Governor Medlava flinched. If the older woman had been expecting anything, Branwen didn’t believe it was this. “What? How… do you mean, that something has happened to Tiala?” The familiar way she said Kala Tiala’s name while attempting to put the pieces of her shattered composure back together told Branwen that she was either shocked, or the best actress she’d ever seen. And also, that she knew Tiala and seemed to care for her, if the concern tightening the corners of her dark, red-rimmed eyes was any indication. “How could that be? I just saw her… three or four weeks ago.”
“That is something we were hoping you could help us with.” Sirrah had requested that Branwen not reveal any of the issues the Kalaset had encountered in communication or in locating Tiala if she could help it. “When Kala Tiala visited you, it was one of the last times anyone saw her. Anything you know about where she was going, what she intended, precisely when she was here, or what might have happened to her would be very helpful right now.”
She didn’t know if what she said infringed on Kala Sirrah’s request, but her gut instinct was to go with it. There was only so much restriction she could abide by and still unearth any answers. Besides, from the fallen expression on Medlava’s face, she wasn’t deeply analyzing Branwen’s statements at the moment. “Of course,” She said after a moment, clutching a hand in her lap and meeting Branwen’s eyes. “Anything I can do to help Tiala, and the Kalaset, I would be happy to do.”
“Kala Tiala came to see me as part of a tour she was doing of her oldest and closest clients before her impending retirement, or so she had told me.” Forona knitted her hands together and set them on her desk as she continued, letting out a heavy breath and restoring a measure of her composure. “Unfortunately, I, of course, do not know who else she might have been intending to visit—at least not for sure.”
“Kalaset confidentiality. I understand.” Branwen nodded as if she was completely familiar with what she was talking about. “Do you know of a Jori Stone or Oran Yustari? We believe she may have been intending to visit them while she was here, as well.”
Governor Medlava’s face crinkled a little bit at the first name, and more at the second. “Yes, I know them. I’m actually surprised that Tiala would visit either of them.”
“Why so, Governor?”
Medlava eyed her for a moment, and Branwen kept her expressions as calm and flat as she could. “Well, Jori Stone may not be so bad, but off the record, there’s something about him that has always bothered me. Oran, however, is a pig, and you can tell him that for all I care.” The Governor leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. “But if Tiala were last seen here, Oran Yustari lives in Odesa. That’s two cities away by undertrain. Unless he had something to do with it, he probably doesn't know anything helpful.” Governor Medlava raised a curious eyebrow towards Branwen, as if asking her opinion on it.
“I am afraid I do not yet know enough to comment on what may have happened,” Branwen said, as diplomatically as she could. She felt rusty at it, and halfway wished she could have remained so. “But rest assured, we will find Kala Tiala.” She meant it, and Medlava appeared to pick up on that fact, the severe, middle aged politician nodding firmly and fiercely at her.
“If there is anything else you think of, or if we need some sort of assistance you might could grant, may we stay in contact?” It was worth a shot; Branwen felt it likely that they might end up needing the help before this was all over.
“Of course.” Her response was immediate, and she flicked information from her desk to Branwen’s datapad. Branwen barely managed to keep from starting as it suddenly vibrated inside her hip pouch of its own accord when the data arrived.
“Thank you, Governor Medlava. We will be in touch as we discover more, then. And thank you. We won’t take up any more of your valuable time.” Medlava nodded, thanked them in return, and they left without further preamble.
Once safely out of the building, Merlo finally spoke up again, albeit in hushed tones. “So, what? Do you think she had anything to do with it? She sure didn’t tell us much.”
Branwen was already shaking her head in response to the expected question. “No. I would wager much that she had nothing to do with this.” And I am, she added mentally, but kept it to herself. “We know much more now than we did when we started out.”
“What about those other guys, huh? Especially that Oran guy. She didn’t seem to think much of them.”
Branwen nodded, though she knew that Governor Medlava’s opinion wouldn’t count for much, not until they knew more. “We will soon find out. Our next appointment is with Jori Stone.”
