"But he can't hear you."
"Weird, huh?" He yawned again, stretching both arms over his head.
"Not at all. No one can hear a plenos."
He froze, arms up. He lowered them in slow motion and wrapped them around himself. "A what now?"
"A plenos. In ancient proto-languages, it meant ample or full. It became amplify. In Naro, the Ultra language, it means to amplify or enhance psy-powers. Or, in this case, a person who can do that."
Six cast a look behind him, back at her. He pointed to himself. "Me? I amplify telepathy?"
"Yes. A plenos amplifies abilities in one person--his lemma--to a great degree, and to a lesser degree, the abilities of others."
"Some kind of telepathy booster."
"I suppose that's one way of seeing it, but you boost other psy-powers too. Clairvoyance, apparitions, extra sensory perception."
"I don't have ESP."
"True, but you enhance it in others."
"Don't say that. That's not true."
"I'm afraid it is."
"No, it isn't!" He leaped to his feet and headed away from her.
"Who was it, Six?"
The ghost stopped, and without turning back, swore in Spanish.
"Six." Joss leaned one hand on the stone beside her. "Whom did you frighten? Was it when you were a child?"
"No one. I didn't scare anybody. Don't know what you're talking about." He stood there, silent. After a moment, he turned toward her. "Look, it wasn't my fault! I was a baby. How was I supposed to control anything?"
She motioned to the place where he'd been sitting. "Why don't you sit down and tell me about it."
Six stared at her but then perched on a rock, feet tucked up close, arms around his knees, face hidden.
How frustrating not to know what bothered him. Was this what human counselors faced? How could they help someone without knowing the problem? She called on all her patience and waited for him to say the first word.
"I've never told anybody about this. I don't want it broadcast."
"I'm good with secrets."
Though he didn't speak, she felt him take her measure. "My birth mother."
"You frightened her?"
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"I didn't know until shortly before I became a ghost. I'd gone home for good-byes. I knew if I died they'd tell my family I was missing in action. I'd never see them again, so I went. My birth mother was there."
"I see."
"She told me why she'd abandoned me as a baby. The real reason." In the firelight, his eyes blazed with pain.
"Go on. What did she say?"
"After I was born, every time she held me, she could see ghosts."
"Spirits?"
He bit his lip, nodding.
"And that frightened her."
"Wouldn't it scare you?"
"I imagine it would. She said that's why she didn't stay?"
Six swallowed. "She called my abuela to come get me. Left. Never came back."
"Oh, Six!" Hands pressed together, Joss brought them to her lips. "I'm sorry."
He kept his head down, not looking at her. "Said she came to see me because she wanted to know if I was still cursed."
The ignorance of humans! "What did you say?"
"Told her what she could do to herself." He cracked a smile. "She jerked back and went all who-do-you-think-you-are righteous on me. I told her she gave up the right to judge me the day she put her newborn baby down on the floor and walked out on him." He cracked his knuckles. "Felt kinda good, saying that."
"I bet."
"I thought she was full of it when she told me that ghost bit. But since I'd already signed up to be Ghost Corps..." He shrugged. "Thought she'd had an omen, maybe. But that didn't give her call to leave me on the floor like trash."
"You must have been furious when she said that."
"You think?" He braced his elbows. "I never met a telepath until Pi. Since we got here, where you guys are, his thoughts have gotten stronger. I can't not hear him."
"That's because of me."
He looked up.
"Plus you and me in combination, Six. Either one of us has abilities on our own, but when you combine a master telepath and a plenos, it's putting fuel on a fire. Anyone in the vicinity with even a smidgen of psy-talent will develop it."
"So the others? Are they getting...?"
"Koliga is. He asked me about it this morning. Said Pietas told him not to finish people's sentences."
"What happens to his ability when I die?"
She'd grown accustomed to Six being there. He'd become one of them. Yet he wasn't. Enhanced, but not immortal. A deep yearning swept over her. One of the worst things about human friends was missing them before they were even gone.
