Ancestor's World (20 page)

As if it suddenly spied her, it turned its entire body to face Etsane's much smaller one across the expanse of ridge. She froze, praying that it needed motion to detect her actual presence. Her hand crept to her com unit slowly.

The massive animal reared back on its hind legs, its head swiveling. It will go its own way now, Etsane willed it. Then it dropped to all fours and moved purposefully toward her.

"Khuharkk'!" Cursing, she slapped the com unit control pad on. "Khuharkk'!

Predator alert! A long-neck's coming for me, fast. Range--" Her voice cracked as she read off the integers glowing at the top of her eyeshade.

"Range is one thousand meters and closing. Estimated speed, thirty klicks an hour. Mass, about two hundred kil os."

"Etsane!" The alarm was clear in his voice. "Retreat! Something that large will not be deterred by the repulsors."

"I know!" Her mouth suddenly dry, Etsane felt the weapon-belt at her waist.

Repulsor ward on the left, her sling with bag of rocks on the right. Her hunting kni fe was strapped to her thigh. And, strapped to the small of her back, was the pulse-gun that astamari Mitchell had insisted she carry. Out of respect for Khuharkk', she had worn it concealed beneath her loose blouse.

Etsane felt the impulse to draw it and shoot the beast down. But then she envisioned Khuharkk's disgust if she resorted to a weapon, and suddenly it seemed as severe and unforgiving as her father's. Surely she didn't have to kill the creature with a weapon!

The Simiu had told her to retreat. That made sense. But when she forced herself to turn away from the vision of the

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advancing predator to get her bearings, she found that behind her, the canyon rim dropped off in a vertical fall of more than fifty meters. She did not trust herself to find the place where a rockfall had piled up in a makeshift ramp. Retreat suddenly seemed far more dangerous that the approaching animal.

"Khuharkk'! There isn't enough room. I'm backed against the canyon rim!"

"I'm almost there!"

Self-consciously she touched the pulse-gun, then pulled her hand away.

How angry would he be? He'd despise her for violating his taboo. Etsane glanced upcanyon. The Simiu's bright scarlet form sped along at an amazing pace, as he ran on all fours. Looking from one glowing image to the other, she realized with sick certainty that the night creature would reach her first.

What would her father tell her to do?

"Remember the leopard/" a voice whispered.

Yes! Shaken from her paralyzed stance, Etsane pulled her sling out, felt in her bag for a large piece of hard quartz, loaded it into the sling, then put two more thumb-sized rocks in her mouth, where they would be ready for reloading. It was a weapon, and with luck a hard shot to the head would drive the creature away, sparing its life--and hers.

The night of the smuggler raid, Khuharkk' had not objected to her use of her sling. Stretching her arm out to the right, she made the meter-long projectile weapon whistle in the night air. Then, in one fluid motion, Etsane let loose one string while snapping forward with all the strength she had.

The predator howled and spun around as the stone hit its mark hard.

Now it would flee, and they would be safe! Her exhilaration lasted only seconds--almost immediately, the now- furious animal gathered itself and broke into a fast lope.

She did not stop to think about the danger an injured creature posed. Quickly she spit out the second rock, slung it, and tossed. Before it could hit its target she had reloaded a third stone, slung it, and then shouted when she struck 143

her target twice at over a hundred meters distance. The massive animal yowled, but kept on coming.

"Etsane!" Khuharkk' called, nearly running fall tilt into her.

"I hit it three times, but it keeps coming!" she said, in frustrated disbelief.

"I can see it in the moonlight! It's too big to be brought down by stones. We must retreat now!"

Her feet felt rooted onto the ridge. It was irrational, she knew, but she was convinced that if they turned their backs now, the beast would be on them before they could make it over the canyon rim.

Use the pulse-gun, her inner voice warned. Glancing at Khuharkk"nearness, she could not make herself do it. She was so mixed up with fear, adrenaline, and the need to react she didn't know what to do.

"Try the repulsor ward," Khuharkk' barked, to her amazement. "It will not affect the animal, but you can disorient it by firing at the ground in front of it."

Yes! the woman thought, pulling out the ward. She twisted the power knob to

"full" and fired at the ground in front of the rapidly closing creature.

