Beast Master's Circus

by Andre Norton

  "That's sensible so long as it isn't too hard on you."

  "I'll manage," Laris assured him briefly.

  "Then, Shallaris Trehannan, shall we walk?" He stood as she giggled at the alliteration.

  "Why, we shall lope, Logan." She ran for the park's broad acres of grass, laughing as he chased her. She danced. "Can't catch me!" The words ended in a squeak as he caught her arm and spun her into his arms. His lips touched hers with a tenderness that was pain. He wouldn't do that if he knew the truth. He wouldn't hold her like that. As if she would break.

  *Live for today, sister. Tomorrow may change all things.* She gave her lips to Logan then, praying that it would.

  They returned to the circus. Content to walk holding hands. Everyone was busy as they'd hoped and Laris drifted them along unobtrusively in the direction of the cages. Once there, she took the slides held out to her, and the small needle. She listened solemnly a second time to the muttered instructions before she took the samples, then stowed them away carefully for him in a bag. Laris watched him leave, with what was by now an almost familiar mixture of joy and guilt, before going in search of Cregar. Quietly she told him what she'd learned. Her eyes on him showed trust and he answered that with a warning hand on her arm.

  "Don't tell Dedran about their theories. Nothing about dead beast masters and stolen teams and a conspiracy. Let him think they believe it's a one-off. Just a pirate raid and that they took the animals to sell to rich VIPs. Don't say any more on that. Not yet. Say you're getting the boy to talk but it's taking time." His look was thoughtful as he considered her information.

  "Tell him everything the lad said about his side of the raid. Especially that he can identify Baris and Ideena. Tell him about Tani's father, the hero of Trastor. That the government will listen to her and they've got the ports sealed up. That the patrol's interested because of the attack on the native camp and the theft of sacred jewelry." Laris nodded obediently.

  *Prauo?*

  *He speaks with honesty and care for you. I read that there is danger and he fears what may happen. What that may be I cannot read. Listen and agree.* Laris nodded at Cregar as he spoke, his face earnest.

  "You mean I should emphasize how dangerous it could be having Baris and Ideena here?"

  "Exactly but be subtle. Then leave it to me. Just try to let me know when you're telling Dedran all this."

  She considered. "He'll know where I've been already. Once the evening performance is done he'll want to see me. If you keep an eye out you could go in once I leave."

  "Good girl. I'll do that. You take care." He moved then swung back. "If Dedran ever thinks the peacekeepers are after him, if they come here, you stay away from the cages. Particularly the ones with the hidden sections. Hear me. That's a true warning. I'm not saying more so don't ask. But you and your cat stay away."

  He strode off before she could ask questions. He'd asked his own after that comment of Dedran's. He'd found answers he didn't like. The circus boss was ruthless, Cregar had always known that. What Dedran had done made sense in that way. But Cregar didn't have to like it. He sighed as he walked. A man did stupid things. Then he got in deeper and deeper. Until he'd dug himself into a hole too deep to climb out of.

  So far the kid wasn't in any holes, Cregar thought. She was straight. That wouldn't last. He knew Dedran was using her and that big cat of hers for burglaries. A bond-servant couldn't be punished if she testified under probe she'd been in fear of her life or safety, or the life or safety of another. But how long before Laris succumbed to the lure of money, if only for the funds to escape? He'd seen it before. As for Baris, his smile was savage. Let Dedran hear the kid, then Cregar would tell him a few things. After that there'd be no more worries about Baris and Ideena.

  He strode in the direction of the circus mess tent. He'd help things along with a nice jug of something for Baris to drink. He drew half a jug of the cider then added, not the innocuous fruit juice, but Fever brandy. A wicked mixture which would prime Baris well. With that inside him the big man would be mad to don a disguise and get out into the midway. When half drunk, Baris always looked for a woman other than Ideena. Cregar would watch to know when he went out. He looked grimly across to where the circus boss's tent stood. Everyone had plans, not just Dedran.