"His ability will fade. Over time, he'll return to the way he was."
"Oh." Six rubbed his eyes. "Guess he'll have to find another... Sorry. What am I?"
"Plenos. We might not find another for hundreds of thousands of years."
His face screwed up in confusion. "Why?"
"You're as likely as ice on the sun." Joss picked up a stick and poked the fire. "Less than one in tens of billions. In my lifetime, I've read about two. Never thought I'd meet one." The fire blazed up and she added a bigger stick. "Ironic, isn't it? I'm the master telepath and you're the plenos, but we can't hear each other. Or can you hear me?"
"Nope." Six shook his head. "Quiet."
The flames danced, bright orange in the darkness. "Did you get any sleep?"
"Thought I wouldn't, but the minute everyone else slept, I was gone."
Neither of them spoke for a time.
Six gathered a few pieces of wood, brought them back and began stacking them in the fire. When he finished, he dusted off his hands. "I have a coffeepot in my survival kit but I ran out of coffee three days after we landed. Been using it to boil water. Sure could use a cup right now."
"I try not to dwell on the things I'll never have again." She rested her elbows on her knees. "Too depressing."
"Oh, you can have coffee. I spotted a grove of trees a day or so before we connected with you guys. Just needs harvesting and prep work."
She sat up straight. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah."
"How wonderful! How long does it take?"
"Once the beans are ripe, you have to pick them, sort them, spread them out in the sun and let them dry. That takes a few weeks. Then there's hulling and cleaning. Some more sorting. After that, you roast them and they're ready for grinding."
"Roasting? Like in an oven?"
"We can make stone ovens. They're easy. The grinding will take equipment, but Lig says he can build a grinder from things we have in camp."
Joss put away her knife. "That's something good to look forward to. But we can't start until we make headway on the cryopods. Those are a priority."
"I work better with coffee."
"Me too."
Six rubbed his chin. "Does Pi drink it?"
"He pretends to when everyone else is having some, but he pours a splash into his cup, stirs in half a dozen sugar cubes and licks the spoon."
"So no priority for him."
"Sadly, no. He'll put it low on the list of must-haves. Although... He might if he knew it would make me happy."
"What makes you happy?" Pietas strolled into view, Tiklaus beside him.
"Coffee," they said in unison and smiled at one another.
"I see." He reached down and scratched the cat's ears. The huge animal leaned into the caress. "Once we free everyone, have food laid in and shelter built, sure."
"Told you." Six shot Joss a look.
Pietas dropped down beside her, leaned closer and gave her a kiss. The cat stretched out at his feet, chin on paws.
"Hey." Six gave a thumbs-up. "Uniform is lookin' good."
"Thank you." He ran his hands down the front. "I hear you helped with this."
"Glad to. Tell me you trashed what you had
on before."
"I left them by the waterfall. Didn't think you'd want them back with his blood on them."
"You're right about that, but you're wrong about the coffee. It's low priority for you, but it's high for us."
He frowned into the fire, looked at Joss, back at Six, his handsome face puzzled. "Why?"
"Armies run on coffee. It's how you start the day. You work with it in your hand."
"I've observed that. I assumed it was habit."
"It's more than that," Joss added. "It's camaraderie. Soldiers reminisce over coffee. Even Ultras use it to wake up. The caffeine doesn't affect us, but it's part of the ritual."
"So you don't need it for nutrition. It's for relaxation and morale."
Six mimed drinking a cup. "It's a thing."
"How many beans would we need per pot?"
Six rubbed his chin. "If we all drank it, and rationed it to a pot a day, we'd need at least two small bags per week."
"How would we bring back enough beans to make it?"
"Best bet, you'd pick them there, lay them out to dry, hull them, and then bring back what's left. Less weight to carry. By volume, half the weight of coffee is hull. More efficient use of resources. We could transport it easier. You said you left the shirt and pants by the waterfall. We could sew up all the openings except the tops and use them as bags. Lig and I were talking about sewing some of the material from the pods to transport crops. He knows how to build looms, but we'll need lumber and other tools. We'd have to make looms anyway. Our clothes won't last." Six stood and stretched. "You two hungry?"
