Binary by Jay Caselberg (best short books to read txt) 📖

from the pallet and sat, pushing his hair back from his eyes.

There had to be more. "And?"

"Nothing, Principal. Your son was not here. Instead, I spoke with Guildmasters Ka Vail and Ky Menin. That man Edvin was here too."

Men Darnak was suddenly furious with the man's temerity. This was unbelievable. "Why are you concocting tales, Tchardo? What do you hope to gain? The Guildmasters would not do this to any of my people. What have you tried to do? Was it something with Roge? I know that he's quick to anger. Tell me!"

Tchardo stood. His robes were streaked with dried mud, and there was a dark smudge on one cheek, which could have been more mud, but it could conceivably have been a bruise.

"I'm telling you the truth, Principal. As the Prophet is my witness."

"No. Inconceivable."

Further discussion was interrupted by the reappearance of Malik who cleared his throat before speaking. His discomfort was evident as he delivered his message.

"Guildmaster Ky Menin is otherwise occupied. He cannot be disturbed right now. Principal Men Darnak has left."

Men Darnak turned on the man. "What! Did I hear you correctly?" The man swallowed. "Go back to the house. Get Ka Vail. I will not stand for this any longer. Do it now!"

He stepped out of the room and crossed to one of the covered groundcars, placing his hand flat upon its roof. He had to think. None of this was real. It couldn't be. Kovaar was suddenly behind him.

"Principal, I think that you should -- "

"Go away, Priest," he hissed. "I need to think." He sensed Kovaar hovering behind him for a moment or two longer, and then the priest withdrew. He ran his hands over the top of the covered groundcar. His life was slipping away from him, covered by a blanket of things that no longer made sense. He grabbed the sheet with both hands and tore it from the roof of the groundcar. It took him three separate attempts before it was fully free. He dropped the ends at his feet and ran his palms over the smooth, hard, vehicle's roof. Everything, everything stuck between what was meant to be and what it was. He had to see Roge, try and work out what was really happening. Roge wouldn't treat him in the same way Karin had -- curse her. And now the Guilds themselves were conspiring against him. He thought he had been doing the right thing, stepping back, letting the children come into their own. They had lived in his shadow for too long already. It couldn't be his fault that Karin had turned away from him. That didn't make sense either, unless there had been things about her that he hadn't seen. Perhaps his attention had been diverted because of his preoccupation with the Principate and the Guilds. Perhaps he had not paid them enough attention after all. But it was a father's duty to --

"Principal Men Darnak." He looked up. There stood Aron Ka Vail, and beside him, the tall thin figure of Karryl Ky Menin. Ky Menin was watching him with a wryly-amused expression. Ka Vail, on the other hand, was looking distinctly uneasy.

Men Darnak straightened, smoothed the front of his clothes and waited for them to approach.

"What are you doing here, Principal?" said Ka Vail.

"I came looking for my son, and I find this. What is the meaning of this, Aron?"

"I'm not sure what you mean, Principal."

"I mean I arrive here, I'm told Roge is not here, and I find my man locked up and mistreated. Who's responsible?"

Ky Menin's wryly amused expression remained. "I ordered him put away, Leannis. Some mad Atavist comes around with no warning, starts making claims, pretending to be a messenger from the Principal, threatening violence, what would you do?"

"You have no right!"

Ky Menin slowly shook his head and smiled. "I have every right, Leannis. You forget. You gave up your own rights when you stood down as Principal. Any rights you have are by virtue of your children now. Mine, however, are my own."

Deep within, Men Darnak understood the truth of what Ky Menin was saying, but for him to take it and use it like that was simply too much.

"Perhaps we should come up to the house," said Ka Vail.

"No, Aron, we will resolve this here," he said. He turned on Ky Menin. "What do you think I'm supposed to do? My daughter sends me from her estates with my men and turns me out into the storm. What sort of behavior is that? Haven't I given her everything?"

Ky Menin leaned in close. "Perhaps you have no idea what you have given her, Leannis. It's simple, and just for your education, I'll tell you what you've given her -- a fat useless husband and two brothers who have barely an idea what they're doing. Roge Men Darnak, Principal. Ha!"

"But tradition dictates..."

"Nothing," said Ky Menin pointedly. "It dictates nothing. We are here because of our own efforts, no other. All your holy tradition does is keep us in ignorance. It's because of the First Families that we have to go through this stupid nightmare every Return, every Season and all you've done is perpetuate it."

Men Darnak turned his back. "No, I won't listen to this."

Ky Menin stepped up close behind him and spoke quietly into his right ear. "You should listen to this, Leannis. For years, for seasons, we've had to listen to your blessed tradition, to your hollow mouthings about Order. Well, I'll tell you what your Order gives you. Stagnation, like everything else in this place. You used to have respect. You used to have good sense. You lost it along with your wife, and finally it has led to this. Now you've lost your children as well as your respect."