  Tani was one of those who certainly had plans. She grilled Logan about what Laris had said about the tigerbats, collected the tigerbat samples, and saw preliminary testing begun on them. Matching the samples fully would take much longer than the basic tests, but with that begun she could speak to Aunt Kady.

  "Send the second set of samples now," Kady advised. "Not to the ark, send them to Lereyne. See if the patrol has a ship going from Trastor sometime soon."

  "Should I send any notes with the results?"

  "No. I'll do that. I'll talk to a friend." She reeled off a name and address. "He's involved in the prevention of endangered species smuggling. I'll see to it that if the results match tiger-bat DNA held on Lereyne, he'll talk to me before he moves on the information."

  Storm, with a wider knowledge of how far evil would go to be safe, interrupted. "Make very sure of that, Kady. If samples indicate the beasts were stolen or smuggled and your friend goes in to get the animals too openly, the owner is likely to destroy the beasts so there's no proof against him."

  "Officer Tarwyn will know that." Kady's lips quirked on the com screen. "It's hardly the first raid he'll have led over illegal animals."

  "Better check footing than fall."

  Kady chuckled. "So true. Love to you, Tani. Take care. And you too, Storm." Her voice and image faded into the static of the starlanes. Storm considered the samples and the basic results which had just arrived.

  "I'll duplicate copies of these results and split the samples. I'll send our original results and half the samples to Lereyne, hold the other samples, and a copy of the results here. That way we have backup if we need it." He glanced at Logan. "I think you should spend as much time with Laris as you can. If those tigerbats are illegal, we don't know what else the owner could be doing. If things get nasty it would help if you were there to get her and Prauo out quickly."

  "If you think so." Logan kept the exultation from his face with an effort.

  "I do. Don't you, Tani?"

  She nodded. Logan glanced at the chrono on the wall. "Then I'll go and see the afternoon performance tomorrow." He left so quickly it was more of a controlled run. His brother and Tani grinned at each other.

  "Were we like that?"

  Storm shook his head. "No, but then we met over Mandy. The first thing I heard from the pair of you was rude." Tani laughed. She remembered that. Her paraowl had been taught-by a disaffected worker on the ark-a number of rude phrases in several languages with a common word for each as the trigger. Storm had inadvertently spoken the trigger word and embarrassed Tani to blushing fury. She'd blamed him. But not long after that Arzor had been in danger, and they'd learned to work together to save the planet she'd come to love. But there'd been no time for walking in the park holding hands.

  She sobered. "I think I preferred it our way. By the time we had leisure to talk we both knew what we wanted."

  Storm hugged her. "I still know, dearling," he said, using his word for her which had become their own. "And if Logan is away tomorrow we can spend time by ourselves. Unless Anders has something urgent in mind. But it isn't likely he'll be laying hands on Baris and Ideena that soon."

  For which mercy those named were grateful. They were not so happy about everything else. Still, life was improving fractionally, Baris thought. Their tiny quarters were quiet while the evening performance was on. Just as it became quieter he'd thought he heard a tap at the door. He checked the spy hole. No one. But by the door stood a lidded jug. It had probably been the girl. She wasn't risking coming near him just now. Baris slid the door open a little, grabbed the jug, and flicked the door shut.

  "What is it?"

  "Just fruit juice," he assured Ideena. He gulped a larg
e mouthful and swallowed as he turned away. Unseen by his companion his face turned pink and his eyes bulged as the liquid seared its way down. Baris opened his mouth to correct his words and shut it again. Why tell Ideena? She'd only keep him from drinking too much of it. And after all this time shut up with her a man needed a bit of amusement. This stuff was good! He gulped again and smiled. Very good!

  Ideena ignored him and drifted back into a doze. Quietly Baris got drunk. For two people the jug would have left both happy and somewhat dizzy. Perhaps inclined to sing. But Baris wasn't a peaceful or pleasant drunk, he was drinking alone, and several liters of the mixture inspired him not to sing but to find either a woman or a good brawl.

