by Jaleta Clegg
"He was not like the others."
"For which I am very glad," Sylena said with a sad smile. "He opened my eyes to so much. He studied the slaves we owned as people in their own right. He wanted to know where they came from, who their people were, what their worlds were like. He trusted them."
"No one trusted him. Which is why he was banished to this jungle. He could treat his slaves as he pleased without infecting the others with his ideas."
Sylena's face hardened. "And because no one else wanted it when he died, I was allowed to keep his estate. You think this has been easy for me? To exist here, in virtual exile? Your visit two weeks ago was the first contact I've had with anyone for almost two years. I am as much a slave and prisoner as the humans that work for me."
"Then we must change that," Mayguena said. "It was only talk before. All those years."
"But now we have a weapon," Sylena said with a tight smile. "I have the trust of these humans. They will be our army, our weapons."
"And Lilliasa?" Mayguena asked.
"Our diversion, to hide our true purpose. She has made her own plans. She thinks we do not suspect her. She believes she is being clever."
"But you have your own plans."
"Of course. And I have a part for you, if you wish it."
"Tuarik has sent me away," Mayguena admitted. "I no longer have access to his household. We will need someone else to plant the explosives at Festival."
"I have already petitioned for the right to attend. I claimed I was seeking a new husband and would submit to their decision."
Mayguena studied the older woman, seeking answers in the smooth face. Sylena gave nothing away. "Then you will be there."
"And so will you, as my new housemistress. If you will take the position?"
"Of course."
"I have already thought of new plans. Bradoc can plant the explosives. He will be in attendance, he will have access to the chamber. No one will suspect him of more than trying to listen to conclave. Your proof of his indiscretions will serve nicely as insurance that he will do as we ask."
"And a promise of power in the new regime," Mayguena said.
Sylena shot her a suspicious look. "We will keep what promises we make."
"Then we ensure that he does not live to collect his promised reward."
Sylena stared at her in shock.
"We must be ruthless, Sylena. We must strike quickly, and thoroughly. Or we will lose. We must take chances."
"You have changed, Mayguena, but you speak the truth. We move quickly and keep the fighting to a minimum. I have no desire to bathe in blood."
Mayguena wisely left her desires unspoken.
"I will gather the humans," Sylena said. "It is time you learned of the rest of our plans."
It was Mayguena's turn to be surprised.
"These humans are very intelligent. It's a pity they can't access our files or we might have lost to them a long time ago."
"You believe in Dace's Empire? Thousands of worlds? Trillions of humans?"
"Oh, yes. I have spent years talking with them, learning about them, gaining their trust. She speaks the truth."
Mayguena's face went white. "Lilliasa will have Dace try to steal one of our spaceships."
"She cannot fly it. It would be a brilliant plan, but no human can fly our starships. They must be able to interface with our computers to do that."
"Dace can," Mayguena said.
It was Sylena's turn to pale. But only for a moment. Then she smiled again, a wicked smile. "Then we just might win."
"What do you plan?"
"I have humans who can fly the transport flyers. During the Festival they will steal flyers and rescue their kind from estates across the world. We will build our army in the south, in the mountains."
"Too far away."
Sylena cut Mayguena's protest short. "We do not need control of the port, or of the main city, or of any estate but my own. Don't you see, Mayguena? We show it is possible to make changes and the slaves will do the rest."
"It will be a massacre," Mayguena said.
"Only of the rulers, those they hate. We stay safe, we stay protected with our army. And then we move in and pick up the pieces. Lilliasa buys us time."
"It is risky."
"All rebellion is."
"We have made contact with most slaves."
"And I have ways to expand that contact. I export flowers from my estate here. My slaves are sent with each shipment to guarantee its quality. And I have others who will help."
"You have no contact."
"With the high class, no. But I have those who make deliveries, those who service my home. They have a vision of a new world, a new Code, where all are counted equal. Where even the poorest and lowest may rise."
