Authors: Lisanne Norman
* * *
The next couple of hours were spent in one of the larger stores, ordering tabards and long tunics to be made to fit her uniquely human shape. They also picked up a couple of the ready-made shirts and short tunics to do her in the meantime.
Rather than return to the guild, or spend the requisite two or three hours in a restaurant, they stopped for lunch in one of the taverns that served meals for the students.
Like nearly all the buildings in the center of Valsgarth, the tavern was old. Several mutually connecting small rooms gave it the size necessary to host large numbers of students yet still retain its antique charm. At the back was a small room reserved for diners. They pushed their way through the lunchtime throng until they reached it.
For once, no one seemed to notice her, Carrie thought with relief as she sat down in one of the high curve-backed wooden chairs. A large soft cushion compensated for the lack of the usual bowl-shaped seat. In this chair, at least her feet touched the ground!
Tentatively, she let her shield down a little, curious as to what it would feel like to be in such an enclosed area with so many student Telepaths. A myriad of unsubtle probes pricked at her mind. She winced, replacing her shield hurriedly.
Instantly even the echo of their probes was shut out as Kusac extended his own shielding to include her.
Now you know what it feels like,
he grinned.
And the importance of shielding and manners in our community!
Though I must say, they aren't exactly showing much courtesy to you.
She felt him send a loud mental reprimand to those who had been too curious. As she watched, several pairs of ears were suddenly laid flat and remained so for a good few minutes.
Was I that unsubtle?
she asked.
I'm afraid so, but you've improved immensely,
he replied as a harassed waitress came in to take their order.
They'd just finished when Kaid got to his feet. "Stay where you are," he said quietly. "Some public information reporters have just come in. I'd lay odds they know we're here." He moved toward the rear of the room, checking that the exit was clear. Disappearing from sight, he returned moments later and beckoned to them. They rose hastily and with backward glances, slipped out the rear door into the yard.
"I suggest we head back to the guild now," said Kaid, leading the way out into the lane beyond. "They know you've arrived on Shola, so they aren't likely to give up until they draw a blank at the guild. You're going to have to speak to them at some point, but I suggest you leave it until I've checked in at Dzahai Stronghold. I want to see what the official line on your Link is first," he said as they made their way through the narrow back streets to the Guild House.
"Contacting your father would also be a wise idea, Liegen. Leave it to me to talk to the Master, that's part of my job as your adjutant."
As they passed the porter, Kaid stopped briefly to leave instructions that the Liegen Aldatan and his Leska were not willing to be seen by any callers.
Once they were in their quarters, Kusac went to the comm and placed a call to his father.
"Why call him when you can use telepathy?" asked Carrie, moving out of the viewer's range.
"Courtesy and safety," he replied. "I don't wish to intrude on his personal thoughts, especially when he could be involved in important business. He's the head of Alien Relations and as such is a member of the Sholan High Command, as well as doing his duty as an occasional circuit judge. If he's busy he won't thank me for interrupting him. Now hush, please," he said as the Telepath Guild symbol blinked off the screen to be replaced by his father's image.
"Kusac, I hadn't expected to hear from you so soon," said his father. "Naturally, I sensed your arrival last night. I won't ask how your journey was as I expect it was as tedious as they usually are. So to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?"
"The public information reporters, Father," he said without preamble. "I took Carrie round Valsgarth today and they tracked us down to the tavern where we were eating. Kaid, my adjutant, got us out of there without being noticed. What do you want us to do about them?"
"What do I want you to do?" said his father, lifting an eye ridge. "You were the one who wanted to take charge of your own life, Kusac. Are you now asking me for advice?"
"You're head of the Clan while Mother is away," he said, trying not to let his irritation show.
His father regarded him for a moment. "If the decision were yours, what would you do?" he asked abruptly.
Kusac blinked in surprise, ears flicking slightly. He began to run several possibilities through his mind. "I'd issue a statement through Kaid to the effect that we were suffering time lag from the long journey and that my Leska, never having visited Shola before, needs time to adjust. That we'd appreciate being left in peace for the meantime."
