Binary: New and Revised Edition Read online

  The Guildmaster passed a hand across his brow. "Why does it never change? Every Storm Season it's the same damned thing. What is it this time?"

  "There have been mutterings about conditions in the mines, but most of that’s third-hand. You know how hard it is to get any sense out of the creatures. I've sent observers in, but that's no guarantee. With any luck we'll have come up with some hard information before we start getting the first coms blackouts."

  "And Markis is aware of this?"

  The young man hesitated before answering, and Sandon read volumes into the pause. "Yes, he's aware of this." The response was flat.

  Ka Vail continued, oblivious. "Good. He needs to be able to keep a strong grip on the Kallathik situation if we're to get through this unscathed."

  The Guildmaster seemed not to notice the slight narrowing of his son's eyes. "Send him a message, will you? Make it clear to him that I'm expecting quick resolution of this Kallathik problem. Impress upon him that he has to do this with the minimum of fuss, mind. I don't want it turning into a major incident."

  Jarid pursed his lips, saying nothing. He gave Sandon a brief nod and stalked from the chamber.

  "Well, Yl Aris, you see what we have to put up with in Primary Production? You're somewhat shielded in the Principate. Every time the Minor Twin comes into ascendancy, we're faced with these sorts of problems. I don't know whether it's their religion, or what it is that stirs them up, but every cycle the Kallathik give us trouble. The more restless they are, the harder time we seem to have of it. If we didn't rely on them so much, I'd say be done with them, employ human workers on the farms and in the mines. And on that note, it wouldn't hurt you putting a word in with Men Darnak for us."

  Ka Vail was right about one thing; Sandon was somewhat shielded in the Principate. As long as Guild functions went ahead smoothly, there was no need to get involved in the finer details of what they did. He doubted even Men Darnak would be aware of this Kallathik thing. Generally, it was Sandon’s job to flag such issues.

  A Kallathik totem stood in one corner of the room: long segmented body, two primary and two vestigial arms and a squarish head. Sandon eyed it speculatively. It made sense for it to be there, as most of their dealings were with Primary Production. He knew far too little about these creatures; Primary Production shielded most of the population in their dealings with the Kallathik. They had existed side by side with the human population for the five centuries since the ill-fated colony ships had landed. Rarely seen in the cities, they maintained tribal settlements in the more remote of Aldaban's lands. Their plate-like skin made them ideal workers for the farms and mines.

  "You're right. I wasn't aware they were such a problem," said Sandon, finally returning his attention to Ka Vail.

  "We try and keep these things within the Guild,” said the Guildmaster. “Over the last few cycles, matters have become more strained. The Principal, of course, has been aware of it, but I suppose he didn't feel it necessary to spread the information beyond the Guild.”

  Was he indeed? Sandon made a note to question Men Darnak about it later. Whatever plan the Principal had, keeping that piece of knowledge to himself had to be important.

  The Guildmaster continued. “I'd be very surprised if even any of the other Guildmasters were aware of the extent of it and I don't know how many in the Principate know. I'm happy to have it remain that way, Yl Aris," he said pointedly.

  "Of course," said Sandon, inclining his head.

  "There are enough things to worry about without even mentioning the factional divisions we can expect over the succession question."

  "I understand.” Another tilt of the head. “Naturally, Guildmaster Ka Vail, I won't say a word."

  Ka Vail gave a satisfied nod. "So, Yl Aris, you'll keep me informed of what happens with Principal Men Darnak? I need to be able to move quickly on this, put things in place, depending on the outcome. Understand, I have the best interests of Aldaban at heart, not just the Guild."

  "Yes, of course, Guildmaster Ka Vail. That goes without saying."

  The old man stood and extended a hand. "Well, thank you for taking the time to come and see me, Yl Aris. I appreciate it."

