CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CONSPIRACY


« A man marooned
I wave from the shore,
You know the tune
Must have heard it all before. »

(From JUST TO KNOW THAT YOU EXIST)

_ «On a clear day, you can see for one hundred kilometres,» said the Chinese tourist, folding his brochure with a hint of measured frustration.
__«Damn shame, yes?» replied his companion.
__Shaking their heads, they trotted away in unison, towards the express elevator that would take them back to the revolving restaurant three hundred feet below.
__Left to myself once again, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had come here in search of some magnificent solitude, and what better place for it than the space pod atop Toronto's C.N. Tower, the highest viewing platform on the planet, on this very cloudy day?
__Gazing into the cloud's fuzzy heart was like gazing into infinity. In a way, it reminded me of the blackness I had seen from starship viewports while crossing the abyssal emptiness between galaxies.
__I was like a new man. In just one week, so much had happened that my mind was reeling. It had started with my rescuing Gaia, had intensified when Chip had suddenly appeared out of nowhere like a genie in a fairy tale, and now things were in full swing since I had been accepted as a full member in Gaia’s organization. She headed a phenomenal, worldwide network, with spies everywhere who were able to track most of the covert pollution activities that were slowly bringing our planet to its knees.
__It goes without saying that Frankie Morlock was high on their list. Thanks to their private database, I had found out more about him in a few hours than during my entire exile. I had learnt that although he was still established in the United States, he had a major base in Kuala Lumpur and one in Geneva, plus offices in a dozen cities, and so many residences across the world no one could keep track. As for his activities, they made for depressing reading. Humankind didn’t stand a chance so long as they allowed, not to say encouraged, such individuals to go on unchecked.
__I had also been informed that his organization had begun spying on me following my intervention in Gaia’s kidnapping attempt, which incidentally we now knew for sure had been commissioned by none other than Morlock himself. So I had been given a crash course in stealth avoidance techniques.
__It had gradually become clear to me that a prodigious, planetary game of cat and mouse was engaged, wherein Morlock and Gaia were no more than significant actors. There existed dozens of megamultinationals, ranging from the most ethical family concerns going back generations, to the most despicable mafias. Facing them were dozens of major activist groups, ranging from efficient, focussed watchdog organizations to frightful terrorist armies. Somewhere in there, the elected governments were desperately vying for attention, but events had severely emasculated their influence. And through all this, there were no clear lines of identification. It was a veritable mishmash of changing alliances. Public perception of this or that entity changed according to that week’s bombing or that month’s disaster. Add to this the millions of black market concerns and the thousands of small, murderous extremist phalanges and it is easy to see how the old-timers of the day thought back wistfully to the terrifying but tidy Cold War era.
__Nevertheless, the infectious optimism pervading Gaia’s group seemed to contradict the hopelessness of it all. So, like everyone else caught in this maelstrom, we soldiered on. What else was there to do?
Gaia, Roxanne and I had taken an airship from Paris to Montreal, and from there a train to Toronto. It so happened that Toronto was hosting two major international conferences on the environment that week. One gathering, sponsored by corporate and government sources, was to be held at Skydome. While a few blocks away, a parallel conference, organized by North-American ecology groups, would be taking place in the saucer-shaped City Council Chambers, and broadcasting to the delegates spilling out into nearby Nathan Phillips Square.
__Morlock was to address the one.
__Gaia was to address the other.
__All this had been planned months earlier, and it was not the first time Gaia and Morlock would be appearing in the same city. But my arrival into Gaia’s life had brought new potential to this conjunction. The activist leader in her saw me as a secret weapon, and I supposed she couldn’t wait to confront her nemesis and I. She had seemingly forgotten that it was out of the question that I use powerVoice on Morlock, and I hadn’t yet found a way to clearly express my misgivings to her. The idea was simply to stage a chance meeting with our quarry, and then… That part hadn’t really been discussed yet.
__I stretched, easing the pins and needles in my arms and legs. I had seen enough clouds for one day. I turned and made my way back to Earth.

