Escape From Zulaire

by Veronica Scott

  He noticed. Pleased, Andi smiled. “Rahuna’s an excellent companion. People pay bribes to be his seatmate at state dinners, and here I had him all to myself for an hour.”

  Stumbling, Tom caught his balance again with a jerk. Pausing to collect himself, he hitched the pack up better on his shoulders and resumed walking.

  “Are you all right?” Andi reached out, but he shook off her helping hand.

  A fine sheen of sweat beaded his forehead. There were dark circles under his eyes. “I’m fine. It’s warm this afternoon.” Tom wiped at his brow.

  Lords, he’s shaking like a leaf. What’s going on with him? She grabbed his hand and was unable to still the tremor running through it. “You are not all right. Let me look at you.”

  Fists clenched, red-faced, Tom pulled away again. “I said I’m fine, now drop it. If you have to worry about someone, then maybe you’d better go keep an eye on Rahuna.” He stomped off. As he moved away from her, she saw that sweat had soaked through the back of his shirt.

  That’s not right. Worry nagged at her, jangling her nerves. She searched along their straggling column for Sergeant Wilson.

  He was pulling rearguard this shift. Andi worked her way through the rest of the group to meet him. Wilson was idly whistling another of his endless, on-and-off-key tunes. “Pleasure to see you, ma’am. Seemed like you enjoyed your lunchtime chat with—”

  Curtly, Andi interrupted the flow of remarks. “Something’s wrong with the captain. I want you take a look at him, because he won’t even talk to me.”

  Stopping in the middle of the trail, Wilson craned his head, trying to see the front of the line where Tom was leading. The captain was out of sight, around a bend in the narrow valley. Wilson fired questions at Andi. “Sweating? Got the shakes?”

  How does he know that? Speechless, she nodded.

  Shucking off his main pack, Wilson jerked the medkit out, spilling some of the other contents onto the trail. “Can you stand rearguard until I can send Rogers back to relieve you?”

  Not even waiting for her answer, the sergeant rushed off, running and darting through the group. Andi waited to be relieved of duty, uneasy thoughts welling up inside her. He clearly knows something I don’t. And it doesn’t seem to be good. Taking cover behind one of the broad-trunked trees, she faced the valley they’d hiked through and scanned the tree line, blaster at the ready. Thank the Lords of Space, we haven’t had any rebels on our trail. She had her orders. She had to wait and guard, although every instinct in her screamed to go see what was happening with Tom.

  Rogers brushed past her, startling Andi. “I’ve got the lookout, ma’am. Sergeant Wilson’s compliments, and could you join him at the head of the column right away?”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I couldn’t say, ma’am, but the captain had some kind of seizure. He’s down.”

  Feeling like she’d been kicked in the gut, Andi stared at Rogers for a split second then ran as fast as she could toward the head of the column. She skimmed past Abukawal and Lysanda. A short distance farther down the trail, she pushed Latvik unceremoniously out of the way, skidding to a stop next to Rahuna. The priest reached out a hand to steady her.

  Tom lay full-length on the ground on his back, his eyes closed. His hands rested at his sides, twitching from time to time. Beads of sweat rolled down his temples, pain contorted his handsome face, deep wrinkles marking his forehead. Dismay lanced through Andi like a knife as her heart skipped a beat. Wilson sorted through the contents of the medkit. Discarded in the grass, one used medinject already lay by his boot.

  “What’s happened to him?” She fell to her knees next to Wilson. “How could his condition deteriorate in just a few minutes?” Reaching with one hand to touch Tom’s cheek, she was shocked to find his skin cold under her hand. “He was talking to me and walking when I left to find you. And now he’s unconscious?” Andi grabbed Wilson’s sleeve and tugged on it to make him look at her. “How can that be?”

  “Bhengola fever.” The sergeant’s lean frame was tense, his shoulders hunched. He wouldn’t face her. The vein at the side of his throat throbbed as he rummaged through the medical supplies. “The captain gets these attacks from time to time. We were hopin’ to get back to the capital before the next one hit. You know of any local remedies?”

