“Yes, Sectuib.”
“Good. Now, slowly move in closer. All four laterals are now in contact. You must initiate the fifth contact. Any point will do, but my control is greatest through a lip-lip contact.”
Prudently, but not prudishly, Valleroy pressed his lips against the Sime’s. Those sensitive, Farris lips were smooth, dry, and hotter than any Gen’s because the Sime body temperature is much higher. But there was absolutely no similarity with the kiss of a woman. As he waited for some signal from the channel that it was over, Valleroy wondered about that. Every time he’d touched or been touched by a Sime, there had been not the slightest tinge of any sort of sexual overtone. Here was a totally separate body function. A complete new life process to add to the traditional biologist’s list. And, like the other vital life processes, it took priority over reproduction. In the case of selyn-transfer, the libido was completely short-circuited—very much as adrenaline suspends digestion.
Yes, thought Valleroy, Klyd was probably being honest when he claimed that approaching need spoiled his appetite for food and for women. But if Nature followed her usual pattern, the post-transfer Sime would be quite eager for both food and sex. He felt he finally understood something profound about the Simes, and it warmed him comfortably.
The channel moved, retracting his tentacles, systematically dismantling the contact. Valleroy didn’t dare move. Klyd sat, head bowed as if in concentration. When he finally did speak, his voice was gravelly with enforced relaxation. “Hugh, need is only hours off now. I can go on for a couple of days, perhaps. We might be able to steal some horses and make it to Zeor. But we might not. You have...selur nager...that differentiates the Companions from other Gens. I wish I could call on your service if it becomes necessary.”
“I said I won’t leave you, if you think I can do any good by staying. I owe it to Zeor.”
Slowly raising his head, Klyd searched Valleroy’s eyes. “I promised I’d never hurt you again. If I wait too long, I might break that promise. Entran functions and shunts are one thing, serving need is entirely different. There aren’t many Gens who have the capacity to deliver selyn at the rate I must demand.”
“You’re trying to scare me.”
“No, warn. Remember what it felt like when I hurt you?”
“I’ll never forget.”
“I was being very gentle then. Your fear upset me. You interfered with my control as only a Companion could. I miscalculated...not that I’ve had much practice at burning people...but I had a field-gradient driving that transfer at about one-one-hundredth the rate I’d normally use to satisfy need. The day after tomorrow, I won’t be normal.”
“Meaning, you might hurt me?”
“I wouldn’t attempt to qualify a Companion under such circumstances.”
“Are you suggesting that we get it over with tomorrow?”
“No, not while there’s hope. We’re a long way from home. There’s no Householding infirmary closer than Zeor.”
“For me, you mean.”
“If necessary.”
“All you might require would be a spade.”
“Hugh! I’ve never killed and I never will. You’ve got to believe that. You’ve got to make it such a part of yourself that you can’t possibly fear me. The worst that could happen would be that I’d break my promise to you. But we’d both survive it. You’ve tasted the sensations of rapid draw. If you could nerve yourself not to react to it—not to fight or retreat from that feeling—then you would be safe, and the sensation would not be unpleasant.”
“It’s as simple as that.”
“It’s not simple. I know. I felt what you felt that time. But, Hugh, you were hurt because for a fraction of a second, you wrenched control away from me...and you did not know what to do with it.” He reached out to finger the starred-cross that dangled from Valleroy’s neck. “Something in your ancestry has given you a natural aptitude for this work. One day, channels will fight over the privilege of your service. I believe you could serve me this time...if you want to. That’s the important part. Wanting. Selyur nager and selur nager must be absolutely complementary. We almost had it a few minutes ago. I could have qualified you then...painlessly.”
“Why didn’t you?” Valleroy wondered just how much Klyd really wanted to qualify another Companion in Zeor...especially one who might be as talented as Denrau. He remembered Householding Frihill. “There just isn’t room for two really great Companions in one Householding.”
“It wasn’t in the bargain,” said Klyd. “Besides, Grandfather wouldn’t approve.”
