"Can you name her birth Sept for me?" Brague once again keyed the interface terminal on his forearm, and a small transparent display shimmered into existence above his arm. Ponar had never seen the like of it before. "Her birth Sept?"
"We did not know, and if she had known, it would have been forbidden to speak the name." Ponar put the empty water glass down but was too nervous to claim any food to eat.
Brague grumbled and rearranged himself on his cushions. He made notes on his screen, and then shut it off. "I'm sure the Matriarchs will know. But now, elucidate further."
"Of course, Sir. Rai had lost her memory before joining our family, and we didn't know when this had happened, or who was at fault. She didn't remember her birth family at all." His anger at the Temples flared within him, suddenly fresh and new. The Durmah had suffered so much at the hands of the Temples. Kait's failing health, Stoi's facial scars, and Rai's amnesia. Now, Ponar had been given up by those same Temples to the Juggernaut, never to see home again. How must his mother, Kait, be dealing with his loss? Ponar hoped the grief would not be her undoing.
"That's fascinating, Ponar. And the Durmah suspected the Temples?"
Ponar shot out of his seat, ready to bolt. Brague held up three hands to reassure his guest. "Please, sit down." Ponar sat, unable to do otherwise. "I'm afraid I have you at a disadvantage. My race is highly skilled at reading subtext and nonverbal communication, which your small human minds cannot comprehend. Your sister, however, surpassed my expectations. She was able to talk to me in my native tongue, which should be impossible for a human. It's not a skill you have, for example. So, why her?"
"I don't know, but she did tell me afterward when we fled the forest, that she'd spoken to you." Of course, he'd thought Rai daft at the time.
Brague made a chittering noise, almost akin to purring, as his front mandibles tapped lightly and quickly together. "I'm glad I picked you, for you are most agreeable to work with. What did the Durmah suspect the Temples of doing to Rai?"
Ponar shrugged but damned if he didn't still hate the Temples. "We were never certain, but we suspected they damaged Rai's memory, somehow gave her amnesia during her temple service."
"Explain this 'temple service.'"
"It's forbidden to speak of it."
Brague leaned forward and bared the sharpened teeth behind his large mandibles. "Ponar, you will speak of all things to me. Let things be civilized between us, yes?"
Ponar nodded, thinking of the damaged creatures he'd seen in the menagerie. Brague was willing to do whatever necessary to get the information he needed, and he had all the time in the world. Ponar was also beginning to suspect the Assessor didn't just read nonverbal cues but could trigger them as well. Just another skill in his formidable arsenal, Ponar suspected.
"When a girl becomes a woman, er, fertile, she goes to the Temple to do her term of service," Ponar explained.
"Ah, an institutionalized breeding program. That's not in your colony charter."
Ponar shrugged. "I haven't read it myself."
"I'm certain you haven't, but it would improve the chances of colony success. Continue."
"The woman stays at the Temple and has as many children as possible. When the Temple deems it's no longer safe for her to have more, she's sent back to her Sept. Of course, the children are sent to the Sept when they're weaned and raised there."
"And her life afterward?"
"Well, depending on how fertile she proved, she will marry high or low, drawing a certain dowry from the man she marries. Sometimes the older children may even be part of the exchange to the man's Sept, it all depends on how close the Septs are."
Brague made a noise much akin to a growl. "And what role do the males play in temple service?"
"We are called to serve, to, um, be with the women. Sometimes once, sometimes many times. It's at the will of the Temples."
Brague stood and paced, and Ponar wondered what to do or say next, but instead kept quiet.
"This also is against your colony charter, but I can deduce why they've done it. No doubt the Temples are breeding every fertile woman with every fertile man for the broadest availability of genetic material and then keeping the traditional colony Sept structure intact. But it's a pure mockery of the charter! All those poor girls treated as breeders. It's a disgrace." He collapsed on the couch, lost in his own thoughts.
Put in those terms, Ponar felt Brague's righteous indignation mirrored his own. "I didn't imagine a Juggernaut could care about mere humans."