  “Bhengola fever?” Andi covered her mouth with both hands and gasped. “Did I hear you correctly? Bhengola?” Wilson nodded once. Chewing her lower lip, she ran one hand through her hair. “He never caught it on Zulaire. We don’t have that here.”

  “He’s had it for years, ever since an assignment on Panamilla 2,” the sergeant said. “It ain’t a contagious thing, not after the first attack has passed, thank the Lords of Space.”

  “Isn’t bhengola usually fatal?” Stepping backward, Latvik swallowed nervously and glanced around, probably to see how everyone else was reacting.

  “Can be over time,” Wilson confirmed. “Attacks get more intense. Not more frequent. They’re pretty predictable, as a rule. We carry off-the-books doses of aliquinalone on every mission.”

  “Off the books?” Andi repeated the phrase softly, a question in her voice. Does he mean illegal?

  Wilson shot a hard glance at her. “Soldiers with bhengola fever get mustered out, ma’am. No ifs, ands or buts. No cure, you know? And the military is all Captain Deverane has. We’ve used most of the quine we brought because we never expected to be stuck here so long. I haven’t been able to get more on the black market, although I might have a shipment waitin’ when we get back.”

  How can he be so matter of fact about admitting to black market activity in front of all these witnesses? Andi felt the blood pounding in her temples. Trying to will away a headache, she rubbed her forehead.

  “So do you know of anythin’ local that might help or not?” Wilson’s face was pugnacious, jaw jutting, eyebrows drawn together. He gathered up the discarded injects and stowed them in a side pouch of the pack.

  She’d studied the symptoms of the major interplanetary infectious diseases one semester at the Loxton Academy. Often the agent on an isolated planet would be the only medical resource for the outworld population and, hence, had to have rudimentary knowledge. Why didn’t I pay more attention in that damn class? She summoned her vague memories of the lecture on chronic, relapsing fevers, including bhengola. “Caused by a parasite. Symptoms include fever, chills…”

  “Convulsions—it’s an ugly disease, all right,” Wilson said. “The bhengola parasite dies off in the human body after the first cycle of infection, but enough of its loose genetic material remains in the lymphatic system to do the recurrent damage. That’s what makes it incurable.” Having found the medinject he was searching for, he held it to the sunlight. “Last one. And one is not goin’ to be enough.”

  He’s right. Bhengola requires around-the-clock drugs to get safely through an incident. Closing her eyes for a second, Andi tried to remember the pertinent section of the Loxton medical-training material. The few facts that came to mind weren’t reassuring.

  “He’ll need careful nursing to survive, do you agree?” Rahuna’s head was tilted as he regarded the sergeant. Stroking his chin, the cleric seemed thoughtful.

  “Yes.” Wilson jabbed the second injectable into the captain’s upper arm, rubbing the spot to work the medication into the muscle. “This buys us some time.” Rolling Tom’s sleeve down, he sat back on his heels, hands resting on his knees. Watching his patient relax under the drug’s influence, the sergeant’s face remained set in grim lines. “Better but temporary. He won’t regain consciousness until the entire bhengola cycle is over.”

  “How long?” Andi was unable to remember the exact course of the symptoms. A week? Two weeks?

  “Could be three or four days, ma’am. Maybe longer, with no quine.”

  “Have you the map handy?” Rahuna held out one hand. “We can’t care for him in the open elements, Sergeant. I believe there may be a safe haven we can reach by morn
ing, if we walk through the night, and if Sanenre chooses to smile on this effort. Captain Deverane is a good man, and Zulaire has need of him. I must see the map.” Rahuna’s insistence spurred the sergeant into action.

  Wilson sent Latvik running to retrieve his pack. When it was brought to the front of the column, the sergeant searched through the contents until he found the map readout token, which he keyed into a full view for Rahuna. Muttering under his breath, His Serene Holiness took a minute to orient himself to the representation of the surrounding area. Studying first one segment of the map then another, Rahuna returned to the first quadrant.

  Holding one of Tom’s limp hands curled in her own, Andi sat cross-legged in the grass, hoping Rahuna would find what he sought.

  “Yes, here.” The priest stabbed a thick finger at a spot close to the route they’d been following. “We can obtain help here, I believe.”