"Famished."
"Breakfast, coming up." Six picked up his bow. "I'm going hunting." He patted his thigh. "You coming, Tik?"
Tiklaus nudged Pietas's hand, bounded over to Six and trotted alongside him.
"Tik? Tik?" Pietas threw up his hands. "That man nicknames everything."
"Yes, he does. He's in love with you."
He hugged her. "It, not he."
"Your friend is hardly an it."
Pietas stiffened. "I thought you meant Tiklaus."
"How odd you didn't know I meant Six."
He studied her in silence.
She hadn't heard his mindvoice since he'd arrived but until this moment, hadn't noticed. "Impressive shielding, Pietas." She released his arm. "What are you hiding?"
"Mother said he loved me as well." He slid his hand into hers, entwining their fingers. "I assured her she was wrong. I know him. It's respect. Honor between men. I've lived so long, gender distinctions have far less importance, but I can respect them in others."
He was a master at not answering direct questions. "Everyone in camp has fallen in love with you at one point or another."
What an endearing blush he had. "Flattering, but untrue." He drew up their hands and kissed hers. "My parents and sister are here."
"Other than your family, then. Although your sister might be an exception."
His startled gaze flew to hers. He narrowed his eyes.
"Pietas, you haven't kept up with her over the years. I have. Did you know she's never taken a lover who isn't tall and has blond hair and blue eyes? The twins are a prime example."
He withdrew his hand, cheeks darkening. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'm suggesting her girlhood crush on her big brother never faded. She's unconsciously chosen lovers who at least superficially resemble you. Or her father."
"Don't be insulting." He stood and held out his hands toward the fire.
"You should ask her about--"
"I have no intention of asking my sister any such thing."
"Pietas, hear me out. I'm trying to--"
"Forget it, Joss! I'm not asking that."
"Pietas?" Dessy approached them from the left. "Not asking what?" When he didn't respond, a mix of panic and mistrust rolled off her. "Joss? What's going on?"
Michel and Koliga walked into the clearing, speaking to one another. They halted and cast curious looks from Pietas to Dessy and then Joss. An awkward silence fell over the gathering.
His sister frowned. "Pietas? Is something wrong?"
"It's the trial." He turned his back on the fire. "It's postponed a week."
"Why? Is Father all right?"
"He's dead, Dess. He can't get much worse than that."
"I should check on him."
"Don't worry over it."
"Where is he?"
"I said, don't worry about him!"
The young woman flinched.
Pietas cast Joss a withering you-caused-this glance. "I shouldn't have shouted at you, Dess. Don't worry about Father. Believe me, the twins are taking good care of him. Stay away and let them handle it."
The hint of satisfaction in the way he spoke told Joss his words had double meaning. She bit her lip to remain quiet.
When Pietas walked away, Dessy went after him. "Wait! Tas, where are you going?"
He checked his speed but did not stop. "Hunting with Six."
Chapter Forty-seven
Pietas spent a fruitless hour searching for Six before he thought of trying a kueshda. Having a skill didn't mean its use came naturally.
Crossing his arms, he stood under a tree and calmed his mind. He drew on what Joss had taught him about conducting a psychic search. He had viewed the general area from above, so picturing the canopy of trees took no skill, merely memory. As he had the night he'd made such vivid contact with Tiklaus, he searched for movement instead of detail. A disturbance to the east caught his attention.
He eased through dense scrub and entered the deeper forest. Scuffling sounds drew him. In a small clearing, he found Six, a rabbit dangling from his fist.
The man lifted the dead hare. "Gutted and ready. Breakfast for one."
Tiklaus pranced into view with two rabbits in its mouth and dropped them onto a pile of other prey.
"Show off." Six set his rabbit atop the pile.
