The Black Sun Conspiracy

Chapter Twenty-Six

Axelle accepted a drink, but she did not settle into her chair. Instead she perched on the edge of the seat, clutching her glass, staring intently at Purdue. “Well, are you going to tell them, Mr. Purdue? Or shall I?”

Purdue sighed and swirled the whisky in his glass. “I shall, I suppose. Or at least I shall start. I am sure that by now you have realized that my relationship to the Order of the Black Sun is closer than I had led you to believe.”

“You’ve never really led us to believe anything about where you stand with them,” said Sam. “Well, me at least — I don’t know what you’ve told Nina. I knew you were connected to the FireStorm lot when you did that presentation on the death of privacy or whatever it was. And it was more than just coincidence that you disappeared off the radar after that fuck up with Stromer’s people. Then I must mention the Deep Sea One incident where you facilitated a meeting with members of the Order concerning the Spear of Destiny, remember? Naturally when you told us that the Order of the Black Sun existed I figured out that you must have had some involvement with them, but you’ve actually never told me the nature of it.”

“Nor me,” Nina chimed in. “I’m as confused as Sam. You’ve never really told me anything about who you’ve worked for.”

“Very well, than I shall tell you now. The fact of the matter is that a few years ago, I was invited to join the Order as a Level Seven Initiate.”

“What does that mean?” Nina asked. “What’s a Level Seven Initiate?”

“Effectively a contractor, but one whose work requires an understanding of their operations that is not permitted without initiation. They approached me to design a tracking device that could be easily swallowed without the person swallowing realizing it. I took the job, of course. It was particularly lucrative and their specifications offered some interesting challenges. But they required me to work in their laboratories at least part of the time, which meant that I needed clearance that could only be given to initiates at the lowest level — Level Seven. That level offers only the minimum information. I was informed that the Black Sun was a global organization dedicated to the advancement of certain aims. These seemed innocuous enough at first — peace, prosperity, developing technology that would make large amounts of money for a small group of people. I had little interest in their beliefs. Belonging to organizations has never been something that I cared for. But since it made little difference to me whether they considered me among their number or not, I allowed myself to be initiated.”

Sam thought back to the things he had seen at Parashant. “So does that mean you had to go through the same kind of ritual as Jefferson?” he asked. “All the gold masks and chanting and the like? That did actually happen, right? That wasn’t just me off my face on their drugs?”

“No, you’re not imagining that,” Nina confirmed. “I saw it too, and I wasn’t nearly as high as you.”

Purdue smiled at the idea. “Fortunately, such rituals are only popular amongst the FireStorm cult. It is, as I told you before, a subsidiary of the Black Sun. Its practices are not to be found throughout the entire organization. My initiation was a less elaborate affair, one that only consisted of a brief meeting with someone a few levels higher. My involvement was extremely limited until quite recently. After my return from Deep Sea One, in fact. At that point I was told of the FireStorm branch and asked to take over the work that was already in progress in preparation for the death of privacy. At that point I was given considerably more information and advanced to Level Four. I learned then that their intention was to gain absolute control, to establish an authoritarian regime that would dominate the entire world.”

Sam felt Nina’s whole body go tense beside him. “And you still worked with them?” Her voice shook slightly. “You were prepared to help them? To be part of that?”

“Better me than anyone else, I thought. If technology of that nature is going to exist — and I had accepted that someday it would — then I would prefer it to be of my own design and ultimately under my control. Had it not been of my making, we would not have been able to destroy it.”

“If it hadn’t been of your making,” Nina snapped, “we wouldn’t have had to destroy it. Besides, you said it would only be a matter of time before they‘ll replace it.”

“That is true. Which means that the reasons for my earlier involvement still stand. And that is why, when I was contacted by the Order again, I thought I had better seize the opportunity to reinstate myself and regain my control. You see, they do not consider that membership of the Order can be revoked, whether by them or by me. Membership is for life. I was offered the opportunity to make good the damage I had done — which they attribute largely to the two of you, assuming that I was unwillingly caught up in it — or to terminate my membership by the only other means possible. What else could I do? If I had refused to co-operate, your lives would have been forfeit along with my own.”

Sam’s head was spinning. “What did they ask you to do?”

“To retrieve something that they want. Nina, please don’t give me that look. I am not withholding information in an attempt at mystery; I honestly do not know what it is. I know it is the painting that I have mentioned before, I am aware that it has some significance as part of the Black Sun’s history, and that I will know it when I see it. Beyond that, I am in the dark. Hence the trail of clues we have been following. They have promised me, though, that once I have retrieved this piece my position will be restored and I will be in a position to guarantee not just my own safety, but yours as well.”

Privately Sam wondered whether it was possible to be safe after everything that had happened. The Order had lost at least a dozen members thanks to them. Gradually it had begun to haunt Sam less, but he doubted that the Black Sun would forget it any quicker than he would.

“Of course, until Mr. Purdue has succeeded in his mission,” Axelle’s voice cut sharply through Sam’s thoughts, “you will remain in danger. And even once it is complete your safety will always depend on his goodwill. That is why I warned you about him before, and it is why I warn you once again now.”

She got to her feet and faced Sam and Nina. “They will not stop sending people after you. You must think carefully whether you trust this man to protect your interests. And if you do not, then your best chance of survival is to approach the Order and offer to join it of your own free will. I can tell you how to go about it. Perhaps, as a gesture of good faith, Mr. Purdue will tell you how you might find me should you decide to do so. If he does not, I will seek you out within the next twenty-four hours and hope that his decision to withhold yet more information from you will inform your choice. Now goodnight. I think the three of you have much to discuss.”