Fire Margins

by Lisanne Norman

  “Damn!” swore Kusac, running toward the door, Garras close behind him. “Where does it lead?”

  “No idea. My bet is it joins the lower corridor,” said Garras. He turned to the Brothers behind him. “Four of you double back and cut him off at the other end,” he ordered. “The rest, come with us.” A movement at the main doorway caught his eye. “Dzaka, stay here with Carrie and see to your father. T’Chebbi, see to Zhaya.” With that, he was gone, hard on Kusac’s heels.

  Carrie ran across the room and knelt down beside Kaid. His injuries, past and present, were only too visible.

  “Oh God,” she said softly. “What has Ghezu done to him?” She looked up at Dzaka, who was obviously as shaken as she was.

  “We need to move him. He can’t lie here on the floor,” she said.

  “I’ll see if there’s anyone outside,” Dzaka replied, straightening up.

  “No need,” said Lijou as he and Kha’Qwa entered. He glanced momentarily at the shattered doorway. “We can lift Kaid between us. Noni’s not far behind.”

  Carrie got to her feet and looked hastily round the room. “The desk,” she said. “I’ll clear it if you lift him.”

  Running over to it, she picked up the comp pad and swept the rest of the clutter onto the floor. The pad she placed on the wooden chair.

  As Lijou and Dzaka gently laid Kaid on the desk, Carrie saw the expressions on their faces.

  Lijou looked up, meeting her eyes. “If I’d known what was happening …” he began.

  Carrie reached out to touch his arm. “It’s not your fault, Lijou. It was your warning that alerted us to the possibility of Kaid being here. There was nothing more you could do without risking your own life. Ghezu had the place damped. You weren’t to know it was because of Kaid.”

  “There are times when I wish we telepaths could inflict pain, because as Vartra’s my witness, if I could get my hands on Ghezu now …” he growled.

  A small whimper of pain, quickly silenced, came from Kaid as he began to stir.

  “I suggest we leave,” said Kha’Qwa, touching Lijou on the arm to attract his attention. “For Kaid’s sake.”

  Lijou looked up at her. “Yes. Of course. We have to see to the rest of the Brothers now. They need to be informed of what’s happened. I’ll call an assembly in the temple. You can handle Zhaya, can’t you? T’Chebbi ought to remain here with them.”

  “With pleasure,” said Kha’Qwa with a growl, going over to take him from T’Chebbi. Zhaya, still doubled up in pain, his wrists secured behind him, was unceremoniously dragged from the room.

  Kaid’s body spasmed, jolting him back to consciousness.

  “Lie still,” said Carrie, moving round till she was sure he could see her face. “It’s over, Kaid. You’re safe now.”

  Eyes more than half-covered by their inner lids looked blindly at her. She took his face between her hands, leaning closer, trying to catch his gaze. “Kaid, this is Carrie. This is real. We’re here. It’s truly over now.”

  Slowly his eyes began to focus on her. His left hand came up to take hers, carrying it to his mouth and placing her fingers inside. His tongue touched them, pressing them gently against the roof of his mouth.

  Puzzled, she glanced at Dzaka.

  “He’s tasting your scent,” he said quietly. “It’s more sensitive than using our noses.”

  She looked back at Kaid as he removed her hand from his mouth.

  “You’re real this time, aren’t you?” he mumbled, tightening his grip on her hand as he lowered it to his chest.

  “It was all real, Kaid. Even the first time you saw me,” she said, reaching out to stroke his forehead. “Noni will be here any moment. Rest for now.”

  His eyes flickered briefly, then he lapsed into unconsciousness again.

  “Dzaka, see if Noni’s out there yet,” said Carrie, looking over to where he stood opposite her.

  He shook his head. “I can’t, Liegena. I’ve been told to remain with you. And I want to stay with my father,” he added.

  “T’Chebbi, you go, please,” she said, fretting as she looked over toward the doorway.

  Minutes later, T’Chebbi called out to her. “The Stronghold physician is here, Liegena.”

  Carrie looked up, torn between knowing Kaid needed treatment now and her desire to wait for Noni.

  The physician solved her problem by ordering her to move. His examination was quick but thorough, and in short order, Kaid had been given the drugs he needed to relieve the pain and deal with any infection.

