Fire Margins

by Lisanne Norman

  Kimin looked at Vartra, her ears laid flat in distress as she looked for a seat to sit down.

  “They know it as if they were there!” she said.

  “And you blame yourself because they took the vaccine too soon,” Carrie finished, pointing to Vartra.

  “How do you know these things?” asked Vartra. “You can’t possibly, unless …”

  “Unless what we say is true,” finished Kusac.

  “You have to leave here,” said Kaid. “And as soon as possible. If you saw the explosion on the moon tonight, you have to be in Stronghold within two days or you’ll never make it because of the Cataclysm. You’ll be cut off here till the floods subside.”

  “You’ll be safe at Stronghold. There’s villages nearby for food and other supplies, and you’ll have the Brothers to protect you,” said Kusac.

  “Brothers?” Vartra looked like a person who had heard more than he could take in.

  “You’re a God in our time,” said Carrie gently. “The Brotherhood of Vartra is a semi-religious Warrior cult based at Stronghold. They’ll guard the telepaths at a time when your people will blame them for the Cataclysm.”

  Vartra shook his head. “This is utterly unbelievable, but it has to be true! What you know about us you could never have learned. It’s as if you were there.”

  “All very interesting,” drawled Goran, walking into the temple. “I don’t believe you yet. I’m not convinced. How do we know you didn’t lift what you’ve told us from our minds? Give us a good reason to trust you.”

  “You’re a telepath,” Carrie said looking at Kimin. “Touch my mind. You’ll see that we’re telling the truth.”

  Kimin tried but after a minute or two had to give up. “You’re just too alien, I’m afraid,” she said.

  “Try mine,” said Kusac.

  “Get Tiernay,” said Goran to the doctor. “He’s good at this.”

  Kimin returned with Tiernay.

  Kusac lowered his shields, sitting patiently while he felt Tiernay’s mind touch his. Carefully he guided him, letting him see the memories of their world.

  “He’s told the truth,” said Tiernay at length.

  “Him next.” Goran pointed to Kaid. “They could have conditioned the other one’s mind. The Valtegans are good at twisting people like that.”

  Kaid looked over at Carrie and she could feel his panic. She reached out to touch his hand. “You’ll be fine,” she said. “Just lower your barriers and sit quietly, concentrating on keeping them down. Let him do the hard work.”

  Reluctantly Kaid stilled his heart rate and began to recite the litany for clear thought. He concentrated on lowering his barriers, sensing them go down one at a time until he sat there feeling vulnerable and exposed. He felt Tiernay’s touch. It wasn’t subtle or gentle, but the young male was able to look at his memories.

  Gradually he felt his mind become numb and hazy until he almost fainted. Someone was holding him, telling him to wake up. He blinked, trying to focus, and eventually Kusac’s face swam into view. He frowned, and put his hand up to rub his eyes.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  “You nearly passed out,” said Kusac, letting him go. “How do you feel now? Are you all right?”

  Kaid nodded slowly. “I’m fine,” he said, looking beyond him to where Vartra was talking to Tiernay and Goran. “Do you have your proof now?” he asked.

  “Yes,” said Vartra, coming toward them. “Dr. Kimin will take Carrie and try to find some clothes for her. If you two will come with us, we’ll see what we can find in the way of clothing for you.”

  *

  Half an hour later, they met on the way into the common room. All three of them stopped dead just inside the doorway, looking over at the log fire crackling and spitting in the corner.

  “The old ties of family have broken down and we must survive as best we can” Kaid quoted. “Your loyalty can only be to each other, no one else. Those of you who survive …” He stopped, having forgotten the rest.

  Tiernay leaped to his feet as soon as Kaid began to speak. From the other side of the room a small female came forward and with a noise of surprise, reached out to touch him.

  “Rezac?” she said, then pulled back. “You can’t be, but you’re so like him!”

  “Where did you hear that?” Tiernay demanded as they came further into the room.

  Carrie stopped by the young female. “He isn’t Rezac, I’m afraid. He’s called Kaid. Thank you for lending me the clothes,” she said.

