As if in answer to his unvoiced plea, lights came on all around him. In an instant, he saw that he had blundered into a small chamber with several exits, and glimpsed motion in one of them. In the next instant, the brilliance of the amplified light turned his vision all to white. It was as though a superpowered camera flash had gone off inches in front of his face. He was blind.
On internal compass alone, he spun away and scooted back the way he had come, skidded into a baseball slide, and flattened himself belly-down on the floor facing back the other way. He fired at random down the corridor with his Allison, hoping to drive back anyone who had followed, all the while fumbling with the switch for the image amplifier and praying his vision came back soon.
Then Bhodi realized that it was the helmet itself that was still blinded, the display circuits destroyed by the sudden peak. He slapped the release on the chin strap, shook the helmet off, and found himself looking up at the gaunt figure of an Ikthalarian edging toward him along the wall, a Bracke in its left hand.
They started firing at the same instant, but Bhodi had two weapons and a better angle. He held the Ikthalarian's sensor pack in his sights until it exploded in a shower of sparks. When that happened, the Ikthalarian lowered his weapon, shook his head in self-disgust, and sat down along the wall.
"All yours," it said, gesturing toward the chamber where Bhodi had been blinded.
"So's that," Bhodi said, rising and pointing to the warrior's weapon. "I'm starting a collection."
The Ikthalarian surrendered the Bracke reluctantly, and Bhodi returned his own sidearm to the holster cuisse so that he had a free hand for it. Then he started cautiously down the corridor. The fierce white lights were still on, illuminating not only the chamber itself but also a fair distance down each of the five connecting corridors that branched off it. All five appeared to be empty.
But there was a sixth exit from the room-a triangular hole in the floor that looked like the hole left in dough by a cookie-cutter. Bhodi crept up to the edge, fired at random down into the hole, then leaned out and peered over the edge for a quick glimpse.
The hole led to another chamber below. The floor dividing them was more than two feet thick, and the floor of the second chamber was another ten feet below that. At first there seemed to be no ladder, but then Bhodi spotted a pattern of toe-cuts in the wall of the lower chamber. He could see little more of what awaited below-just a small section of the floor lit from above and his own shadow inscribed in the splash of light.
Bhodi looked up, scanning the branch corridors again, then systematically began to shoot out the rectangular lights illuminating the upper chamber. When the last one winked out, both the upper chamber and the lower were in darkness.
I knew there had to be a reason they were leaving the lights on, Bhodi thought. I go down that funky ladder with my back to them, spotlighted, and they sit in the dark and fry me.
But Bhodi did not plan to cooperate. He waited an interminable minute for his eyes to adjust, then slipped off the edge and dropped lightly into the lower chamber.
A beam of blue fury buzzed past Bhodi's head, close enough to vaporize a few flying strands of blond hair. He shoulder-rolled to the left and fired back in the direction the bolt had come from. Each blast of phaser fire dimly lit the room-far vaster than the upper chamber-in an eerie light.
Fire and move. Fire when moving. They dueled in darkness, circling, trying to anticipate each other's moves. Each tried to use the other's fire as a targeting aid, which led to short fierce exchanges and long periods of silence and darkness. Bhodi took hits on both legs, right thigh, left shoulder, and midback, none serious. He did not know what he gave in return.
It seemed like the only way the stalemate would end would be if they bumped together by accident and strangled each other. Then Bhodi got a flash of inspiration. Stripping one of the straps from his holster cuisse, he looped it around the grip of the Bracke. Laying the weapon on the floor, he snugged up the strap against the actuator, and the weapon began to fire.
Immediately, the unseen enemy began to fire back. Bhodi rolled twice to his left, into the darkness, then sprang to his feet. For a count of one thousand, two thousand, three thousand Bhodi ran away from the Bracke and toward his opponent as fast as his legs would carry him. Then he skidded to a stop, dropped to one knee, and aimed his own Allison and the one taken from the Qeth at the exact spot from which his unseen enemy's phaser bolts were appearing.
There was an animal squeal, and the other phaser winked out. A fraction of a second later, Bhodi heard the thud of something striking the floor. Bhodi kept firing until the lights came up and an end-of-match chime began to sound.
His opponent was a Riknoid and in obvious pain, kneeling and holding its right hand. Its weapon was lying in the center of a splatter of blood. Uncertain of his obligations, Bhodi took one tentative step toward it. But before he could decide whether his help would be welcome, three medical-section types dropped through the hole and hurried to the injured fighter's side.
Bhodi backed away then and retraced his steps through the now fully lighted warren to the entrance. When he reached the surface, he found Li-hon walking across the arena toward him.
"I won," Bhodi said quietly as they came together. "I'm ready."
"You won," Li-hon agreed. "But you're not ready."
"I want my third refusal."
"No."