"The old legends and stories?"
"They have meetings, they have a prophet who speaks of a bright future for all. The human slaves have only added to their vision with their own tales of an Empire where all are equal, human or not."
Mayguena slowly smiled.
"They are ready for a revolution," Sylena said quietly. "A new world, a shining new future."
"A new Triad," Mayguena suggested.
"Exactly," Sylena agreed.
Chapter 28
Lilliasa was confined to her rooms. Which meant that I was stuck in there with her and Shadita. Tuarik wouldn't even allow her to walk in the gardens. Lilliasa gave every sign of being the misled girl Tuarik thought she was. She spent time weaving at her loom, drafting me into helping manipulate the various twists of colored threads. She spent time planning her wardrobe. I ended up with a huge armful of deep red satin for her wedding dress. A seamstress came to cut and fit it. I spent hours sewing until my fingers bled. And grumbling about a culture that had space travel but not automatic sewing machines. The seamstress approved of my seams but she made the final adjustments to the dress.
And then I spent two solid weeks embroidering flowers in gold thread over the bodice and skirt of the dress. During all that time Lilliasa never mentioned Mayguena or their plans. She acted as if nothing was wrong, as if this was what she expected from life. She acted almost excited by the wedding plans.
There was another flurry of activity when Tuarik relented enough to allow Lilliasa to attend High Festival. I had to update her wardrobe. She was excited, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright when she told me she was being allowed to accompany her father. She pulled me into the bathroom, asking me to draw a bath for her.
"Mayguena planned for this," she said as the water poured into the tub. "The plans are still in place. You remember your part?"
"I was supposed to contact the slaves."
"You are going to provide the diversion at Festival. You were planning on stealing a starship. I'll see that the guards on the gates are not there. Mayguena thought it a brilliant move on your part. Completely unexpected."
"You want me to steal a ship?" Somehow I wasn't surprised that she knew about it. "I need to access the library, the program on flying you were using before."
"Mayguena doesn't want you to succeed. But I do. I will provide you with access to the files you need. Contact your Empire, Dace, bring your thousands of ships. I dare you." She turned away, dropping her robe on the floor and climbing into the tub.
I watched her as she lay back and closed her eyes. She had a slight smile on her mouth, a predatory look that sent a shiver of premonition up my spine.
Preparations went into high gear. I sewed until I couldn't see and my fingers were too sore to even feel the fabric. And still it wasn't enough. Tuarik was determined to show off his daughter. I was the labor to make things work. Shadita was ignored. She ripped things when we weren't looking and spent time chewing up the plants in the courtyard.
I decided I hated Festival long before we were packed for it. I spent all day sewing fancy embroidery and half the night sneaking into the library. Lilliasa showed me how to access the computer myself and then how to locate the flight tutorial
. She only stayed for the first two sessions. After that I was on my own. I crammed as much information as I could, accessing much more than just the flight instructions. Not that it did me much good. I was hoping it would do someone good sometime, though, so I took advantage of as much as possible.
Tuarik took seven flyers. He and Lilliasa rode in the first one, the luxurious passenger model. Shadita went with me in one of the cargo flyers, along with eight of his other slaves. Three of them were human. I didn't know any of them. I wasn't sure how many others of his staff and household he brought. High Festival was supposed to last a week. Lilliasa had three dozen outfits, plus shoes and accessories for each. Shadita had her own wardrobe of bows and ribbons. I was told to pack the dresses Mayguena had bought for me. It was more fuss than necessary, in my opinion, but no one was asking my opinion.
We packed up in the very early morning hours. Lilliasa yawned as I spent an hour doing her hair. I'd had to take over that chore after Mayguena was dismissed. I did my best, it still wasn't quite the same. Lilliasa frowned over my braids and redid a few of them herself.
She was yawning again as she boarded the flyer with her father and brother. Bradoc pointedly ignored me.