  Jaisa nodded, watching them come into the room.

  “I heard it in here,” said Kaid, moving toward the seats round the table. “We call them replays because though they come to us as dreams, we know they’ve really happened.”

  “Tiernay, I’ve spoken with them, so has Dr. Kimin. We’re convinced that what they’ve told us is true. There’s no other way they could have learned what they know,” said Vartra. “Like the quote just now. It’s of so little consequence, why would anyone know about it unless they were there?”

  Kaid looked up at Vartra. “You knew I was there,” he said. “You felt me.” He looked to Tiernay. “Within the next few days, you’ll sense me again in the caverns while you’re loading the vehicles to leave here. You’ll point me out to Goran, but he won’t be able to see me.”

  “There’s hot food over there for you, and c’shar if you wish it,” said Vartra, breaking the mood. “Please, help yourselves.”

  “This is getting so weird,” said Tiernay, going back to his chair. “I don’t know what to make of it.”

  “We’re going to have a meeting tonight,” said Vartra, taking a chair near the fire. “Goran will be here. We’ll listen to what our visitors have to say, then decide what to do.”

  Carrie, sent Kaid. I remember this place! It’s familiar to me.

  She looked sharply at him. You can’t, Kaid. You’ve seen it so often in replays and dreams, that’s all. Don’t let yourself get confused.

  He didn’t reply.

  “You do realize you’re talking about a journey of over thirteen hundred miles, don’t you?” said Tiernay. “It isn’t a short hop you know. Driving nonstop, even with several drivers in each vehicle, you’re looking at a whole day!”

  “I know,” said Vartra. “Goran and I have discussed it before now. We’re well aware of the distance and time involved.”

  *

  It was late when the meeting broke up, but by that time all the questions had been asked and answered to the best of everyone’s ability. What was left was a sense of purpose. They were moving to Stronghold, and they’d start packing in the morning.

  Goran, Tiernay, and Vartra were last up.

  “Look at it this way, Goran,” said Vartra. “From the viewpoint of this coming cataclysm alone, we can’t afford to remain here and be cut off from any sources of supplies. We’re bound to be in the center of flooding because we’re right on the coast. We aren’t self-sufficient, we’re dependent on Nazule for just about everything. It’s a very different picture at Stronghold.” He paused. “We should have realized this could happen when we saw the warship explode.”

  “I still think we’re trusting them too easily,” grumbled Goran. “But from a defense point of view, we’re definitely safer at Stronghold. I’ve been saying that for some time now.”

  “We also don’t need to move all the equipment,” said Tiernay. “Their lab is at least as sophisticated as ours.”

  “More so,” said Vartra. “I’ll need those facilities if I’m going to be correcting the work I’ve done.”

  “What do you make of Kaid?” asked Tiernay. “Jaisa put her finger on it earlier when she said he looked like Rezac.”

  Vartra frowned. “I don’t follow.”

  “He is like Rezac. And I told you what I saw in his mind. It’s uncanny just how like him this Kaid is. The odd movement as well as the way he stands. Just every now and then I could have sworn it was him.”

  Vartra patted Tiernay on the
shoulder. “He’s not Rezac,” he said with a grin. “He’s too quiet, not impulsive enough, thank the Gods! One of him was enough.”

  “But we haven’t got one of him, have we?” Tiernay reminded him.

  Vartra looked away. “That had occurred to me already,” he said quietly. “Let’s leave it for now and see what happens.”

  *

  The three of them had been left to sleep late. When they rose, it was Jaisa who took them to the student’s dining room for first meal. That over, they joined everyone else in the lab cavern to help pack.

  It was strange to see the caverns in use when all they’d seen previously were the ruins. There was the kitchen area, and the chamber full of beds.

  “We’ve been sleeping here for the last month,” said Jaisa. “The Valtegans are getting too good at finding telepaths. We think they have several of our people helping them.”

  “Why don’t you use dampers,” said Kusac, fascinated to see the lab equipment actually working.

  “They’re still experimental,” she said, “and huge. We have one or two in use, down here for instance, which is why we’re all sleeping here.”