  He drifted off into a brandy-fueled daze for a while. He'd had most of the jug. He surfaced again an hour after the performance in the ring ended and the people returning past his room woke him. Good. If people were about he could don a disguise and get out for a while. He dressed carelessly. He still looked like the ponderous, respectable, middle-aged man he had before, except that the man was now drunk, and contentious with it. He crept out quietly after finishing the last few gulps in the jug. That he took with him. Maybe he could refill it somewhere.

  Laris finished her turns in the ring, then changed and settled the animals back into their show cages. Afterward she waited where Dedran could see her. He appeared at the entrance to his tent and waved her over.

  "What did the boy have to say?" He finished shutting the entrance as he stared at her.

  "He talked about the raid on the native camp. Then the one on their ranch," Laris told him. She elaborated and once she reached the identification of Baris and Ideena she saw his lips tighten. His eyes glittered with fury. She explained how Trastor's authorities, normally so reluctant to help with another world's problems, were listening to Tani and just why that was so.

  It became unpleasantly clear to Dedran that instead of this fuss soon dying down, it would continue, probably even escalate. Discovery of Baris and Ideena hiding in the circus could ruin him, and possibly ruin his patron in the guild. And if even the slightest breath of trouble touched Nhara, Dedran would pay. He'd contacted Nhara about the men who'd posed as security, and had it confirmed that there was in-fighting among the guild patrons. Dedran was on a knife-edge now and he knew it. He hesitated. Laris finished her story.

  "Do I keep seeing Logan? At least he's in touch with what Larash-Ti is doing and Logan tells me everything he hears." She pasted a bored expression on her face and hoped.

  "Yes, see him as you can and work allows." Dedran had other things on his mind. He unlocked the entrance and stood aside for her to leave. Laris went, as quickly as would not be too obvious. She passed Cregar as he approached. He hissed softly in slurring camp dialect in case there were bugs or Dedran's spies were listening unseen.

  "You'm say wha' we agree?"

  "Es. N' more."

  "Done good, girl." He entered the tent and the entrance closed again. Laris didn't wait around. Dedran's tent looked flimsy but it was made of an impervoplas which was nonflamable, soundproof, and had a few other advantages. Inside Cregar was talking slowly, building up to telling Dedran that his dangerous guests, far from being well under cover, were often abroad around the circus.

  "You're sure of that?" Dedran was almost incredulous. He'd believe a lot of Baris but Ideena surely couldn't be that much of an idiot. But listening, it was certain she had been.

  "I wasn't certain at first. They disguise themselves well. Then I spotted Baris in that pompous merchant outfit of his. When he went out again I had a word with several circus people. They remembered seeing the merchant a number of times." He halted with a definite air of having said all he needed. Dedran wavered. It wasn't that he minded killing, but could he risk it? Ideena was clever. It might not be easy to dispose of her without a fuss, especially with Anders's spies everywhere.

  "I'll have to deal with it." He could speak to Ideena. "I'll go there..." he began when a small urgent voice began calling at the door. He ripped it open and grabbed. Laris catapulted in already in midsentence.

  "Baris is out. He's in the midway. He's drunk. Any minute now he'll make a scene grabbing some girl. Quick, do something!" Cregar understood before Dedran did, but then he'd supplied the ingredients for the trouble. He nodded.

  "Baris! I knew that pair were trouble. Dedran, you deal with Ideena. There's no choice. She won't listen if Baris vanishes. I'll see to that drunken fool. Laris, show me where." They were gone, leaving Dedran to spin momentarily.

  If Ideena hadn't stopped Baris going out alone it suggested she'd been sleeping. She wouldn't know the man was causing trouble. And if she didn't know, she wouldn't be expecting trouble herself. Dedran raced for the ship. In a cupboard there he had a number of interesting and unusual items and he knew one which would be useful now.

