The Emperor looked down. ‘I knew you would not
approve
,’ he
answered. ‘I didn’t want you to influence my decision.’ Valior was right. Of
course Aldin would not want a child involved in a war. It just wasn’t right.
‘What are you going to do with her?’ Aldin asked next.
‘With Maha? We’re going to take care of her! She’s only a child,’ the
Emperor said.
Aldin didn’t trust him. ‘I didn’t mean that,’ he continued. ‘I meant what’s
going to happen? What will happen when the Kalkians find out? Will she be
hurt?’
‘Those are good questions. All of them,’ said the Emperor calmly.
Aldin looked at the Emperor. He would not accept an easy answer.
The Emperor began to speak again. ‘The Kalkians know that Maha ran
away,’ he continued. ‘But they don’t know what planet she went to. Nor do
they know that Earthling spies helped her. So you see, they don’t really
know anything.’ He looked at Aldin carefully. The Emperor wanted to
judge
how Aldin felt.
‘And if they figure out that you helped her?’
‘They can’t possibly find out. The spies won’t tell. No one here knows …
except you.’
Aldin stopped to think. ‘But why?’ he asked. He just couldn’t understand
the Emperor’s reasoning. ‘Why involve a small child? Why take her away
from her parents?’
‘Because of who her parents are,’ answered Valior. The Emperor looked
at Aldin as if he were stupid. ‘Don’t you see the benefits? We now have the
Emperor’s daughter. We can use her. For controlling the Kalkian Emperor.
For power. For anything really.’
Valior looked Aldin carefully again. Were his words influencing Aldin’s
opinions? Aldin’s face showed nothing.
‘Do you get it now?’ he continued. ‘We can use Maha to get what we
want. The Kalkian Emperor is
Dostları ilə paylaş: