“You must have spent a lot of time in this study,” said Lijou as he poured him his drink.
“I divided it between here and the library,” said Kaid. “I was helping Jyarti with refining the religious aspects of the Brothers’ training.”
“And it’s those skills we have need of again. I’m afraid you’ll be something of a test case for us in our training of telepathic priests.”
Kaid raised a questioning eye ridge as he picked up his mug.
“We’ve never had to initiate such a wide-scale training of telepaths before. You’ll be our first, which is another reason why, with the help of Kha’Qwa, we’ll be working with you. We need your feedback.”
Kaid shrugged. “What help I can give is yours.” He watched Lijou settle back into his chair, wondering what was coming next.
“We do have one expert here, one who’ll surprise you. Tutor Sorli, from the Telepath Guild. He’s requested some time here in retreat to meditate at the temple, but he’s also agreed to help us.”
“Sorli? What tears him away from Esken?” This was a surprise.
“You know as much as I do. He keeps his thoughts firmly to himself and will say nothing more on the subject. Naturally, I haven’t pressed him about the matter.”
“Naturally.” Kaid hesitated, wondering if this was some plot of Esken’s, then discarded the thought.
“Sorli may be an apologist for his Guild Master, but he’s no one’s puppet, Kaid. I have to admit, I considered the possibility, too.”
“Sorli’s as straight as a new blade. If he’s here, then it’s at his own request. Still, I wonder what goes on at their guild.”
“We’ll find out in time,” said Lijou placidly. “We have one or two folk among the warriors guarding the Terran contingent. However, it wasn’t about this I wanted to talk to you today, it was about Vartra. It’s been nearly two weeks since you returned from the Margins, time for what you saw and heard there to sink in fully. We need to discuss it frankly nowâ need to decide what should become known only within the Order, and what can be made public.”
“We need to ensure that no one else returns to the past,” said Kaid grimly. “We know it can be altered. Now there is a balance; matters have come out best for us in this time. Should anyone else attempt to return and succeed, then the balance could be disrupted, maybe even allow the chance that the Valtegans still on Shola were not all killed in the Cataclysm. General Kezule had planned to weather the disaster out in the mountains with a few of his soldiers and some eggs in the hope of returning to take control of our world again once it was over. Had we not gone back, he might have succeeded.”
He watched in satisfaction as the priest’s face took on a look of profound shock, his ears lying flat against his skull in fear.
“It was that close?”
Kaid nodded. “You were right, Lijou. We had to return to the Margins for the good of Shola.”
“Tell me it all.”
Perhaps not all, thought Kaid. Would it help prevent others even thinking of trying if they knew the only reason we survived was because I came from the past? Do I keep my life private, or make it public for the good of our world?
Chapter 4
The cell door slid open with its usual clang. You’d think in this day and age they could have made it silent, Keeza thought, watching the two guards from her bunk bed.
“Get up. Face the rear wall,” the nearer guard ordered. “Hands behind your back.”
She stood, turning her back to them, and waited while he came across the narrow room. She was roughly grasped first by one hand then the other, as the metal wrist restraint was locked in place.
“What’s it now?” she demanded. “You could at least leave me in peace tonight! Bother me all you want tomorrow.”
“You should be so lucky,” the guard snorted, grasping her by the upper arm and pulling her round to face him. “You got a visitor. Some official.” He led her out of the cell.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” the other said, teeth prominent in his openmouthed grin as he locked the door behind him. “They don’t grant pardons for the likes of you.”
Used to the taunts over the last couple of days, she didn’t bother answering them. This visitor, though, that intrigued her. What official would want to speak to her? What could they want from her? They’d gotten all they needed with their damned telepaths at the trial; they knew there was nothing left to tell.
Resisting slightly, she made them drag her along the corridors and through the successive check point gates till they came to the Chief Warden’s office. A knock on the door, and she was thrust inside.
The figure at the window turned slowly to look at her. The first thing she noticed was the long gray robe.