“It would have solved most of our problems.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. You might not have been able to hold together long enough since you weren’t expecting it. But you handled the shunt satisfactorily. I feel well enough to travel.”
“Then let’s go. It’s not quite noon yet.” Valleroy gathered his legs under him. The Sime rose with one of those incredibly graceful motions that always excited the artist in Valleroy.
“Naztehr, from now on, you must try not to touch me without preparation.”
“Yes, Sectuib.”
“Now, let’s see what kind of day it is outside. Maybe we can put some distance behind us.”
They both turned toward the door then; suddenly Klyd tensed. “There’s a Sime”—he pivoted like a hunting dog—“there, about four hundred yards! He’s not moving.”
“That would be near the top of this ridge. Does he know we’re here?”
“Might. Would be extreme range for an ordinary Sime, and these places are always well insulated...but...he might. There’s nobody else...correction there is a concentration of Simes and Gens! Far though. Maybe in the next valley. You’re such high-field, I could hardly discern....”
“Never mind. We’ll have to scout. How are your legs?”
“Sore, but adequate. The scratches are almost healed.”
Hastily, they shrugged into their coats. Valleroy began gathering their bedrolls and riding cloaks.
“Leave them. We’ll come back for them. Let’s get out of this trap, and get some maneuvering room. That Sime might be Runzi.”
“What do we do if he is?”
“Let me handle it.” The channel led the way out into bright sunlight. “You go that away. Don’t get closer than that twisted out-cropping up there. Your field will distract his attention while I close in from the other side.”
“Maybe he’s watching us now?”
Klyd squinted toward the crest of the ridge directly above the way station. “No. He’s watching what’s going on down in the valley.”
“I can’t see anybody.” The sun stood at a southerly noon angle that etched the rocks black against the pale blue sky.
“I can barely make out what appears to be the back of his head,” said Klyd. “It’s just at the center of the selyn field. From the emotional nager, I infer he’s watching a battle but feels safe and a bit frustrated. I’ll have to get closer to see if he’s wearing a Runzi uniform. Unless he’s a Householder, he’s a danger to us.”
“Let’s go.” Once again, Valleroy wished fervently for a decent weapon...if not a rifle, at least a single-shot, homemade muzzle-loader! But he didn’t even have a knife. He scrambled up toward the outcropping Klyd had indicated.
Before he’d gone ten yards, he lost sight of his partner. The channel proved phenomenally agile despite his wounds. Valleroy wondered if he was augmenting. That was one trick that he’d come to envy during the last few weeks. By increasing selyn consumption rate, any Sime could perform feats of speed, strength, and endurance that seemed beyond human limits. But he wondered if Klyd could afford it.
Hauling himself up one last pile of boulders, Valleroy squirmed into position among the wind-carved convolutions of the outcropping. By squinting against the sun, he could barely make out a profile...the head and shoulders of a crouched figure, hands cupped around eyes, peering down into the far valley.
As a cloud drifted across the sun relieving the gl
are, Valleroy caught a glimpse of color. Bright red. The Runzi uniform was red like that. Valleroy wondered what Klyd would do next.
He didn’t have long to wait. As if sensing that somebody was watching him, the distant Raider turned toward Valleroy’s position and then moved behind a twisted bush seeking cover. But that left his flank exposed to Klyd, and the channel wasn’t slow in seizing the advantage.
With the swiftness of a racing cougar, Klyd flashed out of nowhere diving for the unsuspecting Sime. In the instant before contact, the victim whirled as if alerted by Valleroy’s distant reaction. Then the pair of Simes rolled down out of Valleroy’s sight.
Recklessly, Valleroy scrambled down off his pinnacle. Leaping from rock to rock, he made his way toward the battle. Loose gravel showered down the hillside in his wake, but his footing held firm. He arrived just in time to see Klyd step lithely aside to avoid a stiletto charge. Klyd finished his opponent with a neck-severing chop of his hand.
