fortuneswheel

by Lisanne Norman

  Curious, she let herself be drawn toward the lights. Who was it that could touch her subconscious mind? The torches flared again as she drew nearer. Blinking, she tried to peer beyond the glow, straining to make out the details of the seated figure beyond.

  With her still new night-sight, she saw the being begin to rise sinuously to its feet, its movement bringing the smell of incense drifting toward her nostrils.

  She wasn’t afraid, she realized. Whoever or whatever was coming toward her intended no harm. There was a presence, but she couldn’t feel the mind: there was no sense of identity, no ongoing stream of conscious thought.

  Puzzled, she waited as the figure continued to approach. It stopped between the braziers of fire. The flickering flames picked out a feature here and there— the ears pricked toward her, the nose with the bifurcated mouth below it, a suggestion of high cheekbones— before dying down, once more leaving him anonymous in the gloom.

  “You are one, now,” said a voice, its tone low, the Sholan strangely accented. “Is it well between you, or do you regret your bond?”

  She hesitated before replying. “It’s well. I regret nothing. But who are you?”

  The voice continued, ignoring her question. “So many lives changed, so many lost.” The voice was a whisper as the reflection of the flames briefly highlighted a face, leaving deep shadows where its eyes should be. “It is good to find the few who are happy from the first. Often the price you have paid for your Talent has been too high.”

  The voice died to nothing as the figure faded back into the shadows.

  “Wait!” She stepped forward, the braziers behind her now, but the presence had gone leaving only a dark form sitting on the ground, the glint of metal by its feet.

  The gray mist returned, roiling turbulently around her feet, spreading rapidly upwards, blanking out everything.

  “Wait!” she cried, arms reaching out to grasp… nothing.

  “Where are you?” she cried frantically, looking round the darkened room, terror now beginning to creep into her soul.

  A groan from beside her, a sudden movement in the dark as a hand damp with sweat grasped her bare arm, claws pricking her in his urgency to reassure.

  “I’m here,” said a voice groggy with sleep.

  “I can’t see you… I can’t see anything!” she said, turning her head blindly from side to side.

  The light came on, its brightness making her cover her eyes.

  Strong arms pulled her close, the familiar feel and smell of his damp fur calming her instantly.

  I’m here, cub, he sent, pushing aside his own nightmare to reassure her through their link. Open your eyes, you’ll see me now.

  She peered through half-open fingers, letting her hands fall away as she saw his face, brows creased and ears flicking in concern.

  Images jostled in her mind for attention. “Where were you?” Her voice held a residue of panic.

  “I was here,” he said as she clutched his arms for the physical reassurance she needed.

  “I couldn’t see you through the mist.” She was confused, unable to sort between the images. “There were flames, incense…”

  “A dark figure beyond them…” he said, smelling her fear mingling with his own.

  “Yes!” she said, turning to him eagerly, “talking about our Link! You saw him, too?”

  He shook his head, sensing what she had seen. “My vision was different. I saw only a shadowy figure who asked if I was content, nothing more.”

  “Who was it, Kusac?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure… I had a friend— Ghyan. He was like a brother to me. He left here for the temple. Perhaps he’s still there. Maybe he can tell us.”

  A shiver ran the length of his body, making his hackles and hair rise. Consciously he tried to relax the muscles, lay his fur flat. He tried to ignore the small voice from his upbringing that still believed in superstition.

  Carrie picked it up though. “Vartra? But Gods aren’t real, they don’t appear to people, do they?” When he remained silent, she gave him a shake.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never believed so.” His tone was unsure despite his words. “Likely it was a dream we both shared.”

  Carrie made a noise of disbelief. “You don’t really believe that. You can’t, since we each experienced something different.”

  “I don’t know what I believe,” he said. Their dream, vision, whatever it had been, had disturbed him more than he was prepared to admit. He bent his head toward her, licking her cheek. She tasted of salt and sweat.

