Catherine Asaro - Carnelians

CATHERINE ASARO

BAEN BOOKS by CATHERINE ASARO

Sunrise Alley

Alpha

THE SAGA OF THE SKOLIAN EMPIRE

The Ruby Dice

Diamond Star

Carnelians

CARNELIANS

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2011 by Catherine Asaro

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original

Baen Publishing Enterprises

P.O. Box 1403

Riverdale, NY 10471

www.baen.com

ISBN: 978-1-4516-3748-9

Cover art by David Mattingly

First printing, October 2011

Distributed by Simon & Schuster

1230 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Asaro, Catherine.

Carnelians / Catherine Asaro.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-4516-3748-9 (hc)

1. Skolian Empire (Imaginary place)Fiction. I. Title.

PS3551.S29C36 2011

813.54dc23

2011026706

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Pages by Joy Freeman (www.pagesbyjoy.com)

Printed in the United States of America

To Kate Dolan

For her calm insights,

For helping me keep my head on straight,

And for her friendship

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

My thanks to the following people for their invaluable input: for their great (and fast!) comments on the full manuscript: Aly Parsons and Kate Dolan. To Alys Writing Group for their insightful critique of scenes: Aly Parsons, with Al Carroll, Bob Chase, Charles Gannon, John Hemry, J. G. Huckenphler, Simcha Kuritzky, Michael LaViolette, Ed Lerner, Bud Sparhawk, and Connie Warner. Ive been fortunate to work with a great group of people at Baen Books (Simon & Schuster): to my publisher and editor, Toni Weisskopf; to Laura Haywood-Cory, Hank Davis, Marla Anspan, Jim Minz, Danielle Turner, Alethea Kontis, Joy Freeman, Becky Catchings, and all the other fine people who did such a fine job making this book possible. My thanks to my excellent agent, Eleanor Wood, of Spectrum Literary Agency; and my publicist Binnie Braunstein for her enthusiasm and hard work on my behalf.

I would like to thank the musicians who collaborated with me to turn the book Diamond Star into a rock opera, including my song Carnelians Finale that also appears in this book. On the CD by the rock band Point Valid and myself, the song is sung by Michael Belinkie, arranged by David Dalrymple, with Dave Nachodsky on bass, Joe Rinaolo on guitar, and Adam Leve on drums. My thanks to Janis Ian for her advice on the album, and to my vocal coach Becky Ocampo for her work with me.

A heartfelt thanks to the shining lights in my life, my husband John Cannizzo and our daughter Cathy, for their love and support.

Authors note: The song Carnelians Finale is available on the CD Diamond Star, which can be downloaded from iTunes, CD Baby at www.cdbaby.com/cd/pointvalidca, at most other online vendors who sell music selections, and also from

Starflight Music

PO Box 4

Simpsonville, MD 21150

Prologue

Prologue

It was one of the most effective weapons known.

It didnt explode. It shot no projectiles. It didnt spread chemical, biological, or physical poison. It created no flames or shrapnel.

It could bring down empires.

It was...

A song.

I: The Lost Time

You dehumanize us

Your critics, they all died

You answered defiance

With massive genocide

From Carnelians Finale

I
The Lost Time

Im already the most hated man in the universe, Jaibriol said. Tell me something new.

Damn it, Jaibriol, Corbal said. He considered himself a man of great patience, but he was close to his limit. He and Jaibriol were standing on a balcony of the emperors winter palace overlooking the mountains. Mist blurred the forest that carpeted the soaring peaks.

Be serious, Corbal told him.

I am serious. Jaibriol rested his hands on the railing and gazed at the fog-draped landscape. A breeze blew back the glittering black hair from his profile, accenting his straight nose and high cheekbones. He had been born with phenomenal good looks, but Corbal had no doubt the young man had also enhanced his appearance. Anything to survive. As Emperor of the Eubian Concord, Jaibriol had made himself what everyone expected to see. At twenty-eight, he was still the youngest emperor in the empires history, and he had already been on the throne for eleven years. How Jaibriol had survived would make a fascinating study on the strategic choices of a brilliant but painfully nave youth. One of his wisest decisions, of course, had been to turn to his elderly cousin Corbal as an advisor. Smart boy.

Of course there was also the empress, the gods take her forsaken soul. Perhaps Jaibriols savviest decision had been to marry the most powerfuland ruthlesswoman among the Eubian Aristos. He had given her a reason to protect his handsome hide instead of tearing it to metaphorical shreds in her political maneuvering.

You could enslave a trillion Skolians, and the Aristos would praise you, Corbal said. But now that youve signed a peace treaty, everyone hates you. At least, Jaibriols own people hated him for that reason. The Skolians hated him because he ruled the empire that wanted to conquer their enticingly lucrative civilization.

Its done, Corbal. Were going to have peace. Jaibriol glanced at him. Whether the Aristos want it or not.

No one wants it but you.

Imperator Skolia does.

Like hell. Corbal didnt believe for one moment that the military dictator of the Skolian Imperialate had any desire for peace. Gods only know his motives. No, I take that back. His motives are obvious. He knows well subjugate his little Imperialate. Thats the only reason he signed the treaty.

Little? Jaibriol gave him an incredulous look. One trillion people is little?

Compared to us. They werent really arguing about the Imperialate. No, this debate was a distraction from the real battle.

Imperator Skolia was Jaibriols uncle.

Of course Jaibriol could never speak the truth, that his mother came from the dynasty that ruled their enemies. He would forever give lip service to the pretty lie that his mother had been a Eubian empress hidden away with her son to protect them against assassins. If the truth ever became knownthat Jaibriol was also an heir to the throne of their enemiesthe Aristos would turn on him with a vengeance.

Corbal had no wish to use that secret against Jaibriol. The emperor knew about too many of Corbals hidden skeletons. Nor did Corbal want the throne. Jaibriols wife had yet to produce an heir, which meant that as Jaibriols closest kin, Corbal was next in line. However, he preferred to wield his influence from the shadows. Staying off the throne kept him from becoming a target, especially now with Jaibriols infernal peace treaty, which had to be the most unpopular success Corbal had ever seen. So many people wanted the emperor destroyed, Corbal wondered how the boy slept at all. Then again, Jaibriol had the courage to sleep with his gorgeous barracuda of a wife. Gods only knew how he survived that trauma.

It doesnt matter what the rest of the universe thinks, Jaibriol told him. Were going to trade goods with the Skolians instead of bombs.

And when Im on the throne, after some assassin puts you out of your misery, Corbal said sourly, Im sure Imperator Skolia will be just as pleased to deal with me as with you. After all, the Imperator had no idea he was Jaibriols uncle.