Noble Lies

by Gary Inbinder

conclusion

That night, lying next to him in bed, Aurelia whispered, “The sick are the greatest danger for the healthy...”

Her words staggered him like a sucker punch; his gut tensed as it did going into combat. Painfully, he controlled himself, and responded, “It is not from the strongest that harm comes to the strong, but from the weakest.”

ISP Agent Aurelia Finn briefed Ludwig on his assignment. He repressed feelings of betrayal and resentment; they remained hidden, like pornography buried in the depths of a dark closet.

Aurelia and Ludwig sat on the cool, soft silk-sheeted bed, a space between them implying a lost sense of trust.

“When did you last see your parents, Major Ludwig?”

“Eleven years ago, at my graduation from the Silver Academy. Why do you ask?”

Aurelia responded to Ludwig’s question, with another question. “Isn’t it true you were raised by the Republic, that in fact your natural parents have played little or no part in your education and upbringing?”

Ludwig’s parents were shadows of a previous life. However, more than bringing him into this world, they were instrumental in forming his character. As a young boy, his father took him hunting, teaching him how to stalk and kill an elusive prey. His father also taught Ludwig the art of single combat.

One memory of his parents surpassed all others in vivid significance. On the morning of his thirteenth birthday, a hot, muggy summer day, his father took him to a clearing in the forest to practice fencing with wooden swords. At thirteen, Ludwig stood over six feet tall, weighed one hundred and eighty pounds, was tough as whipcord, and skilled in the martial arts.

At the beginning of their match, his father said, “Hold nothing back. Fight as if your life depended on it.”

The contest began, and Ludwig more than held his own, beating back his father’s cuts and thrusts with fierce counterattacks. After several minutes of combat, it seemed as though Ludwig might win, when a mental error gave his father an opening and Ludwig went down.

Writhing on the ground like a wounded animal, Ludwig suffered the worst beating of his life, his father thrashing him with his wooden sword. Before losing consciousness, he heard his father say, “In this world, the strong survive, and the weak go under. If you are going to be a weakling, better that you die now.”

Ludwig recovered quickly, thanks in part to his mother’s tender care. It was the closest they had been since she weaned him. That fall, he went to the Silver Academy, where he excelled in all his studies, especially his military training. He graduated with honors, near the top of his class. Both his parents attended, weeping with pride as he marched in review, carrying the student Regimental colors. He had not seen or heard from them since.

“Cut the crap, Aurelia. You have my orders; give them to me.”

Aurelia frowned. Ludwig thought he saw a tear forming in the corner of an eye; she quickly brushed it away. Reaching out with her right hand she gently stroked his hair. This gesture, once so welcome, now seemed cold and repellent, like the caress of a ghost. “I’m sorry, Luddy. Your parents are traitors; they’ve collaborated with the Algolians. You’re ordered to kill them.”

Ludwig was beyond being shocked. “If they are traitors, why doesn’t the ISP arrest them, have them charged and tried?”

“You’re a hero; the publicity of an arrest and trial discredits both you and the Republic. As a Gold Citizen, you’re getting a chance to serve the state and at the same time vindicate your honor. Your parents will die in an accident, and your name will remain untarnished.”

“I see. It’s a test, isn’t it? Saving a company of the Republican Guard and leading a counterattack resulting in a great victory isn’t enough.”

“I’m afraid that’s true. We Golds must prove ourselves every day.” Aurelia moved closer, her fragrant warmth filling the space between them. “And Luddy, for what it’s worth, these last two weeks were very real for me.”

Ludwig succumbed to her presence; he held her, kissed her milky-white neck just below the ear, and whispered, “For me, too, Aurelia... for me too.”

VII

“How do you like my little garden, Colonel Zack?” Consul Finn smiled benignly as he queried his guest. Fifty-five years old, slender, steely-eyed, shaved head, and white skin stretched tautly over aquiline features and skull, Finn was one of the most powerful leaders of the Republican Federation.

Zack and Consul Finn reclined on couches next to a pool in the center of Finn’s peristyle garden. The Consul lived in a Platinum and Gold-restricted Capitol Hill penthouse, the first floor of which faithfully replicated an ancient Roman villa. The sky above was a ceiling projection, programmed to simulate weather conditions in Latium at the time of the late Roman Republic. Artificial lighting carefully mimicked the natural; outdoor sounds, including chirping crickets, croaking frogs, warbling nightingales and hooting owls, entered the peristyle unobtrusively through carefully placed hidden speakers.