The Assessor cast him a grim look. "It's true, I have no fondness for primates. I find your species inferior in virtually all aspects. Additionally, my kind is a matriarchal species. No one treats females as mere chattel. And although this is not my primary concern, it will be dealt with in addition to the other offenses of your people. This I promise you."
Ponar felt sick to his stomach. Did he just manage to make things even worse for Az'Unda?
"Now, back to your sister," Brague continued. "She emerged from her temple service barren, an amnesiac, and in your family's care?"
"Yes. And, before I tell you more, I need to know, what do you plan to do with her when you find her?"
Brague leaned forward, his movement slow and precise. "They told me she'd leaped to her death a few days ago. Did they lie?"
"They did not lie. I watched Rai jump myself." Ponar's breathing was shallow, and he gripped the cushions beneath him like a lifeline.
Brague moved with an alacrity unusual for a creature of his bulk, and for a moment hovered mere inches above a cowering Ponar. "Where is she now?" he whispered, the sound reverberating, crashing through his mind like a thousand knives.
"Will...you...hurt...her?" Ponar cried out, holding his head between his hands as blood poured out his nose.
Brague backed off, and the pain subsided. "If Rai is what I suspect she is, then she will be untouchable to me. Though it is nearly impossible that one such as her she holds the keys. But as I said, there is an investigation to be conducted first. I must find out what she is, and what she knows, definitively."
Ponar rose and walked towards the hulk of the Assessor, wiping the tears from his face as he stood his ground mere inches from the Juggernaut's mandibles. His fears had passed, blown away with the pain. His mind was scrambled, but he trusted in Rai, in whatever she had become.
Ponar could not stop the Juggernaut in their search for Rai. Brague would not yield. Perhaps if he worked with the alien, Ponar could improve things for the rest of the Durmah.
"I met her on the beach this morning as she emerged from the ocean." The Assessor stilled, perhaps due to Ponar's aggressive stance? "She was herself, as before, but also something more. She knows what she is now, and where she's going. If I help you find Rai, will you help me remove the Temples from power?"
The Assessor did his odd grin, revealing his sharp teeth as he pulled back his enormous mandibles. "I could rip it from your mind instead. It would please me greatly."
"Except you wish to change the Temple structure already. I'm not asking for anything you're not already going to do. I'm requesting you promise to make it happen."
The sensation of chimes rolled through Ponar's body as the Assessor drew himself up on his rear legs. Had he pushed the Juggernaut too far, or would the alien, as he suspected, respect his display of willpower? More blood gushed out Ponar's nose, but he made no effort to clean it up, and it sullied the pristine white carpet.
"Kill me, and you'll never know where she went. Not fast enough to stop what she's planning."
The pain stopped, and Brague lowered himself and came nose-to-mandibles with Ponar. "I do not lack that level of control, monkey." He made the twittering noise again that Ponar was beginning to associate with what, laughter? " I will agree to your demands, but only because they suit my own present course of action. Now, before I make things uncomfortable for you again, you said you know where she is going?"
"Yes. I don't have any idea where this is, but Rai
did. She said it's called Sebaiya?"
Brague made his happy purring sound. "I know where that is. You have done well, and I am pleased." He keyed the terminal on his arm and brought up the transparent screen. A moment later, one of his lackeys appeared on it.
"Set a course for the coordinates I'm passing in now. I want to be there by morning. Plan on a small crew to survey the site. I will give more directives at that time."
"It shall be done, Assessor," the on-screen head bowed, and then flickered out.
Ponar listened in awe and frustration. How did this alien know more about Az'Unda than he, a citizen?
Brague laughed. "You reek of irritation. Perhaps because I have access to your original colony records? Yes, I know where your people first landed, which would be the city named Sebaiya. I'm sure there's all sorts of interesting old equipment and things lying about up there, don't you think?"
"You'll take me with you, won't you?" Ponar asked.
"Oh, of course, I will. I'm sure your sister misses you. Doesn't she?"
Ponar paused. "Well, I do want to see her again."