  “Let me see what they’re like,” said Kaid. “I might be able to help.”

  “Sure, but we won’t have time to do that until we’ve moved to Stronghold.”

  Tiernay saw them and came over. “We could do with your help,” he said. “Come with me and I’ll show you what needs doing.”

  “What about me?” asked Carrie.

  “I think you’re a little too pregnant to be doing much,” said Jaisa as tactfully as she could.

  Carrie looked down at herself. “I’m sure I didn’t look this large yesterday,” she said.

  Jaisa laughed, linking her arm in the Human’s. “My mother always said that once the cub moved and you know it’s real, then you begin to look really pregnant!”

  “You might be right. Where is your mother now?”

  “She’s dead.” For a moment, the sun seemed to leave Jaisa, then she recovered with another smile.

  “We can take some of the lighter items down to the vans, if you want,” she said. “I’ve been asked to keep you company today, just to see you’re all right. Did you really come from that far in the future? Shola must be very different.”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t seen anything outside the temple yet,” she said. “It is really strange to see this place when all I know of it are the ruins.”

  A table had been set up for the fragile items. The older members of the community, and the two or three children who seemed to be everywhere at once, were ferrying those down through the tunnels to the vans.

  After a couple of trips, Carrie was beginning to feel tired. Her back ached, and her arms; the small box of paperwork she was carrying seemed suddenly a lot heavier. She really wanted to sit down. She half-turned to Jaisa in the corridor.

  “Can we take a break after this trip? I’m beginning to ache.”

  “No problem,” said Jaisa. “Hey! Watch it!” she yelled as two of the children hared past her.

  The lead one turned to look at her and crashed into Carrie, sending the papers flying everywhere. Staggering backward, Carrie caught hold of the youngster by the arm.

  “Watch out,” she said, then almost fell as his mind touched hers, flaring into a rapport that one so young shouldn’t have been able to achieve.

  Shocked though she was, Carrie had enough presence of mind to grab the cub’s other arm and hold on to him.

  “Kusac! Kaid!” she yelled, pulling the youngling closer till she had her arms wrapped firmly round him.

  “What is it?” asked Jaisa. “Carrie, what is it?”

  Strangely, the cub wasn’t struggling to escape. Instead he reached out to touch her.

  “Pretty,” he said, running his fingers through the blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders.

  “I know … Kaid … Kusac, I need to see them now,” she stammered.

  “Put the cub down and we’ll find them,” Jaisa said, obviously concerned.

  “No. No, I can’t let him go,” said Carrie, picking him up. “You don’t understand …”

  Jaisa took her by the arm and led her the few feet back up to the upper cavern. “I do understand,” she said quietly. “We wanted to see if you would.”

  Carrie was totally confused. “What?” she asked. “What are you talking about?”

  “Just wait,” Jaisa said, steering her over to a table by the kitchen area.

  Kaid and Kusac came across the cavern toward her at a run. As he got closer, Kaid seemed to stagger slightly, then slow down. Seeing it, Kusac was torn between the two of them.

  I’m fine, see to Kaid, Carrie sent.

  He stopped, turning back to his friend, helping him cross the rest of the space between them. Kaid stopped by a table a few feet from them and refused to come closer.

  “What is it, Carrie?” Kusac asked, keeping an eye on Kaid. “Who’s this?”

  “Touch him, Kusac,” she said. “Tell me who he is.”

  Puzzled, Kusac did as she asked.

  The cub was indifferent, preferring to play with Carrie’s hair.

  “He’s familiar, I don’t know how, but that’s all.”

  “It’s Kaid,” she said. “He’s not from our time, Kusac. He’s from here!”

  “What?” Kusac looked from the cub to his friend, now sitting at the table resting his head on his arms.

  “She’s right,” said Jaisa. “This is Rezac’s son. We don’t call him Kaid, though.”

  “You call him Tallinu.”

  Jaisa looked surprised. “You know? He must have remembered that much at least.”

  “No wonder he could bring us here,” said Kusac.

