Fire Margins

by Lisanne Norman

  Kaid nodded. “I think it’s in the concealed operating panel.”

  “Then Kusac, I suggest you call our people and stop the Humans detonating that door, as they plan to do this morning,” said Carrie calmly. “Or had you all forgotten about that?”

  “Gods! She’s right!” said Kusac, getting to his feet. “The rest of you get ready to leave, I’ll contact them from the aircar comm!”

  Kaid pushed his bedding aside and, swinging his legs out of bed, attempted to get to his feet.

  “You stay put,” said Kusac. “You’re not fit to travel yet.”

  Kaid stood up, staggering slightly. “You can’t open it without me,” he said. “I need to be there.”

  “He’s well enough to travel,” said Noni from her bedroom door. “If he can do what he did yesterday, he’s fit! Mind, I’m not finished with you yet, Tallinu! You’ll come back when I tell you, hear me?”

  “I’ll come back, Noni,” he said. “Has anyone anything I can wear? I’d sooner not travel like this.”

  “I’ve a jacket you can have,” said Dzaka.

  Kusac shrugged. “I know when I’ve lost,” he said with a slight grin as he opened the outer door.

  Kaid looked over at Dzaka. “Aldatan colors?”

  Dzaka flicked his ears and looked away. “I reckoned if it’s good enough for you …”

  Kaid nodded, reaching out with his good arm to hold him close. “I was never ashamed of you, Dzaka. You were always the son I wanted,” he said quietly. “We’ll talk later. Meanwhile, I’d be proud to borrow a jacket from you.”

  *

  They flew straight to the hill, landing beside the hoppers. Kusac was first out. T’Chebbi was waiting there to meet him.

  “I’ve got guards on the door, Liege. The Human Pam was all for continuing. She said they’re in charge of operations, not us.”

  “She did, did she? We’ll see about that.”

  “You’ve brought him back.” There was a quiet pleasure in her voice.

  Kusac turned round to see Dzaka helping Kaid from the aircar. He turned back to T’Chebbi. “Yes, we brought him back,” he said, fleetingly touching her shoulder. “He’s home now.”

  She nodded, then turned to lead the way into the hill.

  As they entered the large chamber, Kaid stopped to look around at the ruined vehicles. “I don’t understand why they’re still here,” he said, a confused note in his voice. “I was sure they’d all escaped.”

  “Perhaps they took what they could, then returned to fetch more,” said Kusac. “Don’t let it worry you.”

  Kaid was still weak from his injuries. The surgery plus the fever had taken their toll as well and they had to move slowly. When they reached the next chamber, it was with relief he saw the packing crates near the wooden screens. He hardly even noticed the Humans sitting there.

  “Eight guards?” Kusac murmured to T’Chebbi. “Surely two would have been enough.”

  “Of course, Liege. No point in encouraging them to try their strength. They’d be hurt. Wasteful, that is.”

  The small group of humans got to their feet when they entered the chamber. One of them, an older female, came striding over purposefully.

  “Look, you’ve no right to stop our work,” she said. “Our remit from General Raiban says we’re in charge of the digs. In fact, you shouldn’t even be on the land, let alone in here!”

  Kusac turned his head to look at T’Chebbi. “Which one is she, T’Chebbi? I’m afraid I have great difficulty telling the females apart.”

  “Pam,” said T’Chebbi succinctly.

  “Ah, yes. Pam.” He looked benignly at her, mouth opening in a human smile. She was tall, topping Carrie by some six inches. Iron gray hair cut close to her head, gave her a very severe look. Pale blue eyes flashed angrily at him from a thin face.

  “This land belongs to me, Pam. It’s been in my family for a great many generations. Are you suggesting that we should vacate our homes so you may dig up my land at will?”

  She looked flustered. “No. No, of course not, but you’re not allowed …”

  Carrie came forward from the rear. “I think if you check with General Raiban you’ll find that the normal rules don’t apply here,” she said. “Now if you don’t mind, we’ve work to attend to, and one of our number is far from well.” She turned away and started over toward the steel door.