“This is Keeza Lassah, Brother,” said the Warden, getting to his feet. “I’ll leave you alone while you talk to her.”
L’Seuli nodded.
Narrowing her eyes against the last of the daylight, Keeza weighed him up. Of average height, he was stockily built, as far as she could tell with those robes. The sandy-colored pelt coupled with the rounded ears set low on his head suggested a desert dweller. The light behind him illuminated him from an angle, accentuating the planes of his face. A strong face, the jawline broad and firm, eyes set wide above his cheekbones, nose narrow, ending with pale flesh. He returned her gaze impassively. She gave an involuntary shudder. Like all of his kind, someone to reckon with.
Keeza waited till the warden had left before jerking her head backward to indicate her cuffs. “You going to let me go?”
He ignored her question. “I have a proposition for you, Keeza Lassah,” he said. “A job that requires some of your skills.”
She snorted derisively. “I thought you folk did your own killing! In case you haven’t heard, I won’t be around after dawn tomorrow.”
“If you accept this task, your death sentence will be commutedâ once certain safeguards have been taken.”
Her eye ridges met in anger. “I won’t have my mind messed with by those damned telepaths!”
He began to turn away. “As you wish. I’d have thought life and freedom were an acceptable payment for so simple an Ãxwassignment.”
She growled, tail flicking jerkily, ears flattening. Whatever it was, it was obviously dangerous, but it offered a chance of survival. “Tell me.”
*
“You want me to turn this into a Consortia?” There was frank disbelief in the female’s voice as she surveyed L’Seuli’s companion. “When I agreed to help you, I had no idea you’d provide me with such raw material!”
“Think of it as a challenge,” said L’Seuli soothingly.
Khaimoe got to her feet and paced round Keeza, her silken robe rustling as she did. “She’s got nothing to start with! No posture, no shapeâ and what do you call this?” With a lightning fast movement, she reached out to pluck a strand of Keeza’s tabby brown hair, holding it out for him to inspect.
“Hey!” Keeza exclaimed, batting Khaimoe’s hand away and pulling back from her. “I didn’t ask to come here, just remember that!”
“She’s been in a correction center, what do you expect?”
“A correction center?” Khaimoe’s eyes narrowed as she returned to her chair. “What’s she done?”
“Nothing that need worry you, Khaimoe, you have my word on that,” said L’Seuli calmly, getting to his feet. “I think you’re being unkind. Some decent food, oil treatments for her hair and she’ll look the part. It isn’t as if she’s unattractive.”
“What happens if she leaves here without permission? Who’s responsible for her?”
“She won’t leave, will you, Keeza?” he said, looking at her. “She’s tagged. If she steps beyond the perimeter of this building, she won’t be capable of continuing farther.”
“And what turns this tag off?”
“Bringing her back inside, Khaimoe, that’s all. I’ll leave you to start your training. You have four weeks before we need her.”<
br />
“Four weeks! Do you realize how long it takes for us to train a youngling properly?” exclaimed Khaimoe angrily. “And that’s another thing! She’s too old!”
“I think you’ll find her a willing pupil. After all, she’s got an incentive. We aren’t expecting her to be perfect, just to have enough skills to deal with the target in the majority of situations that could occur.”
“She’s one of you, isn’t she? You’ve foisted a Sister on me. A Consortia assassin, that’s what you want, isn’t it? Well, I won’t do it!”
L’Seuli looked offended. “On the contrary, we want her to help keep someone alive. I assure you she’s not of the Brotherhood. Her background is just as I’ve told you. If you feel you cannot rise to the challenge, then perhaps I should place her with another House.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Khaimoe, her tone now frosty. “We’ll stick to our contract. You may return four weeks from today.”
Inclining his head, L’Seuli turned and left the two females alone.
