“Actually, I came to see Kizzy,” she said.
“Pardon intrusion, but what about?”
“Something I wanted to ask him about our stay on the Kz’adul,” she said, putting the mug back on the trolley. She began to get to her feet. “Since he’s not here, I assume he’s in the lab? It won’t take me more than a few minutes. Ray and Zsurtul will stay with you as I know Ray would like to ask you many questions.”
Shrulo began to object, but Carrie was already heading out of the lounge and back down the corridor. She knew that by abandoning him like that he’d be torn over what to do since his natural politeness dictated he remain with his other two guests.
She found the spindly alien perched on a stool working in the medical lab.
He looked up as she entered, his black oval eyes whirling as the lenses adjusted so he could see her properly.
He began to hum, then the translator kicked in. “Carrie,” said the almost inflectionless voice. “Unexpected this visit is.”
“Really?” she asked, leaning in front of him on the other side of his desk. “I thought you’d have expected us to work it all out sometime and come looking to you for answers.” She let her mind search for his mental frequency, knowing when she found it, she’d be able to at least sense his emotions.
“Your pardon. Not understand,” he said, the small mandibles on either side of his mouth clicking gently.
“I know about the growth tubes on the Kz’adul,” she said. “I also know about the samples you took from Kezule and how they were fast-bred into adult Warriors of twelve years old in a matter of weeks.”
The mandibles were clicking faster now, and the draperies around his neck began to stir slightly, emitting a scent that reminded her of overripe fruit. Her mental searching stopped, and she could sense his anxiety.
“This not secret,” he said. “Primes know it.”
“No one thought to tell us,” she said.
“Important to you is not.”
“To us, yes, it is.” She leaned a little closer. “Why were we not told that a female Prime had sex with my husband, Kusac, and scent-marked him?” she demanded, narrowing her eyes till the pupils became angry vertical slits.
“Nothing of this known to me,” said the translator before spitting out a burst of static as his words became untranslatable.
“You’re lying,” she said, letting a snarl creep into her voice. “You said you didn’t treat Kusac till after it was discovered that Chy’qui had him. You allowed my mate to be sexually assaulted while under your medical care! I want to know if breeding samples were taken from him by that female!”
The scent got stronger, and the mandibles began to move in almost spastic convulsions as Kizzy sat back on his stool and peered at her.
“Who tell you this? I know nothing of it. They lie.”
“You lie! I know who it was! It was either Doctor Zayshul, because it’s her scent he’s marked with, or some female called N’koshoh. I want to know which of them it was and why!”
“N’koshoh dead. Chy’qui killed. Nothing more I know.” Kzizysus’ small hands were flapping agitatedly in front of his face as if trying to protect himself.
Carrie moved her head back a little, waiting a few moments till the TeLaxaudin appeared to calm down slightly.
“Did Chy’qui take breeding samples from us?” she asked more quietly. “All the telepaths were taken, two at a time, a male and a female, out of our quarters for several hours, then returned. Why—if not to take eggs and sperm from them?”
“Impossible!” the translator said as Kzizysus again became very agitated. “Cannot do. Prime growth medium not for hybrids!”
His panic was palpable, and she could feel he was lying. She thought it through furiously, sensing that Kaid was heading for her and the shuttle; she didn’t have long left. Then she remembered Kaid’s conviction Kate had been pregnant and miscarried.
“One of our females was pregnant,” she said, walking round to his side of the table. “We know she lost the child. Chy’qui and you took it so you could reproduce the growth medium, didn’t you?”
Kzizysus suddenly jumped down from his stool and began to run jerkily for the doorway. She lunged after him, grabbing him by one spindly bronze arm, taking care not to harm him. Swinging him around, she grabbed him by the other one. He weighed almost nothing and she was suddenly afraid of hurting him.
Squashing the fear, she shook him several times, making the large head bob alarmingly on the spindly neck. The scent he was emitting now smelled like rotting fruit.