***

__«Here is the scoop: One of our local operatives found out where Morlock will go jogging while he’s here.»
__I was startled, for I had at that precise moment been watching an approaching jogger progressing along the water’s edge. I turned towards Roxanne and asked, « It wouldn’t be here, along the lake, by any chance?»
__Roxanne was sitting astride a six-foot tall dinosaur, and looked for all the world like some prehistoric Amazon. We had agreed to hold our war council in the playground in Budapest Park, on the shores of Lake Ontario. Not only was it safe from prying ears, but the sound of children’s laughter gave farther meaning to our words.
__«No fear!» laughed Roxanne by way of a reply. «That’s not his style in the least.» She arched her back, and like a priestess reading the bible, she proclaimed, «High above the Great Unwashed and their petty concerns, Lord Morlock likes to sweat in splendid isolation.»
__«Meaning?» I asked, confused.
It was Gaia who explained. «You’ll understand what she means when I tell you where he’ll be jogging. You see; he’s chosen the top of the Algonquin Building.» She was referring to Canada’s tallest office building, formerly named ‘First Canadian Place’, now owned by the Algonquin Corporation, the world’s largest drinking-water company. It made sense. I could well imagine the appeal that this isolated racing track seventy-two floors above street level would have for Morlock. «Nothing there to disturb him, apart from the satellite dishes and the air-conditioning units.»
__«And that,» added Roxanne, «is why it is one of the rare opportunities to catch him without his retinue of secretaries and chauffeurs.»
__«You mean he goes out jogging by himself?» I exclaimed.
__«Don’t be silly,» Gaia replied. «He will have a couple of bodyguards in tow, but at least he'll be accessible for once.» She gave me a searching look. «As for the bodyguards, we'll leave them to you, right? You'll know what to do?»
__«I am really looking forward to witnessing that, actually,» said Roxanne expectantly. Word of my vocal abilities had evidently made the rounds of the organization’s hierarchy.
__So this was it. The issue had now been raised. How could I wiggle out of this one? At least, it wasn’t Morlock they expected me to hypnotize, and that was a relief. Yet, the thought of neutralizing those hapless gorillas was unpalatable. It was one thing to resort to powerVoice in the heat of the action, quite another to coldly and methodically plan on utilizing it like a vulgar assault weapon, as if I had been a mere muscleman. Still, try as I may, I could not for the life of me think of a sensible way to refuse.
__«I guess so,» I mumbled.
__«Is there a problem? » Gaia had noticed something was amiss.
__«No, it's nothing. I just don't like using my vocal powers in this ugly way. I particularly despise the thought of planning in advance to use it.»
__«Really? Why is that?»
__Last chance… I let it go. «Don't worry. It's only my training, I suppose.»
__Gaia stared at me questioningly for a moment, as if giving me one last opportunity of changing my mind.
__«So, Siblings, it’s settled, isn’t it? » Roxanne summarized.
__«Very well,» I agreed somewhat sombrely. «Let us meet Mister Morlock. Did you say tomorrow morning? »
__«You bet!» replied Gaia. «That guy's the archetypal power-breakfast type. We're talking crack of dawn here, I warn you.»
__Feeling depressed, I decided I would stay behind and let both my companions return without me. We arranged to meet in the hotel lobby the following morning at five. I watched them walk away.
__The sun was setting over Sunnyside Pavilion, giving its art deco architecture the appearance of a delicious strawberry cake. The sky was ablaze with deep pink-orange strokes that reflected in the lake. A flight of geese flew overhead in heart-shape formation.
__I was convinced our love was intact, but I had not yet dared make advances towards Gaia. As a result, we had, so far, behaved as mere friends; very close friends, to be sure, but friends nevertheless. Not lovers. And now I had reason to suspect that she could be using me in some way. I even went as far as to wonder if it wouldn’t have been preferable never to have run into Gaia. My fantasy relationship with Ro’wheena had been so much easier to manage.
__Enough! I shook my head. It was high time I left and returned to the hotel; besides, I had an early start the following day. I got to my feet and started walking along the shore.
__How you've changed, my love, I thought. What has this era done to you? What has it done to us both?

