Jack Vance - Demon Princes 03 - The Palace of Love.pdf - Jack Vance - widez2

The Palace Of Love

By Jack Vance

Book 3 in the "Demon Prince" Series

From Popular Handbook to the Planets, 348th edition. 1525:

SARKOVY: Single planet of Phi Ophiuchi. Planetary

constants: diameter-9,600 miles; sidereal day-37.2

hours; mass-1.40; G-.98 . . .

Sarkovy is moist and cloudy; with an axis normal to

the orbital plane it knows no seasons.

The surface lacks physiographical contrast. The

characteristic features of the landscape are the steppes:

Hopman Steppe, Gorobundur Steppe, the Great Black

Steppe, and others... . From the abundant flora the no-

torious Sarkoy venefices leach and distill the poisons for

which they are famous.

The population is largely nomadic, though certain

tribes, generically known as Night Hobs, live among

the forests. (For detailed information regarding the

rather appalling customs of the Sarkoy, consult the En-

cyclopedia of Sociology and The Sexual Habits of the Sarkoy,

by BA. Edgar.)

The Sarkoy pantheon is ruled by Godogma, who

carries a flower and a flail and walks on wheels. Every-

where along the Sarkoy steppes may be found tall poles

with wheels on high, in praise of Godogma, the strid-

ing, wheeling God of Fate.

THF DEMON PRINCPS

News feature in Rigelhan Journal, Avente, Alphanor

Paing, Godoland, Sarkovy July 12

As if Claris Adam were to he destroyed for beguil-

ing William Wales

As if the Abbatram of Pamfile were to be liquefied

for smelling too strongly

As if Deacon Fitzbah of Shaker City were to be

immolated for an excess of zeal

Today from Sarkovy comes news that Master Ve-

nefice Kakarsis Asm must "cooperate with the guild"

for selling poison

Circumstances, of course, are not all that simple

Asm's customer, no ordinary murderer, was Viole Fa-

lushe, one of the Demon Princes The essence of the

crime was neither "trafficking with a notorious crimi-

nal" nor "betrayal of guild secrets," but rather "selling

fixed-price poisons at a discount "

Kakarsis Asm must die

How7 How else7

The longer Alusz Iphigema traveled in the company ofKirth Ger-

sen, the less certain she became that she understood his personality.

His moods perplexed her, his behavior was a source of misgiving

His modesty and self-effacement-were they inversion, brooding

cynicism3 His careful politeness-could it be no more than a sin-

ister camouflage7 Such questions entered her mind with increasing

frequency no matter how staunchly she rejected them

On one occasion-the date was July 22, 1526-they sat on the

Avente Esplanada in front of the Grand Rotunda, Gersen sought

to explain the seeming contradictions of his character "There's

really no mystery I've been trained to a certain function It's all I

know To justify the training, to fulfill my life, I exercise the func-

tion It's as simple as that."

Alusz Iphigenia knew the general outlines ofGersen's past The

five Demon Princes joining for the historic raid on Mount Pleasant

had destroyed or enslaved five thousand men and women Among

the handful of survivors were Rolf Gersen and his young grandson

Alusz Iphigema realized that such an experience must alter anyone's

life, still, she herself had known tragedy and terror "I am not

changed," she told Gersen earnestly "I feel neither rage nor hate "

illL !^L~t(EOI LOl-L

"My grandfather relt the rage and hate," said Gersen in rather

a flippant tone ot voice "So far as I'm concerned the hate is ab-

stract "

'\lus/ Iphigema became e\cn more disturbed "Are you then

just a mechanism7 This is rnindtessness, to be the instrument of

someone else's hate'"

Crersen grinned "That's not quite accurate \\\ grandfather

trained me, or rather had me trained, and I am grateful to him.

Without the training I would be dead "

"He must ha\e been a terrible man, so to warp a child's mind'"

"He was a dedicated man," said Gersen "He loved me and

assumed I shared his dedication I did and I do "

"But what of the future7 Is revenge all you want from life7"

" 'Revenge'7 I don't think so I have only one life to live and

I know what 1 hope to achieve "

"But why not try to achieve the same goals through a lawful

agency7 Isn't this a better way7"

"There isn't any lawful agency Only the IPCC*, which isn't

altogether etfective "

" Fhen why not bring the issues before the people of the Con-

course, and the other important worlds7 You have the energy, you

have more than enough mono) Isn't this better than killing men

with your own hands7"

Gersen had no rational counterarguments "These aren't my

talents," he told her "I work alone at what I do best"

"But you could learn'"

Gersen shook his head "If [ involve myself with words and

harangues, I trap myself, I become futile "

Alus/ Iphigema rose to her feet She walked to the balustrade,

looked out across the rhaumaturge Ocean Gersen studied the

clear profile, the proud stance, as if he had never seen them before

The time was approaching when he must lose her, and everything

that was eas) and fresh and uncomplicated would leave his life The

breeze shifted her bright hair, she was looking down into the blue

water, watching the shifting glints and planes ofRigel light Gersen

sighed, picked up a newspaper and morosely scanned the frontpage

*IPC C Inn_r\u)rld Polin- ( oonim.unm C oinpirn-m thcon .a pn\ )[L or^mi/.mon

pri)