“Your people are the breeding experts,” she spat at him. “You taught the Primes all they know, provided them with the technology to do it. So don’t lie to me about this. Our people had breeding samples taken from them, didn’t they?”
The translator was emitting a constant stream of high-pitched unintelligible noises so she shook him again. “Shut that bloody noise up!” she said when she stopped. “Tell me the truth or I’ll do a damned sight more than shake you!”
“Yes! Yes! Were taken! Chy’qui do same you! Breed hybrids. Eight of them only.”
Stunned, she almost dropped him. Eight, not six, eight hybrids. Hurriedly she collected her thoughts as in the corridor behind her, she heard rapid footsteps heading toward the lab and her name being called out.
“And the female—who was it?” she demanded, tightening her grip on him just enough so he could feel it pinch.
“I not know!” he said.
As she released Kzizysus, she felt hands grabbing hold of her and pulling her away from the TeLaxaudin. It was Ray.
“Carrie, what the hell are you doing?” he demanded.
With her mind as open as it was, Ray’s touch was intensely painful.
“Don’t touch me!” she snarled as she turned on him, seeing Kaid in the doorway beyond him, his face a mask of rage.
Everything happened at once as she spun into Ray, wrenching herself free in the process and punching him across the room with a blow from the flat of her hand. Instead of heading for the Human, Kaid slowed down, coming to a stop by the cowering Kzizysus.
With controlled fury, he reached out and grasped hold of the TeLaxaudin, lifting him into the air until their eyes were level.
“What made you think you had the right to abuse the bodies of my mate and my crew like that?” he roared. “You created lives from us, children that you gave to that abomination Chy’qui! Where are they now?”
The translator screeched its garbled sounds at him until he shook Kzizysus, once, hard.
“Directorate,” was the first word they could understand, followed by, “Kezule has.”
As she felt Kaid’s rage suddenly cool, and as the translator fell silent, she was aware of an animal screeching elsewhere in the ship.
“Zsurtul and Shrulo,” she said succinctly, heading out of the room at a run.
Kaid lowered Kzizysus to the ground and let him go. “This will not end here,” he snarled then turned on his heel to follow her.
An astonishing sight met their eyes as they burst into the lounge area of the shuttle. Shrulo was pinned to the floor under a somewhat bloodied Zsurtul, who had his work cut out to stop the Cabbaran from escaping him.
I’ll see to this, he sent to Carrie, striding over to help the hard-pressed youngster.
“Desist immediately, Shrulo,” he ordered, using subliminal voice commands.
Instantly the Cabbaran froze and Kaid leaned down to help the Prince to his feet. Shakily, Zsurtul stood up and staggered back from the Cabbaran.
As Shrulo tensed, ready to spring, Carrie stepped forward, her pistol drawn. “Don’t even think it,” she said, her voice as cold as ice.
“Fetch Kzizysus,” Kaid ordered her, drawing his own weapon. “Zsurtul, go with her and see to the Human, please,” he added as she left.
“You break treaty,” snarled Shrulo, crouching back on his haunches to lick an injured forelimb.
“I’ve no quarrel with you at present,
Shrulo,” he said more moderately. “Prince Zsurtul may want to press charges for assault against you, though.”
“He attack me!”
“I don’t think so. The Primes are known to be pacifists,” he said, activating his wrist comm to call for the estate security.
Carrie returned, holding Kzizysus by the arm. Behind her came the Prince and a still dazed Ray.
Escorting the small TeLaxaudin into the center of the room, she released him to join Shrulo and stepped back beside Kaid.
“Security has been called,” he said. “They will disable the drives of your shuttle. You’ll remain here under house arrest until Alien Relations have been informed of your crimes against the En’Shalla Clan and decided what action to take. Your short-range communication systems will not be touched and you will be able to contact us by those means if necessary.”
“Blame not mine,” said Kzizysus as he stood there visibly trembling, his hands and mandibles making rapid, jerky movements of distress. “I tell mate this. Chy’qui threaten harm. No defender on Kz’adul. No option but obey.”