***

__The glass and steel towers were glinting in the dawn twilight as we stepped out of our pedicab. Lifting my eyes, I saw I was surrounded on all sides by colossal, luminescent towers reaching towards the heavens. I felt deeply moved by the awesome beauty of this titanic temple of high finance. There was something about it all that brought to mind the mystical sensation one gets when looking up at the dizzying arches of a gothic cathedral.
__«Well this is it, Sibs.» Gaia had long ago grown insensitive to the mysticism of the new religion. In true commander-in-chief fashion, she was focussing on the task at hand.
__«Wow, the view must be really marvellous up there at this time of day,» sighed Roxanne.
__«Come on, both of you, this no time for sightseeing,» said Gaia. «I don’t have to remind you we’re smack dab inside enemy territory here.»
__«I understand, dear.»
__They went through one last check of their earpieces.
__Gaia gave me an encouraging pat on the back. «Let's go.»
__I followed them into the building.
__Gaia had not been forthcoming about what exactly she hoped to achieve during this confrontation. But her companions had let me in on the fact that where Morlock was concerned, it was personal. It had always been so. Over the years, they had learned not to question her strategy whenever he was involved.
__On the other hand, the tactical side of the operation was flawless. We had gone over the last details of the operation on the way here, and it was structured like a veritable commando operation. Our cab driver was a member of the organization, and he would remain at the taxi stand at the foot of the building as lookout. One of his colleagues, also standing guard there since midnight, had previously advised us of Morlock’s arrival.
__The rest unfolded like a musical score: we walked towards the security guard on duty and, using powerVoice in its most basic spectrum, I asked him to lead us to the roof, unlocking all necessary doors on the way. He complied without any fuss, grinning widely, and led us to the elevators, up to the top floor, and after proceeding though a mini-labyrinth, he finally opened the last door, letting in a fresh morning breeze.
__«Here you are, Ladies and Gentlemen,» he slurred. «Don’t forget the guide, please!» To show him we wouldn’t, I put him to sleep with a brief fricative.
__«Amazing,» whispered Roxanne staring at me with admiration. «So it’s no hoax, is it?»
__«Focus, Roxanne. Focus!» breathed Gaia irritably.
__We waited by the door, our ears alert to all sounds. But all we could hear was the wind, which seemed to be roaring in anger at finding a man-made obstacle at such a height. Then we heard voices approaching.
__«Will you quit worrying?» said the voice, breathing heavily.
__«It’s him!» whispered Gaia. «Typical: jogging and phoning.»
__«I’m telling you, our legal boys have assured me that this stupid environmental assessment study will buy us six more years.»
__«Who else could it be?» agreed Roxanne with irony.
__«Yes! Whatever the conclusions, dammit! So I say we go with it, and that's final! Cut!»
__Gaia, who had been peeking around the doorjamb, made a pre-arranged signal. As per the plan, Roxanne fell back, waiting as potential, hidden reinforcement. I followed Gaia on to the windswept terrace.
__The morning sun was very bright, and casting long shadows. At the centre of the terrace stood a large, raised, white utility bunker from whose bowels we were now emerging. We just caught a glimpse of Morlock jogging out of sight around the corner of the bunker, his two guards in tow.
__Gaia stepped on to the causeway that went around the terrace, encircling the bunker, and she positioned herself full centre, her hands on her hips, her chin raised at an insolent angle. A nearby skyscraper, every window of which was purportedly lined with gold leaf, reflected the sunlight in such a way that Gaia literally looked like a goddess. As motionless as a statue, shimmering within a halo of heavenly gold, she waited for Morlock to re-emerge from the opposite corner of the bunker.
__It took little more than a minute. The joggers reappeared and after a few metres, they came to a sudden halt.
__Morlock looked amazed. With practised ease, both bodyguards promptly moved into a protective posture, and one of them pulled out a gun.
__Chuckling, Morlock waved the guards back. «Relax, men. And put that gun away, will you? I'd like you to meet a couple of old friends.» He made an expansive sweep of his arm in our direction. «This here is no less than the high priestess of the ozone, Ms. Gaia Verde herself,» he said with oozing sarcasm. «And bringing up the rear, her valiant sidekick, the goofball from Jupiter.»
__The infernal man’s powerful personality was overwhelming. I felt quite vulnerable, and was instantly reminded of that fiasco in Washington eighteen years earlier.
__«To what, I wonder, do we owe this honour?» he demanded with deceptive charm.
Ignoring Morlock's barbs, Gaia approached him with a firm step. I followed a couple of metres behind.
__«That's close enough, Ma’am! » barked one of the guards. He was wearing dark glasses.
We stopped. All present stared at each other in silence.
__«Don't worry,» declared Gaia, « we come in peace.»
The other guard scoffed, pulling at his moustache. «Boy, that's a relief! I was shaking in my booties.»