  Pam looked from her retreating figure back to Kusac, who was talking to T’Chebbi. “Dammit! You can’t just walk in here with your armed guards and tell us what to do!”

  Kusac ignored her. “Get a floater chair sent for Kaid. We’ll be a lot faster if he’s not having to walk,” he said. T’Chebbi nodded and moved away from them to activate her wrist comm.

  “Dzaka! Take your father over to the …”

  “No,” Kaid interrupted him. “I want to see the door now. If you don’t let me, I won’t use the floater,” he warned.

  Kusac felt his arm being grabbed and turned round to face Pam again.

  “You don’t treat me like this and get away with it!” she said angrily. “You’ve got a human wife! I know damned well you can tell us apart! What makes you think you can insult my intelligence like that?”

  “Don’t try to dictate to me what I can do on my own land!” snapped Kusac, reaching up to remove her hand from his arm. “This site touches us all in ways you cannot possibly comprehend! We called you in to help us, not to order us around. If a way can be found to open this door without blasting, we’ll try it!” He turned and stalked off to join Carrie and Kaid at the face of the door.

  Kaid was feeling round the edges with his good hand.

  “I tried that,” said Carrie. “I know there’s a concealed panel or something, it’s just as if I’ve forgotten it,” she said, the frustration she felt obvious in her tone.

  He looked up at her. “You, too?” then went on feeling round the seal while hanging on to one of T’Chebbi’s guards.

  “Not there,” he said at last, standing up and looking upward then down round either side of the narrow tunnel entrance that led to the door.

  “Did that as well,” said Carrie, standing back, hands on hips, watching him.

  “There’s nothing there, you fools!” said the Terran woman as she came up behind them. “We’ve searched the whole damned thing using scanners, the lot! You’ll need to blow that door open!”

  Carrie turned her head to look over her shoulder. “Do be quiet,” she said conversationally.

  “Even you’re saying there’s nothing there,” said Pam in a more normal tone. “Your Godforsaken damned felines don’t know everything! I’m the specialist here—that’s why I was called in!”

  Carrie ignored her, turning back to watch Kaid.

  Reaching out, Pam took Carrie by the arm and swung her round.

  The hum of five energy rifles and two pistols cycling up from standby echoed round the empty cavern. But it wasn’t that that stopped the woman dead and made her drop Carrie’s arm. It was the snarling mask of fury inches from her face, and the clawed hand that held her by the throat.

  “Don’t dare to touch the Liegena,” hissed Dzaka, tail bushed out and lashing furiously from side to side.

  Kusac skidded to a halt beside Kaid, clawed feet gouging lines in the earthen floor. “He’s fast, your son,” he said.

  Kaid straightened up, hand still on the wall. “I believe he had a good teacher.”

  “Let her go, Dzaka,” Carrie said calmly.

  Dzaka released her, stepping back a couple of paces. He continued snarling, though more quietly now.

  “I’d like to think this was a cultural misunderstanding,” Carrie said, “but I’m not sure it is. You see, this isn’t the first time this has happened. No one touches a Telepath unless invited to do so.”

  “Telepathy among us hasn’t been proved,” said Pam, massaging her throat with one hand.

  “That’s your second mistake. Anyone wearing purple is a recognized Telepath. As you see, I’m
wearing purple, so is my mate. The third mistake you made,” she said, dropping her voice to match her anger, “was attempting to touch a pregnant Telepath!”

  “Shouldn’t you step in here?” asked Kaid.

  “No, I don’t think so,” said Kusac thoughtfully. “She’s facing her own fears, which she needs to do. A few months ago a confrontation like this would have been unthinkable.”

  “Where’s Zhyaf?” Carrie demanded, looking round the cavern at the guards.

  “In the main cavern, Liegena,” said one.

  “Fetch him! No, I’ll send to him, it’s quicker,” she corrected herself.

  “You’re pregnant?” said Pam, looking slightly dazed.

  “Yes, and our males get very protective, as you’ve seen!”

  “Especially when it’s our Liegena,” snarled Dzaka.

  Kaid leaned forward and touched his son lightly on the shoulder. “Enough,” he said.

