The Centrists for the first time in 2413 gained a majority in the Senate of Viking and in the Council of Mariner; and held a sizable bloc of seats and appointed posts within the Senate of Cyteen. They thus gained an unprecedented percentage of seats in the Council of Worlds and frequently mustered four votes of the Nine.

Although they did not hold a majority in either body, their influence could no longer be discounted, and the swift gains of the Centrists both worried the Expansionist majority and made the uncommitted delegates on any given issue a pivotal element: delegates known to be wavering were courted with unprecedented fervor, provoking charges and countercharges of influence-trading and outright bribery that led to several recall votes, none of which, however, succeeded in unseating the inc.u.mbent.

The very fabric of Union was being tested in the jousting of strong interest groups. Certain political theorists called into question the wisdom of the founders who had created the electorate system, maintaining that the system encouraged electorates to vote their own narrow interests above that of the nation at large.

It was the aphorism of Nasir Harad, president of the Council, on his own re-election after his Council conviction on bribery charges, that: "Corruption means elected officials trading votes for their own advantage; democracy means a bloc of voters doing the same thing. The electorates know the difference." "Corruption means elected officials trading votes for their own advantage; democracy means a bloc of voters doing the same thing. The electorates know the difference."

CHAPTER 8.

i An announcement came through the public address in Wing One corridors-storm alert, Justin thought, ticking away at his keyboard on a problem while Grant got up to lean out the door and see what it was.

Then: "Justin," Grant said urgently. "Justin" "Justin"

He shoved back and got up.

Everything in the hall had stopped, standing and listening.

". . . in Novgorod" in Novgorod" the PA said, the PA said, "came in the form of briefs filed this morn-ing by Reseune lawyers on behalf of Ariane Emory, a minor child, seeking a Writ of Succession and an injunction against any Discovery proceedings of the Council against Reseune. The brief argues that the child, who will be nine in five days, is the legal person of Ariane Emory by the right of Parental Ident.i.ty, that no disposition of Ariane Emory's property can be taken in any cause without suit brought against the child and her guardians. The second brief seeks an injunction against the activities of the Investigatory Commission on the grounds that their inquiries invade the privacy and compromise the welfare and property rights of a minor child. "came in the form of briefs filed this morn-ing by Reseune lawyers on behalf of Ariane Emory, a minor child, seeking a Writ of Succession and an injunction against any Discovery proceedings of the Council against Reseune. The brief argues that the child, who will be nine in five days, is the legal person of Ariane Emory by the right of Parental Ident.i.ty, that no disposition of Ariane Emory's property can be taken in any cause without suit brought against the child and her guardians. The second brief seeks an injunction against the activities of the Investigatory Commission on the grounds that their inquiries invade the privacy and compromise the welfare and property rights of a minor child.

"The news. .h.i.t the capital as the Commission was preparing to file a bill requiring the surrender of records from Reseune Archives pertinent to the former Councillor, on the grounds that the records may contain information on other Gehenna-style projects either planned or executed.

"Mikhail Corain, leader of the Centrist party and Councillor of Citizens, declared: 'Its an obvious maneuver. Reseune has sunk to its lowest.'

"James Morley, chief counsel for Reseune, when told of the comment, stated: 'We had no wish to bring this suit. The child's privacy and well-being have been our primary considerations, from her conception. We cannot allow her to become a victim of partisan politics. She has rights, and we believe the court will uphold the point. There's no question about her ident.i.ty. A simple lab test can prove that.'

"Reseune Administration has refused comment. ..." ..."

ii Ari thought she was crazy sometimes, because twice an hour she thought everyone was lying, and sometimes she thought they were not, that there really had been an Ari Emory before she was born.

But the evening when she could get out of bed and come in her robe to the living room with her arm still in a sling, uncle Denys said he had something to show her and Florian and Catlin; and he had a book filled with paste-in pictures and old faxes.

