The Mammoth Book of Alternate Histories Part 46

Mary faced her. "I know you never spoke to me before in your life. But just listen, if you don't want to die in prison, serving the dreams of your so-called lover."

Alicia frowned, and glanced at Anselm.

Mary turned to Boniface. "This is a spectacle. A stunt, so the Church can show its muscles. Even death doesn't put an enemy out of your reach, right? So you dug up poor Darwin here and excommunicated him posthumously. But in your wisdom, and I use the word loosely, you decided even that wasn't enough. You wanted more. But it's all unravelling. Can't you see, Commissary, if you prosecute this innocent kid for being loyal to her family, how much harm you will do to the Church's image - even in your home territories, and certainly outside? You should come visit Cooktown some time. Imagine how this would play out there. If you punish this girl, you'll be doing precisely what your enemies want you to do."

"What would you have me do, Lector?"

"Your problem is with Darwin, not his remote grand-niece. If excommunication's not enough, punish him further. There are precedents in history. In the year 1600 Giordano Bruno was burned at the stake for his various heresies. But the punishment didn't end there. His bones were ground to dust! That showed him. So take Darwin's mouldering corpse out of that box and hang it from Tower Bridge. Grind his bones and scatter them on the wind. Whatever - I'm sure your imagination can do better than mine in coming up with ways to debase a dead man. Then you'll have the public spectacle you want, without the cruelty."

Boniface considered, his eyes hooded over those flaps of blackness. "But the holy court heard the girl defy me."

Xavier approached now. "I for one heard nothing, Holy Father. A cough, perhaps. I'm sure there is no reliable transcript."

Boniface nodded. "Hmm. You should consider a career in politics, Lector Mason. Or the Church."

"I don't think so," she said vehemently.

"I must consult my colleagues. You may withdraw." He turned away, dismissing her.

Mary grabbed Alicia by the arm and walked her away from the bench. "Let's get you out of here, kid."

Anselm followed, agitated. "What did you do? Alicia, you need to go back - Lector, let her go-" He reached for Alicia.

Xavier said, "I wouldn't advise it, Mr Fairweather."

Mary hissed, "Back off, kid. You'll get your martyr. Darwin's as much an intellectual hero as Galileo ever was. How do you think it's going to reflect on the Church to have his very bones abused in this grotesque way? You'll get the reaction you want, the anger, the disgust - with any luck, the mockery. And, look - you heard me speak about what the Aboriginal astronomers have discovered, back home. The expansion of the universe, building on Galileo's own work. The truth has a way of working its way out into the open. The Church has clung on for centuries, but its hold is weakening. You don't need to sacrifice Alicia to the Inquisition."

The blood had drained from Alicia's face. Perhaps she saw it all for the first time.

But Anselm still faced her. "Come with me, please, Alicia."

Alicia looked from Mary to Anselm. "Lector Mason - if I could stay with you - just until I get my thoughts sorted out-"

"Of course."

Xavier leaned forward. "Go, Lyncean. And I'd advise you, boy, never to come to the attention of the Inquisition again."

Anselm stared at the three of them. Then he turned and ran.

Mary looked at Xavier. "So how long have you known he was with this Academy?"

"A while."

"You're lenient."

"He's harmless. You know me by now, I prefer to avoid a fuss. The Church survived the fall of Rome, and Galileo and Darwin. It will survive a pipsqueak like Anselm Fairweather."

"So will you help us get out of here?"

He glanced back at Boniface. "I suspect the court will find a way to close this hearing gracefully. Nothing more will be asked of Miss Darwin. Umm, her clothes-"

"I don't care about my clothes," Alicia said quickly. "I just want to get out of this place."

"You and me both," Mary said. "You can borrow my coat." She started walking Alicia towards the door.

"Anselm set me up, didn't he?"

"I'm afraid so, dear."

"He said no harm would come to me if I refused to say anything bad about Charles Darwin. I believed him. Of course I did. He was my lawyer, and my, my-"

"Don't think about it now. Come see my hotel room. It's got a great view of the Place de Louis XVI. You can see right up Napoleon's nose. You know, I'm thinking of a trip up to Edinburgh. You have family there? I hear the air is cleaner. Why don't you come? And I'm thinking of booking an early berth back home. Maybe you can come visit."

"Are you serious?"

"Why not? After all, your uncle Charles was a traveller, wasn't he? Maybe it's in the blood. I think you'd like Terra Australis ..."

Talking quietly, following Xavier through the warren under St Paul's, Mary led Alicia steadily towards the light of day.

end.