Mutant Legacy by Karen Haber Page A

of Rick. Hasn’t he suffered enough? Paid for his crime enough?”
    “I can’t believe you’re defending him,” I said. “He killed your father.”
    “Yes. And you exiled him for it.”
    “I don’t deny that. Otherwise he would have gone to jail. Or hurt more people.”
    “So instead you put him into his own private prison, with you as turnkey. Well, Julian, when is his sentence up?” Her golden eyes glittered with anger. “I think what Rick is doing is admirable, wonderful. His work could be of great benefit, not just to society in general, butn="8 to mutants in particular. The Mutant Council should support Rick Akimura’s Better World organization and offer to participate. Perhaps we could offer guidance to him—he might accept it as long as we were cooperating.”
    I turned on her furiously. “Don’t be ridiculous, Alanna. Rick would never accept guidance in any form, from anyone. What are you saying?”
    “I’m not denying that trying to work with Rick is a calculated risk,” she said. “But it’s one worth taking. Don’t condemn Rick. Don’t turn your back on him. Help him. My father would understand what he’s doing. Not only that, he would approve.”
    There were muffled chuckles and I saw several gray-haired mutants smiling.
    “Why shouldn’t we support Rick’s program of outreach to the nonmutants?” Alanna said. “What’s wrong with it? In fact, I think it might be an even better means of bridging the gap between us.”
    “We have programs in place—” Metzger said.
    Alanna cut him off. “Are we so calcified in our behavior? So immobilized, so ritualized that we can’t share the riches of our mutant gifts with those who don’t have them?”
    All around the room people were nodding their heads. Alanna was tremendously persuasive and she might just be able to swing a vote in favor of Rick. But she was wrong—I knew she was. Rick was still impulsive, dangerously unpredictable, and uncontrollable. With the best of intentions he could do dreadful damage. He had to be stopped.
    “What are you trying to do,” I demanded. “Create an excuse to reestablish your ties to Rick, now that you know where he is?”
    She glared at me and I knew that I had hit home. I didn’t enjoy doing it but I had to use any weapons I could to destroy her argument before she won everybody over.
    “Don’t you wonder why he didn’t contact you, Alanna? Why he didn’t summon you? Are you certain that you want to force yourself upon him now?” I knew I was being cruel, going perhaps too far, but I couldn’t help myself. I was too afraid of the threat that Better World represented, and I had to try to stop my brother, even if that meant making an enemy of my sister.
    Alanna gave me a look that both damned and dismissed me. Then she turned to face the Book Keeper. “I offer my services to spearhead a taskforce to contact Rick Akimura. I could represent mutant interests while participating in his organization and guiding it.”
    “Do you think he will accept your interest and suggestions?” Metzger asked.
    “It’s worth a try, isn’t it?” Alanna said.
    “And I say we must stop him entirely,” I cried.
    Metzger leaned forward. “What you say makes sense to me, Dr. Akimura. You know my feelings. But I must poll all here and see what they think.” He closed his eyes and I felt the brief touch of his mind as it reached out past me, across the crowded meeting hall into every mind there.
    “Hmm, as I feared,” Metzger said, and chagrin was evident in his voice. “We are almost evenly divided. Therefore we can’t endorse either of your proposals.”
    “This is a terrible mistake,” I said. “We mustn’t delay bur efforts.”
    “I couldn’t agree with you more,” Alanna said. “I’ll go to New Mexico right away.” She gave me a l Ce gnt toook of malicious triumph. The battle lines had been drawn between us and we both knew there was no retreating.
    The air was cool and dry, and a welcome