  On the midway Baris was stumbling along. After telling her bond-master about Logan, Laris had gone to Surra to tend the big cat and make her comfortable. She stroked fur grown rough with illness, repeating her promise. She would help, find Storm, free Surra, but not yet. Soon, she was sure. She sat stroking as she considered ways. Perhaps if she could get Surra away somehow, the way she'd arrived, in one of the lifter pallets. Or maybe she could send Storm and Tani an anonymous message.

  But would they be satisfied with getting Surra back? Wouldn't it just make them look harder for the other missing team members? She knew how she'd feel if Prauo went missing. She'd do anything to get him back. She wouldn't be in a rush to forgive someone who had stolen him, either. It wasn't as if she'd be returning Surra in mint condition.

  With a final stroke of the cat's fur she rose and slipped from the hidden room. It was then she spied the familiar figure of Baris and fled for help. She pointed him out to Cregar after that and hastily retired to her own room with Prauo. The big male feline couldn't see anyone if Laris wasn't looking at them but he could read feelings. Particularly those of people either of them knew. It was how he'd warned her of Logan approaching.

  Laris lay full length on her bed, Prauo sprawled beside her, her hand on his shoulder as she received his impressions. Prauo touched the minds of Cregar and Baris, felt their emotions, and shared them wordlessly with her.

  *Waves of giddy lust; indignation; a feeling that walls closed in on him,* Baris reeled.

  *Taste of Cregar, old pain, new anger. Dislike focused on another. A thread of fear for the animals.*

  Baris again. *Recognition. Amusement. A surge of patronage. A lesser one approaches.

  *A hard-edged anger replied. A tinge of red. Pleasure. At last. No more pretense. A fractional flash of a girl who looked a little like Laris.*

  Baris stumbling. *Odd. World whirling. Legs folding. Blackness.*

  Prauo spoke in her head. *The bad one is no more.*

  Laris knew it for the truth. She could only hope Dedran knew what he was doing if Cregar had killed at his order. If the body was found... no, it would be bodies. Dedran disliked loose ends. Ideena would be gone as well. She curled up in her bed and slept. Tomorrow she'd check, very carefully.

  Dedran and Cregar had no time to sleep. The idea for the untraceable disposal of the bodies was the circus boss's plan, but he required help. He'd have preferred to use the ship's engine turntable. But the engines were stopped for overhaul, seeing as the circus was staying several weeks on Trastor. If he started them again in the middle of the night, some snooper might ask questions. This other method would work. It had worked more than once before according to his sources. It should work again. And so it would have, but for a technical hitch.

  Chapter Sixteen

  If Larash-Ti-Andresson had not been happy about the disappearance of Baris and Ideena, their reappearance left him speechless-for all of ten seconds. After that what he had to say should have melted his plasteel building to the foundations. Then he was a whirlwind of action. Demands for specialist reports propagated like Terran rabbits.

  Storm and Tani arrived just as the explos
ion was dying. Reports had begun to arrive. Anders read them and exploded all over again. His visitors listened until the fury had blown itself out.

  Then Storm asked questions. "How did it happen, and where were they found?"

  Anders snarled. "Ideena was poisoned. Baris was stabbed with a long and very thin blade. I doubt he even knew it. Here, look at this report." He dropped a hard copy before Storm and Tani, then continued talking. "The worst of it is that I suspect this method's been used to dispose of unwanted people before."

  Tani raised her gaze from the report. "How did it go wrong this time?"

  "Someone will be furious about that," Anders said grimly. "It was outside the murderer's control."

  "Anders, what happened?" Storm had finished reading the preliminary reports.

  "Trastor has a couple of moons as you know. There's a large mining dome on one and a smaller group on the other. Since they're so close it pays not to use the expensive type of ship. But we have to run a regular service. When the mines were opened we had several small, old-fashioned ships mothballed. We reactivated those. They leave every fifth day from a small separate port."