__«Silence! » snapped Morlock. He turned to Gaia, leering. « Let's hear what the little lady has to say, shall we?»
__Gaia stood her ground magnificently, and did not bat an eyelid. «You snicker a great deal in the light of day, Morlock,» she purred, with enough contempt in her voice to melt an iceberg. «But tell me this: how do you sleep at night?»
__«Eh? But I never sleep, my dear. I'm too busy cleaning up after the likes of you.»
__«You dare talk to me about cleaning up? You? When almost every bit of filth killing our planet can be traced back to your gang of destruction?»
__«Hey! Nobody talks to Mister Morlock like that!» exclaimed moustache. He took a threatening step towards Gaia. Before realizing what I was doing, I quickly moved to block his path.
__«What's the matter, small fry?» he said. «You want to play too?»
__The man was almost a foot taller than I. Looking up at him, I softly said, « Not another step, simian. »
__After briefly staring down at me in disbelief, the bodyguard turned and glanced questioningly at Morlock.
__«Shall I, boss? He's asking for it.»
__Morlock thought about it briefly, and declared, «Do what you must.» He was watching me expectantly.
__Delighted, the guard raised a fist. But I was ready for him. Before he was able to connect, I opened my mouth and produced a brief but firm harmonic overlaid with vicious ultrasonics. My opponent collapsed instantly.
I cannot say I felt too good at that moment. Especially when I surveyed the reactions my move had caused. Morlock was trying hard to hide his complete amazement, while Gaia, for her part, was displaying a look of smug satisfaction.
__«Holy shit!» muttered the remaining guard.
__As I knelt by his prone colleague, absently checking his pulse, I overheard Morlock whispering to himself, «So Carlos wasn't exaggerating! Just who, or what, is this guy?»
__I understood there and then that I would never know another day’s peace. I couldn’t blame Gaia, for she had not forced me to come along. It was my fault for being such a wimp. Or was that really the point? Could it be that I had not yet had the courage to face up to what it meant to accept an alliance with Gaia? Of course my life was meant to change dramatically. This was no tea party, as Chip would say. I had committed myself to a cause, and to a mission, and I had to accept all that came with it, good or bad.
__I let go of my opponent’s wrist. «He'll live. He will just wake up tonight with a bad headache.»
__I got to my feet, shaking my head. The time had come to live and speak like a true Voicemaster of the Guild, as I had at the beginning of my exile, until this frightful century had battered my true character into a drooping, worn-out punching ball.
__I stared at Frankie Morlock, my eyes full of pity, really seeing him for the first time as no more than Lyrd Mormahl’s troublesome ancestor. I declared, «Perhaps you can invite your guard dog to ponder these ancient words of wisdom: ‘He who lives by the sword, will die by the sword.’»
__I walked to the very edge of the terrace, my hands in my back, and looked straight down at the street three hundred metres below. I felt a holy anger rise inside me. Raising my arms, as if addressing the early commuters that had begun appearing down there, I yelled: «What is it with you creatures? When will you finally grow out of your stinking diapers? Haven’t centuries of religious wars taught you anything yet? Millions murdering each other in the name of one, same god with different names! Oh, but you have learned, haven’t you, my clever, modern ones? Now you call it fighting each other for the ‘good of mankind’.» I was so worked up I actually spat into the void. «This planet doesn’t need warriors, but worriers. Worried enough to simply stop being a part of this unbridled, hypocritical consumerism that is the only true culprit!»
__I turned irritably and stepped back on to the causeway. I noted with satisfaction that Gaia and Morlock were watching my every move. Even Roxanne had emerged from her hideout. «That goes for all of you!» I snapped.
__I could see my antics had succeeded in impressing Gaia, and had wiped the satisfied smile off her face. She looked thoughtful. «Oh, BB,» she murmured.
__Softening my voice, I went on, «I know you mean well, even you Frankie, in your twisted way, but why such conflict, suspicion and scheming in the shadows?» I turned my back on them once again, taking in the stunning panorama of the sun turning Lake Ontario into a blinding ocean of fire. «Think about it. How can so many people be working for the ‘common good’, yet be in such opposition? Anyone with anything to say believes that he, and he alone, has all the answers.»
__I turned to face them again. «Whatever happened to trust?»
__Without another word, I strode past the group and entered the utility bunker to make my way down. I felt angry and disgusted with human folly and I wanted to be alone.
__Confused, Gaia glanced at Morlock. After a brief hesitation, she turned and hurried after me, accompanied by Roxanne.
__Morlock signalled to his bodyguard that he should take care of his unconscious colleague. For a long time, he stayed riveted to the same spot, staring at the door through which I had disappeared, his expression inscrutable.