14.5- Merlo
Merlo accompanied Branwen to their meeting with Jori Stone, an appointment located on the opposite side of Kharvid. As they travelled the length of the large city together, Merlo was surprised by how much Branwen seemed in awe of the scenery, and of how thoroughly she personally hated it. She knew that a place like Kharvid was unlike anything she’d ever seen before, and she should probably view it as an adventure, but somehow the city just unsettled her instead.
So far she’d had a couple of vaguely uncomfortable hours of waiting during their trip to think it over, and the only reasonable explanation she could think of was that she felt enclosed, cut off from the freedom of the sky and space. But then again, she never felt this way while shut up and enveloped in a ship or a space station, or inside a building. She wondered if this was how Branwen had felt when she first came to space, and if she ever felt that way still.
Her mind wandered a myriad of topics while her Captain stared out the window, pointing at every interesting thing they passed like a teenaged tourist. Ever since Branwen had brought up Merlo’s lack of education, she’d seen more and more evidence of it in her everyday life. She didn’t feel embarrassed, exactly, but damn, how had she never noticed this before?
She knew she couldn’t tell anyone who asked what half the things she saw out the window were, and not just because they were some weird alien plant or something. She even knew most of the names of things, but not what they were. The more she analyzed it, the stranger it felt. She didn’t even know why those huge stone teeth hung everywhere from the roof of the cavern. Did people make them, or were they natural, and why did most of them have a little one rising from the cold stone floor to meet it? But she knew what to call them: stalactites.
She tried not thinking about it, since that was what she usually did, but she wasn’t having as much success as usual. She supposed what really bugged her was what her discussion with Branwen highlighted: she might not know what a stalactite was or why wheeled transports were more efficient than anti grav outside of cities, but she knew the formulas for atmospheric deferential and how to calculate a slipjump so well, it was almost an instinct.
Branwen thumped her on the shoulder, and she jumped, realizing that they’d come to a stop. “Hey, sorry. This it?” She asked, trying to catch her bearings.
Her Captain nodded her head. “According to Mr. Leonard, this is where Stone’s business is located, and it is where he agreed to meet us.” Branwen slid her door upward and stepped out.
There was no one to bother them for a tip this time, since the Captain had made a point of finding one of the auto-driving transports for every trip after the first. Merlo didn’t mind. She was quickly getting tired of all the Urzrans attempting to small talk her to death, and didn’t get why it was just her; they hardly bothered the Captain at all, except for the occasional paranoid glance.
They found themselves in front of a multi-story building, this one seeming much more, well, ordinary than most of Kharvid’s structures. It was a tall, rectangular prism of a building, with plenty of glass or glasteel windows and no real adornment. Save for the dark stone it was built from, which was the exact same construction material as pretty much everything else she saw, it might have almost looked at home on Altair or one of the many other developed worlds.
That fact made it easy to find their way around; maybe that was the
point. They went inside, saw the front desk receptionist, got on an elevator, and found themselves on one of the top floors awaiting their appointment with Mr. Stone. Merlo had just settled into one of the lobby’s stiff-backed chairs for another long wait, thinking of what kind of conversation to strike up with Branwen, when the door opened and they were invited in. They were early, but it seemed Mr. Stone didn’t like to keep people waiting. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.
He turned out to be a tall man, for an Urzran anyway, and also thinner than typical for his homeworld. Maybe he had some mixed blood or something in there, though Merlo had no way to know. His skin had the typical darker undertone that was the Urzran standard, with short, neatly trimmed black hair and dark brown eyes that looked almost black in the dim of his office. He was well dressed, with a long, black suit coat that came to his knees. The coat was trimmed with a thin line of rich burgundy that matched the small silken cloth in his front coat pocket.