He had them sit at the table, himself on her left and Florian and then Catlin on her right, and he opened the book on the table, putting it mostly in front of her, a book of photos and holos, and there were papers, dim and showing their age. He showed her a picture of her, her, standing in the front portico of the House with a woman she had never seen. standing in the front portico of the House with a woman she had never seen.

"That's Ari when she was little," Uncle Denys said. "That's her her maman. Her name was Olga Emory." There was another picture uncle Denys turned to. "This is James Carnath. That was your papa." She knew that. It was the picture maman had once showed her. maman. Her name was Olga Emory." There was another picture uncle Denys turned to. "This is James Carnath. That was your papa." She knew that. It was the picture maman had once showed her.

The girl in the picture looked just exactly like her, but it was not her maman; but it was the right name for her papa. It was all wrong. It was her her standing there. It was. But the front doors were not like that. Not quite. Not now. standing there. It was. But the front doors were not like that. Not quite. Not now.

She felt her stomach more and more upset. Uncle Denys turned the page and showed her pictures of old Reseune, Reseune before the House was as big, before the Town was anything but old barracks, and the fields were real small. There were big buildings missing, like the AG barn, and like a lot of the mills and half the town, and that that Ari was walking with her maman down a Town Road that was the same road, toward a Town that was very different. Ari was walking with her maman down a Town Road that was the same road, toward a Town that was very different.

There was that Ari, sitting in her same cla.s.sroom, with a different teacher, with a kind of screwed-up frown on her face while she looked at a jar that was like her saying Ugh, Ugh, she could feel it right in her stomach and feel her own face the way it would be. she could feel it right in her stomach and feel her own face the way it would be.

But she never had a blouse like that, and she never wore a pin like that in her hair.

She felt herself all sick inside, because it was like it was all real, maman had had tricked her, and she was stupid like she had been afraid she was, in front of Catlin and Florian, in front of everybody. But she couldn't tricked her, and she was stupid like she had been afraid she was, in front of Catlin and Florian, in front of everybody. But she couldn't not not look at these things, she couldn't do anything but sit there with her arm aching in the dumb cast and herself feeling light-headed and silly being out here in the dining room in her robe and her slippers, looking at herself in a place that was Reseune a long, long time ago. look at these things, she couldn't do anything but sit there with her arm aching in the dumb cast and herself feeling light-headed and silly being out here in the dining room in her robe and her slippers, looking at herself in a place that was Reseune a long, long time ago.

A long long time ago. time ago.

That Ari had been born-that long ago. Her maman's friend, uncle Denys had called her; and she had not thought when he said that, just how old maman was.

A hundred thirty-four years. No. A hundred forty-one, no, two, two, she was real close to her ninth birthday and maman was that old now. she was real close to her ninth birthday and maman was that old now.

A hundred forty-two. . . .

She was close to her ninth birthday and maman's letter had had to come, any day now, and maybe maman would explain some of these things, maybe maman would send her all the letters maman must have written too, all at once, like hers. . . . to come, any day now, and maybe maman would explain some of these things, maybe maman would send her all the letters maman must have written too, all at once, like hers. . . .

"There's your maman," uncle Denys said, and showed her a picture of her and a bunch of other kids all playing, and there was this pretty woman with black hair, with her maman's mouth and her maman's eyes, only young, young, with with her, her, but she was about five or six. A baby. Maman had had another Ari, but she was about five or six. A baby. Maman had had another Ari, first, first, a long, long time ago. a long, long time ago.

It hurt to see maman so pretty and not with her at all, not really, but with that other baby. It had stopped hurting until then. And it made her throat ache.

Uncle Denys stopped and hugged her head against his shoulder gently. "I know. I know, Ari. I'm sorry."

She shoved away. She pulled the book over so it was in front of her and she looked at that picture till she could see everything about it, what her maman was wearing, what that Ari was wearing, that proved it was not something she had forgotten, it was really not her, because everything about it was old-fashioned and long-ago.