  Dzaka visibly forced himself to relax.

  “Stand down the guard, Carrie,” said Kusac quietly.

  A gesture from her and the guns were lowered, then cycled down. Beyond them, the other Terrans hovered uncertainly.

  The sound of running feet resolved itself into Zhyaf who emerged from the tunnel like a cork from a bottle.

  “Liegena,” he said, sketching a hasty bow when he reached her.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Zhyaf?” she demanded. “This female has accosted me for the second time! It was your responsibility to see that they were all integrated into our culture! That hasn’t been done, and I want to know why!”

  “Liegena, I’ve only had three days,” he said. “There are six of them …”

  “It’s Mara, isn’t it? Dammit Zhyaf, you’ll have to learn to control her!” She turned to Kusac. Speak to him! she sent.

  “Zhyaf, you and I will have words later,” said Kusac. “If the job was too large for you, you should have mentioned it earlier.”

  “You weren’t here, Liegen,” said Zhyaf, ears flicked back in a mixture of apology and defiance.

  “That is irrelevant,” said Kusac, his tone icy. “Where matters of this nature are concerned, you know the procedure! Now go!”

  “Yes, Liegen.” He inclined his head briefly before he left.

  Kusac looked at the Terran female. “I should have you sent back to your headquarters,” he said. “I’ve reason enough! What you’ve done is tantamount to a physical assault in Terran law. Just keep out of our way until I’ve made up my mind what I intend to do with you!” he said, waving her back.

  Pam stood there, rigid with shock and indignation.

  From behind him he heard a soft click, followed by the sound of machinery that had lain idle for centuries jolting into life.

  “Get back,” said Kaid, bumping into them as he moved away from the steel door. “The air inside will be stale at the very least, if not foul.”

  Kusac grasped Carrie round the waist, lifting her bodily into the air as he moved aside.

  “You found it!”

  Kaid nodded as, at a reasonable distance, they watched the steel door gradually slide back into the tunnel wall. “And this,” he said, holding up a flexible gold collar. The green stone inset in it reflected the light from the units spread along the chamber walls.

  Kusac reached for it, but Kaid held it back. “No. Not until I know it’s safe.” It slipped from his grasp and he stooped to pick it up.

  “I held the one L’Seuli brought out of Chezy.”

  “Khezy’ipik. The Valtegans called it Khezy’ipik,” said Kaid automatically.

  “How do you know that?” asked Carrie.

  Kaid looked confused for a moment. “I remember it being called that,” he said.

  “You’re right. Sorli mentions the old name in the records he gave us, but how could you remember?” asked Carrie.

  Kaid put his hand up to the side of his head as the cavern seemed to swim around him.

  “Catch him!” said Carrie sharply. “He’s about to pass out!”

  T’Chebbi caught him as he began to stagger.

  Carrie reached forward and took the collar from his grasp.

  Kaid seemed to rally, making a snatch for it, but he missed. “No! You mustn’t hold it, Carrie! It could harm you!”

  She was already examining it, turning it so the light shone on the stone. As Kusac reached forward to take it from her, she moved aside.

  “It doesn’t affect me,” she said slowly. “I can handle it in this state, but you and Kaid can’t. I don’t think any Sholan could.”

  “What do you mean?” demanded Kusac. “I won’t have you risking our daughter over a damned torc, no matter how old or important it is!”

  Carrie tore her gaze away from it and shoved it in her copious pocket. “It’s safe with me,” she said, her tone brusque. “If you want proof, look at Kaid.” She nodded in his direction.

  Kusac did, and saw that he was making an almost instant recovery.

  “It hasn’t done that to me,” she said. “The door’s open, by the way.”

  His attention diverted, Kusac looked over to where the steel door had been. He took a step forward, then stopped.

  “No one’s going in there till we’ve checked the air,” he said. “We also need lighting.” He turned to face the half dozen Terrans, his gazed fixing on Pam.

  “We’re supposed to be cooperating on this dig,” he said. “So let’s cooperate. We need lighting. Get the help you need from my people. I want the lights up and working within the hour.”