  “I’m giving him a sedative too,” he said, administering a final shot. “If this Noni of yours is going to see to his wounds, it would be better if he wasn’t conscious. Why you want to use an unqualified, guildless female, I’ve no idea,” he said, packing away his instruments.

  “Cos they got more sense than you have,” barked Noni as she stomped in leaning on her stick. “If he’s sedated, you could have brought him to me on one of those floater things,” she grumbled as she made her way over to them. “I hope Kaid realizes I don’t do this for just anybody. First time I’ve come this far to a patient in fifteen years!”

  “I just hope you know what you’re doing,” the physician said, preparing to leave. He handed a small phial of bright green liquid to Carrie. “You’ll need this,” he said. “The drug should be out of his system by now, but if it isn’t, at least I’ve got what’s left from that damned medic of mine!”

  “Drug? What drug?” demanded Carrie, catching hold of him to prevent him leaving.

  “The drug Ghezu gave him.” He indicated Kaid. “It’s an off-world one he got for that desert maniac, Fryak, or whatever he’s called—except that’s the refined drug, and it’s far more powerful than the sap. Ghezu wanted me to use it on your friend and I refused. It hasn’t even been analyzed yet, we don’t know what it does! In the end, Ghezu bribed my medic to use it.”

  “Who gave it to him?”

  “I already told you, Ghezu, and my medic,” he said, using his free hand to pry himself loose from Carrie’s grip. “I know nothing more about it. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got duties elsewhere. Finding my medic for one! I’ll see he’s expelled from the Medical Guild for this!”

  “We’ll sort it out, never fear,” said Noni. She looked hard at Carrie. “So you’ve decided he matters to you and you’re going to have him, have you? Huh! Might be the most sensible thing he’s done in years, if you can get him to bed you!” she said, ignoring Carrie and Dzaka’s outraged exclamations. “Now, both of you, get out of my way. Give me space to work. Go and sit down somewhere.”

  In the distance they heard the sound of an alarm.

  “The meeting call,” said T’Chebbi as Carrie and Noni glanced fearfully at the doorway.

  *

  The whole business of announcing Ghezu’s dishonorable expulsion from the Brotherhood went a lot more smoothly than Lijou had anticipated. He was surprised to find how many of the senior, and some of the junior staff, supported the change. Kha’Qwa wasn’t. With the help of Rhyaz as a standin for Ghezu, Lijou was now in sole charge of the Guild pending the appointment of a new Warrior leader.

  Meanwhile, Kusac and Garras’ chase after Ghezu had proved fruitless. Throughout the building and the surrounding area, an intensive search was mounted, but the Brotherhood’s Warrior Master had vanished. General Raiban was not impressed when she heard the news. The search was immediately augmented by her people from the Forces, who also relieved them of Zhaya and his three accomplices.

  *

  For all her grumbling about medics and physicians, Noni had done very little for Kaid, mainly reassuring herself that his life was in no danger. She had him loaded onto a floater, then taken by aircar to her house.

  “Garras, you and Dzaka are coming with me. Get in. The rest of you folk can stay away,” she said from the doorway of the aircar before it took off. “You’ll only clutter up my place. I need peace and space to work. You can see him tomorrow.”

  *<
br />
  Several Brothers were relocated to ensure that Carrie, Kusac and T’Chebbi were found rooms as close to Lijou’s as possible. Left high and dry as they were without any further news on Kaid’s condition, it was some time before any of them was able to settle down for what remained of the night.

  *

  Despite the knowledge that the cottage was almost better guarded than Stronghold, Dzaka and Garras camped out in Noni’s livingroom cum kitchen, determined that if Ghezu was still in the area, he’d get nowhere near Kaid again.

  While he slept, with Garras’ help, Noni had Kaid washed down with a special potion of antiseptic herbs.

  “His back’s healing,” she said, gently testing the scabs. “But whoever caused these wounds knew what he was doing.”

  “Kusac said he’d been stunned on full immediately before being flogged,” said Garras grimly. “I want not only Fyak, but the one who used that whip.”

  “Don’t you go sinking to their level now,” warned Noni as she sat back in her chair, gesturing for him and Dzaka to turn Kaid over.

  “I’ll do what I have to, Noni,” he said, gently easing his friend over onto his back.

  “His back’ll need massaging,” she said, leaning forward to spread a clean cloth over the bedding beside her. Carefully she moved Kaid’s damaged limb onto it.