"That's your uncle Giraud," uncle Denys said, pointing to a gangly boy.

He looked like anybody. He didn't look like he was going to grow up to be nasty as Giraud was. He looked just like any kid.

She turned the page. There was that Ari with her maman, and a lot of other grown-ups.

Then there was her her with Florian and Catlin, but it was not them, they were all in the middle of old-time Reseune. with Florian and Catlin, but it was not them, they were all in the middle of old-time Reseune.

She felt another deep chill, like when she flew off Horse and hit the ground. She felt scared, and looked at Florian and Catlin for how they saw it.

They didn't ask. They wouldn't ask. They were being proper with uncle Denys and not interrupting, but she knew they were confused and they were upset, because they had both gone completely azi, paying real close attention.

She couldn't even reach to Florian to squeeze his hand, it was the side with the cast.

"Do you recognize them?" uncle Denys asked.

"Who are they?" Ari asked, angry, terribly angry of a sudden, because it was not making sense, and she was scared, she knew Florian and Catlin were scared, everything was inside out.

"You're not the only one who's come back," Denys said very softly. "There was one other Catlin and one other Florian: they belonged to that other Ari Emory. They protected her all their lives. Do you understand me, Florian? Do you, Catlin?"

"No, ser," Florian said; and: "No, ser," Catlin said. "But it makes sense."

"Why does it make sense?" uncle Denys asked.

"We're azi," Catlin said, the most obvious thing in the world. "There could be a lot of us."

But I'm a CIT, Ari thought, upset all the way through. Ari thought, upset all the way through. Aren't I? Aren't I?

"You're Alphas," uncle Denys said, "and, no, it's not ordinary with Alphas. You're too difficult to keep track of. You change so fast. But you're still a lot easier to duplicate than a CIT, you're right, because azi start with very specific tape. Teaching Ari has been-ever so much harder."

Teaching me. Teaching me-what? Why?

But she knew that. She understood all across the far and wide of it, that uncle Denys was saying what she was, and not saying it to her, but to Florian and Catlin, because it was something she could not understand as easily as her azi could.

Do you know, maman had asked her, the day she saw the babies, maman had asked her, the day she saw the babies, the difference between a CIT and an azi? the difference between a CIT and an azi?

I only thought I did.

Denys left that page open a long time. "Ari," he said. "Do you understand me?"

She said nothing. When you were confused, it was better to let somebody else be a fool, unless you were the only one who knew the question.

And uncle Denys knew. Uncle Denys was trying to tell her what he knew, in this book, in these pictures that weren't her.

''Your maman taught you," uncle Denys said, "and now I do. You're definitely a CIT. Don't mistake that. You're you, you, Ari, you're very exactly Ari, you're very exactly you, you, exactly the way Florian is Florian and Catlin is Catlin, and that's hard to do. It was ever so hard to get this far. Ari was a very, very special little girl, and you're taking up everything she had, everything she could do, everything she held and owned, which is a very great deal, Ari. That you hold Florian and Catlin's contracts is all part of that, because you all belong together, you always have, and it wouldn't be right to leave them out. You own a major share of Reseune itself, you own property enough to make you very, very rich, and you've already proved to us who you are, we haven't any doubt at all. But remember that I told you Reseune has enemies. Now some of those enemies want to come in here and take things that belong to you-they don't even know there is an Ari, you understand. They think she died, and that was all of her, and they can just move in and take everything that belonged to her-that belongs to exactly the way Florian is Florian and Catlin is Catlin, and that's hard to do. It was ever so hard to get this far. Ari was a very, very special little girl, and you're taking up everything she had, everything she could do, everything she held and owned, which is a very great deal, Ari. That you hold Florian and Catlin's contracts is all part of that, because you all belong together, you always have, and it wouldn't be right to leave them out. You own a major share of Reseune itself, you own property enough to make you very, very rich, and you've already proved to us who you are, we haven't any doubt at all. But remember that I told you Reseune has enemies. Now some of those enemies want to come in here and take things that belong to you-they don't even know there is an Ari, you understand. They think she died, and that was all of her, and they can just move in and take everything that belonged to her-that belongs to you, you, Ari. Do you know what a lawsuit is? Do you know what it means to sue somebody in court?" Ari. Do you know what a lawsuit is? Do you know what it means to sue somebody in court?"

