“If we enticed them away, you could go in close and blow up the entrance, block it.”
“Entice them away how?” Alverd turned to regard Rigo with an expression of half hope, half suspicion.
“I don’t know yet. Could you do it?”
“Maybe. Probably.”
“Then get ready to do it.”
“God, it seems pretty hopeless.” Alverd shook his head.
Rigo glared up at him. “Those of us here on Grass may end up being the last of humanity, Mayor Bee. Assume that we are. How would you prefer to die? Waiting or fighting?”
Alverd showed his teeth again and went away. Rigo turned to Roald Few. “If we entice the creatures out, some of them may go around us. Can you get everyone down into the winter quarters and barricade the entrances? Can you arm people? If you have nothing else, arm them with laser knives, the kind Persun gave me.”
“People can be armed, yes. But I think we have a line of defense to use before we’re forced into winter quarters, Ambassador. We have the barrier at Gom. Let’s put weapons there, first. Weapons and some courageous people.”
“That could work. Get everyone behind that line. Evacuate the Commercial District and Portside. Get everyone into the winter quarters except those who are going to fight. Be sure the ships in port are shut up tight- !f we get out of this, we may need them later. Where’s your power station?”
“Below the town, in winter quarters. They’ll have to get us first before they can get the power station,”
And likely to do so, Rigo thought. Likely to do so. After a few moments of silence passed, Roald left him to his thoughts, which were all of death and destruction. It was easy to speak of enticement. Less easy to think of a way to do it. He went to the window and leaned in it, not seeing the bustle and confusion outside, not seeing anything but his own bloody images. “Ambassador?”
“Yes, Sebastian.”
“There’s a Green Brother here to see you. The high mucky-muck. Head of that whole bunch.”
“What’s his name?”
“Jhamlees Zoe. Says he has to talk with you.”
“I can spare him about three minutes.”
“I told him you were all busy. Told him what about, too. There’s a room over there with nobody in it. I’ll bring him there.”
The Elder Brother was peremptory. “Ambassador, I need to know what you know about the plague.” Though the room was chilly, sweat stood at the roots of his hair and ran down behind his ears.
“Indeed,” said Rigo. “On what authority?” He stared at the odd face before him.
“Sanctity’s authority. They sent you. They told me to keep in touch.”
“I wasn’t given that information. I was told no one on Grass was to know anything about my mission here “ Rigo watched a drop of sweat roll down the man’s tiny nose and hang at the tip.
“I received word from the new Hierarch, Cory Strange. His message came on the same ship that brought you.”
Rigo smiled mirthlessly. “So there’s a new Hierarch. I wish he had taken office earlier. Brother Zoe. If he had, I wouldn’t be involved in this mess. Well, your authority doesn’t matter! Even if you have none at all, it doesn’t matter. I could refuse to tell you, but you could find it out from anyone out there in the hotel in ten minutes. There is no plague on Grass. Which means, at least by implication, there is a cure here, but we don’t know where. Or what Or how. We don’t know if people coming here are cured, and if so, permanently or only for a time. The answer is probably here on Grass. That’s all we know.”
The Elder Brother pulled a handkerchief from the pocket of his robe and wiped his face with it. “I … I … that is, I appreciate your giving me this information, Ambassador.” He turned and left the room, almost running.
Rigo started after him, then stopped as he saw a folded piece of paper lying on the floor. It had fallen from the Brother’s pocket when he pulled out his handkerchief. Rigo picked it up, smoothed it to see if it was important enough to send after the man.