A colonnaded walkway surrounded simulated foliage giving off oxygen and fragrance indistinguishable from real flowers, herbs and shrubs. Marble and bronze statuary garlanded with artificial blossoms lined the walkway; colorful tiles, trickling pools and spouting fountains ornamented the peristyle. Mechanical eels slithered through sparkling mosaic lined ponds, and efficient android slaves hovered silently, seeing to the needs of the master and his guests.

“It’s amazing, Excellency, that such a place exists in the midst of our bustling Capital City.” Like the Consul, Zack dressed in a toga; Zack’s garment simulated the style of the ancient equestrian order, while the Consul wore the robe of a patrician.

Zack savored a strong, earthy red wine; finishing his drink, he admired the workmanship of his carved glass goblet. An attentive female android immediately refilled his glass.

“I’m very pleased, Colonel, with your after-action report on the Ludwig matter. You and my daughter handled the assignment discreetly, and with great finesse. I believe my position as First Consul for the following year is secure, and you will not find me ungrateful.”

Zack responded with his most ingratiating smile; Finn’s anticipated elevation to First Consul assured Zack command of a Brigade, or perhaps a Division. “Thank you, Excellency. Permit me a comment about agent Finn’s performance. Without her, this matter might not have gone so smoothly.”

Finn smiled, amused by the Colonel’s obsequious praise of his daughter. “Indeed, Aurelia is a very talented and useful young woman. And here she comes now.”

Aurelia entered the peristyle quietly through the front door, dressed in the plain gray uniform of an ISP agent. Acknowledging the Colonel with a brief nod, she approached her father, kissing his outstretched hand, and taking a seat by his side.

Consul Finn scowled playfully at his daughter, remarking, “You really should have changed, Aurelia. Your attire spoils the antique effect.”

“Forgive me, father, I’m on duty and must return to headquarters shortly.”

Finn altered his frown, to a wry smile. “What a good little soldier you are; duty before everything.” Aurelia lowered her eyes, a faint blush coloring her pale cheeks. “I’m serious, Aurelia. You made Ludwig perform admirably, and everything went off without a hitch: the hover car accident, the funeral, the way you handled the press. The pictures of Ludwig in full dress uniform, standing at attention by his parents’ graves with you at his side, are priceless. So when is the wedding to be?”

Aurelia looked directly at the Consul. “I’m sure you know that better than I do, father. I suppose once a decent interval has passed and it best suits your purpose.”

Finn beamed. Turning to Zack, he said, “You see, Colonel, what an exemplary child I have.”

“Exemplary, indeed, Excellency. I’d be honored to have Agent Finn in my Regiment.”

Aurelia’s pager bleeped. Excusing herself, she checked the message. Getting up from the couch, she bowed, and said, “I’m wanted at headquarters.”

As a magnanimous gesture calculated to impress his guest, the Consul rose from his seat, and embraced his daughter.

Finn watched Aurelia leave, returned to his couch, and snapped his finger at an android. “More wine, and be quick about it.”

With Aurelia out of earshot, and his tongue loosened by alcohol, the Colonel ventured a risky observation. “I wonder what would happen if Ludwig knew the truth.”

Consul Finn glared at the Colonel. “What is truth?”

Regretting his momentary lapse in judgment, Zack replied, “Whatever you say it is, Excellency.”

“Exactly so, Colonel. Ludwig will know what I want him to know. He’s the hero of the hour, and will be a very loyal and useful son-in-law. He believes his parents were traitors, and that he redeemed them and himself by his actions. His reward will be a First Consul’s daughter, my patronage, and rapid promotion in the officer corps. You, my daughter, and his new best friend D’Ax will be his mentors. I hold the three of you accountable, so don’t screw up.”

“You can count on me, Excellency. However, Ludwig will require close watching; after all, he’s not really one of us.”

The Consul continued gazing at the Colonel; the glare softened, and some of his beneficence returned. He took a long drink of wine, wiping some dribble from his lip and chin with his toga sleeve. “Someone who rises from the bottom to the middle thinks he has reached the top. Ludwig may not yet be one of us, but he will be. That, my friend, is the truth.”