The Pillars of Eternity

Gradually he faded out Mace’s continuing transports of delight. He ordered the spy-beam withdrawn from the city and then sat alone in the darkness. It seemed a wonder to him that he had never considered this before. After all, equilibrium was one of the basic principles of the colonnader card pack….

But no. The idea was fanciful, absurd. It seemed that his long cohabitation with the girl was causing his mind to wander.

He began thinking about the time-gems, and to wonder instead if Aban Ebarak would make any progress.

8

Two local days later Aban Ebarak received another visit, this time entirely unannounced.

But it was not without forewarning. He had rigged up a simple apparatus to project the images flashing so unpredictably from the time-gems onto a screen (though he had not, yet, worked out a way to capture a gem’s output on all facets simultaneously). On the screen, the door of the laboratory opened and a tall slender figure, wearing a hooded street cloak clasped at the throat, entered. Ebarak was able to study the face for several seconds before the image faded.

By resuming the investigation so rudely interrupted years before, he had been able to calibrate the angle through which light was refracted on entering a gem. The scene he was witnessing registered a time bracket of five minutes either way of the present. Since it had not happened yet, it would happen shortly.

Patiently he waited, until a small sound came from the other side of the door.

‘Come in, Cere,’ he called without turning his head.

The door opened and in walked Cere Chai Hebron, Director of the Department of Scientific Affairs, and econospheric Cabal member.

‘How did you recognize me?’ Hebron said in genuine surprise. He undid his cloak’s throat-clasp, threw back the hood and pulled a flat, flesh-coloured device from the side of his neck. Immediately his face began to change its appearance, no longer pulled into a false shape by the device’s neurological control over his facial muscles. The real face that now showed was pale and finely chiselled, like Ebarak’s, but unlike his it had a sultriness about the mouth, a hint of passion about the eyes, when Hebron listened or spoke intently.

‘The eyes, Cere,’ Ebarak said. ‘You forgot to disguise the eyes. That gadget couldn’t fool me.’ He was amused. A survey had once revealed that thirty-eight percent of scientific workers – a far higher percentage than chance could account for – had eyes of the same cool blue hue. There was still argument over what the finding meant.

Hebron sighed. It was a habit of people of his class to disguise themselves when moving alone in public. In this case he had an additional reason for doing so. He was putting himself at risk by being here at all.

‘There’s something else,’ Ebarak said. ‘You probably imagine I saw you come into the vestibule through a monitor. I didn’t. I watched you enter this laboratory – in advance.’

He spun a wheel, backtracking the recorder and running the scene again for Hebron’s benefit.

‘Time-gem?’ Hebron asked, staring at the few seconds of action in fascination.

‘Yes. You already know I have them, of course. That’s what brings you here.’ He paused. ‘It would make a good warning system, if it could be made reliable.’

‘But productive of paradoxes?’ Hebron suggested as the scene faded.

‘Oh, I don’t think so. Paradoxes don’t exist in the real world.’ Ebarak turned away from the screen, switched off the apparatus and swivelled to face Hebron. ‘I would have got word to you that I have the gems. You know that, don’t you?’

‘Do I?’ said Hebron acidly. Feeling the heat of the laboratory, he removed his cloak. Draping it over one arm, he stared down at Ebarak in schoolmasterly fashion. ‘You should have let me know immediately. This matter has been given top priority. It is only a matter of time before Orm’s bloodhounds track you down, and this Joachim Boaz, too. I shall protect you for as long as I can, but it would be easier if you had confided in me.’

‘Orm?’

‘He’s now chief of the Rectification Branch. And he’s a brute, I promise you.’

‘How did you find out I have the gems?’

‘My own people have been watching you. You met Boaz once, years ago. It seemed possible he would seek your help.’

Ebarak raised his eyebrows. ‘You knew of my acquaintance with Boaz?’

‘You told me, at the time.’

‘Did I?’ said Ebarak vaguely. His eyes glazed in a vain effort at recollection. This time it was Hebron’s turn to smile, partly with exasperation. Scorning memory adplants, Ebarak was prone to these blank spots in his knowledge of past details.

‘How many gems did Boaz give you?’ Hebron asked.

‘Twelve. But I believe he may have more.’

‘Let me see one.’

A trifle reluctantly, Ebarak went to a safe, bent to its audio plate where he quietly hummed a series of tones, and opened the thick metal door. He took out the pouch Boaz had given him, carefully extracted a gem, and handed it to Hebron.

The Director lifted the gem to the light, peering into its depths. He rolled it, chuckling.