  Sandon stood and shook the proffered hand. "Certainly, Guildmaster. Thank you. As I'm sure you know, I too have Aldaban’s interests foremost in mind."

  oOo

  Sandon strode down the front steps of the Guild building and crossed to the waiting groundcar. The door whirred open as he approached. He was due back at the Principate about ten minutes ago. He took a moment to glance up at the Minor Twin casting its baleful ruddy eye over the city and pursed his lips. Ka Vail was right; things were not going to be easy. He hated the Return just as much as the old Guildmaster. And yet the Kallathik seemed to manage with minimal disruption to their lives, but from the sound of things, there was more going on between the Kallathik and Primary Production than was immediately apparent. That was definitely worth further investigation.

  He slipped into the groundcar, gratefully. This would be one of the last journeys he would be able to make before they became too dangerous to operate. It really was about time the Guild of Technologists found a solution to their instability. With a shake of his head, he tapped in the destination.

  He watched the passing buildings as the groundcar moved silently through the streets. He was as concerned as Ka Vail about Men Darnak's plans. Sandon Yl Aris had done well out of his loyalty to Leannis Men Darnak. He had lands, and wealth, but a new order could easily upset his hard-won position. A change of regime could herald changes to Aldaban and the Guilds, changes that would little benefit its people. Since the first colony ships had been forced to land, the families had run everything, just as they had in the years that the vast mother ship had travelled between the stars.

  He pursed his lips and shifted his gaze to follow a sole Atavist riding through the streets on the back of a padder. The man's homespun robes fell about him, drab and dusty. Twin baskets were draped across the animal's back, vegetables poking out over their rims. The Atavist turned his face away as the groundcar skimmed past, almost as if by doing so, he could deny its existence. Sandon snorted. It was bad enough that the people of Aldaban had to forego many comforts of technology for part of the twin sun's cycle, much worse to do so intentionally. Sandon shuddered to think how they could live like that. Still, religion did strange things to people's minds.

  A chime from the groundcar's instrument panel told him they were approaching the Principate, and he leaned forward in his seat, trying to count the number of vehicles already clustered in front of the building complex. The central Principate offices were long and low, constructed of thick stone built to withstand most of what the Minor Twin could throw at them. The dark brown stone spread uniformly throughout Yarik, the capital, as it did through every city on Aldaban. The austere traditions of the First Families had certainly left their legacy.

  The groundcar slid to a stop in one of the scattered empty parking spaces and the door rose at a touch of his finger. He stepped out and scanned the vehicles parked around him as the door slid shut beside him. The news of Men Darnak's announcement had brought them in like scavenger lizards. Well, there was nothing else for it. Time to see what Men Darnak really had planned. With set jaw, Sandon Yl Aris strode up the front steps and inside to see what fate was about to deliver.

  Three

  Sandon stepped quickly into the long ceremonial chamber used for state functions, cursing inside. Because of his lateness, he would be forced to manoeuvre carefully past the ranked officials already present. With his lips pressed into a tight line, he tried to spy the best way through. A quick scan of the faces revealed many he knew. Representatives of several major Guild families clustered together across the broad space, but, in this instance, only those that had close political ties within the Principate. Men Darnak, it appeared, had been very careful about distributing the knowledge of his announcement. As usual, the Principal wanted to control the dynamic of the news, channelling it first through those to whom he gave the most trust. Typical Men Darnak.

  Torches sat bracketed on the pillars lining the side walls, already burning, their light dimmed by the three vast chandeliers hanging from the ceiling's middle. Had it been two months earlier and the torches would have remained unlit, but now, with the Minor Twin threatening, it was better to be sure. A harsh burst from the twinned suns, or another quick quake, could put the power out at any time. A low murmur echoed from the walls as those in attendance stood fidgeting, waiting for Men Darnak to appear.

  Mumbling polite words of apology, Sandon slipped between the assembled officeholders and made his way to the front. There were protests and offended looks as he wormed his way through, but as soon as they saw who it was, the expressions quickly changed. Inwardly wincing at every unnecessary piece of extra attention he was gathering, he finally found a spot. The assembled Guild people knew who Sandon was right enough; he just didn’t like to advertise. Just as well he could rely on Men Darnak's penchant for the dramatic to divert any real attention. The Principal would draw out the moment, the expectation of the crowd, until the last possible second, then with a suitably theatrical entrance, he would sweep away all thought of anything else.

