Темное, кривое зеркало. Том 3 : След на песке.(ЛП)

"Proxima. We can cure you there. We can help you. You were just…. led astray. Brainwashed, even. The President might not like the idea of your coming back, but he understands. You're no threat to him any more. Come home."

"Cure…? Oh no. Dad…. tell me…. you didn't…. The Shadows…."

"Shadows? What sort of name is that? Yes, I work for them, John, but they helped me. They help all of us."

"They…. did this…. to me…."

"No. Delenn did that to you. And G'Kar, and all of these aliens here. John…. the Shadows…. are our friends. They helped me. They saved my life. Without them, I'd be dead. As dead as your mother is."

"No…. Don't want to hear this."

"What choice do you have? John, listen to me! The Minbari have got to you, and they've brought you here! Jha'dur infected you thanks to them! They caused you to rebel against your own Government…. to fire on your own ships…. to kill your own people.

"And as for Anna…."

"No. I'm just dreaming." The cry was pitiful, almost too painful for him to bear, but he continued. Some things had to be said.

"They did that to you, John. I don't…. understand how you could do…. what you did to her…. but you're my son, and you always will be. I forgive you. Just come home."

"No. Who are you? My Dad would never work for…. those things. I don't…. I'm dreaming. You're not real. Go away."

He sighed softly, and then nodded. "I see. I'm sorry, John. I'm…. really sorry. But you're still my son." He rose to his feet, and slowly walked to the door. "Goodbye, John." Then he left.

John Sheridan stayed awake long into the night, wet tears on his face.

* * *

Alfred Bester had once thought of his greatest virtue as being that he always knew where his priorities lay. As he contemplated the end of Sanctuary he weighed them up in his mind and found that they were accurate, as always.

Sanctuary had been a great asset to him, but it was now in danger, and if it must be lost, then lost it must be. There were greater things to worry about.

His people, his friends, and his loved one…. not necessarily in that order.

By necessity he had trusted very few people in the course of his life. His own people, of course, he had always known and wished to trust implicitly. All telepaths and telekinetics were his siblings after all, and they would one day inherit the galaxy together. Sadly, however, he had learned through bitter experience that too many of them were more like wayward children than attentive brothers and sisters. Too many of them did not understand, and wanted to do things…. differently.

Although he wished for little else than to trust them all, he knew that as a practicality he could trust very few. It was truly sad, but they were his people and he could forgive them anything. He had even forgiven Donne, for her…. misguided actions that had caused her failure, and his current predicament.

But while his own people could be forgiven anything, mundanes were a different matter entirely. They bred like rabbits, they had no regard for themselves or others, and they killed indiscriminately. He did not hate them, but as far as he was concerned they were simply a lesser breed. He did not hate animals for failing to understand how things truly worked, so why should he hate mundanes, who were after all only animals?

Two of them however, much to his surprise, had become his friends.

One of them was by now almost certainly dead, and he was as saddened by Michael's death as he would have been had any of his own people died. A sad, unfortunate waste of life. He had gone to break the news to Michael's widow Lianna as soon as he was sure. He owed his friend that much at least.

His other mundane friend was with him now, putting into action one of the final stages of a safety plan both of them had conceived in anticipation of things going as badly wrong as they had.

Captain Ari Ben Zayn, one of the most talented and experienced soldiers in these troubled times, listened carefully to Bester's requirements, interrupting every so often with a comment or advisory of his own. He had helped devise this plan, but that did not mean he was comfortable with it.

When Bester was finished, Ben Zayn spoke up: "I still think you're taking too much responsibility for this upon yourself," he said. "Surely another of us can take on your role."

"Impossible, as I said. Our enemies know me. They do not know the rest of us. Firstly, we must conceal from them our true strength and numbers, and secondly…. if anyone else takes on my role then they might decide on an alternative strategy and our plan will be wasted."

"It's too risky."

"Life is a risk. Come now, Captain, we do not even know if the Government at Proxima will attack here. They may not know of the exact circumstances of my betrayal. All these preparations may not be necessary."

"Only a fool spends all his time hoping for everything to work out for the best," the scar-faced Captain said bluntly.