Poseidon's Wake Read Free Page B

Mposi back to the parliamentary building in Guochang, he found a visitor waiting for him in the annexe to his office.
    ‘Goma,’ he said, beaming. ‘What a pleasant surprise.’
    But his words drew no corresponding sentiment from her, nor even a smile.
    ‘Can we speak? In private?’
    ‘Of course.’
    He let her into the office, still maintaining a façade of polite conviviality even though nothing in her manner suggested this was a social call. That would have been out of character, at least lately. When she had been less busy in both professional and private spheres, Goma had often visited him for a stroll around the parliamentary gardens, both of them trading stories and titbits of innocent rumour. He realised, with a swell of sadness, that he had almost forgotten how much pleasure those simple encounters had brought him, unencumbered by professional obligations on either side.
    ‘Chai?’ he offered, drawing the office blinds against a lowering sun as fat and red as a ripe tomato.
    ‘No. This won’t take long. She can’t go.’
    He smiled. They were both still standing. ‘She?’
    ‘My mother. Ndege.’ Her hands were planted on her hips. Goma was small, slight of build, easily underestimated. ‘This stupid expedition of yours – the one you think I don’t know about.’
    Mposi glanced at the door, making sure he had closed it on his way in.
    ‘You’d better sit down.’
    ‘I said this won’t take long.’
    ‘Nonetheless.’ He raised a hand in the direction of the chair he reserved for visitors, then eased his plump frame into the one on his side of the desk. ‘She was under express instructions not to mention it to anyone.’
    ‘I’m her daughter. Did you think she’d be able to keep something like that from me for long?’
    ‘You were to be informed when matters were on a more stable footing.’
    ‘You mean when everyone else learned about it.’
    ‘I’m not a fool, Goma, and I do understand your feelings. But secrecy is secrecy. What else did she mention?’
    ‘There’s more?’
    ‘Please, no games.’
    After a silence, Goma said, ‘A signal, from somewhere out in deep space.’
    Mposi rubbed his forehead. He could already feel a knot of tension building behind his eyes. ‘My god.’
    ‘Some possible connection with the Trinity – with Chiku, Eunice and Dakota. I can understand why that would be of interest to her. She lost her mother – watched as she was spirited away by an alien robot. But it’s Dakota I’m interested in.’
    ‘The elephant?’
    ‘The Tantor. If you received a signal from Eunice, then maybe Dakota’s out there as well. Do I have to explain why that’s of interest to me?’
    ‘No, I think I can guess.’ Mposi had always found Goma’s scientific reports too technical to be easily digested by a non-specialist like himself, but he could skim the abstracts, get the thrust of her argument. ‘It was just a signal. It never repeated, and we’ve been listening for it again for six months.’
    ‘But you believe it was a real message, and that it was meant for us. You think it might have some connection with the Trinity.’
    ‘This is what I told your mother. In confidence.’
    ‘If you start blaming her for the leak of your little secret, you’ll have a much bigger problem on your hands.’
    ‘Goodness, Goma. That almost sounds like a threat.’
    ‘You need to understand my seriousness.’
    ‘I do. Fully.’
    ‘Then I’ll cut to the point. Whatever that message says, Ndege’s not going.’
    ‘I rather think that choice should be your mother’s.’
    ‘It isn’t, not now. I’m going in her place. I’m a quarter of her age and much stronger.’
    ‘Be that as it may, Ndege is still alive. She has also consented to join the expedition.’
    ‘Only because you gave her no choice.’
    ‘I merely pointed out that volunteering for such an expedition could be turned to her immediate advantage.’
    ‘You dangled the idea of a pardon in front of her. I