  As she gently felt over the swollen surface of the hand before working down to what remained of the little finger, Kaid began to mutter and twitch in obvious pain again.

  “Hold him still,” she ordered Garras. “I don’t want him moving this hand while I’m working on it.” She leaned closer to Kaid, beginning to croon to him as she carefully explored the extent of his injuries.

  “’Tis all right, lad. It’s just old Noni. Rest easy, you’re safe now.”

  As he began to quiet, she moved on to the next finger, taking it carefully by the sides and feeling along its length.

  Again Kaid began to moan, trying to move his hand free but Garras held his arm firmly down.

  “This one’s shattered,” she said, shaking her head as she moved to the next one. “A clean break here, Vartra be praised. Pass me the dish and those swabs on the table, Dzaka. I need to soak the blood off him before I can see how bad that stump of a finger is.”

  Dzaka released Kaid’s shoulders and got up to fetch the shallow tray of antiseptic from the table.

  Lifting his hand carefully, Noni immersed it in the greenish-colored liquid, gently dabbing at the injured fingers and the stump.

  “Hold his arm again for me, Garras.”

  Gradually the water became darker as the blood began to dissolve from the matted fur.

  “The towel,” she said, lifting Kaid’s hand out and letting the worst of the water run off back into the tray.

  Garras handed it to her and, lifting the tray, passed it to Dzaka.

  “Why did Ghezu do this to him?” Dzaka demanded, voice thick with suppressed fury as he returned from replacing the dish on the table. “Why torture him like this?”

  “Have done with that anger, brat,” snapped Noni as she gently dried Kaid’s hand before replacing it on the cloth. “You should know better than to project in the company of telepaths! Didn’t they teach you anything in that bird’s nest up there?”

  “Sorry,” he muttered, flattening his ears in apology, tail twitching with embarrassment. “But how can anyone be callous enough to systematically smash someone’s hand like that?”

  Garras looked up at him. “You’re a Brother and you ask that?”

  “That’s different,” said Dzaka defensively. “We don’t use torture. When we have to kill, we do it cleanly, without causing unnecessary suffering.”

  “There’s many wouldn’t differentiate between us and him, lad,” Garras replied, turning back as he felt Kaid’s arm twitch under his grip. “And yes, some of the Brothers know how to use torture, but not crudely like this.” He looked over at Noni again. “Can you save the third finger?”

  “Maybe, maybe not. It needs to be cut open and the bigger pieces of bone fitted back together. Once that’s done, I can try healing it. It depends on how many large pieces are left. This needs cutting too,” she said, indicating the stump. “It’s been burned to seal the wound. It needs a pad of flesh and skin over the end, else the bone will keep cutting its way through. The third finger’s easy. It just needs setting. The rest of his hand’s intact, thank Vartra! It’s only secondary swelling.”

  She sat back, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. “Garras, I’ve changed my mind. You get that Ghezu for me. Get him good,” she said, her voice harder than he’d ever heard it before. She put her hands down and opened her eyes, looking straight at him. “A person as brutal as him doesn’t deserve to be treated any different.”

  “I’ll get him, never fear, Noni.”

  “I want him too, Garras,” said Dzaka.

  Garras glanced up at the youth, seeing the bleak look in his eyes and the set of his ears. “We’ll get him together.”

  “Dzaka, lad, brew some c’shar for us, please. I could do with a drink before I start cutting those fingers.”

  Dzaka nodded and went over to the old stove.

  In the silence that followed, Noni gave a small cackle of laughter. “I forgot you young ones can only use dispensers! Garras, tell him what to do while I get my implements. When you’re done, get some of that anaesthetic of yours from your bag of tricks. He’ll need to be deep under for longer than I can keep him with my herbs alone.”

  *

  Early the next morning, Kusac and Carrie arrived at Noni’s to see Kaid. A strong antiseptic smell greeted them. They shared a worried glance before entering.

  Noni and Garras were sitting at the table drinking c’shar. Dzaka lay curled up asleep in an easy chair.

  “Early rising for you, late night for us,” Noni said as Carrie came over to the table and Kusac continued to hover uncertainly in the doorway.

  “How is he?”

  Noni sighed. “Better. He’s sleeping off my butchery.”