"Oh, she told you not to follow her, did she?" Ponar nodded. "What's the rest of the story? You said she was something more? More than the rest of you, you mere humans?" Ponar nodded again, against his will. "What words did she use, now that she understands herself?" Brague remained close, and his mental hold even closer.
Ponar met his eyes, Brague's black, unreadable eyes. "She used one word, but it meant nothing to me."
"I know many words you do not."
Ponar swallowed. Hard. "Vidaaquar."
Brague didn't move. Didn't breathe.
"I think I said it like she did? But there was more. She could change forms. It wasn't just the word, it was a transformation," Ponar replied.
Everything was so still; Ponar didn't know what to do. He had no idea how to read the Juggernaut, but could he hope Brague would find Rai and ... help her? Or would he destroy them both? Ponar could only hope the Assessor's interest didn't include killing Rai.
Finally, Brague spoke again. "Did she say what she was doing? Did she explain what her plan is?"
"Vidaaquar's planning on wiping out the colony, although I don't know how."
"Then it is good we will rendezvous with her. She will have all of our assistance to complete her mission," Brague replied. He seated himself upon a couch and picked up a fruit and bit into it, appearing quite pleased with himself.
"Wait, what?" Panic speared down Ponar's spine. "We can't let her kill the humans. She's one of them!"
"No, Ponar, she's not. Not anymore. She's something quite extraordinary now, and we will assist her with anything she pleases. Unless I'm wrong, Vidaaquar's a being of great grace, and she will ascend to an eminent position amongst my people. And...I'm rarely wrong. Now, try one of these fruits with the purplish flesh. Trust me, they are quite delicious."
Chapter 23
Matriarch Natre entered the council chambers and steeled herself for the scene before her. The crowd had gathered, as was customary, with the Elders seated in a semi-circle ready to hear their petitions. However today, the assembled masses pressed wall-to-wall, and Natre had to push her way through to reach her appointed seat. From the tenor of the grumblings and the undeniable musk in the air, the crowd teetered on the cusp of turning brawl.
Of course, there had been fights in the streets over the past few weeks, despite the early curfew. If Natre wasn't careful, things would soon degenerate into outright riots. The fear of the Juggernaut was a dominant force. No one yet knew their intentions.
When she took her seat, she motioned Journeywoman Camille close to her ear. "Fetch the Guardians. I fear we'll need them to rout this crowd before the day is through."
The look of shock in Camille's eyes wasn't lost on her. "Matriarch?"
"Go, now. We have others to transcribe." And with that Camille scurried off, never one to disobey orders.
Looking over the crowd, Natre noted the Durmah Sept leaders were in the center, but they hadn't brought a large retinue. However, many of their business associates stood close at hand. Weavers, potters, craftsmen, all Septs they did a fair amount of business with were here to back them up. This was no casual crowd.
"The council is open to hearing the voice of the people," Matriarch Natre intoned, formally opening the daily session. "I see we have a large crowd today, but I trust we can keep things organized, and everyone will have their say. Who would care to present first?" Natre's eyes leveled with Kait Durmah's. She wasn't a gambler.
Kait Durmah stepped forward, flanked by Stoi and Laan, her eldest brothers. Despite her frail appearance and tear strained eyes, she was a powerful woman in Raven's Call. "I demand the return of my son, Ponar."
Natre sighed. "Regretfully, that is not within my power to give."
The crowd stirred, rumblings of discontent filled the air as the acrid scent of tempers rising filled the air. Both Stoi and Laan drilled her with eyes filled with hate. Kait alone retained her decorum.
"Perhaps then you can explain to me, Matriarch, why my son and why the people of Az'Unda, are being given over to the Juggernaut?"
Natre hesitated. How best to release all blame from the Temples, and squarely on the Juggernaut? "During your son and Rai's last trip, they crossed paths with a Juggernaut scouting party and managed to evade them. Now, this might appear to be a positive outcome, but the Juggernaut do not take kindly to losing their prey. They came here for samples of the Az'Undan ecosystem, and our effect upon it. Including human specimens." She let that sink in a moment, hearing a few gasps around the room. "Rai, for reasons I do not comprehend, took her own life, and that put us in a precarious position with the Juggernaut ambassadors. However, they assured us if we turned over Ponar then they would consider no further retribution upon our people."
