They had provided Jason with some clothes, for Brett hadn't shown up yet. He had left a short message on Jason's phone that, now being a cadet, kept him very busy. Also, he had no licence for driving the minifin yet. Paul and Winston were walking on eggshells around Diane, so it was difficult to get someone who would take him to the Pyramid, either by minifin or chopper to get to the Cave of Light.
The soft white textile felt strange on him. He couldn't wait to slip in his jeans again. But for now, he had to focus on other stuff anyway. While sleeping a lot in the last few days to get through the grief, he was now suddenly much more awake and motivated. With his new purpose in mind, he got up early again to catch Shalamorn alone in the throne room.
The Queen was watching Earth News on her triangular screen which told of the founding of ammonia traces in Californian waters. The thermohaline circulation had re-stabilised with the temperatures going down. But the scientists had still no explanation for the red algae appearing and vanishing at the north-eastern Australian waters.
"... I mean, yes," a Yale Professor just said, "the Global Warming started the melting of the Ice Caps years ago, but we still don't know, how the sudden rise in the ocean temperatures is connected to it. Also, it is very strange, that those two phenomena happened and stopped around the same time."
"While scientists and politicians are still searching for answers," the female reporter's voice said from the off, "Greenpeace media spokesman Daniel Hunter declared war against the oil industry in yesterday's press conference in Miami."
A handsome black bold man in his forties with a moustache was shown on a speaker's desk, constantly hit by flashlights.
"Now it became true," he stated,"what people kept saying for decades now: Mother Nature has had enough! I'm sure, what we experienced in the last few weeks, was a clear warning shot. We have to double our efforts on renewable energies, and we have to stop relying on fossil fuels. We can not afford another raising of the emission concentration in the atmosphere. Mother Nature has had enough!"
"Hunter's statement rose much approval," the female reporter ran on, "Greenpeace and other green organisations won over 250,000 members throughout the last two weeks. All around the globe, politicians are under high pressure to establish stricter rules to protect the environment, especially in the widely discussed emissions trading. However, voices of the oil and car producing industry are warning to make rash decisions."
"Many people lost their jobs in the crisis," a man in a suit with the big yellow sign of Shell in the background said. "But we promised we would take care of our employees. And as long, as they can't prove that there's a connection between our products and the recent events, we will keep drilling!"
Jason snorted, and Shalamorn turned her head. "This is, what you warned us about," she assumed and turned off the device.
"Yeah," he replied. "It will be a veritable feast for the oil companies when you go public."
Shalamorn sighed and sat down on the steps. If there had been any feelings of anger left in him they were gone now for good. The family resemblance was undeniable. The way Shalamorn rested her hands in her lap, her back straight up, staring onto the floor, was so alike Neri when faced with a serious problem.
"No matter, how I twist and turn it," Shalamorn started gloomily, "no matter, which variables I leave out or take in. No matter, how many times I run the scenarios in head – it seems, there is just no solution."
"Depends," Jason replied, his hands resting on his hips.
"On what?" she wanted to know.
"On your expectations, and your readiness to lower your standards," he responded. "You are still trying to find the perfect way out of the chaos. But you should know by now, that there is no such a thing as a perfect solution. You will always find people opposing you."
He sat down on the steps across from her, bent forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I know, your ancestors imagined relations with Earth People like sort of a friendly student exchange programme. But Malakat's actions threw their plans back decades, maybe even generations. We're walking on the edge of a knife, so instead of running unrealistic scenarios, you should better focus on the tangible problems right now. "
Shalamorn gave him a thoughtful, and almost sad look. "You're are still young in years but already you fought so many battles on behalf of my people. Your youth, as well as those of my daughters have been taken away by the mistakes my people made, – the mistakes I made! I should have learned by now, but I keep stumbling. Talking to you feels like the only thing, that keeps me from falling. And what does that say about me or my leadership skills? Malakat was right about me being an idealistic fool."
Jason didn't feel like a pep talk. There was not much he could say against her self-awareness, anyway. The compliment left him cold.
"Why do you think, he didn't kill you for real?" he asked instead.
Shalamorn rose and walked a few steps towards the statue. "Malakat was a vain man," she explained. "Sometimes he woke me up, just to gloat over his achievements. How he made my folks believe, I was dead, infecting them with his wicked philosophy. He loved to swagger about how adopting this stupid girl of royal blood had paid off. How he had manipulated her into using her influence and status to convince people into joining his conspiracy."
"Shersheba," Jason assumed, and Shalamorn nodded.
"She became a victim of her own ambition, yes," Shalamorn said. "But she had good intentions at the beginning."
"I guess, she really believed," Jason added, "that what she was doing was actually helping her people." He stood up. "I had a talk with her yesterday, and she made a valid proposal. This proposal is the actual reason, why I'm here."
Shalamorn looked surprised. Obviously, Mera hadn't told her about last night's encounter.
"Why does she not talk to me herself?" Shalamorn wanted to know.
"Isn't it obvious?" Jason replied. "She doesn't have an easy stand in the Pyramid right now. People either ignore or treat her like a criminal. And you keeping her in here, makes things worse for her."
"She is not a prisoner," Shalamorn exclaimed. "I pardoned her unconditionally. I thought, she would be safer on Earth."
"Well, we could find out about that," Jason ran on, hands on his hips again, "which brings me back to her suggestion about you going back to the Ocean Planet. Neri and Mera, as well."
"Going back? But we are needed here," Shalamorn frowned. "We can't leave!"
Jason shrugged. "The senators will take their time," he argued. "And you have to consolidate your authority with your people. You need to show them your strength. Give your people the opportunity to connect with you. To see and to talk to the three of you in person is maybe all it takes to make them believe in you again."
She thought about it for a moment. "Will you accompany us?"
"If you let me," he nodded, "absolutely."
"No question there," she replied. "What about Shersheba?"
"She will comply with your demand but you should ask her herself," Jason suggested. "I think it would do her some good to be involved in the planning."
"It's settled then," the Queen acknowledged. "We will tell the girls and discuss the arrangements with the council members."
"Actually," Jason objected, and she froze on her way to leave the room. "Shersheba also implied that the council members, although not consciously, maybe still slightly influenced by Malakat's way of seeing things because he was too long in the ascendant. Maybe, it would be wise to surprise them."
"Alright then," she agreed.
He hesitated. "And there is something else."
She took a step towards him, friendly smiling. "Whatever it is, Jason," she assured him, "I will grant you any request."
"It's not a request," he replied. "Shersheba mentioned that Neri was promised to Kal. And that you broke off the engagement."
Shalamorn nodded. "Yes, that poor boy! A defect on the crashed ship made his body mature in the stasis chamber, but not his mind. It is not easy for him to find his place."
"And he almost gave the synchronium to Hellegren," Jason added.
"The scientist who captured Charly," she remembered.
"Would Neri still be promised to him if it weren't for the ship's defect or his mistake?"
Her smile froze. "No," she said firmly. "You are the reason why I detached the bond."
"Because I come in handy for you?" He instantly regretted his suspicious tone. "I'm sorry," he added quickly. "Bad habit! I had no intention to go down this road again."
"You have every right to be angry with me," she replied. "But to answer your original question: I broke the engagement off because I could never deny her you," she explained affectionately. "You are her heart, Jason."