  “That explains his memories, too. Last night he sent to me that the monastery was familiar, he remembered it,” said Carrie.

  “I think you should let him go now,” said Jaisa, reaching out to touch the cub. “Your friend’s suffering too much. It can’t be a pleasant experience being in two bodies at the same time, even worse when you’re in the same room. We’ll try to see Tallinu is kept away from him.”

  “How did he get to the future? Kaid definitely grew up in our time,” said Kusac.

  “We must send him forward,” said Carrie. “He has to go, otherwise we can’t be here to save the telepaths. But how did you know?”

  “Tiernay saw Kaid’s childhood in his mind, just before he nearly passed out. That’s how we knew you were telling us the truth.”

  The cub solved the problem by squirming off her lap. With a flick of his tail, he was off, stopping briefly to look up at Kaid.

  As he left the cavern, Kaid raised his head and looked over toward them.

  “Rezac and Zashou patched up their differences then,” said Carrie.

  Jaisa smiled. “Not really. She couldn’t accept what Rezac was, what he’d been. If it hadn’t been for their Leska link that allowed them to hide nothing from each other, they might have had a chance. The cub isn’t Zashou’s. It’s a child Rezac never knew existed. The Valtegans took them before the lad was sent to us from Stronghold. His mother died of the fever that changed us. Before she did, she gave him to someone to bring to Rezac, not knowing he’d gone. She was some female from Ranz that he knew, someone he visited just before the Valtegans arrived.”

  Carrie got up. “I’ll go to Kaid,” she said to Kusac. “You speak to him later.”

  He nodded, reaching out to touch her face before she left.

  Jaisa watched her go, then looked back to Kusac. “It’s good to know that all Vartra’s tinkering will lead to what you and she share,” she said. “We were Vartra’s control group. The only Leska pair that developed among us was Rezac and Zashou, and they had it rough,” she sighed. “She was just so damned prissy! If it had been me, now,” she grinned up at Kusac. “Before all this, I was training in the warrior skills, but the changed genes put an end to that. Can you still not fight?”

  Kusac pulled up a
chair and sat down. “Until Carrie and I bonded, no, I couldn’t, but our Link changed all that. Tell me, was Tallinu born before or after the virus?”

  “Before. He hasn’t caught it yet. Why?”

  “Because Kaid’s able to fight, and he doesn’t have a Human Leska. He caught the virus in our time, but it only enhanced his abilities, nothing more.”

  “You need to tell Vartra that,” said Jaisa. “The DNA of you three could be crucial to his project. He’s determined to correct the mistakes.”

  “He will,” said Kusac.

  *

  Kaid was beginning to feel better but he didn’t want to move in case the nausea came back. He watched Carrie come over and sit beside him.

  “I used to wonder,” he said, “about the parents I’d never known. Wonder why I’d been abandoned, who to blame.” He raised his head, giving Carrie a very strange Human smile. “Now I know. I also know why I feel about you the way I do. It’s come back, Carrie,” he said. “Everything was founded on these few minutes when I first met you. The dreams of a cub!” He felt empty and alone.

  “Don’t be so damned stupid,” she said, reaching for the hair on the side of his neck and pulling his face closer. “What about you and Garras? The lives of telepaths that would have been lost, what about these people here? Their future depends on a cub of what age, Tallinu? Two, or is it three? Their future is in the hands of the cub you were. Stop being so damned sorry for yourself! Yes, you were a bastard cub, but look what you are now, what you have!”

  Releasing him, she stopped for a moment, searching his face. “So you fell in love with me when you were two. How do you feel about me now you know that? Do you feel different? Cheated because meeting me today meant you carried my image in your mind all these years?”

  He looked beyond her. Kusac had gone, so had Jaisa. With his good hand he reached out and grasped her neck, pulling her closer still so he could kiss her. Lowering his mental barriers, he let his open mind touch hers, sharing what he felt for her.

  His mouth moved, nipping at her cheek and jawline till he reached her throat. “What do you think?” he asked, beginning to lick her till he felt her responding. Do you still want me as your lover now you know who I really am?