The Emperor of Everything

Hemerthe widened his eyes in dramatized surprise. “You don’t know? Why then did you board the Life-Seeker?”

Ruiz assumed he referred to the barge. “It was somewhat of an emergency — no other transport was available, and we were fleeing for our lives.”

“Ah.” Hemerthe’s face smoothed out as he digested the information. “You did not, then, intend to seek refuge with us?”

Ruiz’s curiosity was piqued. “Refuge?” They needed refuge, if the cost was not too high.

“This is the purpose of the Life-Seekers, to bring to us those who hope to be worthy of refuge.”

That sounded less promising, as though there might be tests of “worthiness.” “I see,” said Ruiz, though he did not.

“Good. To return to your questions, I am the autonomous revenant of one of our prime founders, who departed his embodied life almost sixteen hundred years ago. And this is Deepheart, where immortal love defeats eternal death.”

This speech was delivered with well-projected fervor; it had the ring of an oft-repeated motto. Ruiz searched his memory for anything related to a cult called Deepheart. Nothing definite emerged, but the name tickled at something in the depths. Sooner or later he would remember.

“Perhaps,” Ruiz said, “you might be more specific?”

“Perhaps,” answered Hemerthe tolerantly. “But first the Joined must discuss the meaning of your presence, and our response.”

“Might I ask what sort of responses you might consider?”

Hemerthe smiled. “They vary widely. We might throw you to the margars who swim the lagoon’s depths, or sell you to the slave pound uplevel. That’s the usual fate of those found unworthy — which discourages the frivolous from crowding the Life-Seekers.”

“Oh.”

“Or, you might be offered refuge.” Hemerthe was abruptly serious. “You have a certain hard beauty — if your mind matches your flesh, you may find a place among us.”

Ruiz wondered if his smile had gone somewhat sour. “There are no other options?”

Hemerthe shook his head. “Rarely.”

“Oh.”

Hemerthe was suddenly brisk. “You may wish to assist us in making the others of your party comfortable. Their language is not immediately identifiable; can you help?”

“They’re natives of Pharaoh; they speak the major dialect,” said Ruiz, and gave the coordinates of the system.

“Thank you. We’ll acquire an adaptor module in a few minutes; our datastream is well connected.”

“Good,” said Ruiz, in a hollow voice.

“Yes, a good start,” said Hemerthe. “Now, sleep, recuperate, luxuriate. Prove to us that you can enjoy these simple pleasures.”

Ruiz nodded.

Just before he turned to a cloud of glowing confetti and faded away, Hemerthe winked at Ruiz and said, “I was just teasing you, about the margars.”

Nisa also took advantage of the shower and the robe, but she had no idea what function the holotank served, so she ignored it until it chimed and filled with misty color.

The woman whose image condensed in the tank smiled reassuringly at Nisa. “Don’t be afraid,” she said in a soft clear voice.

“I’m not,” said Nisa. To her surprise, she discovered that she was telling the truth. Was she becoming inured to wonders?

“Fine.” It seemed to Nisa that the woman was as striking as Corean, in a different way. Her body, clothed in a clinging silky gown, was fuller, its contours more lushly female. She appeared to be somewhat older than Corean, and her smooth oval face had a time-polished beauty, a quality of confident experience — the sort of beauty, Nisa thought, that a face as perfect as Corean’s would never gain. Nisa wondered how old the woman actually was.

“My name is Repenthe,” said the woman. “What is yours?”

“Nisa.”

“A pretty name. It suits you.” The woman smiled, with what seemed genuine warmth. “You’ll have questions. We’ve already talked to Ruiz Aw, who must be your leader. We understand that you boarded the Life-Seeker by mistake; we’ll consider your status carefully. Meanwhile, I’m here to help you. Call on me anytime, by speaking the word activate.”

Nisa thought. “Can you tell me who you are, and why you send out the barges? That’s what you do, isn’t it?”

“Yes; how perceptive of you. We send out the Life-Seekers to expand the breadth and strength of love available in Deepheart — which is the name of this place, our community.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Not yet. But you will. Perhaps there will be refuge here for you — you are lovely, and we have evidence that you can love.”

“Excuse me?” Nisa was having difficulty following the meaning of Repenthe’s words.

Repenthe laughed. “Watch.”

She faded away magically, and was replaced by darkness and the sparkle of tiny lights.