictly speaking, even necessary, but the bargain was for Stoakes’s ears only, and the Emperor’s presence would confirm the seriousness of the request.
• • •
Salton Stoakes was not long in coming. He walked the long-dead, black corridors of the Palace until he reached the Emperor’s chamber, the doors open, the Emperor himself waiting within.
Stoakes immediately went down on one knee and bowed his head.
“Lord Emperor,” he said, his voice a soft and strangely not unpleasant rasp.
“Salton Stoakes, for what I am about to ask of you I would have you look upon me.”
Stoakes did as bid, and though the form was unknown to him, he knew
“There is another such woman on this planet and I fear that there will be more along the way to The Place with Many Doors .
“So far, I have not interfered with the state of Jav Holson’s memories, and I would keep it so. But I would have his mind on other things. His duty, another woman, some other distraction. It does not matter what.”
He paused for a moment, his features suddenly altered so that Tia could feel the weight of his gaze intensify upon the back of her bowed head. Her eyes went wide as she began to understand what she was being asked to do. Spinning truths and even outright lies to the Viscain people through Public Relations and Standards was one thing, directing her power at another Shade—for anything besides achieving her own physical pleasure—was something else entirely.
“Do you understand, Tia Winn?”
The question was like a stab, the tone almost mocking when considering its timing—the perfect length of his pause—in conjunction with her thoughts.
“Y-Yes, Lord Emperor.”
“Good. At your earliest convenience, then.”
“Yes, Lord Emperor.”
10,689.155
Planet 1026 was a long way from Sarsa—now Planet 1401—but the Emperor was the Vine and could direct his attention anywhere along its length at any time. Now he chose Planet 1026, where Salton Stoakes, the last of the 19th Generation Generals, made his home. Stoakes’s retirement planet had no artificial sun to light or warm it, but the sparkling sea of stars that shone down from all around still managed to produce shadows in the dark. A great, lone concrete cube kept the Vine company at a distance of about one kilometer. No other structures stood upon the land, at least as far as the horizon, in any direction. Stoakes lived here alone and rarely saw visitors. He was often out himself, though, visiting any of the hundreds of Imperial colony planets to pursue his own interests, but he made a point to stay close to the former Root Palaces—always the heart of colony world civilizations—and so did not miss the Emperor’s attempts at contact.
In the Emperor’s stark, high-ceilinged chambers, within the abandoned Root Palace on Planet 1026, a gourd budded and grew frighteningly fast, spilling from its bottom countless thin strands that lengthened and writhed with something like life, thickening to fat, fleshy proportions until finally the figure in the likeness of a man stood in the room. The Emperor flexed his new, temporary fingers. At this point along the Vine, there had been no Witchlan—no need of him in those simpler days—so this Palace was not as well-equipped to produce effective terminals. He ran his rough fibrous fingers along the stem that chained him to this Palace.
The Emperor thought back to the time when this planet was the frontier and how complacent he’d become by then. Complacency had been his only recourse after Pylas Crier had robbed him of so much so long ago on faraway Planet 1. But The Place with Many Doors would change everything. Eventually the Emperor would have freedom, true freedom, once again. Until then, he must accept limitation, but such was irrelevant now. Salton Stoakes would come when called. A physical manifestation was not, strictly speaking, even necessary, but the bargain was for Stoakes’s ears only, and the Emperor’s presence would confirm the seriousness of the request.
• • •
Salton Stoakes was not long in coming. He walked the long-dead, black corridors of the Palace until he reached the Emperor’s chamber, the doors open, the Emperor himself waiting within.
Stoakes immediately went down on one knee and bowed his head.
“Lord Emperor,” he said, his voice a soft and strangely not unpleasant rasp.
“Salton Stoakes, for what I am about to ask of you I would have you look upon me.”
Stoakes did as bid, and though the form was unknown to him, he knew
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