  Garras stirred, looking up tiredly at her. “Hardly butchery, Noni. You did a good job.”

  “Well, we’ll see,” she said. “Fetch yourselves a drink.”

  Kusac stepped over to the bed to look at Kaid. He lay sleeping on his side. His right hand, heavily bandaged, lay above the covers. Though now clean and free of the matted knots, his pelt was still dull. Glancing at Noni, Kusac said, “He looks bad.”

  “Huh! If you think that’s bad, as well you didn’t see him last night,” she said.

  Dzaka uncurled himself from his chair and stretched. “I’ll get you both a drink.”

  “Thanks,” said Carrie, sitting down.

  “You just want to show off, now you can work my range,” snorted Noni, glaring at him above her mug.

  Dzaka’s mouth opened in a faint grin.

  “That’s better,” she said approvingly. “He’s not going to die, lad. Keep that long face for those that need it. He doesn’t.”

  Kusac joined them. “How is his hand?”

  “Not as bad as I first feared,” Noni admitted. “Only three fingers had been damaged. One was a straight break; one, as you know, had been removed and the wound badly cauterized; the last—well, we don’t know yet. Garras and I spent most of last night taking out tiny splinters of bone and trying to rebuild what was left. If it starts to knit in the next twenty-six hours, I can encourage the growth of new bone to reinforce what’s left. Luckily the joint wasn’t damaged. He might even be able to use it again when it’s healed.”

  “You found out what happened?”

  “Mostly,” said Garras. “What he couldn’t tell us, we pieced together from his injuries.”

  “He was conscious last night?” asked Carrie.

  “Unfortunately, yes. He came round not long after we operated on his hand. It took some time for the analgesics to work, he was feverish, and … he talked,” sighed Garras, putting his mug down. “We were up with him all night, until
a couple of hours ago.”

  “So what happened?” asked Kusac, glancing up at Dzaka with a nod of thanks as a mug of c’shar was placed in front of him.

  “No. Tell us about his other injuries first,” said Carrie, putting her hand on Garras’ arm.

  “His back’s healing cleanly. With any luck, his pelt will grow back normally, leaving no scars. Likewise the rope cuts round his wrists. The ones on his face are superficial.” He looked over at Noni, waiting for her to tell the rest.

  “They used a drug on him, one that confused his senses. It was while he was under the effects of it that he managed to appear to us,” said Noni. “It’s one of those off-world ones, just as that physician said last night.”

  “How did he manage to come to us?” asked Carrie.

  “I’ve no idea,” said Garras. “He certainly hasn’t. Part of the problem last night was that he didn’t believe he was here. He was afraid to sleep lest he wake up back at Stronghold.”

  Kusac turned round to look over at Kaid again. “He looks peaceful enough now, Vartra be praised. How did Ghezu get hold of him?”

  “We assume Ghezu made a pact with Fyak concerning supplying him with weapons and drugs if he would place a watch on Khemu’s home. Kaid was supposed to be taken and handed over to Ghezu. It seems Fyak had other plans for him. He wanted Kaid to train his troops.”

  He stopped to take another drink from his mug. “The medic at Chezy kept Kaid unconscious there for two weeks while his arm finished healing.”

  Dzaka made a small noise of apology.

  “When he recovered, he agreed to train Fyak’s troops in the hope of gathering enough evidence against Ghezu before escaping, only he was found out. As you already know, Fyak had him flogged after personally shooting him with a neural stunner on full power.”

  “The pain must have been indescribable,” said Carrie quietly.

  “It’s a wonder he survived it,” said Kusac. “L’Seuli says he passed out several times. Then Ghezu came for him and he was taken to Stronghold, where he was tortured again.” Kusac’s voice was full of suppressed anger.

  Garras nodded. “From then on we have a fair idea of the sequence of events, not the dates. Ghezu overdosed him with a drug that caused him to hallucinate. It was supposed to react to his state of mind at the time and alter his sense of reality. It also enhanced his senses, adding to his mental confusion. Each dream was experienced as if it were real and just as he began to believe it was, he was flung into another. It was during one of his semi-lucid periods that Ghezu took him into the interrogation room. Kaid made the mistake of assuming it was another dream. He had no way of knowing that a great deal of what had happened was real, that somehow he’d actually physically been to the places he thought he was dreaming about—like the Shrine when he saw you, Carrie.”