Page 38 of The Enduring Universe
“You’re claiming the evolution of consciousness and sentience as a function of desire,” Airav said, raising a brow.
“Do we have a better explanation?” Iravan countered. “We’ve debated it in architect circles, but this is the prevailing theory, is it not? What else does our world work on? What else is the substrate of trajection?”
“If that is true, then could yakshas be powering this somehow?” Chaiyya said, pointing at the purple devices. “You said Manav’s second yaksha helped you in your time of need. Then could there be similar non-corporeal yakshas, present here now, invisible to our eyes, giving us mysterious energy to use?”
“Corporeal or not, yakshas only do Ecstatic trajection,” Iravan said. “Non-corporeal ones might be invisible to us in the first vision, but they reflect in the second vision and I don’t see any in the Deepness. I don’t even see any in the Conduit or through the evervision. Besides, these devices don’t work on Ecstasy, do they? They don’t have an energex, and they did not light up when Darsh was supertrajecting just now. You said they worked when your architects were using the Moment during their expeditions.”
“I said that they worked even when the architect stopped, and the Moment was destroyed,” Kiana clarified.
“Yes,” said Iravan. “So what you’re really asking us is if we know of any other secret power. One we have been hoarding from you and that could be charging these.” His eyes twinkled in morbid amusement at this roundabout way the council had thought to confront him, and he shrugged. “I can assure you we do not have any such resource. I came here in good faith today. I would tell you if I were aware of such a thing.”
Dhruv nodded his assent, though his gaze was still fixed on the expedition’s device. Ahilya imagined his mind racing. She recognized his look—the same one he’d had all that time ago when they’d been analyzing devices from her own expedition with Oam out in the jungle. How long ago that seemed. How many thingsthey had achieved and lost and learned about their world since then? Yet they did not know all the answers.
Kiana removed her glasses and rubbed at her eyes. “I cannot believe I am asking this. But what exactlyistrajection? Whether trajection proper or Ecstasy or whatever you are doing, Iravan.”
“It is manipulation of consciousness,” Naila said.
“It is a usable energy,” Dhruv responded at the same time.
“It is the harnessed power of desire,” Ahilya said tiredly—and all eyes turned to her.
Chaiyya tilted her head. Airav nodded. Iravan studied her, and a small smile grew on his face.
“It is indeed,” he said quietly. “Which brings me to the real reason I am here. I bring you a gift.”
At his nod, Dhruv removed a solarnote tablet from his pocket. It buzzed to life with Darsh’s Ecstatic trajection, and images filtered on it of trees within a jungle. Captured through Dhruv’s drones was an image of—
“A city,” Iravan said. “Your city, if you should wish it.”
The citizens of Irshar gasped. Dhruv settled the tablet so images on it became visible to all of them, dust rising gracefully from the surface of the earth, columns building as mud hardened. Structures rose from the jungle, as trees whipped, breaking into wood chips and rearranging themselves into houses and apartments, a wall here, a fence there. Ahilya recognized the site, the very same one she had been in a few days ago, the one the Virohi had showed her as a possibility for building a new home. How had Iravan found this? Why had he picked this site, and not any other? And was there no end to his powers, to single-handedly build a new city? She remembered the effort of her expedition, their grubby hands, the rumpled clothes, the dirt streaking their faces.
The others were murmuring, and Kiana leaned forward studyingthe screen. “This could work,” she said approvingly, having forgotten sungineering mysteries for a brief time in light of more pressing issues of survival. She was already contacting Eskayra through her sungineering beads, gesturing to Umang to apparently call others of the expeditionary group.
“I’m pleased you are pleased,” Iravan said dryly. “But you will have to excuse me now. Other duties await. You have Dhruv here to answer any other questions you may have. He speaks with my voice.”
He made to leave, but Ahilya leaned forward and laid a hand on his arm.
“Wait,” she said. “For all of our endeavors to go uninterrupted, and for the Garden and Irshar to continue working together, we need more communication between our nations.”
Iravan raised an eyebrow. “I am not going to make regular reports to your council, Ahilya, as entertaining as this has been.”
“That’s not what I mean. I—we—propose an ambassador. Dhruv will certainly tell us everything you wish him to, and if not him then one of the Ecstatics you’ve already posted here. But perhaps Irshar can send you someone too.”
Iravan’s gaze traveled over the gathering. “Who do you have in mind?”
“Me,” Naila replied, stepping forward.
Ahilya could see Iravan knew what they were doing. Naila was here for this reason alone, and they’d picked her of all people because she had been his favorite student once, capable of extracting knowledge and truths out of him without being obvious. He was going to laugh at them, call out this manipulation, this subterfuge. He was going to tell them he’d already seen through their clever ways hidden behind their sungineering discussion. He was going to refuse.
“You did want architects in the Garden, did you not?” Ahilya asked quietly.
The implication was clear. Take Naila or have her be sent as a spy.
Iravan watched her for a second, then sighed. “Very well. But if she changes her allegiance—”
“Oh, she already has,” Naila said dryly. “Shall we go, sir? Tick-tick. Duty awaits.”
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