Kait was stunned into silence. Instead, Stoi spoke up. "You're blaming Ponar for all of this?"
"No, do not take my words in this light, Sir Durmah. He is an unfortunate who crossed paths with the Juggernaut. But we Matriarchs were unwilling to risk the entire population of the planet for one life, dear as he is to your family. We do understand your loss."
"You understand?" Stoi roared, his face flushed with anger, hands gripped into fists at his sides. Laan mirrored his posture. "You cannot begin to understand our pain at the loss of two cherished Septmates. How soon, and in what condition, will Ponar be returned to us?"
The tension in the crowd was palpable to Natre, at the moment Camille returned with a handful of Guardians. The Guardians stealthily circled the room, while Camille worked her way back to Natre's side through the crowd.
"Sir Durmah, the Matriarchs do not presume to give orders to the Juggernaut."
Kait broke into tears, hiding her face in her hands. This undid her brothers and unsettled the crowd.
"So, they are to keep him?" Laan asked, his emotion-laden voice a mere whisper, yet it carried throughout the crowd. "Indefinitely?"
"We can hope for his eventual return, once the Juggernaut's curiosity is satisfied. However, no statements or promises were made on their part to this effect," Natre explained, well aware this information would only inflame their tempers. Stoi glared at Natre in pure contempt. There was no question where Sept Durmah and the Temple stood now. If she couldn't pacify the Durmah, they might feed the insurgency against the Temples. The last thing Natre needed right now was another crisis. She'd chosen an awful time to step into the role of Matriarch.
"And if they want more? How many of us will you give?" asked Allen Carle of the Potters Sept. "How much of our blood will you spill to appease them?"
Matriarch Natre rose from her chair, and she noticed the Guardians all stood at the ready. "Fellow citizens, these are the Juggernaut. We don't yet know their reasons for being here, but I believe they seek to know if we have caused damage to this planet. It's a routine check the Hegemony does of new colonies." This was a possibility and the least potential threat. This story would k
eep rioting to a minimum.
"The Matriarchs have agreed to do whatever necessary to appease the Juggernaut." The crowd grumbled, irate. "To do any less will earn their wrath, and perhaps get us wiped off the planet. So be angry if you must, but yes, I will hand over as many citizens as they require until they leave our space. Because until that time, we are all at risk. And the sooner they leave, the better for all Az'un."
The crowd quieted, like a lull in a storm as her words hit home, and they pondered their fear of the aliens. Had she done it? Calmed some sense through the enraged beast? But no, she felt the emotional tide shift before the first hateful words rang out.
"KILLER!" someone from the back yelled out, inciting a series of similar epithets. Then she felt before she saw the Guardians shift into gear, hearing the whistle of tranquilizer darts thud into the soft skin with her enhanced hearing.
Natre and the Elders were escorted out of the chambers by Camille and a pair of Guardians, while the assembled crowd continued to scream. Let them wail and moan. Her arguments would sink in, and her words would spread. Many would fear the Juggernaut. That couldn't be helped. But her words would hold weight; hopefully enough to maintain a semblance of order through the next few days or weeks. Natre wracked her mind; what could she have done differently? Although she regretted handing over Ponar to the Juggernaut, it was the least bad option. She'd prepared for the worst while hoping for the best. Not that the Durmah would agree with her.
If they were lucky, the Juggernaut would have satisfied their curiosity with Ponar and moved on. Perhaps Ponar would even be returned, if he'd cooperated and been of enough use to the Assessor. If they weren't so lucky, no one would have a care in this, or any world to speak of.
Chapter 24
Graeber led his horse through the abandoned city with care, unsure if any of the Core had beaten them there. The scans showed nothing, but it was possible he was being jammed too.
Dreams Manifest (The Depths of Memory Book 2) Page 18
