To Dream in the City of Sorrows (30 page)

Neroon grunted in angry disapproval and left.

By the time Sinclair returned to the Ranger compound, it was already noon. He found Catherine pacing anxiously as he walked through the door of their quarters.

“When I was awakened in the early hours of the morning by a knock on the door and you weren’t in bed or anywhere to be found, I was more than just a little worried,” she said, before he could get in a word. “A Minbari I’ve never seen before told me Jenimer has died, so all activity is suspended for the day. He didn’t say so, but I just assumed you must have gone to wherever Jenimer was.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get word to you. Everything happened so suddenly.” He sat down tiredly. He hadn’t slept in twenty-four hours. Sakai sat next to him, and he put his arm around her. “I’m really going to miss him, Catherine. I hadn’t realized just how much. In just a short time I really came to see Jenimer as my friend, as much as Delenn. As much as anyone I’ve ever known. A truly good person. Damn!”

They sat silently for a moment, Sinclair staring off into space, Sakai waiting patiently. After a long while, he looked down at her and smiled. “It makes me all the more glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.” She kissed him. “So what happens now. Will they select another leader right away?”

Sinclair shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so. It’s the Grey Council’s choice as to when a new Chosen One is selected, and I don’t think they will make that choice until they have to. They don’t have to until ten Minbari cycles have passed.” He paused. “They did make one choice this morning, though. I’m to be made Entil’Zha, in about a week and a half.”

“Well,” she said, clearly not knowing what to say. “Are you happy about it?”

“As Neroon pointed out to me this morning, what harm could there be in a Human Entil’Zha for a group of mostly Human Rangers?”

“Then congratulations.”

“Yeah,” he said. “But I’d trade it all for a couple hours sleep.”

“I don’t think the Minbari would approve,” she said as she helped him up and guided him into the bedroom.

C
HAPTER 26

“THE ceremony protocols must be followed exactly!” Neroon said adamantly to Rathenn, from across the wide conference table.

Rathenn was every bit as determined. “We have presented you with the medical facts. A provision must be made for this unique situation. His Human physiology makes it impossible–“

“Nothing in our tradition justifies changing such an important part of the ceremony for the sake of any person. Besides,” Neroon finished with great sarcasm, “none of this should be a problem for a ‘Minbari not born of Minbari.’“

The two Satai glared at each other. The argument, the latest in a series of arguments, had been raging for the past fifteen minutes in Sinclair’s presence, without either one of them asking for his opinion. He let them continue while he listened carefully. As the day of the ceremony to install Sinclair as Entil’Zha had approached, the two Grey Council members had been clashing repeatedly over the finer points of religious and political protocol, and Sinclair had let them work out their own compromises without interfering.

But now, with the ceremony only two days away, they had taken up the first issue to concern him in any real way, and it seemed more and more likely that only he would be able to resolve it.

“But you have already agreed to this,” Rathenn said.

“I agreed only to help prepare for a traditional ceremony,” Neroon countered. “And part of the ceremony is drinking a cup of sha‘neyat. Just how much of our sacred tradition are you willing to discard for the sake of this Human?”

Sha‘neyat translated loosely as death destroyer. Sinclair knew it was a potent liquid, of great symbolic significance, distilled from a combination of flowers, fruits, and grains. The drink was used only in certain religious ceremonies where it was considered an essential ceremonial element. Until now, only Minbari had been allowed to partake of it. Sinclair was to be the first, but the Ranger doctors had discovered one small problem: sha’neyat was deadly poison to Humans.

“So you would have us follow the ceremony to the letter,” Rathenn said, “even if it kills the Entil’Zha?”

Sinclair decided he had heard enough. “I don’t think you should present that as an option to Satai Neroon,” he told Rathenn in a good-humored voice. “He seems a little too eager to take you up on it.”

Neroon and Rathenn both looked surprised at the interruption. They were aware Sinclair had deliberately kept out of all previous disagreements over ceremonial details, and seemed to have momentarily forgotten that he had a personal stake in this one.

