In the Heart of Darkness

'They call them people.'

When Rana Sanga came back to his senses, he realized that very little time had passed. The Great Lady Holi and Sati were still seated before him, quietly, their hands in their laps.

'Now you understand, Rana Sanga,' said Sati softly. 'Enough, at least.'

Sanga opened his mouth, closed it. He had been about to protest that he understood very little. Certainly not enough. But he sensed there was no point in such a protest. Besides, he had given his oath. That, at least, he did understand.

Again, Great Lady Holi seemed to read his mind. But, to Sanga's relief, when she spoke her voice had resumed a shell of humanity.

'You do not need to understand more, Rana Sanga,' said Link's vessel. 'Not now, at least.'

Stubborn pride rose in the Rajput.

'Why did you come here? To this-to our time?'

'Analysis showed this was the optimum time and place to change history. That task is very difficult, Rana Sanga. History is like a great river. Its currents cannot be dammed. They will simply spill over the levees. A new channel must be dug. A wide, deep, great channel. That task is very hard. The new gods determined that this was the optimum period for making the sharp change needed in humanity's course. Perhaps the only moment when it would be possible.'

Stubborn:

'Why?'

'Because in this historical era both of humanity's possible futures exist at the same time. For the only time in history when both could be changed simultaneously. The seed of humanity's actual destruction lies in that abomination called Rome. The seed of its potential glory lies in Malwa India.'

Stubborn, still:

'Why?'

'The true future lies here, because only in ancient India did humanity begin to grope toward that truth. What you call the varna and the caste system. Your conceptions are mired in superstition and ignorance, but your crude understanding provides the framework for beginning the necessary eugenics program which will preserve the human race. That is why, despite their limitations, we have maintained the Malwa lineage intact, and are shaping everything around that seed. In the Malwa of today, you see only the most primitive germ of the future. But in the end, after millenia of careful genetic management, the new gods will emerge. Not the handful of this time, of this polluted future, but the mighty host of the true future we will create.'

Sati interrupted, coldly:

'And that is also why, despite Rajput abilities, we have kept the Rajputs subordinate. Of all human vices, none is so insidious and destructive as the blind worship of ability. That way lies abomination.'

The Great Lady Holi resumed:

'Rome is where that pollution originated. Or, at least, sank its deepest roots in ancient history. True, other dangerous times and places existed, even in ancient time. We will deal with them soon enough. We will bridle China, for instance, long before the Sung dynasty and its mandarinate disease can even emerge.

'But Rome-Rome-that is the great enemy. That is where the great stain first polluted a fourth of the planet. And spread from there, like a disease, in the centuries to come. A latent disease, often enough, endemic rather than epidemic. But always there, that legacy, always ready to rise anew.

'Rome. That monstrous realm of mongrels. That absurd so-called empire where any man can call himself a Roman, and demand the protection of Roman law, as if he shared the true Latin lineage. Where no emperor can trace his royal genotype beyond two generations. Where any barbarian can dream of being emperor. Any miscegenate peasant-like the one who now wears the purple. Where any polluted whore can sit the throne next to him, and receive the honors of the true-born. Ability, in Rome, is all that counts, in the end. It is that worship of ability over purity that will destroy humanity. That unbridled, undisciplined, genetic chaos will ravage this planet and a thousand others. And it will leave, in the end, nothing but inhuman monsters to pollute the universe.'

Again, Sati intervened.

'That is enough, Rana Sanga. You have already been privileged beyond all others save Malwa. Do not press the matter further. Yours, finally, is to obey.'

Sanga arose, prostrated himself, left the room.

Nanda Lal was waiting for him in Lord Tathagata's chamber-in Lord Tathagata's former chamber. The Lords Jivita and Damodara were there also.

'You were right, Rana Sanga,' began Nanda Lal immediately. 'It was obvious, as soon as I correlated facts already in our possession.'

The spymaster's face was truly that of an ogre, now.

'Several of my subordinates will be severely disciplined for neglecting to present those facts to me earlier. Severely.'

That meant mutilation, possibly blinding. Sanga could not find any pity in his heart for those unknown subordinates. He had no love for Malwa spies, even competent ones.

'What are the facts?' he demanded.

'A Ye-tai soldier-a member of the imperial bodyguard, in fact-disappeared in Kausambi the very night Belisarius made his escape. He has never returned to his unit.'

Lord Jivita, frowning:

'I still don't understand why you place such significance on that fact, Nanda Lal. Ye-tai are practically savages. Their discipline-'

'Is absolutely savage,' interrupted Sanga. 'I agree with Nanda Lal. Say what you will about Ye-tai barbarousness, Lord Jivita. The fact remains that no Ye-tai-no member of the imperial bodyguard, for a certainty- would dare remain absent from his post. Ye-tai who fail to report even a day late are subject to cane-lashes which can be crippling. Those whose absence stretches two days are crippled. Three days, beheaded. Four days, impaled. Five days or longer, on a short stake.'

Nanda Lal nodded. 'And it makes sense. Ye-tai more closely resemble Westerners than any other of our peoples. Belisarius could pass himself off as one without much difficulty.'

'He does not speak the language,' protested Jivita.

'I would not be so sure of that,' retorted Sanga. A bit guiltily: 'He is an extraordinary linguist. I noticed myself how quickly he became fluent in Hindi, and with almost no trace of an accent. I never heard him speak-'

He stopped, almost gasped.

'I'm a idiot!'

To Nanda Lal, fiercely:

'Have you interviewed the soldiers-the Ye-tai, especially-whom Belisarius rallied for the counter-charge at Ranapur?'

Nanda Lal shook his head. For a moment, he seemed puzzled, until comprehension came.

'Of course! How could he rally the Ye-tai-'

'It can be done,' stated Sanga. 'Hindi alone, and harsh measures, would have done it. But when you interview those soldiers, I think you will discover that he speaks perfect Ye-tai.'

The Rajput began pacing back and forth.

'What else?'

'A squad of soldiers reports that a single Ye-tai departed Kausambi through the Panther Gate the following morning.'

'And they allowed him through?' demanded Jivita.

Nanda Lal shrugged. 'He was a very fierce and brutal Ye-tai, by their account. He even attacked their sergeant when asked for documents. You can hardly expect common soldiers-'

'Discipline the dogs!' bellowed Jivita. 'Give them lashes!'

Sanga and Damodara exchanged glances. Sanga spoke:

'I will deal with the matter, Lord Jivita. I will be passing through the Panther Gate within the hour. I will lash