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The Shadow of His Thoughts page5
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The Shadow of his Thoughts
by J. Michael Straczynski
page 5
   "I'm not--" 
    "Once you're enshrined at Tuwain, you are not allowed 
to marry, not allowed the company of any man.  That's the law. We'll never be together again.  Can you do that to us?  Can you do that to yourself?" 
    "Yes." she said, and looked away.  "I can.  Because I 
have to.  I have obligations.  It's my responsibility, my duty--" 
    "Shiri, I love you." 
    "I know," she said, and the frief in her voice tore 
through Londo like a blade.  "And I love you.  And I 
love my father, and I love my family.  Now I have to 
choose between them and you. It's not right, and it's 
not fair, and more than life itself I want to run away 
with you, right now, where no one could ever find us. 
But I can't, Corlo.  I can't . . . " 
    Then suddenly she turned and ran into the woods, 
heading back toward the campground.  The young man called after her, but she didn't answer.  He stood there 
for several minutes, hoping she would return, hoping for 
a word, a sign that somehow she might change her mind. 
    But she did not return, and after a while, he turned and 
walked slowly away, disappearing into the woods. 
    Out of the corner of his eye, Londo saw the Imperial Guard edging forward, to see what had caused him to 
stop.  He waved them back, letting the silence linger in the clearing.  In such a short time, how could he have come to care so much for some one he knew he would have to kill? 
    Londo looked up at the twin moons overhead. What 
am I to do now? he wondered.  There were forty-seven 
gods in the Centauri pantheon; surely one of them had a solution to his problelm. 
    The night, however, gave no reply to his question. 
  The dream was the same.  It was always the same. 
    The creature lay on the hard, dry ground, its eyes staring up into his own. 
    You cannot fight duty. 
    The flash of the sword. 
    The tears. 
    Great Maker, Londo thought as he sat up, his face wet.
I don't know how much more of this I can take. 
    It was still dark, well before dawn.  As his eyes 
cleared, he saw the viewer blinking with a message-waiting signal.  He rose, shook off the dream, and went to it. 
    Predictably, it was Vole.  "I found the information 
you requested, Majesty.  It took no small doing, and I 
went to great lengths to---" 
    Londo fast-forwarded for thirty seconds.  That was how 
long it usually took Vole to explain in excruciating detail how 
hard it had been to find the requested information before he 
could finally get to the point. 
    "---the lady Delasi and House Miro are of old blood, but 
little money.  They sold their position in the royal court years 
 ago to House Davo.  Delasi herself is said to be very intelligent, though i get the impression we could subsititute the word 'ruthless' and very few would argue the point.  She is 
political, and a manipulator.  Word is she has found some way to regain power and influence for herself and her House.
    And her name is Shiri, Londo thought. 
    The rest was little more than gossip, of no real use. 
Londo switched off the viewer and sat quietly in the dark 
for a moment.  He could feel the Keeper stirring, reminding him of the guards who stood outside, who could remove 
Shiri without question or hesitation. 
    If I have Shiri killed, as you ask, it will greatly complicate matters in the royal court.  There will be in investigation.  Even I can't arbitrarily have someone killed; there are rules since Cartagia's day.  A woman like Delasi could find ways to exploit that; your position could be compromised. 
    Shiri must be eliminated, the Keeper relayed back. 
    Then let me do it in my own way. 
    After a long pause, the Keeper whispered back. Very well! But we will be watching.  Londo stepped out of the tent into the chill, predawn 
air and made his way to Shiri's tent.  The guard glanced up 
at his approach but made no effort to stop him from entering her bedchamber. 
    Times had changed, but emperors still had certain. . .privileges. 
    Londo guessed that the same thought that had occurred to the guard also came to Shiri when she opened her eyes and saw him standing over her bed.  He put a hand on her shoulder.  She trembled under his touch. 
    "Majesty---" she began. 
    "Shhh . . ." Londo said. 
    "But I haven't . . . I have never . . ." 
    "I have, many times, and as the humans say, it's not all it's cracked up to be."  He smiled down at her.  "Don't worry. Now, put on your clothes, quickly.  We have much to do, and little time in which to do it."  He led Shiri into the tented area that protected the 
royal carriage from the elements and dismissed the guard, who glanced back at them with obvious suspicion about 
what the two of them might want to do alone in the carriage. 
    Do I look that much the lecher? Londo thought, and decided he probably did. No matter. 
    Time to get to work. 
    Londo approached the carriage.  "You start at the back,"
he said, "and I will begin at the front.  We'll meet somewhere in the middle." 
    "Majesty, what am I supposed to do?" 
    "Have you ever plucked a bird for dinner, child?" 
    "Yes, but---" 
    "Then you can help me pluck this one," he said, and 
twisted free a small gem from the side of the carriage.  He 
placed it in her hand, and her eyes went wide. 
Page  1   2  3   4  5   6  7
Glass Tattoo

The Shadow of His Thoughts page5
This is G o o g l e's cache of http://www.glasstattoo.net/TSofHTpage5.htm.
