Starship Fall (Starship Seasons, #2)(26)

How much of our relationship, I asked myself, was founded on lies?

“Carlotta?” I almost pleaded.

“David,” she said in a reasonable tone, “you must understand what it’s like, to see the future, or what might be the future, to be granted a glimpse... It – it becomes addictive, not biologically, but psychologically. Just one more hit, you say, hoping that the next time the visions will be that much clearer, easier to interpret. So you do it again, and again, and again... and by that time you’re habituated, and you can’t stop.”

“You could have told me,” I said.

She shook her head. “I... I didn’t want you to think that my attraction to you might have been my merely following some predestination laid down in a vision.”

That rocked me. I felt a strange heat rise up my chest and engulf my head. “And was it?” I managed.

“I... I don’t think so, David. I looked into the future, and I saw us together, but what I felt when I met you… what I feel for you now... that can’t be denied, David.”

I said, “The drug. The relic. All this is about getting at the real drug, isn’t it?”

She hesitated, looking at me. I thought I saw calculation on her massive Indian eyes, and I understood only later what she was in fact calculating. She said, “I want to see the future even more clearly,” she murmured.

I wanted to ask her, “And then? When will it stop?” but I resisted the impulse. I thought back to my very first meeting with Carlotta Chakravorti-Luna, and I realised that she’d artfully arranged it, set up the tableau outside the Mantis as carefully as any pre-scripted holo-movie…

And I felt sick.

Before I might react, break down and yell at her, accuse her of lies and deceit, Qah emerged from behind the waterfall and ran across to us. She spoke to Carlotta, who turned to me.

“I’m going, David. You can stay here if you want, or if you’d rather come with me...”

I wanted to be strong enough to turn away and walk off, but the truth was that I cared for Carlotta too much to leave her to her fate.

She turned and followed Qah into the caverns, and I hurried after them.

We descended, Carlotta and Qah moving swiftly ahead of me while I, exhausted from the trek so far, failed to keep up. By the time I arrived at the cavern, Carlotta had reached the long-house and paused, something in her poise almost reminiscent of a worshipper at the altar of a cathedral. The tall elder, hidden behind his ornate face-mask, stood in the entrance of the long-house and stared down at her.

Slowly, Carlotta unwrapped the relic and held it up to the elder in both hands. He nodded, once, gravely, and she spoke to him.

I arrived behind her, and stopped. Qah was staring at Carlotta, her eyes wide, and beside her were the four Ashentay bearers, staring also.

Slowly Carlotta turned to me. A look of infinite pity filled her eyes as she said, “David, I must do this. I hope you understand. I... I must learn where my destiny lies...”

“Carlotta,” I said. “We could be so...” but I could say no more.

She smiled and said, “Thank you, David,” and turned and walked up the ramp towards the elder. She paused before him, and they looked at each other for what seemed like an age, and then he inclined his masked head and she passed into the shadow of the long-house. The elder gazed down at me, then turned and followed.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Qah. She gestured to a seat – a shelf recessed into the wall of the cavern and padded with grass – and I crossed to the wall and slumped down.

* * *

I must have slept. I was startled a while later by the chime of my wrist-com. I sat up, fumbled with the device and stared at the tiny screen.

Maddie frowned out at me. “David, I thought you’d never answer! Are you in the cavern?” The picture sizzled, broke up. The reception was bad, this far underground.

“Yes,” I answered, confused. “What’s wrong?”

“We’re on our way–” She went on, but static masked her words.

“Maddie?”

“Kee contacted us... explained what was happening. She was distraught. Apparently Hawk overheard her talking to you. When he found out that Carlotta was going to the cavern with you... he told Kee that he had to follow her. He told her that he suspected something–”

“Suspected?” I said.

“Kee didn’t say what.”

I shook my head. “I don’t see...” I began, befuddled by the surreal exchange.

“I don’t understand either,” Maddie said. “Anyway, Hawk’s heading your way in a bison. We’re following with Kee.” She stared out at me. “Where’s Carlotta?”

I told her.

“Oh, Christ, David. Listen, we’ll soon be with you–” The picture broke up and Maddie vanished. I tried to return the call, but to no avail.

I lay down, staring at the roof of the cavern, at the dancing shadows cast by the bonfires. I thought through what had happened so far, what was happening now – and the fact that Hawk was making his way here. I considered what Kee had told me, and my rationality reeled.

Later, perhaps an hour later, a combination of exhaustion and the heat down there conspired to send me to sleep, and I have no idea how long I was out... Hours, at least, for I awoke to see Hawk striding into the sacred cavern followed by a host of concerned Ashentay, like children milling at the legs of a giant.