The Descent

'Here before us is another  example  of  why  we  can't  stay  in  our  homes,  believing  we know the truth. We must unlearn our instincts, even  as we  depend  on  them.  We  must put  our  hands  on  what  is  untouchable.  Listen  for  his  motion.  He's  out  there,  in  old books and ruins and artifacts. Inside our language  and  dreams.  And  now,  you  see,  the evidence will not come to us. We must go to it, wherever  it  is.  Otherwise  we're  merely looking  into  mirrors  of  our  own  invention.  Do  you  understand?  We  must  learn  his language. We must learn his dreams. And perhaps bring him into the family of man.' Thomas leaned on the table. It  gave  a  slight  groan  beneath  his  weight.  He  looked  at Ali.  'The  truth  is,  we  must  go  out  into  the  world.  We  must  risk  everything.  And  we must not return  without the prize.'

'Even if I believed in your  historical Satan,' Ali said, 'it's not my  fight.'

The  meeting  had  adjourned.  Hours  had  passed.  The  Beowulf  scholars  had  gone  off, leaving  her  alone  with  January  and  Thomas.  She  felt  weary  and  electrified  at  the

same time, but tried to show only a smooth  face.  Thomas  was  a  cipher  to  her.  He  was making her a cipher to herself.

'I  agree,'  Thomas  replied.  'But  your  passion  for  the  mother  tongue  helps  us  in  our fight, you see. And so our interests  marry.'

She glanced at January. Something was different in her eyes.  Ali  wanted  an  ally,  but what she saw was obligation and urgency. 'What is it you want from me?'

What  Thomas  next  told  her  went  beyond  daring.  He  was  toying  with  a  yellowed globe, and now let it spin to a halt.  He  pointed  at  the  Galápagos  Islands.  'Seven  weeks from  now,  a  science  expedition  is  to  be  inserted  through  the  Pacific  floor  into  the Nazca  Plate  tunnel  system.  It  will  consist  of  roughly  fifty  scientists  and  researchers who have  been recruited  mostly from American  universities  and  laboratories.  For  the next  year,  they'll be operating out of a state-of-the-art  research  institute based on the Woods Hole model. It's  said to be located at a remote  mining  town.  We're  still  working to  learn  which  mining  town,  and  if  the  science  station  even  exists.  Major  Branch  has been helpful, but even  military intelligence can't make heads or tails  out  of  why  Helios is underwriting the project and what they're  really  up to.'

'Helios?' Ali said. 'The corporation?'

'It's  actually  a  multinational  cartel  comprising  dozens  of  major  businesses,  totally diversified,'   January   said.   'Arms   manufacture   to   tampons   to   computers.   Baby formula,  real  estate,  car  assembly  plants,  recycled  plastics,  publishing,  plus  television and  film  production,  and  an  airline.  They're   untouchable.   Now,   thanks   to   their founder,  C.C.  Cooper,  their   agenda   has  taken   a  sharp   turn.   Downward  into  the subplanet.'

'The presidential candidate,' Ali said. 'You served  in the Senate with him.'

'Mostly  against  him,'  January  said.  'He  is  a  brilliant  man.  A  true  visionary.  A  closet fascist.  And  now  a  bitter  and  paranoid  loser.  His  own  party  still  blames  him  for  the humiliation  of  that  election.  The  Supreme  Court  eventually  tossed  out  his  charges  of election fraud. As a result, he sincerely believes  the world's out to get him.'

'I haven't heard a thing about him since his defeat,' said Ali.

'He  quit  the  Senate  and  returned  to  Helios,'  January  said.  'We  were  sure  that  was the end of him, that Cooper  would  quietly  go  back  to  making  money.  Even  the  people who watch such  things  didn't  notice  for  a  while.  C.C.  was  using  shells  and  proxies  and dummy   corporations   to   snap   up   access   rights   and   tunneling   equipment   and subsurface technology. He was cutting deals with governments  of nine different Pacific Rim  nations  to  joint-venture  the  drilling  operations  and  provide  labor,  again  hidden behind  numerous  layers.  The  result  is  that  while  we've  been  pacifying  the  regions underneath  our  cities  and  continents,  Helios  has  gotten  the  jump  on  everyone  else  in suboceanic exploration and development.'

'I thought the colonization was under international auspices,' said Ali.

'It is,' said January, 'within the boundaries of international law. But  international  law hasn't  caught  up  with  nonsovereign  territories.  Offshore,  the  law  is  still  catching  up with subterranean  discoveries.'