62
Sean’s duties consumed a blur of days. First came Tirian’s funeral, which Dillon and Josef and Carver had jointly insisted be postponed until Sean was able to attend. They buried the former Examiner with all honors in the field of lava bordering the Praetorian Academy. The cemetery was rimmed by the symbols of all the Assembly planets. The entire Academy and numerous other visitors filled the arena and the surrounding plain. Tirian’s place was among those who had fallen in the Cyrian station, comrades in arms now. Sean sat upon the speaker’s platform, chilled by a harsh winter wind. But for once he did not mind.
Then came the ceremony marking the reopening of the Cyrian train station. The planet’s leaders insisted that Sean cut the ribbon, a ceremony that seemed as inane and useless on Cyrius as it did back home. Once that was over, Sean took a few days off at the loft, mostly because he wanted to reacquaint himself with his world. At least, he tried to convince himself of that. But especially in those hours spent with his parents, he felt increasingly that what he was actually doing was fashioning an internal farewell.
Then it was back to the Academy, this time for days and days of meetings and conferences and questionings. The one positive note to it all was the presence of Dillon and Carver. Their former instructor had accepted a senior role, at least for a time, so that he might help supervise Dillon’s training and direction. They tried to talk about Sean’s future direction as well, but he was not ready.
The hours were exhausting, made worse by the nightmares that followed every interview on what he discovered inside the alien’s mind. Slightly better were the days given to teaching Watchers how to fashion duplicates of their own. When he could, Sean took to transiting back to the loft, where he and Elenya would have a quiet meal, sometimes with John, mostly alone. The professor missed his little girl, but he knew she was happy, even in the stark barrenness of Academy housing. Sean wanted to offer more, and tried to show the professor both warmth and gratitude. But the process of being squeezed dry by the senior Guards staff continued to open old wounds.
It was Elenya’s patience that ran out first. She accused the officials of asking the same questions for the third and fourth time. And to both their surprise, their strongest ally in ending this process was Tatyana. The Counselor was being tapped to train as an Ambassador and considered herself in Sean and Dillon’s debt. Sean didn’t know how he felt about that, and Dillon’s scorn was evident whenever they were alone.
The night before Dillon left for the Academy, they ate a solitary meal on Insgar’s patio. When they were finished, Dillon leaned back in his seat and asked, “You ever study the sky?”
“All the time.”
“I don’t recognize a single constellation. Hardly a surprise since we’re on the other side of the galaxy.” He gave that a beat, then asked, “You ever mind, you know, all the strangeness?”
“Not even a little.” Sean slid back so he matched his brother’s pose. Head on the rear of the seat, looking up at the gleaming river of light. And the three moons. One a whitish-grey sliver, one a ghostly pale touching the tree line, and one a ruddy golden globe directly overhead. “Not even at the worst moment.”
“The aliens still invading your dreams?”
“Less than before. Elenya’s helped. A lot.”
“Sean . . .”
“Yeah?”
His brother was silent for quite a while. Sean didn’t mind. When it came to something deep, Dillon always had trouble with his words. Sean listened to a night bird call, a melody of silver chimes. The sound heightened his sense of entering new realms. New adventures. He would heal, and he would go on. He was certain of that now.
Finally Dillon said, “We’re going to stay pals, right? I mean, with all the changes . . .”
Sean straightened in his seat. When he was certain Dillon was not going to say anything more, he said, “Look at me, bro. Whatever happens. The bond stays the same.”
“Totally. Permanently.”
Dillon rose to his feet. Only then did Sean realize that was why he had come here. On his last night of freedom. “I guess I better go see Carey.”
“Good luck tomorrow,” Sean said.
Dillon flashed his grin. “What could they possibly do that’s worse than what we’ve been through?”
Sean smiled back. After his brother departed, he leaned his head back on the seat and stayed there for hours. Watching the Serenese moons.
The day of his formal release, Sean wanted to return either to the loft or to Insgar’s home. But Elenya was having none of it. “We have earned a break. Not just from work. From all we have ever known. I want us to discover my twin world together.”
“You’ve already been there. Many times.”
“As a child. And for brief visits with my family. But never far beyond where I first landed. Now I want to claim it.”
“With me.”
“Of course with you. Where are you going to call home, Sean? The professor’s loft? Sneaking in and out of a world that rejects the Assembly’s existence?”
“No. I’ll go back, sure. Especially to see our folks. But that time is over.”
“Then where? Cyrius?”
“Definitely not there. Not now, anyway. Maybe never.”
She offered a smile that was far too beguiling for her age. “We could always ask my parents to take you in.”
“Oh, right. Your mother would love that.”
“My sisters think you are very handsome.”
“I am not moving in with your dad. Ever.”
“So this is a holiday with a purpose. I would love for you to consider Helene as a possible home.”
All the messages included in those few words crowded in around him. He fashioned a single response, the only thing that made sense. “I’m ready.”