“I was there,” said Zsurtul. “I spent a lot of time down in the medical area with Doctor Zayshul. You could have told either of us.”
“This attack to us I see will break treaty with our peoples,” said Shrulo. “Primes, Sholans, and Humans. No more treaty.”
“Your governments may think otherwise when they hear the facts,” said Kaid.
“The treaty wasn’t in force then,” said Carrie. “There had been no hostage exchange. What you did to us was tantamount to an act of war! As for you, Kzizysus, if you were forced into doing this, why, after Chy’qui was exposed, didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Too late know. Tanks on K’oish’ik. Too late,” he said, wringing his hands.
“Leave it, Carrie. We’ll let the diplomats sort this one out,” Kaid said in disgust. “This is not our problem. Retrieving our cubs is.”
“I will also be putting in a formal complaint,” added Zsurtul. “Against the TeLaxaudin. This is an act against us, too, because it was done on our ship when you were supposed to be our guests, not prisoners, or creatures in a laboratory.”
“Security’s arrived,” said Carrie, putting her pistol away. “I’ll go let them in.”
Minutes later, a team led by Rulla entered.
“We’ll take over now, sir,” he said, giving Kaid and Carrie a crisp salute.
Kaid nodded. “You know your orders. Post two guards in the corridor by the air lock at all times. I want their engines and long-range communications disabled for now. And see to any injuries either Shrulo or Kzizysus may have first. I’ll not have us being accused of neglecting their health.”
“Yes, sir.”
While he was doing that, Carrie glanced at Ray. “You all right?” she asked.
He nodded. “Couple of bruises, nothing more,” he said quietly. “You really overreacted, you know. There was no need to hit me like that.”
“Sorry, but you should have done what you were told and stayed put. You had no right to interfere.”
“I thought you were killing him.”
“It was still none of your business, and if I was, there would have been a good reason for it,” she said.
He stared at her as if seeing her for the first time.
“I was working, and you touched me,” she tried to explain. “You have no idea how painful it was, nor the damage you could have done both to me and Kzizysus. Shola has a law specifically designed to stop that happening. It’s a criminal offense here for a non-telepath to touch one of us, unless invited.”
Leave it, Dzinae, sent Kaid. He’ll never understand. He isn’t one of us. “We should get Zsurtul to Vanna,” he said, taking her gently by the arm. “Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked Ray, as Carrie relaxed against him.
“Yeah,” he said ruefully. “Nothing but my pride. I’ll survive.”
“Might be as well to get Vanna to check you out. I know how hard Carrie can punch.”
He shook his head. “I’ll head back to Ruth’s, let her doctor me up,” he said.
Kaid reached out and took him by the arm. “What you heard here is not to be repeated,” he said. “Understand? This is interplanetary politics, with the danger of the possible dissolution of major peace treaties. It must not be discussed.”
“I understand,” he said. “I heard enough to know how explosive this is, believe me.”
“Good.”
“You did well, Zsurtul. I’m proud of you,” said Kaid as they waited for Vanna to finish dressing the bite on the hand he’d got from Shrulo.
“Really?” He looked over at Carrie and Kaid, his face breaking out into a huge smile.
“What did you do to him?” Carrie asked, amused.
“I just used the training you gave me,” he said. “He tried to follow you when he heard the translator making all those noises, so I attempted to stop him.”
“If you hadn’t, Carrie would certainly have been in trouble. I appreciate you looking out for her, guarding her back.”
“I was guarding Carrie’s back,” he said, obviously liking the sound of it. “Ouch!”
“Sorry,” said Vanna as she sprayed on wound sealant. “I warned you it would sting.”
“Would you like to start training again here, in the gym?” asked Kaid.
“Yes. I enjoyed it when we were at the Warrior Guild. At least here there is no one to beware of, like the M’zullians,” he said. “One day, I’ll have to lead my people, and I must be able to fight, to know what to do to defend them.”
“You’ll be able to do that,” said Kaid. “Being a Warrior is something you have inside you, something indefinable, but part of your personality. And you have it. You don’t have to be like the M’zullians to be a Warrior, you know.”
