'You are very observant, Ferus, but you must accept that I know him better than you,' Obi-Wan said carefully. 'Anakin can be arrogant. I know that. But he is also learning and growing. He is respectful of his great power. He does not abuse it. He is younger than you, but he has seen much injustice, many terrible things. I do not think it so wrong that he wants to change things. You must understand that it isn't ambition that drives him. It is compassion.'
Ferus nodded slowly. 'I will think about what you said.' He stood.
'Please know that I say these things only because he is the Chosen One, and the stakes are so high. Good night, Master Kenobi.'
'Good night,' Obi-Wan said.
He could have said more, but it wasn't appropriate to debate Anakin's character with another apprentice. He would have to sift through Ferus's words and ponder them. He would have to let go of his impulse to protect Anakin and search for the truth in what Ferus had said. Ferus had touched on his own fears, and he needed to think about that.
He breathed in the night air. Not tonight, he decided. He valued his new confidence in Anakin. He needed to guard it. He needed to forget what he feared, just for a little while longer. He wanted to treasure what he had.
Chapter Nine
They could see the lights and hear the noise before they even passed through the security check. Teda's villa was ablaze with colored laserlights. Tableaus of different worlds renowned for their natural beauty were arranged on the grounds. Each scene was a small-scale replica of that world's greatest landmarks.
'Dremulae, Off-Canau, Xagobah, Belazura,' Ferus said, naming the worlds as they walked by. Native flowers from each of the worlds wafted delicate scents into the air. Servers walked about with repulsorlift trays carrying an array of native foods.
The biggest tableau was for Romin itself. A small-scale replica of Eliior had been built out of massed flowers. There were models of Teda Park, the Teda Institute for Advanced Study, and the Roy Teda Colored Fountain of Lights. At the party, the Cloudflower Wall was actually fashioned out of cloudflowers. To reach the Romin display, the guests walked under a large arch upon which laserlights spelled out the message THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORLD OF ALL WORLDS.
The party was crowded with Romins and others who lived in the palace district, all dressed in their finest. The Jedi had likewise worn the rich robes of the Slams, wanting to blend in. Siri had chosen a shimmersilk sleeveless tunic in colors that shifted from blue to green to silver as she moved, the colors of the sea as the day moved from dawn to twilight. She had refused to wear the matching green slippers, however, pulling on her travel boots instead.
'Just in case I have to run from Teda,' she said.
Obi-Wan felt awkward wearing a heavy septsilk tunic in one of the purple shades that Slam was so fond of. It was heavy and stiff, embroidered with gold thread and tiny jewels. Anakin and Ferus had dressed in less elaborate fashion, pulling on simple tunics in navy and gold.
'The security is tight,' Obi-Wan said as his eyes noted the many agents, some overt and some secret, in the throng.
'Just what we'd expect,' Siri said. 'Joylin told us that the door to his study won't be armed.'
'Let's hope he's right. But first, we'd better say hello to our host.'
'Do we have to?' Siri groaned.
It wasn't easy to find Teda in the crush of the crowd. They bumped into Becka, the officer who had checked them in at the spaceport. He greeted them happily, with a flushed face and outstretched arms.
'My new arrivals! How glad I am that you are here! Have you tried the delicacies from the different worlds? Can I get you a plate of food?'
'We're looking for Great Leader Teda,' Obi-Wan said. 'We'd like to thank him for his hospitality.'
'I saw him in the house,' Becka said. 'He checks every detail. How lucky we are to have such a leader! Let me take you to him.'
Becka led them quickly through the throng. The grand palace was decorated as lavishly as the grounds. Banks of flowers were massed in the hallways. Tables with punch and food were set up in every corner. Different bands of musicians played in different rooms, so that the hallways were a mass of noise in which one couldn't pick out a single tune. It was as though one party wasn't enough for Teda. He had to pile ten parties on top of one another to make one big extravaganza. There was so much food and drink and music and so many flowers that guests lurched about in a daze, as though they were droids with overloaded sensors.
They saw Teda's broad back ahead. Obi-Wan heard his voice above the crowd. He was berating a server in a white tunic.
'You were instructed not to serve the dame apple turnovers until after the skewered runis!' he said. He wasn't shouting, but the words were hissed in such white-hot anger that they seemed charged with turbo power.
The server's face now matched his tunic. 'I was told in the kitchen — '
With a casualness that shocked Obi-Wan to the core, Teda lifted a small electrojabber and struck a hard blow against the server's knees. The server crumpled, eyes wide. He knew better than to cry out against the pain Becka, too, went pale.
'Our leader, so forceful, so strong,' he murmured. 'How lucky we are to have him.' Becka backed away and disappeared into the crowd.
Obi-Wan didn't blame him. In a world ruled by an unpredictable tyrant, citizens had to rely on an instinct for flight to stay healthy.