“I’ve participated in other Minbari ceremonies, and I’ve read a lot about this one in particular. As far as I can determine, there is no requirement to drink a full cup of the stuff. I’m sure you’ll correct me if I’m rong, but I believe the relevant phrase is ‘taste of it.’ I only need to take a sip to satisfy tradition.”

“But Ambassador,” Rathenn immediately protested, “the doctors say even that could make you deathly ill.”

“They say it depends on how large a sip I take. It can be done.” Sinclair turned to Neroon. “Will that satisfy your protocols?”

Neroon regarded Sinclair a little suspiciously. “You are willing to actually swallow some of the liquid? Not just raise the chalice to your lips?”

“I give you my word.”

 Neroon studied Sinclair for a moment more. “That should suffice,” he said with a small bow of his head, showing maybe just a touch of respect, the first Sinclair had seen from Neroon since coming to Minbar.

It didn’t last long. “Now for this contemptible notion that the ceremonial meal afterward will not feature the Se n’kai fruit,” Neroon said. “This is an insult to the military caste.”

“The Satai is quite aware that is not an essential part of the ceremony,” Rathenn immediately countered. “Se n’kai trees were far more prevalent in Valen’s time than now ...”

Sinclair sighed and sat back to let them argue.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Sakai asked for what must have been the twentieth time. She and Sinclair were leaving Valen’s house in the predawn darkness, headed for the center of the compound where a stand had been erected and everyone had been assembled for the ordination of the new Entil’Zha. She couldn’t help asking one more time. If he displayed even the smallest doubt, she would do everything in her power to dissuade him from drinking the noxious potion and Neroon could go straight to hell.

But Sinclair just laughed it off. “The doctors assure me I’ll survive. Just one small sip.”

“There’s a lot of things that can kill you with just one small sip,” she replied, still not convinced.

“Come on,” he said, putting his arm around her. “We have other things to worry about. Like not screwing up this ceremony.”

“After all of Rathenn’s tutoring? I could do it in my sleep. In fact I have been. When you woke me up I was dreaming about it.”

“Was it like those dreams where you show up at school or work without your clothes on?”

“Yeah,” she said, “only in my dream you were the one who wasn’t dressed.”

“Oh, did I forget to tell you about that part of the ceremony?”

She laughed. She knew he was trying to ease her apprehension over what was coming up. It was working. Sort of. Actually Sinclair did look somewhat underdressed without the brown hooded cowl he was usually required to wear over the basic Ranger uniform. That was because he’d be presented with another one at the ceremony, and one of her responsibilities would be to help him don it with as much dignity and as little effort as possible.

They had reached the administrative and classroom complex, and made their way between the darkened buildings so they could approach the platform from behind.

As they neared the area, though not yet in view of it, he gave her one final squeeze, then released her, and pulled himself up just a little straighter. He might joke with her, but he understood the seriousness of the event and would comport himself from now until it was over with the solemn dignity befitting a Ranger One and Entil’Zha.

She fell into step a pace behind him, as Rathenn had tutored her to do.

Her function was as his second at the ceremony. They had worried that Neroon might fight Sinclair on his selection, but apparently the stiff-necked warrior hadn’t objected at all. So here she was in her freshly pressed Ranger-in-training uniform, suddenly worried she’d forget what she was supposed to do, even after what she had just told Jeff.

C’mon,
she thought.
It’s not that hard.
The ceremony was relatively simple, and her responsibilities easy.

They turned the corner of the last building and saw the simple wooden platform, illuminated by two torches, one on either side, each attended by a Minbari Ranger. The stand had been built high enough to afford a good view of the event for all those out front. The participants would climb to the top by way of a long, wide ramp in the back. The idea, Rathenn had explained, was to allow the new Entil’Zha to rise into view slowly, like the sun coming over the horizon at dawn – which was now only minutes away.

Rathenn and Neroon were waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. Sinclair bowed his head to them in greeting. No one spoke.