She shook her head, muddled and scared by what uncle Denys said, getting too much, far too much from every direction.

"You know what judges are?"

"Like in a court. They get all the records and stuff. They can send you to hospital." , "A civil suit, Ari: that's different than a criminal case. They don't send you to hospital, but they can say what's so and who owns what. We've lodged a suit in the Supreme Court, in Novgorod, to keep these people from taking everything you own. They can't, you understand, if somebody suit in the Supreme Court, in Novgorod, to keep these people from taking everything you own. They can't, you understand, if somebody owns owns it, really owns it. The only thing is, people don't know you exist. You have to show up in that court and it, really owns it. The only thing is, people don't know you exist. You have to show up in that court and prove prove you're really Ari and that you have a right to Ari's CIT-number." you're really Ari and that you have a right to Ari's CIT-number."

"That's stupid!"

"How do they know you're not just some little girl all made up and telling a lie?"

"I know who I am!"

"How do you prove it to people who've never seen you?"

She sat there trying to think. She had the shivers. "You tell them."

"Then they'll say we're lying. We can send the genetic records, that can prove it, beyond any doubt. But they could say we just got that out of the lab, because of course the Ari geneset is there, isn't it, because you were born out of the lab. They could say there isn't any little girl alive, and she hasn't got any right to anything. That's what could happen. That's why you have to go, and stand in that court, and tell the judges that's your genetic record, and you're you, Ariane Emory, and you own all that stuff these people in the Council want to take."

She looked at her right, at Florian and Catlin, at two pale, very azi faces. And back at uncle Denys. "Could they take Florian and Catlin?"

"If you don't exist, you can't hold a contract, can you?"

"That's stupid, stupid, uncle Denys! They're stupid!" uncle Denys! They're stupid!"

"You just have to prove that, don't you? Dear, I wish to h.e.l.l I could have saved this till you felt better. But there isn't any time. These people are moving fast, and there's going to be a law pa.s.sed in Council to take everything, everything everything that belongs to you, because they don't know about you. You've got to go to Novgorod and tell the judges it does belong to you and they can't do that." that belongs to you, because they don't know about you. You've got to go to Novgorod and tell the judges it does belong to you and they can't do that."

"When?"

"In a few days. A very few days. There's more to it, Ari. Because Because you've been a secret, your enemies haven't known about you either. If you go to Novgorod they will know. And you'll be in very real danger from then on. Most of them would sue you in court and try to take what you've got, you've been a secret, your enemies haven't known about you either. If you go to Novgorod they will know. And you'll be in very real danger from then on. Most of them would sue you in court and try to take what you've got, that that kind of enemy; but some of them would kill you if they could. Even if you're a little girl. They're that kind." kind of enemy; but some of them would kill you if they could. Even if you're a little girl. They're that kind."

"Ser," Catlin said, "who?"

"A man named Rocher, for one. And a few random crazy people we don't know the names of. We wish we did. If Ari goes to Novgorod she'll have a lot of Security with her. Armed Security. They can stop that kind of thing. But you have to watch out for it, you have to watch very closely, and for G.o.d's sake, leave any maneuvering to the senior Security people, you two. Just cover Ari."

"Do we have weapons, ser?"

"I don't think Novgorod would understand that. No. Just cover Ari. Watch around you. Keep her safe. That's all."