"But you said-"
"I said I would give you a chance to show what you could do. I did, and you did. Now we continue to work on what you can't do," he said. "Go back to the platoon room. I'll be there when I can be. You've left me with a couple of injured Guardians to look after first."
And then he brushed past and left Bhodi standing there alone in the empty arena, his mind empty and mouth open, unable to quite believe what had just happened to him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The voice of the First Guardian broke the silence in the nearly deserted platoon room. "Nar-lex-ko-li-hon."
The lizard grunted. "I've been expecting to hear from you, First Guardian."
"Then you understand it is time for an accounting of your stewardship of young Bhodi Li."
"I do."
"Following the maze test last week, Bhodi Li did not report to you as ordered."
"No."
"He then feigned illness to escape two full days of training."
"True."
"Since emerging from his isolation, he has missed thirteen training sessions in nine days-seven with you, five with Haj-til-ko-van, and one with Parcival."
Li-hon's forehead wrinkled. "When was that last?"
"This morning."
"Parcival hadn't notified me."
"Parcival is attempting to locate Bhodi Li and resolve the matter on his own," said the First Guardian.
"Attempting to locate? Don't you know where Bhodi is?"
"Yes and no. Bhodi Li is somewhere in Dracona."
"Oh."
"He has not even bothered to offer an excuse for these most recent absences."
"That's also true."
"Before we consider its significance, can you explain why you have allowed this behavior?"
Li-hon sighed and stretched his massive right leg. "Because I don't know what else to do."
"Explain."
"He's a human! Is there anyone anywhere on this station who understands how they think? What would you have me do?"
"Bhodi Li must follow orders or be sent home."
"Why exactly should he follow my orders?"
"Because you are the sergeant of the Ninth Platoon, and he is a challenger for the vacancy in that platoon."
"That's the answer from our point of view. But what about from his?"
"I fail to see why there should be a difference."
"So did I, at first. But there is. He wasn't sent here by his planet's government, like most of us. He's here on his own. A volunteer, taking part as far as he has for personal reasons."
"He was told of the
threat to the Light and to Earth."
"He's not yet one with the Alliance. And Bhodi feels no spiritual identification with his planet, or moral obligation to his species as a whole."
"If this is true of humans generally, then there is little hope for their survival irrespective of the Arrian menace," said the First Guardian.
"I know that all too well. It's the same sickness that nearly destroyed my people," Li-hon said somberly.
"So we cannot expect Bhodi to act out of duty. But it is not clear to me how Bhodi's behavior serves even his selfish interests."
"It doesn't. In my estimation, he now believes that we mean to never allow him his third refusal-that he'll never be a Guardian. He's begun to blame us instead of himself for his failure."
"He is likely right, on both counts. Your decision to allow him to attempt the maze room appears to have destroyed him."
Li-hon twitched his tail. "I didn't expect him to win. That was the whole point-to drive out the arrogance coming in the wake of that fluky victory over Kil Vander. To teach him that he had more to learn."
"You should have anticipated the possibility of his success and its consequences."
"It shouldn't have happened." Li-hon smacked the top of the battle board with one meaty fist. "I had three of the best Guardians on-station fighting as the black force. He had no peepers, no squealers, no partner, and no experience. I didn't figure he had better than one chance in a thousand of beating the warren."
"How do you account for the fact that he did? There appeared to be little chance involved in this victory, as opposed to the Vander matter."
"It's my fault."
"The responsibility is yours. But it seemed to me that your black force defended the warren very poorly."
"It seemed that way to me, too," Li-hon said glumly. "They were in too much of a hurry. The defender has all the advantages. They didn't exploit them the way they should have."
"Have you analyzed why?"
"I did better than that. I had a pointed discussion with them about their performance."
"And?"
"And they agreed they had done poorly."
"You are being obstinate."
Li-hon folded his hands and rested them on his abdomen. "Look, it's not entirely their fault. They're all top fighters, but we're not talking about maze players of the stature of Calder Quinn or Jo-let-jin. Bhodi would never have beaten a team that included either of them, even in a fairer fight. My team had only been in the maze on defense a half dozen times between them."
Li-hon rapped the point of his jaw with his fist in a gesture of self-reproach. "I was in too much of a hurry myself. I should have done a more thorough job of prepping them. Or waited until I had a stronger Arr force on-station."
"You do not need to protect your Guardians from me, Nar-lex-ko-li-hon. Tell me what you learned."
Li-hon flicked his tongue against his front canines restively. "The big problem seems to have been that they knew who the invader was going to be-"
"Outrageous. Who broke security?"
"Everyone and no one. Tongues wag. It doesn't matter. They knew it was Bhodi, and they were eager to put him in his place. Too eager. News of some of his antics have reached the ears of the Guardian community, you see-"
"I'm aware of the stories in circulation."
"Then you understand their motivation-professional pride."
"Yes-the Guardians have their own arrogance. And it was a factor in their performance."