mim^ the I<)L)I poliLL s\stLins ot tin OikuiiiLiiL sp(.u lli^ul (.onsultltion

i cuitril inter

nnnon hit Lnniinolo^iLil hhonroriLs in prictiLt l siiptrgoicrnniLnnl igeno

oLLisionilh ninu-ninin^ as i bn in irscit I he complin stock is widd\

disscnimircd ind

though \ itlilin^ no t^rc it hn inu ll arum is much in dun ind

340 I HP DF MON PRINCFS

COSMOLOGISI KILIFD

Hyrcan Major Attacks Camping Party

Gersen glanced at the text

Trovenei, Phrygia, July 21 Johan Scrub, advocate

of the star-capture theory which assigns the original

parentage of the Concourse Worlds to Blue Compan-

ion, yesterday was set upon by an adult hyrcan ma)or,

and almost instantly killed Dr Strub and several mem-

bers of his family were exploring the Midas Mountains

of upper Phrygia and unwittingly crossed the elving-

platform of a king beast Before others in his party were

able to destroy the eight-foot ogre, Dr Strub had suf-

fered fatal blows

Dr. Strub is chiefly noted for his efforts to prove

that Blue Companion and the twenty-six worlds of the

Concourse were originally an independent system

which wandered into the gravitational domain of Rigel

Such a circumstance would explain the disparity in the

ages of the Concourse worlds and Rigel, a compara-

tively young star

Gersen looked up Alusz Iphigenia had not moved He read on

COSMOPOLIS MAGAZINE ABOUT TO BE SOLD

Famous Old Journal Faces Extinction

Directors Make Last-ditch Efforts at Salvage

London, England, Earth, June 25 The ancient firm of

Radian Publishing Company today sought a stopgap loan

to meet the chronic annual deficit incurred in the publica-

tion of Cosmopohs, the 792-year-old magazine devoted to the

life and affairs of the civilized universe Sherman Zugweil,

Chairman of Radian's Board of Directors, admitted a crisis

to be at hand, but announced himself confident of coping

with it and keeping the doughty old journal in circulation

another eight hundred years

THF P iLiCE OF LOIT 341

Alusz Iphtgenu had shifted her position Elbows on the balustrade,

chin resting in her hands, she studied the hon/on Contemplating

the soft contours, Gersen felt himself softening He now was a man

of almost unlimited wealth, the\ could live a life of wonderful ease

and pleasure Gersen considered a long minute, then shrugged

and looked back to the newspaper

S^RKO\^ POISON-VUSIER TO DIF

C.UILU RULES \IOL\IFD

Pamg, Godoland, Sarkovy, July 12 As if Claris Adam

were to he destroyed

Alus/ Iphigenia glanced over her shoulder Gersen was reading the

newspaper in complete absorption She swung around in outrage.

Here was sang-froid indeed While she wrestled with doubts and

conflicts, Gersen read a newspaper an act of conspicuous msensi-

tivity'

Gersen looked up, smiled. His mood had changed. He had

comeah\e Alusz Iphigenia's fury ebbed Gersen was a man beyond

her understanding, whether he were vastly more subtle than she or

vastly more elemental, she would never know

Gersen had risen to his feet "We're going on a trip Across

space, toward Ophmchus Are vou ready3"

"Ready2 You mean now2"

"Yes Now W^hynot^

"No reason Yes, I'm ready In two hours "

"I'll call the spaceport "

The Distis Spaceship Corporation produced nineteen models,

ranging from a version of the 9B to the splendid Distis Imperatrix,

with a black and gold hull. With funds derived from his epic looting

of Interchange* Gersen had purchased a Pharaon, a spacious craft

equipped with such niceties as an automatic atmospheric control

which during the course of a voyage gradually altered air pressure

and composition to match that of the destination.

Rigel and the Concourse receded. Ahead lay star-spangled dark-

ness. Alusz Iphigenia studied the Star Directory with a puzzled

frown. "Ophiuchus isn't a star. It's a sector. Where are we going?"

"The sun is Phi Ophiuchi," said Gersen, and after a barely

perceptible pause, "the planet is Sarkovy."

"Sarkovy?" Alusz Iphigenia looked up quickly. "Isn't that where

the poisons come from?"

Gersen gave a curt nod. "The Sarkoy are poisoners, no doubt

about it."

Alusz Iphigenia looked dubiously out the forward port. Ger-

sen's haste to leave Alphanor had puzzled her. She had credited a

sudden determination to alter his way of life; now she was not so

sure. She opened Handbook to the Planets, read the article on Sar-

kovy. Gersen stood by the pharmaceutical cabinet, compounding a

conditioner against possibly noxious serums, proteins, viruses and

bacilli of Sarkovy.

'Interchange an institution of the planet Sasani in the near-Beyond,

functioning as a

detention depot and broker between kidnappers and those who sought to pay

ransom.

Gersen had swindled Interchange of ten billion SVU (Standard Value Units).

THE PALACE OF LOVE 343

Alusz Iphigenia asked, "Why are you going to this planet? It

seems an evil place."

"I want to talk to someone," said Gersen in a measured voice.

He handed her a cup. "Drink this; you'll avoid itches and scabs."

Wordlessly Alusz Iphigenia drank the mixture.

There were no formalities at Sarkovy; Gersen landed at Paing

Space-port, as close as possible to the depot, a timber structure

roofed with varnished reeds. A clerk registered them as visitors, and

they were immediately set upon by a dozen men wearing dark

brown gowns with bristling fur collars and cuffs. Each protested

himself the foremost guide and sponsor of the region.

"What do you wish, my sir, my lady? A visit to the village? I

am a hetman-"

Jack Vance - Demon Princes 03 - The Palace of Love.pdf

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