  Sandon searched the room for a sign of Men Darnak's children. There stood Yosset Clier, the middle child Karin's husband, a look of annoyance on his heavily jowelled face. Clier held a leading executive post in the Guild of Primary Production. The old Guildmaster, Aron Ka Vail’s absence suddenly made sense. With Karin’s connection, Men Darnak had little need of Guildmaster Ka Vail at this particular gathering. Yosset Clier’s dark brow was drawn in a thundery scowl. He noticed Sandon watching, narrowed his eyes, gave the barest nod of recognition, and looked away.

  Furt
her around the circle, stood the thin aesthetic figure of Karryl Ky Menin. Roge, the eldest Men Darnak boy was already indentured to the Guild of Technologists, which the pale, grey-haired man led. Ky Menin stood calmly, his hands crossed before him, seemingly bound up in his own thoughts. If he saw Sandon looking at him, he gave no sign. Sandon had long thought privately that Ky Menin was a one to watch. Ky Menin was far too hard to read, far too hard by far. Matching this one with Roge Men Darnak was perhaps not the best choice — Ky Menin was too clever — but the Principal needed to extend his influence evenly. Despite the risk of Roge being overwhelmed by Ky Menin’s sly intelligence, Sandon understood and appreciated the wisdom of Men Darnak’s choice.

  Sandon continued scanning, searching for one more face. And then he spied him, positioned near the centre, right back toward the rear of the group — Karnav Din Baltir. The small bookish man was the only other Guildmaster here with a real, direct interest. Din Baltir stood partially concealed, watching the rest of the crowd nervously. His family controlled the Guild of Welfare. Medicines, social amenities, relief in times of crisis were his province. During Storm Season, Din Baltir's Guild naturally accrued status. Principal Men Darnak's youngest son, Tarlain, was about to take up formal indenture with Din Baltir. The boy had been working within the Guild for almost a year now. In the current circumstance, the Guildmaster had every right to look nervous. Though Tarlain's acceptance into Welfare was almost a foregone conclusion, the agreements had yet to be finalized. If Sandon knew him, Din Baltir would be dreading the Principal's impending announcement, fearful that it might upset his own plans. Having a Men Darnak within their ranks gave a Guild direct access into the workings of the Principate and Din Baltir would be aware of the importance. His small bright gaze flicked from person to person. His eyes met Sandon's, and he quickly looked away, pretending he hadn't seen. Sandon nodded to himself.

  Still no sign of the children, but seeing these three, to be able to watch the way they responded to Men Darnak, was just as important. Din Baltir might bear watching as well. The youngest Men Darnak boy was full of high ideals, and Welfare was the perfect breeding ground for misplaced idealism. Din Baltir could easily shape the boy’s direction.

  And yes, there of course stood Men Darnak's priest, Witness Kovaar. The gaunt, robed aesthete hovered near the entrance to the side passageway. The corridor led to Men Darnak's private chambers, the place from where the Principal would make his entrance. Obviously, the priest meant to join him as soon as he emerged. Sandon pressed his lips together.

  Satisfied that he had everyone important marked, he settled back to wait, paying only scant mind to the others in the room, though there were many here who'd be worth casual observation in other circumstances. Too many varied interests, too many houses were clustered in this one room for the moment. Better to keep his attention on the ones that mattered.

  The Guild structure on Aldaban was complex, ruled by marriage, succession, and family relations. The three major Guilds, Technologists, Welfare, and Primary Production, controlled much of the world, but over it all sat the Principate. Voting rights within each guild varied, and they changed with each new succession, making it hard to keep track from season to season, but always there was the Guildmaster. As a Guild decided, the Guildmaster relayed its decisions to the Principate. No change could be enforced without the approval of the Principal and it was up to the Guildmaster to negotiate that approval. There was a long history to the Guilds’ structure, echoing the way things were run on the vast colony ship Paradise that originally cast its human seed upon Aldaban's hostile ground. Technicians, Medical, Psyche, Supply, all had been run traditionally along family lines, and over all had sat the Officer corps, led in turn by the Captain. Principal Leannis Men Darnak could trace his origins back to the first Captain. Sandon sadly, could trace no such lineage.