Blue light flared, blinding her. She cursed silently, realizing their night vision was now compromised. Blinking to clear her eyes, she strained to hear the running scrabble of the clawed beast.

Etsane heard it. Still advancing. She fired at the ground again and again, trying to create a safe fire-zone around them, hoping the animal would get tired of having stones and dust hurled at its face. Dimly she could see it evading the blasts, dodging around them. The ward slowed it, but did not stop its steady approach.

She felt Khuharkk's warm palm press against her arm. "I have already called for help," the Simiu's rumbling voice told her. "I can only hope to slow its advance until they arrive. You must find your way down the slope while I fight it."

While he fights it? Without even thinking, she grabbed a

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handful of his mane in her fist. "You can't fight that thing, Khuharkk'! You'll be killed!"

And in the eerie glow of her augmented night vision, she saw the odd burgundy gleam of his eyes as they stared at her, saying so much clearly than his words ever could--I am a Simiu. My death will be rich with Honor, for I will have saved my friend. Then he turned without looking back, and launched himself toward the enraged, wounded reptile.

"No! NO!" she screamed at his retreating back. There was no time for thinking now. Khuharkk' reared up toward the animal even as it spun to meet him, their challenging screams matching each other's ferocity.

"NONONONO!" she shouted, her voice as loud in her ears as their enraged roars. The pulse-gun was in her hand without her even being aware that she'd reached for it. She aimed the weapon cleanly over the Simiu's head and struck the rearing Long-Neck between its heavily ridged eyes.

It bellowed, flinging its head back as Khuharkk' sank his teeth and claws into its snaky throat. Etsane fired again, hitting it below the jaw where the beam could pass through to the brain. The heavy creature crashed heavily to the ground, Khuharkk' clinging grimly to it. It was dying now, its reactions automatic. A powerful arm swung heavily against the Simiu, claws gouging a trail over Khuharkk"arm and shoulder, but still he clung to the animal through its death spasms.

"Khuharkk', no! Let go!" Etsane yelled, firing again at the head. Like the mindless shark that could kill even when it was dying, the monster rolled, pinning Khuharkk' beneath its bulk, then rolled again with the Simiu atop it.

I need a clean shot to the base of the skull to sever the spine, Etsane realized, then ran around behind the flopping creature. Forgetting all her fears for her own well-being, she drew too close, and the flailing foreleg of the paddling creature scraped the bare skin of her forearm. She ignored the stinging pain to locate the one spot--

--and, with great deliberation, she fired squarely where the spine met the skull.

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With a last, great sigh, the beast stilled and collapsed into a lifeless heap.

Only then did Khuharkk' lift his bloodied head and meet her gaze--as she stood facing him, the hated weapon firmly in hand.

"I couldn't let you die," she blurted. "Not to save my life. If I'd kept my head, reacted faster, maybe I could've gotten away and you wouldn't have done this. I couldn't let you die because of me. I'm so sorry about the weapon--"

He was beside her now, the smell of the alien animal's blood fresh on his fur.

"You had this all along?" he rumbled, indicating the pulse-gun.

She was trembling, shaking from head to foot as the adrenaline rush left her drained. "I didn't want to use it. I know it offends your culture. But I couldn't let you die!"

Gently, he patted her arm. "You hid this from me out of respect for my Honor.

Allowed me to battle the creature. Etsane, you could've been killed yourself, all to spare my feelings."

She blinked, realized he was--chuckling?

"Young human, do you know how long I have worked with your people? I understand your culture and respect it; I have for a long time. I know that it is different from my own. That you would endanger yourself so greatly to honor my culture--it has been a long time since any human has honored me so. I thank you. And I thank you for saving both our lives."

So surprised was she at his reaction, she felt the last vestiges of her strength fail, and she grabbed at his right shoulder to steady her shaky legs. His fur was wet. She blinked. Her own arm gleamed moistly. She lifted the eyeshade and stared. In the white moonlight, their blood ran red.

She could hear voices chattering over the com unit, hear scrambling up the slope as help arrived.

"Our injuries are minor, but they will scar," he commented, sounding oddly smug. "We'll have a good story to tell, won't we, Etsane?" He sounded winded, as if the

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mad tackle of the creature had taken everything he could give. "Etsane, you fought with great Honor."