  Reaching up, she stroked his face. His head turned to follow her hand, his tongue licking her palm. Amber eyes looked up at her, an opalescence beginning to gather in their depths.

  The need for her to understand the dream was fading, being replaced with more urgent matters for both of them. Besides, thinking seriously about anything during this time was difficult. It was better left till tomorrow evening.

  “It’s not just your eyes that glow at this time, cub, it’s all of you,” he said, his voice a deep purr as he held her closer and stretched out for the light sensor.

  She could feel his warmth against her body, his hands touching her, but she could see nothing. Moving back, she said in a small voice, “Kusac, please put the light on. Your fur’s so dark that I can’t see you.”

  He couldn’t hide the shock that swept through him. This was totally unexpected, something that had never happened to him before, and a harsh reminder that she wasn’t Sholan. His other senses, so much sharper than hers, told him she was there without the need of sight. For Sholans, darkness often enhanced their lovemaking.

  “There’s no light in the room,” she said quietly, sharing his shock as he moved to put the light on again. “I don’t need it bright, just… not dark.”

  He dimmed it to the faintest glow before turning back to her. Were it not for the demands of their Link, the mood would have been broken for him. Though he pushed the incident aside in his mind, it had hurt.

  She held him close, her mouth and hands soothing the pain away till he remembered only the magic they shared.

  *

  Vanna’s aircar dropped her in the courtyard of the Guild House.

  “Go in the main doors and turn left,” the pilot had told her. “The office is down there. They’ll show you to the medical center.”

  She slung her large kit bag over her shoulder and climbed the shallow steps up to the entrance. Through the open doors she could see the large refectory, empty at this time of day. She padded down the left-hand corridor, coming to the office.

  The secretary looked up as she entered. A frown crossed her face. “You’re a day early. We’re only testing the children today. Tomorrow’s the day for the adults,” she said, “and I’m afraid we don’t have the facilities to put you up. You’ll have to go to the Accommodation Guild on the outskirts of the town.”

  “I’m not here for the testing. I’m Vanna Kyjishi, personal physician to Liegen Aldatan and his Leska. I’m going to be working here in the medical center with your physicians.”

  A surprised look crossed the secretary’s face. “My apologies, Physician Kyjishi,” she said, after consulting her diary. “We are expecting you. If you care to leave your bag here, we’ll have the porter take it over to your rooms at the guest house. Meanwhile, if you continue down this corridor you’ll come to the door leading to our new wing. That’s where the medical center is.”

  “Thank you,” said Vanna, “but I prefer to settle into my room first.”

  “In that case, I’ll call the porter now,” she said, pressing a button to summon him.

  *

  Her room reminded her of the one she had lived in at the Medical Guild when last on leave. Leaning forward, she pressed the bed, testing it for softness. She sighed with relief. It wasn’t one of the biscuit-mattress types given to the students! This one was fully as comfortable as her bed on the Khalossa had been.

  Her most important crea
ture comfort assured, she looked round the rest of the room. The walls were a neutral beige color with the carpet and other furnishings in a contrasting dark brown. Opposite the bed a large window overlooked the rear grounds. Sunlight streamed in, accompanied by a gentle breeze bearing the scent of the blossoms on the trees and bushes below.

  A desk and chair to the left of the bed formed her work station, and set into the wall to her right was a small screen— the entertainment center.

  Vanna reached for the fastening on her bag and began to unpack. The standard wardrobe and drawers were set into the walls, and within a few minutes she had stowed away her clothes.

  She surveyed her meager selection, wondering what she should wear. Though still attached to the Forces, there was no need for her to remain in uniform. Taking the easy option, she reached for her blue Medic Guild tunic and began to change. After her time on the Khalossa, it didn’t seem like the uniform it had been before she joined up.

  Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, she stretched from fingertips to tail. She’d only been on Shola for two days and already she was beginning to relax. It was amazing the effect her home world had on her. Limitless space to spread out in, unlike the Khalossa, and air that was fresh and didn’t smell of chemical cleansers from the recycling plant! Though she wasn’t claustrophobic, sometimes even she needed to feel the earth between her toes and the sun on her back-Gods forbid it, but she had even found herself hankering after the rain!

  Going over to the window, she leaned out, looking down at the grounds below. The grassland stretched for several kilometers before it gradually turned into woodland. Longingly she looked at it. What she needed was a good run, perhaps even a little hunting. She sighed, wondering if as a guest of the Telepath Guild she qualified for using their leisure facilities.

  A gentle buzz drew her attention back into the room. She left the window reluctantly and approached the desk. One of the keys in the keypad set into the surface glowed red, showing that there was a message for her. Activating the monitor key, she waited for the screen to rise from its recess. As it tilted up into a vertical position, the monitor came to life with the logo of the Telepath Guild.

  Pulling the chair out, Vanna sat down and began to use the now exposed keyboard. At her command, the logo was replaced with a page of script and diagrams. A soothing voice began to recite the text to her. With a grimace, Vanna hit the volume control and proceeded to read it. She loathed the unctuous voices of the public announcers.

  The file gave her a basic tour around the facilities in the guest house, and informed her which areas of the Guild House and grounds she was authorized to use. Wonder of wonders, the grounds were available for the use of guests provided they checked in with the office first. This was so the younger students could be warned to be on their best behavior because of the presence of nontelepaths in unshielded areas.

  The guest house had a communal lounge area with a large public entertainment screen catering to several different forms of leisure— music, storyteller theater, interactive games, news— all the usual things. There was also a communal kitchen with a food dispenser boasting a menu as extensive as those she’d seen in the ambassadorial quarters on the Khalossa. Or, if she chose, she could cook her own food.

  The showers and bathing rooms were communal, too. She frowned a little; she’d gotten used her privacy when offplanet and it wouldn’t be easy to recondition herself to the gregarious life that the planet-bound Sholans still lived.

  The diagrammatic tour over, the screen reverted to the Guild logo again. In the bottom left corner, a blinking message light demanded her attention.

  Keying in the replay, she waited. The screen cleared to reform with the image of Garras.

  “I’d hoped to speak to you in person,” he said, “but it seems I’ve miscalculated your arrival time at the guild. They’ve assured me this will be recorded for you to see when you do arrive.” He stopped, looking to one side of the screen before continuing.

  “I’m transmitting that medical data you wanted. The labs finished the tests you were running for Kaid yesterday. You know how long it can take for the authorities to process things, so I collected it for you since I knew it was urgent. I’ll try contacting you again in another couple of days.” His ears flicked briefly in acknowledgment before the screen blanked and the printer began to hum gently.

  Confused, Vanna watched the printer disgorge its text. The words “for Kaid,” and “urgent” rang in her ears. What was happening on the Khalossa that necessitated Garras contacting Kaid? Perhaps she’d be able to tell from the printout.

  She took the first page, scanning it quickly for any clues as to Garras’ cryptic message. It was only the results of her latest test on human and Sholan pheromones, showing a marked similarity as she had suspected. Certainly enough to account for the attraction between their species.

  The second page was merely a report on Kaid’s injuries after the scouter crash, and a record of the treatment he’d received plus his response to it. It was all standard stuff, nothing out of the ordinary at all. If there was a message for Kaid in there, then it was cunningly hidden. Probably some code Kaid and Garras had learned at their guild. The best thing she could do was to contact the office and find out where Kaid was so she could pass on this document to him without further delay. If she needed to know more, she trusted either Garras or he would tell her. Her mind made up, she buzzed the office.

  *

  It was evening, and with the approaching night, much of their Link’s compulsion was fading. Kusac left Carrie sleeping and padded quietly through to the kitchen. He reached for the c’shar, then hesitated and picked up the container of coffee instead.