  And here, now, the Principal, Captain to Aldaban's entire population, was about to withdraw his firm hand. The very prospect made Sandon nervous. Men Darnak's children were individuals in their own right, but between them, they had a lot to learn. History, tradition were what really ruled but sometimes history and tradition required a little nudge. There was nothing in any of the children to disturb the way the Guilds functioned. Sandon wasn’t particularly worried about losing his own role, certain that his services would be in demand, especially if Men Darnak wanted to maintain his influence. The old man relied on Sandon to be his eyes and ears behind the scenes. Sandon Yl Aris knew the way things worked, the key people, what moved them and motivated them. That knowledge would be crucial to a smooth transition of power.

  A stir from the side hall interrupted Sandon's musings. Two uniformed functionaries entered from the passageway and stepped briskly to either side of the door. Moments later, Principal Leannis Men Darnak, tall and bearded swept into the hall. His ceremonial robes flowed about him. He strode up the steps to a table positioned at the centre of the dais at the chamber's front. A halo of white hair floated about his head, flowing out behind. He walked confidently across the podium, stopped behind the table, and scanned the faces of the assembly, as if counting them, fixing one or two with his pale stare before moving on. Someone toward the back of the room coughed. Men Darnak glanced in that direction, narrowed his eyes, then looked back toward the passageway. He was still an imposing figure, thought Sandon. He might be old, but the strength was still there, the presence; it made no sense for him to be talking about retirement yet. Still, it was sometimes hard to fathom the way the Principal's mind worked, and well beyond Sandon’s place to question it.

  Men Darnak waited, watching. Then, at last, he nodded briefly to one of the functionaries by the entrance and the man made a signal down the corridor. A brief moment later, and one by one, Men Darnak's children filed into the room. They each bore the pallid complexion and high cheekbones characteristic of the Men Darnak line. Leading the group was Roge, the eldest boy. He walked purposefully into the room, stopped to adjust his dark blue tunic, paused, caught Karryl Ky Menin's eye and gave a brief nod. Then he moved to the front of the crowd and stood, his arms crossed over his chest, as he faced the dais. Guildmaster Ky Menin had given no sign recognizing the acknowledgement. Interesting. Sandon glanced down briefly at his own suit, making sure there was nothing out of place.

  Next came Karin, the daughter, her honey-brown hair bound in an elaborate knot at the back of her head. She walked self-confidently into the chamber and moved to take up position beside her husband, the portly Yosset Clier. She stood a good head taller than her husband, and wore an intricately carved ajura wood wedding bracelet on her wrist, matching the one on Clier's own. She barely glanced at her husband, and took up position half a step forward, her imperious gaze fixed on her father. Sandon cursed silently. She had partially obscured his view of the fat little, Guildsman—he didn’t want to draw attention to himself by moving now. The children themselves were good indicators, but he needed to monitor the reactions of those within the Guilds themselves. With a grimace, he turned his attention to the last arrival.

  The youngest child, Tarlain, brought up the rear. He was shorter than his brother and sister, and lacked the evident self-assurance that his siblings exuded. The younger son wore a dark blue tunic, similar to his brother's. He stopped at the entrance and frowned, as if wondering what to do, glanced across at the table where his father stood, then moved fully into the room as if sight of the Principal standing there had prompted him to action. He found his spot, stood, and then looked around the room. Sandon got the vague impression that Tarlain was searching, as if by doing so he might see an exit he had previously missed. Leannis Men Darnak watched the boy impatiently, waiting for him to settle, vague displeasure evident on his face. Finally resigned to where he was, Tarlain stopped fidgeting and clasped his hands before him. Men Darnak watched him for a moment longer, then nodded and faced the room.

  The Principal held the moment, and then drew himself to full height and spoke. “Thank you all for coming on such short notice, but I thought we had best deal with this while communications were all still in order, before the storms were upon us again. There are some of you who will want to convey the news of this afternoon's meeting as soon as possible.”