***

__The flight back to Paris was uneventful.
__Happily, I had travelled alone. Indeed, I had demanded nothing less than total solitude ever since storming off the roof of the Algonquin Building. So much so that I had chosen not to attend the conference in Toronto, preferring instead to pace the miles of the underground city there. I suppose that walking for hours through spotless, indoor streets, complete with manicured vegetation and holographic waterfalls had reminded me in some odd way of the orbital cities of my youth. I had also spent a whole day at the planetarium, seeing the same show over and over. Clearly, I had been homesick in a way I hadn’t experienced for a long time, and had needed to think it through. So when Gaia had suggested I accompany her and Roxanne to Reykjavik, where they were to see the prime minister, I had declined. They had accepted my need for privacy, and we had agreed to meet in Paris a few days later on the occasion of the next steering committee.
__It was to take place in Gaia’s apartment, a lovely seventeenth-century retreat off Place Dauphine on the Ile de la Cité. It had been bequeathed to her some years earlier by a fervent admirer, and had put an end to the nomadic, hotel life she had favoured until then.
__I seized the heavy, bronze knocker and struck it, enjoying the sound as it echoed dramatically across the hallway behind the door.
__It was Gaia who opened, her radiant smile almost blinding me. «Hi, B. Come on in.» We embraced.
__I followed her through the dark hallway, which had probably once resounded with the strong voices of merry musketeers, up the irregular stone staircase, and through a door as tiny as its jambs were thick.
__The room’s imposing wood floorboards were covered in a patchwork of Afghan prayer mats, and a multitude of silk cushions was dotted throughout. A low, Nipponese table stood in the centre, bearing a steaming samovar and an assortment of teacups and sun-dried fruit.
__The five people sprawled amidst the cushions looked up as we entered.