and fell asleep.
Dr. Blue tapped gently on Nicole’s shoulder with one of her tentacles. Nicole stirred and opened her eyes. “You’ve been asleep for almost two hours,” the octospider said. “They have been expecting you over at the administrative center.”
“What’s going on?” Nicole asked, rubbing her eyes. “Why is anyone waiting for me?”
“Nakamura has made a major speech in New Eden. The Chief Optimizer wants to discuss it with you.”
Nicole jumped up quickly and then reached out to touch the desk. In a few seconds her dizziness was gone. “Thank you again, Dr. Blue, for everything,” she said. “I’ll be on my way in another minute.”
7
“I really don’t think Nikki should I be allowed to watch the speech,” Robert said. “It will certainly scare her.”
“What Nakamura says will affect her life as much as it will ours,” Ellie replied. “If she wants to watch, I think we should let her. After all, Robert, she has lived with the octospiders.”
“But she can’t possibly understand what any of this really means,” Robert argued. “She’s not even four years old yet.”
The issue remained unresolved until a few minutes before the New Eden dictator was scheduled to appear on television. At that time Nikki approached her mother in the living room. “I’m not going to watch,” the little girl said with astonishing insight, “because I don’t want you and Daddy to fight.”
One of the rooms in Nakamura’s palace had been converted into a television studio. It was from this ^studio that the tyrant usually addressed the citizens of New Eden. His last speech had been three months earlier, when he had announced that troops were going to be deployed in the Southern Hemicylinder to confront the “alien menace.” Although the government-controlled newspapers and television had regularly been featuring news items from the front, many of them fabricating the “intense resistance” being offered by the octospiders, this would be Nakamura’s first public comment on the progress and direction of the war in the south.
For the address, Nakamura had ordered his tailors to make him a new shogun’s outfit, complete with ornamented sword and dagger. He was appearing in Japanese martial dress, he told his aides, to stress his role as the “lead warrior and protector” of the colonists. On the day of the broadcast Nakamura’s attendants helped him put on a pair of heavy, constraining girdles so that he would project the “powerful and menacing” look of the warrior.
Mr. Nakamura spoke standing up, staring directly at the camera. His scowl never changed during his entire speech.
“We have all sacrificed in recent months,” he began, “to support our valiant soldiers doing battle south of the Cylindrical Sea with a heinous and ruthless alien enemy. Our intelligence now informs us that these octospiders, who were described to you in detail by Dr. Robert Turner after his brave escape, are planning a major attack against New Eden in the very near future. At this critical moment in our history, we must redouble our resolve and stand united against the alien aggressor.
“Our generals at the front have recommended that we penetrate beyond the barrier forest protecting most of the octospider domain and interdict their supplies and war materiel before they can launch their attack. Our engineers, working night and day for the survival of the colony, have made modifications to our helicopter fleet that will permit this interdiction to take place. We will strike in the near future. We will convince the aliens that they cannot attack us with impunity.
“Meanwhile, our warriors have finished securing the entire area of Rama between the Cylindrical Sea and the barrier forest. During the fierce battles, we have destroyed many hundreds of the enemy, as well as water and power facilities. Our casualties have been modest, primarily because of our superb battle plans and the heroism of our troops. But we must not become overconfident. On the contrary, we have every reason to believe that we have not yet even engaged the elite Death Corps that Dr. Turner heard mentioned while he was being held captive. It is this Death Corps, we are certain, that will be in the alien vanguard if we do not move quickly to preclude an attack on New Eden. Remember, time is our enemy. We must strike now and totally demolish their war-making capability.
“There is one other brief item I would like to report tonight. Recently the traitor Richard Wakefield and an octospider companion surrendered to our troops in the south. They say that they are representing the alien military command and have come forward to talk about peace. I suspect a trick here, a Trojan horse of some kind, but it is my duty as your leader to conduct a hearing into this matter in the next few days. Rest assured that I will not negotiate away our security. I will report the outcome of this hearing very soon after it is completed.”
“But Robert,” Ellie said, “you know that much of what he is saying is a lie. There is no Death Corps, and the octospiders have not offered any resistance. How can you say nothing? How can you let him attribute statements to you that you never made?”
“It’s all politics, Ellie,” Robert replied. “Everybody knows that. Nobody really believes…”
“But that’s even worse. Don’t you see what is happening?”
Robert started to leave the house. “Where are you going now?” Ellie asked.
“Back to the hospital,” Robert replied. “I have rounds to make.”
Ellie couldn’t believe it. She stood there for a few seconds, staring at her husband. Then she erupted. “That’s your response,” she shouted. “Business as usual. A lunatic announces a plan that will most likely result in all. of us being killed, and for you it’s business as usual… Robert, who are you? Don’t you care about anything?”
Robert moved toward her angrily. “Don’t start again with that ‘holier than thou’ attitude,” he said. “You arc not always right, Ellie, and you do not know for certain that we’ll all be killed. Maybe Nakamura’s plan will work.”
“You’re kidding yourself, Robert. You turn the other way and tell yourself that as long as your little world is not affected, maybe it’s okay. You’re wrong, Robert. Dead wrong. And if you won’t do anything about it, then I will.”
“And what will you do?” Robert said, his voice rising. ‘Tell the world that your husband is a liar? Try to convince everyone that those slimy octospiders are peaceful? No one will believe you, Ellie. And I’ll tell you one more thing: The minute you open your mouth, you’ll be arrested and tried for treason. They’ll kill you, Ellie, just like they’re going to kill your father. Is that what you want? Never to see your daughter again?”
Ellie recognized the mixture of pain and anger in Robert’s eyes. I don’t know him, flashed through her mind, followed by How can this be the same man who has spent thousands of hours caring for dying patients? It doesn’t make any sense.
Ellie chose not to say anything more. “I’m going now,” Robert said at length. “I’ll be home around midnight.”
She walked to the back of the house and opened Nikki’s door. Luckily the girl had slept through the argument. Ellie was deeply depressed when she returned to the living room. She wished more than ever that she had stayed in the Emerald City. But she hadn’t, so what was she going to do now? It would be so easy if I didn’t have Nikki to think about, Ellie said to herself. She shook her head slowly, back and forth, and finally allowed herself to shed the tears she had been restraining.
“So how do I look?” Katie said, pirouetting in front of Franz.
“Beautiful, ravishing,” he replied. “Better than I have ever seen you look.”
She was wearing a simple black dress, custom-fitted to her thin body. The dress had a defining white stripe running down both sides. It was cut low in the front, highlighting her necklace of diamonds and gold, but was not so low that it would be considered improper.
Katie glanced at her watch. “Good,” she said. “For once I’m early.” She crossed the room to the table and lit a cigarette.
Franz’s uniform was newly pressed and his shoes perfectly shined. “Then I guess we have time,” he said, following Katie to the couch, “for my surprise.” He handed her a small velvet box.
“What’s this?” Katie asked.