Dead in midair, the Raider’s body thudded limply to the ground, jerked a few times, and was still. Valleroy watched the tension drain out of the channel’s stance leaving him stoop-shouldered and obviously exhausted. Now Valleroy was certain Klyd had been augmenting heavily.
Careful not to be seen by those in the next valley the Gen picked his way toward the two Simes. “Klyd...is he....”
“Dead? Yes.”
“Runzi?”
“Undoubtedly. He used a tenth-degree augmentation on me. Do you know anybody else who could afford that?”
“I wouldn’t know a tenth-degree augmentation from a selur nager. But did you have to kill him? He might have known something about Aisha.”
Indignantly, Klyd rounded on the Gen. “Hugh, do you know what he’d have done to me?” Bending, he scooped up the long stiletto, which gleamed wickedly in his hand. “Today is the thirteenth day in the Death Count of Feleho Ambrov Zeor. And the first installment on his Death Price has been paid by Sectuib of Householding Zeor.”
Valleroy bowed his head. The icy control in Klyd’s voice was more passionate than any ferocity could have been. “Unto Zeor, forever. Would that the next installment be paid by my hand.” He raised his eyes. He didn’t know in just what form that petition would be granted. Had he known, he might not have made it.
Silently, Klyd nodded.
“I just wish,” said Valleroy, regarding the body, “we could have questioned him first.”
“He was junct...and approaching need. I could never have kept him away from you. And I wouldn’t have enjoyed trying. The sadistic streak of the junct is missing in the channel. Can you imagine what kind of mixture of masochist and sadist a Sime must be to threaten another Sime with one of these?” He brandished the slim weapon.
“When it comes to sadism, the licensed raiders must be the worst of the lot.”
“And of all the licensed raiders, the Runzi have the reputation of being the most sadistic. They consider channels lesser creatures then Gens. A Gen is merely an animal to be used. A channel is a pervert who seduces others into perversion. If they capture one, they make an object lesson out of him. Not in public, of course, but word spreads.”
“Cheerful thought,” said Valleroy, unwilling to ask what they did with Companions they captured. They couldn’t sell them to the Choice Auction since Companions didn’t make satisfactory kills. “I wonder what this fellow was doing up here? Are there any more around?”
“No. But something is going on down there. Let’s have a look.”
They climbed up to the vantage point the Raider had been using and inched into prone position on the cold stone. Valleroy remembered to allow plenty of distance between him and his partner. Then he cupped his hands around his eyes and peered into the hazy valley.
“So!” hissed Klyd. “That’s why the Runzi detachment that was chasing us never caught up. They were called to defend the border!”
Way off to his left, the foothills rose precipitously, broken only by the artificial cleft of the Ancient’s road and Hanrahan Pass. Valleroy could see parts of the glittering ribbon that was the river, the border with Gen Territory. It descended from the mountains and meandered across the plain toward Valzor and Zeor. Below them spread the fertile valley floor that had been ceded to the Simes when the border was fixed. It was the best pasture land in the area, but the Simes didn’t run cattle and wouldn’t plant so close to the border. Its main usage in recent years had been as a battle ground for border skirmishes. That seemed to be what was going on at the moment.
Valleroy could just make out the rifles carried by the Gen forces. He wasn’t the world’s greatest military tactician, but even he could see that the Gens had ridden into an ambush and were being massacred. Rifles were little use against a well-co-ordinated Sime infighting team, or individual Sime whip-masters.
As he watched, three separate Gen riders were unhorsed by groups of Simes. The system seemed to be to confuse the soldier’s mount while one Sime vaulted up behind the victim and disarmed him. Then a third Sime slipped a complex harness over the Gen’s head. With the help of a fourth, they had the Gen immobilized, blindfolded, and on the ground within seconds...not even bruising the merchandise. Two of the attackers would lead the helpless captive away while the others combined with new partners to attack a new victim. A well-rehearsed ballet.
The strategy worked repeatedly despite the Gens’ best efforts to remain in formation. Puzzled, Valleroy said, “I never realized that Gen troops were so stupid.”
