To Save the Sun by Ben Bova; A J Austin

Author:Ben Bova; A J Austin
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fiction - Science Fiction, American Science Fiction And Fantasy, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Sun, End of the world, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Astrophysics, General
ISBN: 9780812514483
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 1993-10-31T07:00:00+00:00

The day had begun with a beautiful summer sunrise over the green Kentucky hills to the east. It was still early, and Eric and his father strolled the grounds on what was to be their last morning together before the Emperor returned to the Moon. In the two days that had passed since returning to Woodsgate, his father's wounds had been quick-healed, and only a slight shininess of plastiskin remained on his cheek where the bone structure of his face had been rebuilt. In a few days more even that would be gone, and with it, all physical traces of their ordeal.

"I'll tell you something else," his father was saying. He'd stopped to make a point, and Eric let his eyes roam the garden as he spoke. He felt a strong, humid breeze from the south and already felt warm in his formal Imperial jacket. Today would be hot, he knew. "In many ways, I don't really miss it. Without my integrator, I've been more at peace with myself than I have in years." He chuckled to himself, and added, "Of course, once they've reactivated the circuitry I'm sure I'll wonder how I ever got along without it."

"What about House Valtane?"

Eric's blunt question took his father by surprise, and he resumed walking before answering. "I don't know. I'm forced to admit that she's covered her tracks well. We've been able to find little, if any, ties to the Sarpan other than the most innocuous of trade agreements. She apparently has no interest whatever in the project, other than how it might affect her personal gain, and merely used the zealousness of Johnson and his people to get to us. Without their leader to guide them, it's becoming ridiculously easy to round up what's left of them."

"There will still be resistance, I suppose."

His father sighed. "Yes, I suppose mere will. But nothing as fanatical—or as fatalistic—as Johnson's group. They were the only serious threat." Javas looked away again and cleared his throat. He was clearly uneasy about something. He took a deep breath, then said, "Eric… has Master McLaren told you of the test of courage that is given to each heir to the Empire upon his reaching manhood?"

Eric felt his heart race suddenly, but hid his true feelings as best he could. "He's not yet spoken of it to me, not directly anyway; but yes, I know of it."

His father nodded in understanding. "Do you know that my oldest brother failed?"

A whisper: "Yes."

Javas sighed again. "I can't guess how much you know about what happened, but accept that the test is the final determination of a man's fitness to rule. To fail the test proves cowardice, which is punishable by death—instantly and without question—at the hands of a member of the House of Arman. Only he can set the conditions of the test; only he can be the judge in this. It is tradition, and cannot, will not, be broken."

Javas pushed, and stared off into the distance where a flock of game birds were clearing a rise at the edge of the estate grounds.

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