Once & Future (Once & Future #1)(36)

“My people,” Gwen interrupted, “require space to breathe, live, have families, and—”

“Ride robotic horses like medieval jesters? Wear cheap tin and call it armor?” He licked his lips, savoring his attack. “Or how about bow to a queen because they’re too ignorant to figure out democracy?”

Gwen steamed. Ari didn’t know that a person could actually do that, but she was certain that if she placed a hand on Gwen’s arm, it would burn. “I’m fairly certain it’s not a democracy if every electable politician is already living in Mercer’s pocket.”

The Administrator waved his hand. “Trivial points. Troy would like Lionel to be punished until you comply. Mercer is not your real problem. The overcrowded galaxy is.”

Ari scowled and swiped the black king piece from the board. “Chess? That’s not even bad-guy original. Don’t you know that evil empires are overdone?”

The Administrator leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Finally, someone who gets us. It’s boring to make people suffer. Good thing we don’t have to do that all the time. We’re the white team. The good guys.” He moved a white pawn. “We connect galaxies’ worth of goods to people in need. There are even planets where we are God.” Ari tried to drop the black king, but the Administrator stole it out of her hand.

“Of course, we’re also the bad guys when we need to be. You see, Ara, we’re black and white. Right and wrong. And that never gets boring. What games you can play when you’re both sides! Showing people what they need, and convincing them you’re the only one who can possibly provide it. I’m sure you remember when we had to play bad guy and shut off Ketch beneath that barrier. Then again, they really had that coming. So much loquacious resistance. ‘Mercer is evil. Band together, trade openly, provide for each other, blah blah.’ It’s much better this way, with them keeping to their own planet. You’re the only one out here, causing trouble.”

Gwen pulled Ari back by the shoulder, away from the Administrator’s slathered-on smile. “She’s my wife. You can’t touch her.”

“Sadly, Troy is under the impression that this marriage is a sham. They’re in the process of rejecting it. But not all is lost! Gweneviere, you are free to return to Lionel. The water will arrive soonish. And Ara, you’re going to stay right here on Troy for a spell. Be our guest. Let us figure out what you… remember… about your dear old home planet.”

Remember?

“Enough,” Gwen said, her voice strong and yet scratchy. “First, you’re going to make sure Troy signs off on our marriage. Then you’re going to have the water delivered, or I’ll sue. And interplanetary lawsuits kill the economy.”

This was Gwen’s strongest threat, but Ari could tell he wasn’t fazed. In fact, the Administrator looked newly pleased. He nearly giggled. “You may have one of those things. Not both. The water or the marriage. How’s that for good and bad?”

Gwen’s body tensed, her breath shallow and quick. People would die if she picked Ari. Ari might die if she picked Lionel, leaving her in the hands of Mercer. Gwen looked at Ari, her desperation damn near heartbreaking. “Ari, I…”

She was going to pick the planet. She had to. Ari understood, but her mind felt tight and swift. She looked down at the coffee table. Made of wood. Actual wood. And from her time spent on Heritage’s observation deck in that stupid rubber knight suit, she knew there was only one planet where you could get wood. “Old Earth,” Ari whispered.

A dead pause, and then the Administrator asked, “What about it?”

Gwen snapped to look at Ari, concerned. Intrigued.

“Nice table,” Ari said, her tone cutting. “Imported?”

“Naturally,” the Administrator said, all humor vanished.

“Recently?” she asked. “How does Troy feel about your side project?” She was bluffing, but a voice inside said, Trust yourself. “After all, there are, what? Hundreds of restrictions involved in a retired planet’s preservation.”

“You can’t blackmail Mercer, my darling Ketchan. What proof could you even have?”

“There’s an entire planet of proof. Or has Mercer grown so overconfident that you’ve forgotten where we all came from?” She scrolled two-fingered down her watch face and projected the video of the leveling machinery consuming half-dead trees.

“That’s plenty, thank you.” The Administrator placed his small hand over her arm, stunting the image, while his nondescript eyes took on a flinty edge. “Lionel can have its water. You can have your little fake marriage. Happy?”

Gwen was looking at Ari like she’d never seen her before. Ari pulled Gwen to her feet, crossing to the exit, but his voice stopped them at the door.

“Ladies, before you go, we have an offer that you will, of course, refuse, and yet it will be such a good offer that neither of you will forget it. For as long as you live in your cinder-block castle on your little medieval bubble land, you’ll wonder what could have been.”

Gwen tugged on Ari’s arm. “Don’t listen.”

“As much water as you can store, whenever you want it,” he called after them. “And you can keep the planet. No Mercer strings attached. You, Ara, can give your adoptive parents back to your brother, unharmed. Well, as unharmed as they’ve managed to remain. Prison is no picnic, after all. You could even fetch them today, if you like. Which would be ideal. I hear there’s some sort of plague going around the cell block on Urite.”