  “Can we count on your lot to help us?” demanded Pam. “So far, they’ve been of no use whatsoever!”

  “T’Chebbi, you liaise for us, please.”

  “Liege,” she said, flicking her ears before she joined the small group of Terrans.

  Carrie turned to Kusac, drawing his attention away from the archaeologists. “Vanna’s here,” she said, looking uncomfortable. “She’s brought the floater chair, food, and Marak.”

  “Exactly what we need,” he said, looking over to the tunnel from which Vanna was emerging.

  The floater was being propelled by Jack. In it was the food and a medikit. Vanna came straight over to them, casting a professional eye over Kaid.

  “Just as I thought,” she said, passing Marak to Carrie. “Here, you hold him while I see to Kaid.”

  “But Vanna,” she said, looking in horror at the active bundle she’d had thrust upon her. “I don’t know anything about cubs!”

  “You’ll have to learn soon enough,” Vanna said firmly, taking the medikit and food basket from the chair while Jack parked it. “You might as well start now.”

  Vanna. Kusac’s thought was reproachful.

  Neither you nor she can go through the rest of your lives with you continuing to protect her from every little breeze! You need to be more robust with her at times! She’s a big girl, you know. She used the Terran term.

  I know, and getting bigger every day, he sent wryly, turning to watch his mate.

  “Don’t let the cloth round him fall off unless you want to clean up the mess,” Vanna warned, glancing briefly up at her as she guided Kaid into the chair.

  “Vanna!” wailed Carrie, as Marak purred and squeaked with delight over her long hair.

  Kaid sat down with relief. “I’m not an invalid, Vanna,” he said.

  “No. You should still be bedridden,” she said, checking his wrists and cheek. “But I know that’s out of the question now. How’s his back healing?” she asked Kusac.

  “Fine.”

  “It doesn’t hurt,” said Kaid, leaning back and closing his eyes.

  “Liar,” she said, opening her medikit. “I can feel it the moment I touch you,” she said as she unpacked a couple of ampules.

  “Kaid, Vanna needs to know,” said Kusac quietly, bending over him.

  “I need to know what?” she asked, loading her hypoderm.

  “I’m a telepath,” said Kaid tiredly.

  Vanna looked up sh
arply. “Since when?” Pushing his fur aside, she wiped him with an antiseptic pad before pressing the hypo against his upper arm.

  “Always,” he said briefly.

  “Can you block, or will you need suppressants?” she asked, squatting back on her haunches.

  Kaid opened his eyes. “I can block,” he said with a small grin. “That’s about all I can do.”

  Vanna nodded. “You’re not going to run out on me this time, are you, Kaid?”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  “Good.” She stood up and nodded to Jack. “We’ll move away from this entrance. You can do without the clouds of dust this lot will be kicking up when they start stringing lighting units everywhere.”

  Jack flicked the power back on and the chair began to rise until it floated some six inches from the floor.

  “Do you want to drive it, or shall Jack?” she asked.

  “I’ll do it,” said Kaid, stretching his good arm along the armrest till his fingertips matched the recesses. Extending his claws, he turned the chair and floated it over to the pile of crates at the other side of the cavern where one or two of the Terrans still sat.

  Vanna looked over to Carrie who had finally worked out that since no one was going to rescue her, she’d better make Marak comfortable.

  “Coming?” she asked.

  Carrie nodded and followed her over.

  “Hey, he’s cute,” said one of the Terran males. “Hi, little fella,” he said, reaching out to touch him between the ears. “Your baby?” he asked Vanna.

  She nodded.

  “Which one’s your husband?”

  “The one called Brynne,” she said, looking him straight in the eye.

  “The … Human … called Brynne?”

  “That’s right,” she said. “You’re looking at the first Sholan/Human child.”

  A female leaned forward to touch him. Marak, willing to play grab-the-finger at any time, happily reached out, snagging the digit with his extended claws.

  “Ouch!” she said, wincing. “He’s got sharp claws, but you’re right, he really is cute.”

  Carrie pulled her head back to see him more clearly. “I suppose you’re right,” she said. “He is rather pretty.”