  “That’s in the damn mountains, sir.” Putting his hands on his hips, Wilson studied the surrounding area on the holographic map.

  Andi came to look at the map herself. She had trouble reading the shimmering, translucent image, hanging in thin air as it did, then she realized what Rahuna was talking about. “The Monastery of the Clouds?”

  He nodded. “The monks there can assist us in nursing the captain. Or at least making him comfortable while he fights off this fever you speak of.”

  Uncertainty made her anxious. “Isn’t the monastery a myth?” How much faith do I dare put into such a destination? Should we risk Tom’s life on a decision to go there?

  Rahuna jabbed at the colorful dot pulsing on the map. “Not a myth, I assure you.” He stood, arms akimbo, eyebrows raised as if he was amazed they didn’t believe him.

  “What if we carry him all the way there and find it abandoned?” Andi made a small gesture at the red dot. “We can’t afford to waste time.”

  Wilson took Tom’s pulse, counting the beats with a furrowed brow. “Pulse is racin’.” He stared at Andi and Rahuna. “You know the territory and I don’t, so I’m open to suggestions.”

  “We won’t find the cloister abandoned.” With a wave of his hand, Rahuna refuted Andi’s worry. “The Monastery of the Clouds is a venerated shrine of Sanenre. There are always those who choose to serve and meditate in a place close to Heaven, far from the rest of the world.”

  Wilson stood up, dusted off his pants and walked over to stand right in front of Andi. “What do you think, ma’am?”

  Taking a deep breath, Andi shifted her eyes from his, looking down at Tom. “If there are monks still at the monastery, then His Serene Holiness has a point. We know there’s no other help closer than the capital. We can’t carry Tom all the way there in his condition. I say we go for it.” She brought her gaze back to Wilson’s face.

  Nodding, he swiveled to address the other soldiers. “All right. Latvik, get Abukawal. The three of us will have to make a litter and lash the captain to it. Then we’ll take turns carryin’ him. Any chance of a comlink at this place?”

  The old priest shook his head at the sergeant’s question. “Sorry, no. The monks shun all aspects of modern life as part of their discipline. It is meant to be a secluded, private place, remaining unchanged through the millennia.”

  “Too much to expect, I guess. Our luck has been flat busted this trip.” Wilson kicked at a rock. “Damn. Well, then, Miss Markriss, if you’d stay here and keep an eye on the captain for a few minutes? He should be fine for a while, after the inject I gave him, but call me if you see any real change.”

  “I’ll tend to Lady Lysanda and the child,” Rahuna said. “Keep them amused, so that Abukawal can be free to help you.”

  Andi sat beside the unconscious captain for the next half hour, alternating between staring anxiously at him and watching Wilson with his two designated assistants cut branches and lace together a crude litter. They shifted Tom’s tremor-racked body onto the litter and restrained him. Rahuna led them out of the valley and up a faint path into the higher peaks.

  ***

  Hours passed in a blur for Andi.

  This is the most grueling march we’ve done yet. Her knees throbbed, her shoulders ached and her head was pounding. Staring at the dry ration bar in her hand, Andi was tempted to toss it over the nearest cliff. She kept herself walking and forced herself to chew and swallow. I can rest the next time Wilson calls a halt to rotate litter bearers. We must be due for that soon. Thank the Lords for Zulaire’s two moons. Between them and the hand lamps, I might manage to stay on the trail and avoid falling off the mountain.

  During the night, Andi marveled more than once at the superb physical conditioning of the soldiers. The men kept climbing at a steady pace, even carrying the litter and their packs. She’d always regarded herself as being in good shape but had increasing difficulty keeping up. The higher altitude caused her shortness of breath and a nagging headache behind her eyes that threatened to become a full-fledged migraine before the night was over.

  Sadu fell asleep in his carrier on Abukawal’s back. Head bobbing with the warrior’s every step, the toddler slumped over. Lysanda walked without complaint, although eventually she lagged behind the rearguard.

  The column halted. Lysanda had collapsed by the side of the trail, her eyes closed.

  Sighing, Andi trudged back to see what she could do.

  Abukawal was already crouched beside the princess. “We’ll rest awhile then come along after you. I can carry her, too, as well as the child, if need be.” He made shooing motions at Andi with his hands. “You go on.”

