A Dark, Distorted Mirror. Volume 4. A Future, Born in Pain

Shadow.'

Vejar shrugged. 'If that is what they wish to believe....'

'They can believe what they choose! It is not the truth and there are some here who should at least know the truth. Why, then, do they not? Have the Vorlons gained so much influence here already?'

'It would appear so.'

'And you have done nothing to stop it?'

'I think you misunderstand the nature of our order, Primarch. We do not act. We shape events so that others may act. I am one man, and one of the weakest in power in our order. I am not here to save the galaxy.'

'Oh? That is curious, because I am. Will you lend your power to assist me? I come here seeking allies.'

'A fine and noble aim, but I must decline.'

'Why?'

'There is a globe, affixed to a wall in Cathedral. Within that globe lies the soul of one of the greatest of our order, trapped there forever, beyond the reach of our power to restore or amend. Her wisdom and power and knowledge are all now lost to us. There is a standing instruction within our order.... the Soul Hunters and those who do business with them are our enemy.'

'I make a very bad enemy.'

'As do we.'

Sinoval pondered this for a moment and then nodded, resigned. 'Very well. I thank you for your candour, magus. I ask you only to beware of the Vorlons. They are waiting.... for their turn.'

'That I know. I do.... have something which may be able to assist you, Primarch, a piece of advice you will no doubt refuse to heed. You see.... the gift of prophecy is not unknown to us. You have a destiny.'

'There is no destiny save that which I make myself.'

'I know. You have denied your destiny more than once in your life. Do so if you wish.... but accept your doom. If you deny that, then we are all lost. Speak to the Well of Souls. There you will be able to learn all you wish to know, although I do not think you will like what you hear there.'

'Have you ever seen the Well of Souls?'

'No.... and nor do I ever wish to. I do not know what the Well is entirely.... but I know enough to fear it greatly.'

'Knowledge is power, so it is said. Within the Well of Souls lies the answer to every question ever asked.... save one. What is that last question?'

'I do not know, although I wish I did.'

Sinoval digested this for a moment, and then nodded. 'Well.... be at peace, magus. Remember what I have said.'

'I would advise you to do the same, Primarch,' Vejar replied. He waited until Sinoval had gone and then closed his eyes, remembering the rest of the prophecy he had not told his visitor. The Starfire Wheel would open.... there would be blood and darkness, and two souls would be lost forevermore.

And innocent blood would be shed.

* * *

'Hello, son.'

Ambassador David Sheridan had been on the Babylon once or twice before, diplomatic affairs during the final stages of the war with the Minbari, and on its return to Proxima at the end of the war. He didn't like the ship, for the same reasons that Dexter Smith had not. The entire ship was touched by his son. John was everywhere here. Despite the year and a half or so Smith had been in charge, and the extensive Shadowtech overhaul, the ship was still John's.

David Sheridan felt a chill in his spine as he walked into the ready room to see his son. John was standing. He looked well. How had this been done? What had it cost him?

Still, he covered up his shock as well as he was able. He was a career diplomat after all, and despite his one blind spot concerning his son, he had plenty of experience at hiding his emotions.

'Hello, son.'

'Dad,' John said. He sounded cold. 'So.... you are still alive, then. You.... came to see me at Kazomi Seven, didn't you?' David nodded. 'I thought it was just a dream. Delenn told me it was just a dream.'

'Delenn must have told you a great many things.' Ambassador Sheridan looked around at the others in the room. Commander Corwin he recognised of course. There were two Narn security guards — remnants of the infamous Narn Bat Squad from the Parmenion no doubt. And there was her.... the telepath. She stank of Vorlon. 'I think we should talk alone.' He had come up to the ship alone.

'We stay,' said one of the Narns firmly. It was the female.

'No,' said John. 'Ko'Dath, G'Dan.... I think you should go. David, Lyta.... you too. I'm not in any danger.'

'If you say so,' muttered Commander Corwin as he left. The two Narns made angry faces. The telepath said nothing.

'It's good to see you again,' Ambassador Sheridan said, sitting down. 'I'll admit to being surprised.... what happened?'

'I could ask you the same thing. Are you really my dad?'

'Yes, of course I am.' He sighed. 'Do you remember the time you were studying for your exams.... and you couldn't sleep because it wasn't raining? I went outside, and took up the hose....'

'And made it rain on the roof,' John finished. 'I remember.'

'And every Sunday.... we used to go for a drive.'

John nodded. 'It is you. I.... don't know if that's a good thing or not. How could you work for them, Dad? Where's Mom? And Liz? Why didn't you let me know...?'

'I would have.... if I could. When I got to Proxima.... you'd gone.... up and left. I wasn't sure what to think, and there wasn't any way of getting in touch with you. As for your mum.... and Elizabeth.... they're both dead. I was the lucky one.'

'What happened?'

He sighed. 'Some of us tried to get away from Earth before the end. We weren't getting much news in from the Line.... just what we could see above us. But.... there was a moment.... a hesitation in the battle. Some of us tried to get away. We didn't get anywhere of course. The Minbari picked us up easily. They weren't sure what to do with us, for a while....

'Then one of their leaders came in. He gave us to one of his allies.... Warmaster Jha'dur.'

'Deathwalker,' John whispered in horror.

'She was more than happy with the gift. She hated humans.... all of us. It was her who brought us word that Earth had been destroyed. She was so pleased about that.' He shook his head sadly. 'Your mother and Liz died there.... in her lab. I don't know what of, exactly. I think your mother was infected with some sort of cancer cells, but I'm not sure. I didn't even see Liz for most of the time, only her body.

'Someone came to see us a bit later on. I don't know how long I was there.... months, probably. Maybe years even. I'd.... been left alone. I don't know why. It doesn't matter. This person came up to see me, a human, which surprised me. He gave his name as Shryne, and he asked me a simple question.... 'What do you want?''

John sighed, and placed his hand over his eyes.

'An easy question to answer, isn't it, son? I heard the reply you gave to Ivanova. I don't blame you. My answer wasn't too different. I wanted.... I wanted to be free of that place. I wanted peace. I wanted my family revenged, my people revenged. I wanted my people to be safe.

'That seemed to satisfy him. I was set free and brought here, to Z'ha'dum. That's where I learned the truth about the Shadows, about the Vorlons, about this whole conflict of theirs. It's been going on for longer than anyone can say.

'Well, that's me.... What happened to you?'

'I was healed. It doesn't matter. Dad.... come back to Kazomi Seven. You don't owe the Shadows anything. It was their agent that killed Mom and Liz, remember.'

'Deathwalker wasn't working for the Shadows. She was.... an independent operator. She had her own goals entirely.'

'She infected me with a terminal virus.... She was going to use me to wipe out humanity!'

'That was not our decision, John. She did that all by herself. We just got wind of it later and managed to get