After a few moments, a gentle breeze kicked up and Sakai heard the distinctive sound of the temshwee and other Minbari birds greeting the first light. Dawn was breaking behind them on a beautiful, clear morning. Rathenn gestured, and the two Rangers doused the torches. Rathenn bowed his head to Sinclair, indicating the ceremony was beginning, then went up the ramp. As soon as he reached the top, Neroon and Sakai followed, he on the left, she on the right. An audience of several hundred people was standing at solemn attention: Rangers in the front row, then teachers and staff, Ranger trainees, and selected citizens from Tuzanor and Yedor, including some members of the Council of Caste Elders, and members of Jenimer’s family. Sakai also knew who wasn’t out there – other members of the Grey Council. As part of some sort of compromise, only Rathenn and Neroon were present. Delenn had also been invited, but regrettably could not attend.

While Rathenn watched from the left front of the stand, beaming with satisfaction, Neroon took his place in the back, a few steps from his counterpart, looking very stern, observing everything carefully through narrowed eyes. Sakai took her place to the right, near a small table at the back that held the items she was responsible for: an ancient religious book and a clear crystal chalice filled with deep purple liquid she wished she could “accidentally” dash to the floor.

Then they turned to watch Sinclair walk slowly up the ramp, coming into the audience’s view with the brilliant morning sun low on the horizon behind him. He had a carefully composed expression on his face as he walked with measured steps to the center of the platform, and nodded subtly to Rathenn. Rathenn looked to Sakai, who picked up the crumbling book and solemnly handed it to him.

Rathenn began to read in a loud, rhythmic voice page after page from the ancient texts, all in a language so old, only a few Minbari still understood it. It was to the modern Minbari dialects what Latin was to English and the European Romance languages. Jeff had already taught himself to read it, but he had a natural gift for languages she lacked. She had her hands full just learning what she needed of the modern religious- and military-caste dialects.

Rathenn’s reading had a hypnotic cadence that was beginning to put Sakai to sleep, even though she was standing. To stay awake, she focused on Sinclair’s profile, and wondered what he was thinking at that precise moment. Or was he, like her, just doing his best not to doze off? How much sleep had they gotten? Two hours at best.

Suddenly, she began recognizing some of the words and phrases Rathenn was reading, and realized he was nearing the conclusion. Rathenn carefully closed the book, then raised it in a gesture toward the audience. It was show time again. Sakai quickly came forward, bowed to Rathenn, took the book, bowed again, and returned to her place, setting the book back down.

The part she’d been worrying about most was almost upon them. She cast a sidelong glance at the deceptively pleasant-looking goblet of sha’neyat. She didn’t trust any drink that had the word “death” in its name. But first the most amazing part of the ceremony.

Down the center aisle, from the very back of the audience, a young acolyte approached, a look of true awe on her face, carrying a brown hooded robe that looked very much like the one Sinclair had been wearing all along as Ranger One. But this garment, carried so gingerly in the hands of the young Minbari, was unique. It was Valen’s original robe, preserved for a thousand years for Sinclair now to wear, at least for the duration of the ceremony. The acolyte ascended a small staircase at the front of the platform, bowed, placed the robe at Sinclair’s feet, bowed again, and backed away as quickly as she could to hasten back down the staircase.

Sakai took a deep breath, having dreaded this moment ever since the Minbari doctors had made their discovery about the effect sha’neyat had on Human physiology. She picked up the goblet with the liquid that looked so innocently like wine, and brought it to Sinclair, handed it to him.

He gave her the subtlest of smiles, and she knew that look in his eyes. Don’t worry, he was trying to convey to her one more time. She backed away, unable to take her eyes off that chalice. Rathenn was reciting a blessing in the religious dialect, which she barely heard until he came to the words.

“Taste of it,” he said. “Taste of the future. Of Death. And of Life. And of the Great Void that lies between. Through this act, may Death be destroyed.”

Transfixed, Sakai saw Sinclair raise the chalice for all to see, then put it to his lips. He took some in his mouth – how much she couldn’t determine – and swallowed. His shoulders jerked back slightly and his spine stiffened, while his eyes squeezed shut for a moment.

Rathenn, his back to the audience, appeared to be as concerned as Sakai was. Neroon looked on only with suspicion.