The panther sat and groomed itself.
"Impressive, Six. There must be a dozen here. How many are yours?"
"Shut up."
Pietas chuckled. "That many?"
Six set about gutting one the rabbits Tiklaus had brought.
The cat took a sniff, sneezed.
"Okay, Pi. Why are you here? Thought you'd be with your girlfriend."
Tiklaus trotted over to Pietas and nudged him on the leg.
He stooped to pet the cat. "At least someone's glad to see me."
"Had a fight, did you?"
"No. I thought you could use some help."
With a scoff, Six stuck an arrow back into the quiver behind his shoulder.
"What does that mean?" Pietas stood.
"What does what mean?"
He imitated the scoffing sound.
"Oh, that? That's me saying you're full of--"
"Six! Why are you giving me grief when I came out here to help you?"
"Giving you--" The man lifted his hands, palms outward as if shoving him back. "Okay, fine. Whatever. You came to help me hunt rabbits." He prodded the pile at his feet. "There they are."
"What's wrong, Six?"
"Wrong? Nothing. Everything's perfect." He swept back his hair and began rearranging the dozen carcasses side by side. "Tik, I promised you first choice. Take your pick. Seeing as how you caught all but one."
The cat sniffed the long row, chose the one Six had caught and tossed it up in the air. It came down into the panther's jaws. Tiklaus carried it over to one side, stretched out on its haunches and began gnawing off the head.
Pietas was hardly squeamish about death, but seeing those fangs and knowing the purpose for which the cat had been designed left him queasy.
Holding the rabbit in its mouth and between front paws, Tiklaus gazed at Pietas. He could swear the cat dipped its head in acknowledgment.
Six tied the legs of the first rabbit together. "What did she say?"
"Who?"
"Your girl."
"My-- You mean Joss?"
"Unless you'v
e picked up one of the other women since I left."
Stifling the urge to snap a retort, Pietas made a fist. "What did she say about what?"
"It's obvious you had a fight."
"We did not."
Six fixed him with a stare. "I thought you didn't lie."
"I do not. I did not argue with Joss."
The man studied him. "Define argue."
Why had he spent an hour looking for this man? Pietas refused to clench his teeth. "What makes you so sure I argued with anyone?"
"You're kidding me." He indicated Pietas's body from top to toe. "You're vibrating like high-powered machinery."
"Six!" He tightened his hands into fists but then flattened them atop his thighs. "I did not have a fight back at camp, but I am about to have one here."
"If not a fight, then what happened?"
Sputtering incoherent words, Pietas stomped across the clearing. Near the edge, he stubbed a toe on a bare tree root and hissed at the pain. Bracing one hand on the tree, he examined his skinned toe.
"Ah, I see. It was your father." Six wiped one hand on his jeans. "Should have guessed. Okay, give. What happened with Daddy?"
"He is not my daddy! I did not argue with him."
"Oh, really?" Six raised one eyebrow and looked pointedly at Pietas's feet.
The realization he had once again hurt a foot while talking about his father brought Pietas up short. Why did he do that? He straightened and then dusted off his hands.
The ghost went back to tying rabbits. "It's obvious something went down. You came all this way to find me, but now you're gonna pretend nothing's wrong? Come sit by Uncle Six and tell him what happened."
"Uncle Six?"
The man gave him a droll look.
"Fine!" He dragged himself over to Six and dropped down beside him. "They killed him."
Six continued looping cord around rabbit legs. "Who killed who?"
"Whom. Who killed whom."
"Seriously?" Six braced himself and looked over at him. "Grammar? Now?"
Pietas raised both hands in apology. "The twins. Until the trial, they didn't know Father was abusing us. They spent sixteen years making sure we were safe, only to find they'd been protecting a monster from prosecution while he abused two innocent children and hurt their mother."
His friend swore under his breath. "Are you saying they kill-killed him? Was it perma-death?"
"Six!" He drew back. "How can you say that?"
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