Khaimoe sat tapping her claws against the padded arm of her chair, looking thoughtfully at the problem in front of her. He was probably right, she admitted to herself. What the female needed was feeding up and teaching how to make the best of herself. If she read her right, though, one like her wasn’t interested in making herself attractive.
“Do you know what it is we do here?” she asked her abruptly.
“Yeah. High class qwenes,” Keeza replied with a sniff of disdain.
“We do a damned sight more than cater to the sexual side of Sholan nature, my girl,” she said sharply. “Your name?”
“Keeza Lassah.”
“What did you do to land in a correction facility?”
“None of your damned business!”
“We operate on a basis of trust here, Keeza. I need to know what your crime was.”
“I killed a pack leader,” she said, moving over to a nearby chair and sitting down. Her body posture was simultaneously protective and aggressive.
“Ah.” Enlightenment dawned. “I thought I recognized the name. And you lived to tell the tale. Unusual.”
Keeza laughed, a hard, humorless laugh. “Yeah, you could call it alive. I’d only have lived until dawn unless I agreed to do this job.”
Strangely, the knowledge of her identity was comforting. There might be some chance of success with her, after all. Any female who could infiltrate one of the major Ranz packs, and work her way close to the leader deserved a second look. Not only that, but she’d successfully killed him and lived to face trial. Oh, there had been a bloodbath during her escape from the Pack den, and only Protector involvement had ensured her survival, but nonetheless…
“Why? Why did you kill him?”
“That’s my business,” she replied sharply.
Khaimoe shrugged mentally. Her motive mattered not at all. She looked over to the ornate timepiece on the wall above the entrance and began to rise. “We have a break at this time of evening. Come with me and I’ll introduce you to your tutors. You’ll be sharing a room with one of them.”
“I don’t share,” Keeza growled as she got up.
“You will here. We find that sharing increases our students’ awareness of the need to display oneself to the best advantage.”
“I don’t get on well with other females,” she muttered, following her out the door into the corridor.
“Perfectly all right. You’re sharing with a nice male called Mabu’h.”
“A male!”
Khaimoe stopped and turned round to look at her. “Of course. There are two Sholan sexes after all. Our graduates go on to cater to the business and personal needs of males and females in every level of society.”
“So what do you do?” Her surprise was obvious.
Khaimoe began to walk in step with her. “To put it simply, we’re social entertainers and professional companions. Our graduates are well educated in all the fields of art, entertainment, and politics, making them acceptable at every level of society. You’d be surprised to know that many actually become contracted as life-mates to partners in important positionsâ people who haven’t the time to develop the relationships necessary to gaining a mate and having a family.”
“I hadn’t realized.”
“Those who need to know about us know these things, Keeza,” she said not unkindly. “The rest see us only as Exotics.” She laughed at Keeza’s embarrassed ear flick. “Oh, yes, we do cater to that side as well, but not to the detriment of being whole, rounded people. Even in so short a time, if you apply yourself well, you’ll have skills that will lift you above the ordinary once your mission is completed. A new start, Keeza.” If she could motivate her now, it would be so much easier for them all.
Keeza made a noncommittal noise.
*
Later that night, after reading the files L’Seuli had provided, Khaimoe contacted Stronghold.
“What you’re asking is beyond the bounds of good taste!” she fumed. “It’s monstrous!”
“Don’t tell me you don’t cater to all types,” said L’Seuli. “You have to. You wouldn’t send your people out into the world unable to cope with the darker side.”
“We deal with it, yes, but not like this!”
“She agreed to do it.”
“She had no choice!”
“She originally chose death rather than submit to personality reprogramming. She has twice exercised her right to choose. That you don’t agree with her choices is not my concern. Do you wish me to go elsewhere, Khaimoe? I thought your House would give her the best chance of survival. Was I wrong?” He raised a questioning eye ridge. “We’ve always come to you in the past. Should we now seek out a new ally?”
“You’re all the same! So removed from our problems, aren’t you? Above it all! You know damned well I’ll do my best for her!”