He seated himself across from them at a table, much like Governor Medlava had, gesturing meanwhile for them to sit if they desired, though Branwen made no move to do so. “Greetings, Captain Branwen. I understand through my secretary that you are here on a matter of import, so let’s not waste each others’ time. You value yours as much as I do mine, I’m sure.” He didn’t seem unfriendly, exactly, just businesslike. His smile, though, was one of those that seemed genuine enough, but it didn’t touch the eyes; even Merlo noticed the disconnect.
Merlo found she didn’t like the expression in his eyes.
She was glad she didn’t have to do all of this talking to people and discerning their motives. Maybe Prisoner 286 was rubbing off on her a little, but she had been hoping things would have been a little more exciting than standing around in offices and sitting in waiting rooms. Still, it was only partway through the first day, so there was still hope.
“We are here on behalf of the Kalaset.” Branwen stepped forward as she had done before, and Merlo was glad to have any scrutiny taken off of her. She was thoroughly content to stand back and watch from behind the Captain.
Jori tilted his head at the Captain’s declaration. “Then, I am confused, Captain. I can’t imagine my business ventures would be of any interest to the Kalaset. Perhaps you could enlighten me further?” His face was calm, an unreadable mask to Merlo. But then, the Governor’s had been as well, until near the end.
Branwen paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate. “We are investigating the whereabouts of Kala Tiala, who has been reported missing, and we believe you may have seen her most recently.” Merlo watched Branwen’s eyes bore into Mr. Stone’s face as she stepped over and handed him one of her datapads, already prepared with Sirrah’s insignia-thing visible on it.
She wondered why Branwen chose a somewhat more confrontational approach with him than she had with the Governor, but she shrugged mentally to herself, figuring the Captain knew best. She kept her eyes on Stone’s face, for all the good her abilities of deduction would do them, and otherwise just kept her eyes and ears open for any other sign of trouble.
Stone took the pad from Branwen and glanced at it for a moment, nowhere near the long several seconds of study Forona Medlava had taken to scrutinize it. “I’m afraid I don’t know a Kala by that name, Captain, and therefore I’m not sure if I can help you. Are you sure that it was myself who was supposed to have seen her?”
Instead of immediately answering, Branwen took her datapad from him, then tapped it a few times and handed it back. “This is what she looks like. Are you certain that you do not know her?”
Stone seemed to study it for several long seconds, nearly a half minute, while stroking his chin thoughtfully. Then he shook his head. “This whole situation seems like a misunderstanding, Captain.” He offered the pad back to Branwen.
Branwen nodded as she leaned across the desk and retrieved her datapad, tucking it away. “We have information describing you as one of her clients, and we know that she was on Urzra visiting old clients. You name was therefore mentioned as a possible stop on her journey while here.”
Jori Stone sighed. “I hate to disappoint you, Captain, but if I were a client of the Kala’s, it was likely long ago. Perhaps I should not share this fact, but I hire many of the Kalaset. Perhaps the one you seek was simply… not one of the ones who stood out.”
That was the first indication Merlo picked up that anything might be amiss here. His face didn’t give anything away to her, but weren’t all of the Kalaset supposed to to be unforgettable, or something? Then again, this guy was apparently rich enough to have hired quite a few of them, so maybe those standards worked differently for the exorbitantly wealthy.
Branwen, however, just nodded to him again as if it made complete sense. “Understandable, Mr. Stone. Unfortunately, this means you cannot assist us in locating her, then.”
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not, as much as I would gladly help the Kalaset, I didn’t even know she was on Urzra. If she is indeed missing, I simply wouldn’t know where to start.” He frowned, seeming to think for a moment. “But, if you find I can be of some assistance, please, contact me again, and I will make time for it.”
“Of course, Mr. Stone. And we appreciate your offer.”
He nodded, donning his false smile once again like an ill-fitting costume. Merlo could see why Governor Medlava found him unsettling. If she had to be smiled at like that all the time, she’d start punching people. And good luck smiling at her after that.