G o o g l e's cache is the snapshot that we took of the page as we crawled the web.
The page may have changed since that time. Click here for the current page without highlighting.

Google is not affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its content.
The Shadow of his Thoughts
by J. Michael Straczynski
page 5
   "I'm not--" 
    "Once you're enshrined at Tuwain, you are not allowed 
to marry, not allowed the company of any man.  That's the law. We'll never be together again.  Can you do that to us?  Can you do that to yourself?" 
    "Yes." she said, and looked away.  "I can.  Because I 
have to.  I have obligations.  It's my responsibility, my duty--" 
    "Shiri, I love you." 
    "I know," she said, and the frief in her voice tore 
through Londo like a blade.  "And I love you.  And I 
love my father, and I love my family.  Now I have to 
choose between them and you. It's not right, and it's 
not fair, and more than life itself I want to run away 
with you, right now, where no one could ever find us. 
But I can't, Corlo.  I can't . . . " 
    Then suddenly she turned and ran into the woods, 
heading back toward the campground.  The young man called after her, but she didn't answer.  He stood there 
for several minutes, hoping she would return, hoping for 
a word, a sign that somehow she might change her mind. 
    But she did not return, and after a while, he turned and 
walked slowly away, disappearing into the woods. 
    Out of the corner of his eye, Londo saw the Imperial Guard edging forward, to see what had caused him to 
stop.  He waved them back, letting the silence linger in the clearing.  In such a short time, how could he have come to care so much for some one he knew he would have to kill? 
    Londo looked up at the twin moons overhead. What 
am I to do now? he wondered.  There were forty-seven 
gods in the Centauri pantheon; surely one of them had a solution to his problelm. 
    The night, however, gave no reply to his question. 
  The dream was the same.  It was always the same. 
    The creature lay on the hard, dry ground, its eyes staring up into his own. 
    You cannot fight duty. 
    The flash of the sword. 
    The tears. 
    Great Maker, Londo thought as he sat up, his face wet.
I don't know how much more of this I can take. 
    It was still dark, well before dawn.  As his eyes 
cleared, he saw the viewer blinking with a message-waiting signal.  He rose, shook off the dream, and went to it. 
    Predictably, it was Vole.  "I found the information 
you requested, Majesty.  It took no small doing, and I 
went to great lengths to---" 
    Londo fast-forwarded for thirty seconds.  That was how 
long it usually took Vole to explain in excruciating detail how 
hard it had been to find the requested information before he 
could finally get to the point. 
    "---the lady Delasi and House Miro are of old blood, but 
little money.  They sold their position in the royal court years 
 ago to House Davo.  Delasi herself is said to be very intelligent, though i get the impression we could subsititute the word 'ruthless' and very few would argue the point.  She is 
political, and a manipulator.  Word is she has found some way to regain power and influence for herself and her House.
    And her name is Shiri, Londo thought. 
    The rest was little more than gossip, of no real use. 
Londo switched off the viewer and sat quietly in the dark 
for a moment.  He could feel the Keeper stirring, reminding him of the guards who stood outside, who could remove 
Shiri without question or hesitation. 
    If I have Shiri killed, as you ask, it will greatly complicate matters in the royal court.  There will be in investigation.  Even I can't arbitrarily have someone killed; there are rules since Cartagia's day.  A woman like Delasi could find ways to exploit that; your position could be compromised. 
    Shiri must be eliminated, the Keeper relayed back. 
    Then let me do it in my own way. 
    After a long pause, the Keeper whispered back. Very well! But we will be watching.  Londo stepped out of the tent into the chill, predawn 
air and made his way to Shiri's tent.  The guard glanced up 
at his approach but made no effort to stop him from entering her bedchamber. 
    Times had changed, but emperors still had certain. . .privileges. 
    Londo guessed that the same thought that had occurred to the guard also came to Shiri when she opened her eyes and saw him standing over her bed.  He put a hand on her shoulder.  She trembled under his touch. 
    "Majesty---" she began. 
    "Shhh . . ." Londo said. 
    "But I haven't . . . I have never . . ." 
    "I have, many times, and as the humans say, it's not all it's cracked up to be."  He smiled down at her.  "Don't worry. Now, put on your clothes, quickly.  We have much to do, and little time in which to do it."  He led Shiri into the tented area that protected the 
royal carriage from the elements and dismissed the guard, who glanced back at them with obvious suspicion about 
what the two of them might want to do alone in the carriage. 
    Do I look that much the lecher? Londo thought, and decided he probably did. No matter. 
    Time to get to work. 
    Londo approached the carriage.  "You start at the back,"
he said, "and I will begin at the front.  We'll meet somewhere in the middle." 
    "Majesty, what am I supposed to do?" 
    "Have you ever plucked a bird for dinner, child?" 
    "Yes, but---" 
    "Then you can help me pluck this one," he said, and 
twisted free a small gem from the side of the carriage.  He 
placed it in her hand, and her eyes went wide. 
Page  1   2  3   4  5   6  7
Glass Tattoo