I took Shadita in her cage to the flyer with the other slaves and climbed into the cramped space. It was bare of cushioning or noise control. It was barely heated. Talking was out of the question. A shout might have been heard once we were airborne. I sat back, Shadita next to me, and tried to sleep.
The flight was only a few hours. We landed midmorning. The noise of the flyer quit. My ears were ringing from it. Shadita was grumpy and nipped when I put her leash on.
We'd landed near the space port. A temporary city of tents and other structures rose around a gargantuan building of stone. Every surface of the building was carved with symbols and adorned with statues of grotesque creatures. Huge doors of polished metal gleamed dully in the light. They were shut. No one was going in or out of the building, but it was obviously the center of activity.
I followed Lilliasa and her father to a set of more permanent buildings near the stone one. He had an entire building set aside for him and his household. He walked in, frowning at the modest size of the entry room.
"You will go to your rooms and stay there," he told Lilliasa. "You will dine with me tonight. I will send someone to fetch you. Your pets will stay behind in your room."
"Yes, Father," she said dutifully.
We went down a short hallway and entered a musty smelling bedroom. There was one large bed. I was given a thin pad on the floor to share with Shadita. Lilliasa crossed the room and opened the narrow window while I began unpacking her cases.
"I always liked these old buildings," she said. "These are replicas of the original settlement. This whole building was set aside for the Founder. The leader of the Triad is given it at each Festival. Father hates it. The rooms are too small and smell of wood and dust. He prefers stone."
"What is the stone building?" I asked as I shook out a flouncy dress of delicate greens and slipped it onto a hangar.
"That is the chamber, where the Electoriate will meet tomorrow to decide on next year's Triad. Although they usually don't do much choosing. Father will still be leader. Unless Mayguena succeeds." Lilliasa turned to face me. The look in her eyes made me feel cold and small and helpless. "Then there will be a new Triad. With me in his place. I think I'll wear the red tonight. I'm feeling a bit confined."
I pulled out the red dress she referred to. It was slinky, a dress designed to make even the least voluptuous woman look curvy. Lilliasa smiled when I held it up.
"Perfect," she purred. "I think I'll bathe now. Perhaps we should take Shadita for a walk later. There's a small courtyard in the back."
"Yes, des Shira," I said.
"And don't forget your part," she whispered. Her breath tickled the back of my neck. "Tomorrow night."
She went out of the room. I heard water running.
Tomorrow. I was going to steal a ship. And I had no one else with me. I wanted Tayvis. I doubted he'd be anywhere close. I had no idea how I was going to find the people I needed.
I spent an hour unpacking Lilliasa's clothes and another hour soothing Shadita, brushing her until her fur shone. Lilliasa played with Shadita for a while as I unpacked my own clothing.
"It's hot in here," she complained. "Shall we stroll in the courtyard?"
It wasn't hot in the room, just slightly stuffy. The window let in a little air.
"And your father's orders?" I asked.
"Bother him," Lilliasa said.
She clipped Shadita's leash on and handed it to me. Shadita trotted eagerly to the door. She chirped happily when Lilliasa opened it.
I followed her down the hall, not nearly as happy as Shadita.
The courtyard was behind the building. The main wing of the building and two side wings formed most of it. The back wall was a low fence, only three feet high. Vines climbed up the wall, blooming raggedly. The whole area around the spaceport looked dry, as if it rained little here. The plants struggled to grow. The trees drooped, their leaves coated in fine dust. Shadita sampled some of the shrubs then sneezed, deciding she didn't care for any of them.
Lilliasa strolled around for a while, admiring flowers that seemed small and shriveled compared to her own garden. She settled on a bench under a tree near the back fence. A steady stream of people walked past the wall. Most didn't look like the rich alpha class. They looked like the lowest class of Trythians, those that did the actual work. A few slaves hurried past. The richer Trythians I saw strolled leisurely, waving fans against the heat.
