She shook her head sadly, and prayed that Lyta had received her message. She had tried to explain just how much of a friend the red-haired telepath had been. She was one of the few humans who had accepted her without reservation.
Delenn stepped over the discarded bowl and walked to the door, pushing at it gently. It was still locked. Evidently they were still deciding what to do with her. She did not want to speculate on what their options were.
She returned to her bed, and tried to meditate.
It had been a while since Londo had last seen Lethke, and he had to admit the last few years had seen the Brakiri well. He looked considerably cleaner and smarter than the last time, although not noticeably happier.
'We would have brought out the full presentation band for you, Emperor Mollari,' he said dryly. 'However, as you can see.... we have been a little.... occupied here.'
'I did see indeed. Was that really Cathedral out there?'
'No,' said Lethke smoothly. 'It was an entirely different millennia-old flying fortress packed full of demons and ghosts and monsters.' He smiled. 'Or am I not allowed to jest with you now that you have risen so far?'
'Jest all you like, old friend,' Londo said, smiling slightly. He had missed Lethke's dry wit. 'I am glad someone can see me and not this costume. Whoever thought white was an appropriate colour for the Emperor, hmm? Purple.... now that I could.... Ah.' He waved his hand in disgust. 'Babbling again. Ignore me. So, is.... he here?'
'Primarch Sinoval? Yes, he is here. I have met him once before, of course. An.... unsettling man, to be sure, but an interesting one. He has asked to meet you.'
'Really? I suppose I should be honoured. Is G'Kar here?' Londo was relieved when Lethke nodded.
'He arrived yesterday. He has not yet made any report to the Council as to his activities, but he has been in seclusion with his.... Ranger associates. He is also aware that you are here.'
'Good. Yes.... I am glad he got here safely. I wish I knew how he managed to sneak into the Imperial Palace, but I am sure he has his.... ways. So, Lethke.... where is Delenn? It has been a while.'
The Brakiri's face fell. 'You have not heard?' he whispered.
'Heard what? We've had next to no news from here recently.... and I've been travelling the last few days. Has something happened to her? Her.... her transformation, it has not relapsed?'
'No. It is worse than that. The Shadows have her. One of their.... agents. She is.... in their hands now.'
'Great Maker,' Londo breathed. 'Is she.... alive?'
'We do not know. Sheridan has gone to their world to find her, but.... I do not see how he can return. Nothing has been right since she was taken, but we do what we can. An alliance with the Centauri Republic would serve us well.'
'I did not come here to bind my people up in your wars, Lethke,' Londo replied, a little more firmly than he had intended. His thoughts were on Delenn. A prisoner of the Shadows.... Great Maker! 'I came here to speak of peace. The Narns have a representative here?'
'Yes. An Ambassador, by the name of G'Kael. A quiet fellow, for a Narn.'
'Which would put him just a little louder than the entire Centarum put together,' Londo observed. 'I would like a meeting arranged with him, and with G'Kar. We need peace.... and badly.'
'I agree. Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar has been informed that you are here. Allow me to escort you to your quarters, and the chambers we have set aside for you and your entourage. You may if you wish make a presentation before the Council at any time today. We have....' He smiled ruefully. 'We have much to talk about these days, but little actually to do.'
'Good. I would like to talk with G'Kar, and with this.... G'Kael. Then.... discussions regarding an Ambassador to be posted here. I have.... a few candidates. Mostly people I want to be rid of and burden onto you, but we need not tell the others that, need we? Trade pacts, treaties of neutrality.... all those things I will be happy to discuss.
'But we will not join your war, Lethke. The Centauri have suffered enough already.'
Lethke bowed. 'I accept your wishes, Londo. But if G'Kar and Delenn and the Vorlons are right.... then there can be no staying out of this war. It will come to you, if you do not go to it.'
'He speaks right,' said a new voice, one Londo had not heard before. A voice filled with the timbre of authority, a voice used to leading, a voice that could rattle buildings, and stir souls, and instil the fear of all things dark into a craven heart.
A Minbari was standing at the entrance to this small audience chamber. The area should of course have been cordoned off and well-protected by the security forces, but Londo would not have been surprised if they had just stepped aside and let him past.
He was tall and standing proud, in black warrior garb with a strange badge on his chest. A compacted pike hung from his belt, and traces of silver shone from the black tops of his boots. It was his eyes that caught Londo most of all — dark and piercing, they seemed to be studying him intently, seeing through the flesh to his very soul. Which, given who this man was, did not seem impossible.
'Londo Mollari,' Londo said, introducing himself and stepping forward. He held his hands out, palms raised upwards in the traditional greeting of Centauri nobles. 'Emperor of the Centauri Republic, Guardian of Centauri Prime, Light of the Fourth Something and various other pointless titles.'
The Minbari stepped forward and clasped Londo's wrists. He knew the greeting, then. Londo was impressed. 'I am Sinoval.' That was it. That was all he needed, really.
Londo stepped back and glanced at Lethke. 'This is an impressive gathering you have here, Lethke. Several of the most powerful people in the galaxy.' He looked back to Sinoval. 'Why have you come here? Treaties and pacts and all the other rigmarole of diplomacy?'
'No,' came a simple response. 'There are things I need to say to the Council.... to others. Warnings, prophecies even.'
A chill gripped Londo's chest at the mention of the word 'prophecy'. 'Ah. How well were your warnings received?'
'I have not spoken to them yet. I was waiting.'
'Waiting? What for?' Londo had an uncomfortable feeling that he knew the answer.
'You.' Londo cursed inwardly. Perhaps Timov was right. He was turning into a prophet. He hadn't thought he had the figure to be a Seeress.
'Well. Now, I am here.'
Sinoval smiled, a strange gesture that looked unnatural on him. 'You and Ha'Cormar'ah G'Kar are invited to visit Cathedral at your convenience. There is someone there you must meet, and something you must see. Then I think you will understand more.'
Sinoval inclined his head in a slight bow, then turned and left.
'There,' Londo said after a short pause, 'is a very scary person.'
'He has changed since last I saw him,' Lethke observed. 'I cannot explain it, but.... No, it is nothing. These times.... cast a gloom over me. Come, Londo. I will show you and your staff and your bodyguards and our bodyguards to your chambers, and you can regale me with all the goings-on at the Royal Court these days.'
'You may regret that offer,' Londo replied in jest, but his hearts were not really up for jokes. Neither was Lethke's.
'Lemme guess,' drawled Sector 301's Security Chief Zack Allan in his I-really-could-be-doing-something-so- much-more-interesting-than-this tone of voice. 'Cause of death: knife wound to the neck.'
'Well, the forensic guys are going to take a while to get back to us,' replied Jack, his second. 'But it looks like it.'
'Yeah. I could tell that, you see.... thanks to all the various subtle hints and clues and intuitions you get when you've been doing this job long enough. You see, I spot things that some other people might miss. For example, the stiff had a big, sharp knife stuck in his neck, and he was dead. Therefore, cause of death.'
'Dunno how you do it, Chief,' replied Jack. 'Puts the rest of us to shame.'
'Well, gotta be good at something.' Zack looked up and made a cursory visual inspection of the bar. He was bored. Very bored. Time was when a murder would at least have piqued his interest for a while, but there was no real detective work to do here. There rarely was, at least not in the Pit. Maybe in some of the upper sectors you