Ari drew a deep breath. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You talk to the judges. You go in front of the court, you answer their questions about when you were born, and where, and what your name and number are. Uncle Giraud will be there. Giraud knows how to argue with them."

She went cold and clammy all over. "I don't want Giraud! I want you you to come." to come."

"Dear, uncle Giraud is especially good at this. He'll show them all the records, and they won't have any trouble believing you. They may take a little cell sample. That'll sting a little if they do that, but you're a brave girl, you won't mind that. You know what that's for. It proves you're not lying. Everyone in the world has seen pictures of Ari Emory-you won't have any trouble with that. But there will will be other people to deal with. People not in the court. Newspeople. Reporters. There'll be a lot of that. But you're a little girl, and they can't be nasty, they'd better not be, or your uncle Giraud will know exactly what to do with them." be other people to deal with. People not in the court. Newspeople. Reporters. There'll be a lot of that. But you're a little girl, and they can't be nasty, they'd better not be, or your uncle Giraud will know exactly what to do with them."

She had never thought it could be a good thing to have uncle Giraud. But uncle Denys was right, uncle Giraud would be a lot better at that.

If he wasn't with with the Enemy in the first place. Things were getting more and more complicated. the Enemy in the first place. Things were getting more and more complicated.

"Florian and Catlin are going for sure?"

"Yes."

"The judges can't just take them, can they?"

"Dear, the law can do anything; but the law won't won't take what belongs to you. You have to prove you're take what belongs to you. You have to prove you're you, you, that's the whole problem. That's what you're going there for, and if you don't, nothing is safe here either." that's the whole problem. That's what you're going there for, and if you don't, nothing is safe here either."

So Ari sat in a leather seat in RESEUNE ONE, RESEUNE ONE, a seat so big her feet hardly reached the floor; and Florian and Catlin sat in the two seats opposite her, taking turns looking out the windows, only she had one right beside her, with the real outback under them for as far as you could see. a seat so big her feet hardly reached the floor; and Florian and Catlin sat in the two seats opposite her, taking turns looking out the windows, only she had one right beside her, with the real outback under them for as far as you could see.

They would land at Novgorod, they would land at the airport there, but before they landed they were going to see the city from the air; they would see the s.p.a.ceport, and the Hall of State and the docks where all the barges went, that chugged past Reseune on the Novaya Volga. They were going to see Swigert Bay and the Ocean. The pilot kept telling them where they were and what they were looking at, which right now was the Great West Sink, which was a brown spot on the maps and a brown place from the air with a lake in the middle. She could talk back to the pilot if she pushed a b.u.t.ton by her seat.

"We're coming up on the Kaukash Range on the right side," the pilot said.

They had let her go up front for a little while. She got to see out past the pilot and the co-pilot, when they were following the Novaya Volga.

The pilot asked if she liked flying. She said yes, and the pilot told her what a lot of the controls were, and showed her how the plane steered, and what the computers did.

That was the best thing in days. She had him show Florian and Catlin, until uncle Giraud said she had better sit down and study her papers and let the pilot fly the plane. The pilot had winked at her and said she ought to, they were spilling uncle Giraud's drinks.

She wished she had her arm out of the cast, because that was a nuisance; and gave uncle Giraud an excuse to tell her she ought to stay belted-in in her seat. .

Most of all she wished they were all through the court business and the reporters, and they could get to the things uncle Denys told her they were going to get to see while they were in Novgorod. That would be fun. She was going to have her birthday in Novgorod. She wanted to prove everything and then get to that part of it.

Most of all she was worried what would happen if uncle Denys was wrong.

Or if uncle Giraud couldn't couldn't prove who she was. prove who she was.

The court couldn't make a mistake, uncle Denys said, over and over. Not with the tests they had, and the law was the law: they couldn't take what belonged to somebody without suing, and then it was going to be real hard for them to sue a little girl. Especially because Giraud had a lot of friends in the Defense Bureau, who would cla.s.sify everything.

That meant Secret.