Meanwhile, Stone rose from his seat, his oily smile taking on a veneer of graciousness. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another meeting very soon, and unfortunately must prepare for it.” He gestured towards the door, which opened for them on its own, folding outward.
Branwen nodded to Merlo, and they began to move toward the door. “Of course. Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Stone.” He came around his desk, seeing them out.
As Merlo stepped into the threshold, she paused, seeing Stone catch Branwen’s arm and stop her. She stepped back, getting close enough to hear him speak. “One more thing, Captain.” Branwen nodded to him, and leaned in and down to hear him better. “If someone as well known as a member of the Kalaset has disappeared, assuming it wasn’t merely some freak accident, I would be very careful.”
Merlo noticed Branwen’s eyes narrow, ever so slightly, but right now Branwen was as hard to read as Stone was. It was freaky. “Oh?” The Captain replied.
“Indeed. Anyone on Urzra with that kind of power wouldn’t be someone to be taken lightly. And if someone did make her disappear? They likely wouldn’t keep her around long. In fact, it might already be too late.” He released his grip on Branwen’s arm, easing back from her again. “Good luck, Captain. I imagine you’re going to need it.”
14.6- Sirrah
“I don’t like the sound of it, Captain.” Sirrah said calmly. Once more, they met in the Destiny’s dining area, and this time more than ever before, her insides roiled and knotted with the force of the anxiety that she couldn’t show. “But since I could not be there, I will defer to your opinion, of course.”
Beside her she felt Prisoner 286 shift. In her mind’s eye, she could almost feel the woman rolling her eyes. “You were the one that chose not to go.” the Prisoner commented dryly.
“I know that, 286.” She would have given anything to have gone, but she was literally tethered to 286. If the Prisoner got too far away, the collar would detonate on its own, a fact no one here but Sirrah knew yet. And the range of wireless connections was more limited on Urzra than in many places, due to the periodic interference of its star. And that was perhaps secondary to the fact that she wasn’t completely sure that 286 wouldn’t attempt to do something, like hijack the Destiny, if left to her own devices. Finally, she worried that her appearance in public would be certain to cause a stir that would easily make it back to any kidnappers.
Zimi cleared her throat hesitantly. “So how do we know he ain’t involved? He sounds mighty suspicious to me. Who forgets a K
ala?” She sounded incredulous.
Branwen frowned, and opened her mouth to speak, but Sirrah chose to interrupt her, shining an appreciative smile toward Zimi as she did so. “She has a point, Captain. I know you’re not as familiar with our practices, but we train our whole lives to make sure that anyone who contracts us finds us unforgettable, among other things. What Jori Stone said simply isn’t reasonable.”
Branwen started to open her mouth, but closed it again as Prisoner 286 interrupted her too. “What if she just sucked? Or maybe they didn’t like each other, or something.”
Sirrah couldn’t let that one slide, even though she fully suspected it was just another jab of 286’s. “Tiala was my mentor, and an excellent Kala. There is no way he would find her ‘forgettable.’ It is not possible.” Try as she might, she knew she sounded the slightest bit defensive, and she turned her head to find 286 grinning at her.
“Regardless,” Branwen spoke again, likely trying to ground the conversation once more, “We have no real evidence incriminating Jori Stone of anything. We would have to investigate him further in some manner. Mr. Leonard, did you discover anything while we were gone?”
The young man sighed, fidgeting absently and nervously. “Not as much as I’d like, Captain.” He looked down at his datapad, and Sirrah could see information scrolling past on it rapidly. “Urzran record keeping is what I would refer to as sub par, likely by anyone’s standards. Private companies and organizations hold a majority of that information confidential on Urzra, in the areas that are regularly documented at all.”
Mr. Leonard swept some of his feathery blond hair from his eyes, and paused the scrolling feed on his small metallic datapad. “There are a couple of things I found, though. She did visit and leave Governor Medlava’s estate within a couple of days of her arrival, taking a private transport away from the area.”
Destiny Abounds (Starlight Saga Book 1) Page 29