"No!" He turned to face the Guildmaster. "I cannot listen to this. I am going to find Roge. He won't turn me away. He'll listen to me."

"Roge has gone," said Ka Vail, looking troubled.

"I don't believe you," said Men Darnak. "He's here."

"Principal," said Witness Kovaar from the background. "Why don't you -- ?"

"Shut your noise, Priest," he said. Kovaar was becoming like an annoying drone in the back of his head. "No. I'm going to find Roge." He pushed past Ky Menin. Ka Vail reached out to stop him, but he shrugged off the hand and pushed past. He left them standing there in the garage. He would find Roge. If he found Roge, he could make this right. Karryl Ky Menin had gone too far. He was Principal, dammit. The man had no right to say those things.

A voice was crying out behind him. It sounded like Kovaar. No, damn Kovaar. Damn them all. Ky Menin might have been right about Karin, but he had absolutely no right to say it.

Back in the garage, Sandon leaned heavily against the doorframe of the small rear room. Two days stuck in darkness with limited food had done nothing to improve his fatigue. It looked like things were worse than he thought. Men Darnak's behavior was like nothing he expected from the old man. Gone was the reasoned rational discussion; gone was the command and authority. Ky Menin had stood over him and made him quiver. It was almost as if Men Darnak had shrunk under Ky Menin's verbal assault. The refusal to listen was not so unusual, but the flight to find Roge, it was irrational. What had happened to the man to change him so much?

He turned to Witness Kovaar. "Where are the rest of the men," he asked in a low voice.

"What rest?" said Kovaar, still staring out the garage door. "The three we came with, and that's it."

Sandon frowned. That wasn't right either. Leannis Men Darnak always traveled with a full entourage. The two Guildmasters after a brief discussion wandered out, seeming to have forgotten that Kovaar and he were even there. Sandon pushed himself upright.

"We should see where the Principal has gone," he said.

Kovaar seemed to remember where he was. He turned to look at Sandon, frowned, gave him a long look and then said, "Yes, of course, you are right."

"So what happened to the rest of the men?"

"The Prophet dictates the place of things and the rights of Order. When the storms approach, those who fear the Prophet's wrath run and hide."

It was Sandon's turn to frown. The man was talking nonsense. "What are you talking about, Witness Kovaar? What happened to the men?"

"The Prophet guides all men to be in their rightful place."

Sandon gave another weary sigh and headed for the open door. A moment more, and Kovaar caught him up with a brisk step. As he passed the groundcars, Sandon paused. There was space for three. Only two were there. He could see the marks of where the other had been parked. A dust sheet lay bundled on one of the side benches.

"What is it, Tchardo?" asked Kovaar.

"I don't know," he answered. "Something strange. These machines."

"Think only on what you should," said Kovaar. "Leave your hate of technology behind for a moment or two. We need to find the Principal."

Together they headed toward the house, Sandon feeling stiff and sore from sitting for too long in the same position locked in the cramped back room. Of Men Darnak and the two Guildmasters, there was no sign. The three men who had come with him now stood near the gate, holding their padders' reins and talking among themselves. Sandon headed in that direction.

"Have any of you seen which way the Principal went?"

"Tchardo! What happened to you?" It was the boy, Fran.

"Hello, Fran. It's good to see you again. It's a long story and we haven't the time at the moment. I'll tell you later. We need to find the Principal."

"He headed up to the house. The Guildmasters followed not much after."

"All right, Fran. You wait here. I'll go and find the Principal."

"No," said Kovaar. "You had best wait here, Tchardo. I will go."

Sandon hated to admit it, but Kovaar was right. He was hardly likely to get easy access to the house now. The priest stalked off and Sandon was left watching him. He pulled his robes tight about himself against the chill. At least it wasn't raining. He looked about, but the clouds were light fists, scudding across the sky, trailing plumes behind them. If he wore these robes long enough, eventually he might even get used to the seasonal cold. He looked at Fran and gave him a brief smile. He was a good-hearted young man. In Sandon's former life, he could have used someone like him. He analyzed that thought. Strange, he was already thinking of it as his former life, as if it had gone forever.

While they waited, he recounted the tale of his confrontation with Edvin and the two Guildmasters leading to his confinement.

"So, did you hit him?" said Fran eagerly. "I would have."

"Look who you're talking to, Fran," said one of the others with a laugh.

The boy looked confused for a moment, then blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," said Sandon. "The Atavist has no proscription against violent action; we just don't tend to find a need."

"Is that so?" said the other man. "Hmm, well who would have guessed?"

He turned to the one who had spoken. "How much do you really know about the Atavists?" he asked.

The man's answer was cut short by the reappearance of Principal Men Darnak striding back toward them from the house, his long cloak flapping about him, his hair streaming back, his hands waving. Witness Kovaar was racing behind him trying