His father nodded. "Then say that," he said. "You can add that Alien Relations can supply them with all the details they need about the Terrans, including images of your Leska. You'll have to get used to fending them off for yourself, Kusac. You're the first person to ever have a cross-species Leska. That in itself is newsworthy, never mind the fact that Carrie and her people have lived under the Valtegans for many years."
"Yes, I know," said Kusac. "I assume you've issued a statement regarding both our link and the Valtegans on Keiss."
"Only the barest of facts. I'll leave it to you to flesh out the details." His father grinned, letting Kusac feel his amusement at the situation. "It's good training for your future in Alien Relations. After all, who should know more about intimate relations with the Keissian Terrans than you?"
"Thanks, Father," he said, trying to contain his annoyance yet again.
"I'll look forward to hearing or reading your articles. When can I expect to see you both at the estate? I'm tied up with work on these two treaties at the moment and can't leave here to visit you."
"When we've got any time free from our guild commitments," Kusac replied, grateful that at least he didn't have to worry about his father descending on them at the guild.
"See you don't leave it too long."
"Yes, Father," he said as the screen blanked.
Carrie kept her thoughts carefully neutral, well aware that there was a long-standing unresolved conflict between Kusac and his father.
Kusac got up from the desk and yawned. "I'm afraid that I wasn't exaggerating my tiredness. I don't know about you, but I could do with some more sleep."
"I'll join you," she said, going over to him and tucking herself up against him.
"I'm glad I've got you," he said, wrapping his arm round her and resting his head on top of hers briefly. "Let me go and tell Kaid what I want him to say to the reporters, then we can rest."
* * *
Garras finished powering down the scouter, then opened the hatch. It had been a long and tiring shift. Flying low over the forest and swamp around the ruins of the Valtegan base searching for any stray Valtegans was not his idea of stimulating work. Even with the new scanners, it was more reliable to physically keep an eye on the ground.
He sat there rubbing his eyes as the rest of his crew released themselves from their seats and began to move toward the hatch. He acknowledged their leavetakings with a grunt. Maybe he was getting too old for this. He grinned. Better not let Vanna hear him say that. The grin faded. She'd have arrived on Shola by now. Sighing, he released himself from his harness and stood up. He was definitely getting too old for this.
As he turned round, he heard someone coming up the ramp. Draz stuck his head through the hatch.
"Everyone gone?" he asked as he came aboard.
"Yes, Sub-Lieutenant," said Garras, his tail giving a slight involuntary twitch of curiosity. "Can I help you?"
Draz leaned past him and sealed the hatch. "I hope you can," he said. "Are you still in touch with Kaid?"
"I can contact him if that's what you mean," he said.
"I need a line of secure communication to him. Can you set one up for me through your friend Vanna Kyjishi?"
"Easily, but as to how secure the communications would be, I can't vouch. What's the problem?"
"Sit down," said Draz, perching on the arm of the navigator's seat.
Garras sat down again, swiveling his seat round to face him.
"How much did Kaid tell you of what he was doing?"
"Only what I needed to know," said Garras cautiously.
"You knew he'd discovered a small group of dissidents from our two destroyed colonies, didn't you?"
"He mentioned that," Garras confirmed.
"Kaid overheard them try to involve your ex-crew member, Mito, in their plotting. With her cooperation he placed her as an undercover agent among them. When the six dissidents died, we assumed, wrongly as it turns out, that the matter would end there. A few days ago Mito was contacted by yet another dissident. It seems that those six were not the only ones involved."
"What did they want?"
"Mito was told to intercept an incoming coded message from the
Rhyaki
when she was next on bridge duty and that she'd be contacted in the mess the following day to pass it on."
"I'd heard Mito was quarantined because she'd contracted a Terran illness. I take it that's not true," said Garras.
Draz nodded. "We substituted one of my people for her on the bridge and intercepted the message. We haven't been able to find out who it was that contacted her in the mess unfortunately, but we have decoded the message."
"Oh?" Garras waited.
"I need that message passed on to Kaid," said Draz reluctantly.
"It'll take me a day at least to set it up," said Garras. "Vanna will be staying at the Telepath Guild because she'll be working in their medical center. Once I've contacted her I can pass on your message for Kaid. What do you want me to say?"