“I know that because I’ve watched you and the people here,” said Zsurtul.
“All done,” said Vanna, as she finished tying a plain gauze bandage over the wound. “That’s only to help you remember to keep it dry,” she said. “A week at most and it’ll be healed. It wasn’t a deep bite, and we got it before any infection could set in.”
“Kaid, when I heard what Kzizysus said,” Zsurtul began, getting up from his seat.
“We’ll talk about that later,” said Kaid, interrupting him. “Come up to the villa with us for the night. We do need to talk. You can call Ruth from the house.”
Zsurtul nodded.
CHAPTER 14
IT took a warm herbal drink, followed by an equally warm, comfortingly viscous nutrient bath prepared by a very supportive Shrulo, followed by yet another warm drink before Kzizysus had calmed down fully. Using one of the Camarilla’s own communications devices, he contacted his Skepp Lord.
“Skepp Lord Aizshuss,” said Kzizysus, making the gesture of respect with his hands to his superior.
“Your call expected,” said Aizshuss calmly. “The hunters, as anticipated, have discovered your part in the breeding of the hybrids.”
“Yes, Skepp Lord. The Human hybrid Clan Leader laid hands on me, shook me violently in air!”
“Regrettable, but understandable. You are unhurt.”
“Yes, but ...”
“Warned you were fieldwork dangerous,” said Aizshuss sternly. “No other way we give them information without suspicion of us and Cabbarans.”
“Am under arrest, in shuttle. Armed hunter guards inside air lock,” said Kzizysus quietly, realizing that he’d been told to remain on Shola after the Hunter had gone to the sand-dweller outpost for this one reason.
“Is temporary. Tomorrow they will be removed. Already message to Alien Relations telling them of Kz’adul happenings and your part. Explains you vulnerable, had to do, but sent message to us. Message delayed, only just found so we tell them immediately. All will be resolved peacefully.”
Kzizysus sighed, lowering his head. So the assault on his person, and Shrulo’s, would go unpunished. At least he was not being sacrificed to save Camar
illa face.
“Wish to return home now. Not enjoy being shaken.”
Aizshuss unbent a little. “Work you do vital for Camarilla,” he said. “Promise you show. One day you likely join us. Remain on hunter world and continue medical work. Need more understanding of these two species Linking and breeding, as well as hybrids. Need know where they fit in pattern of potentialities. Relax, enjoy meal, bath. Your work for Camarilla for now is done.”
With that, the Skepp Lord broke the connection.
Kzizysus stared at the screen glumly, his mandibles still twitching spasmodically. He’d had a bath, and it hadn’t helped enough.
“Food is good idea,” said Shrulo, getting to his feet. “I prepare meal for us, bring scent-blender to lounge. Soon you feel better.”
Kzizysus gestured his appreciation. He was touched. Shrulo knew it relaxed him, but didn’t like it when he used the scentblender—the Cabbaran’s nose was a little too sensitive, so its use had been confined to his own quarters. To suggest he bring it into their main lounge was a major concession to his continuing overanxiousness.
Konis was busy when Kaid tried to reach him, so he was put through to Falma.
“Master Konis has just received a communication from the TeLaxaudin regarding this matter,” said Falma. “He’s busy dealing with their Ambassador now. The general feeling is it should be kept under wraps for the time being as they are not directly responsible. It was Chy’qui and the Directorate, both of whom no longer exist.”
“Someone must be made to answer for it!” said Kaid angrily.
“The matter’s in hand,” said Falma firmly. “Master Konis will get back to you tonight if he can, and if not, tomorrow morning. We are not taking it lightly, I assure you, Kaid.”
Stronghold, that evening
Despite it being very late at Stronghold, after speaking to the TeLaxaudin Ambassador, Konis was in conference with Rhyaz and Lijou.
“Did you know about this?” Konis was demanding. “It’s obvious that Kezule has these cubs and that’s why he wanted a meeting with Kusac.”
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