  Heading back to the lounge with his drink, he sat down at the comm unit. The message light was blinking. Not surprising when their public life had been on hold for the last twenty-six hours. He keyed the comm to print the messages.

  The first item was a report on the state of the treaty talks. It started with the fact that Shola had requested that Earth send them a selection of people with Talents similar to Carie’s, including telepathy. They also wanted any information hey had on how these Talents were tested or measured.

  He’d been sitting there reading the same paragraph for several minutes before he realized that with his still-enhanced senses he was picking up something that was disturbing him. He frowned. Their quarters were well shielded, is much to protect those outside as to form a barrier for hem. What could manage to penetrate that protection?

  He’d just gotten to his feet when the comm buzzer sounded. Sitting down again, he responded to the call. The screen flicked on to show the image of a very harassed female in the office.

  “Liegen, I’m sorry to disturb you at this time, but I’m afraid we have a problem that only you can resolve.”

  In the background he could hear raised voices.

  “How can I help?” he asked.

  “It’s Rala Vailkoi. She’s here and demanding to see you. We’ve explained the circumstances, but… I’m afraid it only made her more determined. Could you please come down here and speak to her? She’s broadcasting her anger in every direction and refuses to enter one of the shielded interview rooms. It need only be for a minute or two. I’m sure that as it’s toward the end of your day your state won’t affect her.”

  “I’m leaving now,” he said tersely before switching the comm off and reaching for his uniform jacket.

  Shrugging his arms into it, he had it sealed and was buckling the belt as he opened the door, almost colliding with Kaid in the corridor outside.

  “You know what’s happening?” he asked.

  Kaid nodded.

  “See she doesn’t leave our apartment or use the comm.”

  “I’ll make sure she doesn’t get involved in this,” Kaid said as he stepped past him into the lounge.

  Kusac headed down the corridor at a lope, the full measure of Rala’s temper, augmented by his sensitivity, reaching him now. He strengthened h
is shield hastily. Minutes later he was at the office where the staff were still trying to persuade Rala to calm down and to enter one of the interview rooms to wait for him.

  Hearing the door open, the young female ceased shouting at the on-duty Guild Mother and pulled herself free of the porter to turn round.

  “I told you he’d come when he knew it was me!” she said triumphantly. Then, with a croon of pleasure, she skipped over to him, her hands sliding across his upper arms as she held herself close to him and pressed her cheek against his.

  He submitted to the gesture, then moved away from he light grasp, taking her by the elbow and steering her toward the door.

  “My apologies for her behavior,” he said to the Guild Mother, his tone short and clipped. “You have my word this will not happen again.”

  He hardly heard the polite murmurs saying he was not to blame as he escorted Rala out into the hallway then down the corridor.

  She went willingly, trying to wind her arm possessively around his waist as he stopped outside the nearest empty room. He opened the door and stepped inside, waiting for her to follow. Her arm fell from about him and she hesitated at the door.

  Kusac gave a low growl and grasped her arm again, claws just pricking her flesh. He pulled her inside and shut the door.

  “Do you really want witnesses to our conversation, Rala?” he asked.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said, trying to tug her arm free. “You’re hurting me. Why are you being so unpleasant?” she asked, her tone becoming petulant. “I thought after a year apart you’d be glad to see me.”

  Kusac let her go and stepped back to lean against the door. He regarded her dispassionately. “Why did you come? Have you any idea of how much you have embarrassed both me and your family by your actions tonight?” he demanded. “As for your temper tantrum, you’ve managed to make your mood known to just about every inhabitant of the guild! If you haven’t upset the cubs and caused them to have nightmares, then it’s pure luck!”

  “I wasn’t upset till they wouldn’t let me see you,” she said, touching her hand to his forearm. “Imagine it! Trying to keep me, your betrothed, away from you just because you were with that female.” She moved closer, leaning against him so one leg came free of her robe and pressed against his.