"I want you to transmit data from your terminal to Vanna. The message will be encoded and included with the medical information. All Vanna has to do is pass on the relevant portion to Kaid."
"Do I get to know what the message is?"
Draz shook his head. "On a need-to-know basis, Garras."
Garras reached into the topmost pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small bronze disk mounted on a chain. It was inscribed with a cursive sigil. He held it out in the palm of his hand toward Draz.
The Sub-Lieutenant leaned forward and, with a sharp intake of breath, reached out for it.
Garras' hand closed over it, claws extended. "No." He put it away.
"Kaid's?"
"Mine," said Garras. "I had to leave for Clan reasons. We're guild brothers. I think you can tell me that message, don't you, Sub-Lieutenant?"
"Captain." Draz acknowledged the other's superior rank, ears flicking in annoyance. "The message said Earth has had no contact with the Valtegans, and Keiss is merely what it seems, a first colony. It continues that another motive for rallying the survivors against the Terrans on Earth must be found. There's a contact address to be visited when the male concerned goes on leave to Shola."
Garras' eyes narrowed as he began to swear softly. "Is there any way to identify him?"
"None, beyond the fact he has to be one of the career people. There are forty-five due for leave on Shola when the cruiser arrives with their replacements."
"When?"
"Within the week."
Garras got up from his seat. "How soon can you get that data ready for me to send to Vanna?"
"It's being processed now."
"I'll be in my quarters. Let me know when it's ready and I'll contact Vanna. What do you plan to do about Mito?"
"Kaid wanted her transferred planetside now. She's scheduled to be posted to Keiss anyway to work on what's left of the Valtegan computer systems. Down there she'll not be of any use to the dissidents."
"Sounds reasonable." Garras' hand hovered over the hatch switch. "You realize that I prefer to keep my past to myself, Sub-Lieutenant. If you choose to keep me informed, though, I could probably be of help to you. The decision is entirely yours." He pressed the switch.
* * *
"Now I know why the males on the
Khalossa
stayed away from me," said Carrie with a grin as she stood brushing her hair at the long mirror set into the wardrobe. "Wearing your torc was what you meant when you said there were other ways to avoid me being propositioned."
Kusac remained lying on the bed watching her, still trying to wake up from their afternoon sleep. He was suffering more from the change in his circadian rhythm than she was.
I was jealous, I admit it, which is a totally non-Sholan re
action, but then as I've already said, I'm getting used to
having reactions that are alien to me.
His tone was wry.
She put the brush down on the table nearby and came over to sit beside him. "There was no need," she said.
He reached out to take her hand. As he did, they felt an echo of their Link compulsion run through him.
"What day is tomorrow?" she asked abruptly. "We're supposed to be seeing Master Esken in the morning."
"You're right," he said, sitting up. "I lost track of the days because of the time differences. We'll have to cancel. I'll call Sorli and tell him."
"Kusac, do you think Kaid would mind joining Meral and Sevrin?" she asked. "I'm beginning to feel we have no life of our own. There's always someone else around. It's not as if anyone could harm us here in the guild, and we're so hypersensitive to anyone around us during our Link day that we'd be sure to pick up any threat."
"When I said the same thing to you on the
Khalossa,
you were the one who didn't mind having bodyguards," he said.
"I don't mind most of the time. I like them, they're good company, more like friends now. It's just that at this time it would be nice to have some real privacy."
"I agree wholeheartedly," he said, pulling her closer.
"Food first," she said, pushing him away. "I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry," he said, swinging his legs off the bed and standing up. "Do you want to eat here or brave the student refectory?"
"Here, please. I'd rather relax than be an object of curiosity and speculation. Also, I've started getting the odd burst of flickering images. I haven't had that since the first time. With our Link day so close, I'd rather stay in our shielded quarters."
"Our bodies are still working on ship time," he said, checking his wrist unit. "I reckon we're at least twelve hours behind planetary time. For us it's early morning. It'll take a couple of days to adjust, I'm afraid. You get dressed and I'll see to contacting Sorli and talking to Kaid."