"Tonight," Lilliasa said quietly to me as she nodded to someone who waved at her over the fence. "After Father takes me to dinner. The house will be mostly deserted. The slave quarters are over there." She flipped a finger at the far end of the back wing, where the windows were small and dirty. "What you do there is your business," she added. "Most of those who come bring a few of their slaves with them. Those who have slaves."
She got up and stretched her arms up to pluck a leaf from the tree. "I think I'll take a nap. You stay here with Shadita until she's ready to come in."
"Yes, des Shira," I said. I wondered what her motives really were as I watched her saunter back into the house.
I didn't have to wait very long to find out. Mayguena walked by the back fence not long after Lilliasa went inside. She slowed, watching me. A smile spread over her face, like oil on water. She nodded and walked on.
I went to the fence, curious why she had paused so long. There was a single slip of paper tucked in the boards. I opened it, curious to see what their language looked like. It was a series of scratchy symbols that made no sense to me. I put the note in my belt to give to Lilliasa later.
In all my searching of the library, I still found nothing written. There were coded research papers but nothing on their written language. The symbols in the ships were different. I was fairly certain I'd figured most of them out. I leaned on the fence and looked off towards the ships. They were sleek, low to the ground, with much different lines than the ships I knew I could fly. They were also quite a ways away, guarded by a high fence and a multitude of guards with vicious looking animals patrolling beside them. Lilliasa promised me the guards wouldn't be a problem. I wondered just how far I could trust her promise.
Shadita peeped, wanting to nap and eat something less dusty. She flopped on my foot. I picked her up and went back into the building.
Tuarik was in the front entry, talking with a group of men dressed as richly as he was. I ducked my head and tried to slip behind them to Lilliasa's room.
"You," Tuarik said.
I froze. And then dropped to my knees, placing Shadita beside me.
"What are you doing out here?" he demanded.
"I was sent to walk Shadita outside, in the courtyard, des Thera," I answered. I kept my head bowed, staring at a knot in the wooden floor.
"You were ordered to stay in the rooms," he said
flatly.
"Shadita requires time outside, des Thera." I pressed my face to the floor, trying to look as cowed as possible. It wasn't hard. He was intimidating.
"Lilliasa and her pets," Tuarik grumbled.
One of the other men made a crude remark. They all laughed, including Tuarik.
"She won't be my problem much longer," Tuarik said. "She'll be yours, Gyth. And good riddance." He turned back to the men, clapping one of them on the shoulder.
I grabbed up Shadita and made a hasty retreat to Lilliasa's room.
She lay on the bed, her eyes closed, one arm draped dramatically over her head. She opened one eye. "Did Mayguena come?"
"Yes, and your father caught me coming back in." I put Shadita on the floor. I shook from nerves. Shadita whimpered and pressed against my leg. I picked her back up. "Mayguena left a note for you. I can't read it."
"But you still tried. Mayguena never really trusted you. And neither do I." She got languidly off the bed. She held out one hand to me. I gave her the note.
I sat on my thin pad and brushed Shadita until she went to sleep.
"Everything is in place," Lilliasa said. "Tomorrow afternoon, they will begin to receive reports of slaves escaping. And hopefully some will leave to deal with the problem. Although if they leave, they will miss conclave and lose their place in the Electoriate." She gloated over the thought. "Ah, what a choice to have to make. It's all so perfect."
"What is Mayguena planning to do?" I had to ask.
"Why should I tell you?" Lilliasa asked, cocking her head to one side. Her red hair caught the light from the window behind her and blazed like fire. "Then why shouldn't I? There's nothing you can do about it. Sylena is providing Mayguena with explosives. A few should do a nice job. Old stone crumbles so easily." She leaned close over me. "The whole building will be nothing but dust. And everyone inside. Every single alpha male."
"That won't be the end." I had to object. I'd lived through a civil war on Tivor. I was only three at the time, but Tivor's bloody civil war had been part of every history class I'd taken at the Academy.
