To Dream in the City of Sorrows Read Online Free PDF Page A

arrived. As best as he could determine from the nearly indecipherable scrawl on the schedule, he had almost an hour until his first appointment. With luck, that meant at least half an hour to himself before the ever-helpful Venak arrived to hover nearby.
    He powered up his computer and keyed in his access to StellarCom. “Computer, I wish to contact Earth Alliance space station Babylon 5, access code on file.”
    The StellarCom system logo stared mutely at him from the screen while the system processed his request.
    “That link will take five minutes and twenty-two seconds to process. Please stand by.”
    Finally. Sinclair felt a bit of hope for the first time in a long while. He had been recalled to Earth from Babylon 5 in the midst of a great crisis on Earth – the President, Luis Santiago, had died in the explosion of his personal transport ship, Earthforce One, just moments after Sinclair and his command staff on Babylon 5 had uncovered evidence to indicate the explosion was the result of an assassination plot, not a tragic accident. Obtaining that evidence had nearly cost the life of Babylon 5’s security chief – and his friend – Michael Garibaldi.
    Sinclair had tried to bring that evidence to the attention of EarthGov while still on Babylon 5 and during the short time he was on Earth. He was all but ignored both times, told the evidence was faulty, told an investigation would look into it, told not to spread dangerous rumors.
    And then he was told to report to Minbar as the new Earth ambassador. Your world needs you to go to Minbar, President Clark, the commander-in-chief of Earthforce, had told him. Maybe the Minbari need you as well. We’ve heard there is trouble between the Minbari religious caste and the military caste.
    Why send me, Sinclair had asked. He didn’t want to leave Babylon 5, didn’t want to abandon the important work he had been doing there, didn’t want to leave behind the people who had become his friends, didn’t want to leave the side of his critically wounded friend, didn’t want to leave without at least trying to send word to Catherine who was somewhere on The Rim surveying new planets for the Universal Terraform Corporation.
    Because, he was told, you know the Minbari as well as any Human does. You can help keep the peace between Earth and Minbar. And because the Minbari trust you. They asked for you. They will accept only you. They think you have a Minbari soul ...
    Sinclair was a military man; had been all his life, as his father had been before him. When a superior gave a lawful and moral order, a military man did his damnedest to carry it out to the best of his ability. He didn’t have to like the order. He didn’t have to agree with the reasons behind the order.
    So Sinclair had come to Minbar, with assurances that they would help him get word to his fiancee, that he would be kept informed of Garibaldi’s condition, that he would be kept informed of the continuing investigation into Santiago’s death, and that he would be given all the support he needed to carry out his orders and establish an embassy on Minbar to the benefit of both worlds.
    But since his arrival, nothing.
    He’d only been imprisoned by the Minbari for the first week of his stay here, but he might as well still be in prison given the isolation he had found himself in. Was he at last going to break out of that isolation?
    The StellarCom logo suddenly began to blink. “Sorry, communication with that link cannot be established at this time. Please try later.”
    Sinclair fought back a surge of disappointment. “Computer, I wish to contact EarthDome, Geneva, Planet Earth, access code on file.” Again the system processed the request, but this time it returned its smooth refusal within only a few moments. His disappointment was starting to turn into exasperation.
    He hadn’t had any contact with his only brother since Christmas, and knew he might be worried, not having heard from him, knowing only what he