  “I promised the captain I’d look after them both,” Andi said. “He made it a condition for bringing them. They’re actually my responsibility—”

  “And seeing the demands on you, I’ve gladly made them mine,” the warrior answered. “This is a duty I can handle very well, Miss Markriss. I have younger brothers Sadu’s age at home. And the lady trusts me. I won’t violate her faith in me.”

  Tempted, Andi looked over her shoulder at Tom, unconscious on the crude litter. Concern for him was foremost in her mind. “He needs me—”

  “He does.” Abukawal nodded, giving her a gentle push. “Divided loyalties are no good in our current situation. I take the Tonkilns as my first priority now. You go with the captain, care for him with your outworlder knowledge.”

  Wilson rolled his shoulders. His words were terse, to the point. “I can’t leave anyone back here with you, Abukawal. I need Rogers and Latvik to help carry the captain.”

  “I understand. I have the blaster you lent to me. The Serene One says we are getting very close to our destination. If you find the monastery, then you can send help to us.” Abukawal pointed at Tom, moaning and thrashing in ever-more-violent convulsions. “I think we don’t have much more time to get him to shelter, do you?”

  Wilson wiped at his forehead. “He’s slippin’ into the most severe part of the bhengola fever cycle. Even if I had the right medication, his survival would be touch and go. Sure hope these monks have something to help.”

  We’re wasting time. Andi came back to the litter and touched Wilson’s arm. “Rahuna says it can’t be far now. Shouldn’t we move out?”

  Wilson’s shoulders slumped for a brief moment. The movement was the only outward sign of stress Andi had seen him display. Resolutely, he straightened, turning back toward the litter. “All right, Latvik, I’ll spell you.”

  “Good luck,” Abukawal called as the litter bearers trudged onward in the predawn grayness.

  “Take good care of her, okay?” Andi took a last look at Lysanda, feeling a certain amount of guilt at prioritizing Tom over the royal’s needs. Has he really come to mean that much to me in such a brief time? The cold dread rushing through her at the idea of losing the captain to the fever was her answer.

  Taking a deep breath, Andi turned away, choice made.

  Even the stoic Sectors soldiers were reaching the limits of their endurance. Sheer willpower was keeping them all going. Finally, Wilson called a halt. “
Rogers, scout ahead and don’t come back until you find the damn place, all right? We have to know how much farther. Don’t fall off a cliff in the dark, soldier.”

  Jogging slowly away, Rogers gave them a tired half smile and a wave in return.

  Wilson stretched full-length on the hard-packed dirt of the trail, sighed and laid his head on the lumpy pack. “Can you put a fresh cold compress on the captain’s forehead for me?”

  “Of course.” Andi ignored her own aches and sore muscles to tend Tom. They wouldn’t let her carry a corner of the litter, although she’d offered more than once. She was happy to do anything to help Wilson with his care.

  Tom remained unconscious, muttering under his breath. Sweat poured down his face, and when Andi laid a hand on his forehead, she jerked it back. The captain was burning hot. “Can’t you give him something else for this fever?”

  “If I do, it sends him into the chills. Those are by far the worst, ma’am. Better he run the fever as long as possible and stave off the chills. See if you can get him to take a little water. Dehydration’s a big risk at this stage.” Wilson stayed where he’d flung himself, close to the litter.

  Without much success, Andi tried to dribble a few drops of lukewarm water from the canteen between Tom’s cracked, bleeding lips. After a minute, the captain jerked his head away fretfully.

  Wilson took a catnap.

  “How much chance does he have?” Andi pitched her voice low. She didn’t want anyone but the sergeant to hear her.

  With a groan and obvious effort, he sat up, stretching from side to side, trying to unkink the knots in his back muscles, avoiding Andi’s gaze.

  Leaning across the litter, she put a hand on his arm, waited till he met her inquiring gaze. “I want to know what to expect, to be prepared. I care about him, too, you know.”

  “I plain don’t know, ma’am. He’s always beaten the bug off before.”

  Offering him the unstoppered canteen, Andi frowned. “But you had the, what did you call it? Quine?”