"Even--even with a weapon?" she said dazedly, hardly believing his acceptance.

"You saved my life."

"You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save mine." Khuharkk' gripped her shoulder. "We share more now than just professional honor. We share an Honor Bond."

"That's great." Etsane felt dizzy again, and weaved as she stood in the cold night air. "What is it?"

Khuharkk" laughed weakly. "It's what Simiu warriors share when they've faced down death together. Come now. The others are here to help us. We will not last much longer on our feet."

And as the first rescuers approached them with med-kits, weapons and stretchers in hand, the two warriors sank to their haunches in the sand, leaning against one other to keep from collapsing as bonelessly as their enemy had.

Even as Doctor Strongheart hurried to them, Khuharkk' assured her, "If we lean on each other, then neither can fall."

Closing her eyes in weariness, relief, and intense gratitude, she let the warmth of his body sustain her as she realized how very right he was.

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The next afternoon Etsane was busy at her desk in the Lab, puzzling once again over the ancient Na-Dina language, when Sumiko came out of her office, stood by the Lab's front entrance, and glanced at her watch. "Time for the big show," she called to Etsane. "We've got a front-row seat for the second coming of A-Um Rakt."

"What?" Etsane had been concentrating deeply, and it took her a moment to catch up. Then her brain clicked into gear. "You mean they're bringing the sarcophagus down to put it in the Security Chamber? Here? Now?"

The woman nodded. "Yes. I just got the message. They're up there attaching the a-grav units right now! Very shortly the Golden Barge of A-Um Rakt will float out of his Tomb, down the ramp, and over to our little establishment.

Accompanied by the crown jewels, of course."

"Including the Mizari relics?"

"Naturally."

Etsane noticed that the Japanese woman's statement had caused a stir among the other researchers. Ttalatha looked up from her computer screen, her masked snout wrinkling excitedly. She began grooming herself, trailing retractable claws through her short, creamy fur. Beside her, Hrashoi 148

the Shadgui shook its slothlike shoulders, the Gui toad part of the symbiont visible as a flash of red hiding among the long black fur of the Shad's thick neck. The Gui's saucer- wide eyes stared at the front entry, seeing for its sightless host. Natual waved at her from his station beside Eloiss, the female Drnian who did the floral analysis of materials brought in by the Na-Dina dig crew.

Etsane looked back to the waiting Lab Chief, who wore a white lab coat over her shorts and blouse. "Sumiko, can you see what's going on over one of the remotes?"

"Sure can. Want a blow-by-blow description?" the Lab Chief called, as she stared at the screen of the holo-vid unit in her office.

An affirmative cheer went up. "Okay, then," Sumiko said cheerfully, "here goes! They're starting down the rampway. Doctor Mitchell is running around the a-grav unit, clucking like a mother hen checking her eggs."

The audience chuckled appreciatively.

"Dr. Strongheart is bringing up the rear, both paws on the back of the barge, keeping it perfectly level. Khuharkk' is handling the a-grav controls.

Professor Greyshine is dancing around, alternating between two and four feet, waving for the Na-Dina dig crew to get out of the way. Esteemed Lorezzzs is actually slithering along underneath the barge. I sure hope that a-grav unit doesn't hiccup! Then there's Ambassador Mahree, who is trying to keep everyone calm."

Another chuckle arose from the assembled researchers. "And, don't let me forget. Axum is there, overseeing the workers, trying to keep them out of Greyshine's way as they make obeisance to the King's sarcophagus. And of course there's Beloran, who is walking along, swishing his tail and wearing a snotty expression--so what's new?" Laughter rewarded her sallies, and she grinned unabashed.

"And ... they've reached the bottom of the ramp safely, and they're heading straight for us! Okay, so where's the applause for my stellar announcing skills?"

Etsane clapped wildly. Natual did likewise. Eloiss copied

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him hesitantly. The Shadgui watched. But Doctor Ttalatha jumped up and down like a youngster.

"Coming through!" Gordon Mitchell bellowed moments later from outside the door that Sumiko held open.

Sumiko grinned excitedly as the barge "sailed" past her.

The golden sarcophagus was easily three meters long, a meter wide, and it came to a halt hovering about one meter above the Lab's stone floor.