“Information from our target is crucial, Khaimoe. This is more important than the life of one pack female. At least I’ve done what I can to help her. Now it’s up to you.”
Khaimoe broke the connection unceremoniously. Closing the folder, she shuddered with suppressed horror. Thank the good Gods that she wasn’t the one faced with such a choice.
*
A full-throated yowl of fear rang through the village. At the same moment, every telepath saw the image of water and felt a mental surge of fear that was abruptly cut short.
Seated in the den with Carrie, Kusac started to his feet in shock. Whoâ and where? He sent on the widest band width he could.
Zhyaf! My brother! The mental cry echoed inside Kusac’s head.
Dzaka and Meral came rushing into the room at Carrie’s command. See to Zhyaf, she ordered.
I’m on my way, sent Vanna from the medical center. Find Mara! She’s the one that needs me!
Dzaka, stay at the house. Where’s Mara? Kusac demanded as Meral left at a run.
It was Carrie who replied as she began to run for the door. Risho Bay! It’s the sea! She’s fallen from the Point!
As he followed her, Kusac activated his wrist comm. “Ni’Zulhu, get someone out to Risho Point immediately. Search for Mara.”
“Over the site already, Liege. Our on-duty sensitive picked her up,” came the faint reply.
“Do what you can. Help’s on its way.”
Kusac, Jack’s seeing to Zhyaf, I’m heading for the Point now, sent Vanna.
*
When they arrived at the Point, Mara had already been loaded into the emergency vehicle. Rulla, dripping and shivering, was standing beside it wrapped in a blanket.
“What happened?” demanded Carrie, going instantly to his side.
“It was sheer luck,” he said, rubbing a corner of the blanket across his forehead and ears. “She’s been acting strangely these last few days.” He looked obliquely at Kusac. “Stranger than usual,” he amended. “Ever since her pregnancy was confirmed a couple of days ago. So I’ve been following her.” He stopped again to wipe his face.
“How did she fall?” asked Kusac.
“She didn’t fall, she jumped. I thought you realized that. The snow broke her fall, stopped her killing herself on the rocks on the way down. She’d have drowned, though, if I hadn’t been there to pull her out.” His shivers became more acute and his nose wrinkled prior to a loud sneeze.
The quiet hum of Vanna’s craft rose in preparation for takeoff and Kusac shepherded them all aside.
“She’s alive, isn’t she?” Carrie shouted above the noise of the engine as they headed over to their own vehicle.
Rulla nodded vigorously. “Was touch and go, but she’ll live.”
“Well done,” said Kusac, sealing the aircar’s door once they were all inside. “She owes her life to you. I’ll get Garras to allocate a round-the-clock watch on her from now on. You shouldn’t be trying to cope with this alone.”
“I thought Zhyaf was told to sort out his relationship with her,” said Carrie, frowning.
“He’s tried, I’ll grant him that,” said Rulla. “He brought his sister to live with him as a role model for her. Teach her how to fit in, that sort of thing.”
Carrie caught his grimace. “His older sister?” she hazarded.
“She’s a very worthy Sholan matron,” said Rulla hastily, trying not to sniff as he surreptitiously wiped his nose with the blanket.
“But Mara’s Human, not Sholan! I could have told you that wouldn’t work!” She looked at Kusac accusingly. “I taught kids her age back on Keiss, you know that, you were with me often enough! Why didn’t one of you tell me what was going on?”
Kusac felt his ears trying to lie back in embarrassment but refused to let them. “I considered it more important that you were kept free from any worries during your pregnancy,” he said. “Mara wasn’t my concern, you were. There were any number of people she could go to for helpâ people who tried to approach her, but she wanted none of them.”
“They were all Sholan, Kusac. A girl that age, a teenager, needs someone of her own species to help her. She’s still trying to become an adult Human female, never mind being pushed into becoming a responsible Sholan matron! Didn’t that occur to any of you?” She looked from one to the other of the two males.
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