“They’re not stupid, Hugh, they’re frightened. From the cradle to the grave, they are taught that Simes are devils with superhuman powers. Surely you’ve heard all the superstitious nonsense they believe?”
“Never made too much impression on me.”
“From the way you reacted at our first meeting, I’d say you’d received the full measure of anti-Sime indoctrination.”
“But I got over that.”
“It only takes a small measure of that kind of fear to shatter any military maneuver. The Raider’s strategy is to pick off one or two of the point men first...even though it may cost many casualties. They kill the first few captives in plain view, leaving the bodies with the burn bruises for all to see. One look and Gen formations fall apart in panic.”
“Diabolical.”
“No, just good business. Remember, raiding is a high-risk profession demanding extensive periods of augmentation. Runzi is smart enough to use men in hard need as an advance spearpoint. The reward is immediately the most exquisite type of kill known to a junct...or death. The policy weeds out the weaklings from the Runzi ranks. And there is nothing so terrifying to a Gen as the attack of a Sime in hard need.”
“We can’t just sit here and watch all those soldiers taken captive!”
“There’s absolutely nothing we can do about it. That’s one of the harsh realities of the Householder’s existence. That Raider I executed was enjoying this show. But he was also frustrated. We still don’t know why he was up here and not down there.”
“Maybe he was sent to watch the way station?”
“Then why wasn’t he watching it?”
“Maybe he was. He’d require help to handle you, but all his help was engaged in that battle, so he was frustrated.”
“If he knew we were in that building, why wasn’t he aware that we’d left it? No, I believe the building’s insulation held even against your field.”
“Could be. But it’s still possible he was watching us and just got interested in the battle.”
“As I said, Runzi’s methods weed out the irresponsible and the weaklings. If he knew we were there, he would have called in help immediately or been denied his next transfer on time. But suppose....” Klyd stopped as if struck by a new idea. Then he began worming his way back from the edge and searching the ground about him.
“What are you looking for?”
“Message tube...here!” What he fished out of a nearby crevice was a tube about a foot long and four inches in diameter. The outsid
e was carved in an intricate design and painted in shades of red. The ends were sealed by blank caps of metal.
“He was a messenger on detached duty! Now, to get this open,” said Klyd, “without destroying the contents. There’s probably more in here than you could have learned by questioning him.”
Valleroy examined the cylinder curiously. He could see no way to open it. “If we had a saw, we could slice it in half.”
“No. It would burst into flame the minute the air entered.”
“Neat. Stacy would pay a fortune to learn that one.”
“Simple chemistry. There are things we’d pay a fortune to learn from Stacy. Aisha may be the key to a future where such exchanges become common. And this case may be the key to Aisha.”
“How do the Raiders open it, then?”
“There’s a tricky combination. Secret, of course, and always different.” Klyd seated himself on a rock and probed the carvings with all eight handling tentacles and all ten fingers.
Valleroy crawled back up to watch the battle. It was nearly over by now. The shattered Gen squad had regrouped and was racing toward the river in full retreat. At least some of them had got away alive, thought Valleroy. A thrill of grim triumph rose in him as he counted the red cloaks on the field. The Runzi tactic wasn’t a hundred per cent effective against trained sharpshooters. Maybe next time it would be the Simes who’d blunder into an ambush. But that would require better rifles than the Gens now had. The Simes could sense the selyn field of the Gens in hiding—unless they were beyond extreme rifle range.
Klyd called, “What are you so sadistically gleeful about?”
Valleroy told him and finished, “You weren’t very sorry for murdering that Raider, so don’t be so smug.”
“It was an execution in self-defense. But I didn’t enjoy it. Death is never gentle and never quite painless. Need sensitizes.”
“You mean you....”
“Died with him. Yes, you could put it that way.”
With a sigh, Valleroy went to stand over the corpse. “He doesn’t deserve it, but I think we ought to bury him.”
“He does deserve our respect. He became a slave to an instinct greater than any man should have to face alone. The results of that are not his fault.”
House of Zeor Page 19