"Yes," Li-hon said. "I underestimated Bhodi to some degree, but they underestimated him even more. And that helped him beat them."
"Very well," the First Guardian said. "I accept your explanation of the incident. What is your explanation of Bhodi Li's present behavior?"
"I believe the term humans use is 'sulking.' "
"And what is the cure for sulking?"
"Sulking isn't the problem," Li-hon said. "I said that he wanted to become a Guardian for personal reasons. That's what has to change. He wanted to feel important. He needs to want to do something important. Then he'll be ready for his ring."
"How do you propose to effect this transformation?"
Li-hon sighed. "It may already be too late. I thought it would have happened already. I thought it would come with exposure to you, to this place, to the rest of the platoon. I thought he would realize how serious this is. But nothing seems to reach him. All I've managed to do is alternately frustrate and frighten him."
"Have you showed him battle recordings from the war?"
"I have."
"What was his reaction?"
"The fact is, he seemed to have no lasting reaction at all," Li-hon said. "I don't understand it."
"Yes," said the First Guardian. "That is what I would have expected. Bhodi Li is handicapped by the entertainment modalities of his homeworld."
"Oh? How?"
"The visual arts are used for fiction on Earth-"
"Blessed light-are they that ignorant? The visual arts should be reserved for that which is either true or taken-as-true."
"Clearly they do not understand the seductive power of the illusions they create. Bhodi Li has seen so much fighting and so much death that was not real that it is difficult for him to fully credit what he sees now."
"Yes," Li-hon said thoughtfully. "It makes sense. And it explains a lot. It explains why he constantly puts himself first-because only his own feelings and own danger are real. And it gives me an idea-but you're not going to like it."
"Tell me your idea, Nar-lex-ko-li-hon, not what I'm supposed to think of it."
Li-hon raised his folded hands up under his chin. "I want to take him out on a sortie and let him see with his own eyes what we're fighting. It's the only thing now that can shock him into maturity."
"I cannot sanction awarding a ring to Bhodi Li on the basis of such faint hope."
"I'm not asking you to give him his ring."
"You would allow him to participate in our great mission before he has earned his Guardian's ring?"
"For this one, I would make an exception."
"This is more than an exception. It is completely without precedent. What do you see in him that can justify such measures?"
Li-hon's voice was solemn and vibrant with emotion. "He is the missing element that will make the Ninth whole again." He paused. "And me whole, as well."
"What do you mean? In what way are you injured?"
Li-hon smiled faintly. "Haven't you noticed, First Guardian? Surely it's not lost on you that I haven't been on a sortie myself for half a cycle, since Marika Krill was killed. It's been easy to arrange-no partner, so much administrative work, so much demand for me as instructor, the Sixth and Fourteenth fighting so well in our sector."
"Those are valid reasons."
"I know they are," Li-hon said. "But the real reason is I'm tired inside. I need someone like Bhodi, someone with his enthusiasm, to make me want to fight again."
It was the First Guardian's turn to pause. "Very well, Nar-lex-ko-li-hon. Let us discuss it."
Parcival hated going to Dracona alone, and for several good reasons. He was treated better as Uncle Pike's companion than he ever was on his own. The completely shameless mating manners of the Ikthalarians made him feel vaguely uncomfortable, and Pike always seemed to manage to steer him away from such sights.
But the most important reason was more practical. He was too short to see through the ubiquitous crowds, and without Pike there to sweep the way clear, Parcival had trouble even moving through them. With his build, he got the worst of every bump and jostle, and sometimes felt like he was being swept along like flotsam on a biotic tide.
All of those problems made searching for someone particularly vexing. He had been in nine of the gameries so far, and though a few people thought they had seen Bhodi Li, Parcival had not really picked up his trail yet. It was beginning to look as though it would be a long search. Then he entered Alia's Arcade.
There was a noisy argument going on in on
e corner of the sunken gaming floor, but the crowd was thinner than in most of the establishments he had visited. That and the raised entryway were the key to Parcival spotting Bhodi, perched in the player's cage-something like the basket used on the back of an elephant- of the K'arli Hunter machine. With a sigh of relief, Parcival paid the pass fee and made his way across the gaming floor to him.
Bhodi's attention was fully focused on the targets appearing on the wraparound screen, and he did not notice Parcival standing to his left. So when a brief break between rounds came, Parcival spoke up.
"What are you up to, Chris?"
Bhodi took one sideways glance to confirm who had spoken, then shouldered the heavy dart thrower. "Forty-two hundred points. Not too good, huh? But at least there's no one telling me I'm not allowed to score any more."
"That isn't what I meant."
The action picked up, the screen filling with needle-toothed K'arli on the wing, and Bhodi did not answer. But when a fanfare signaled the end of the game, Bhodi slid down, turned away from the machine, and replied, "I know what you meant. You want to know why I cut out on you and came down here."
"Not exactly, Chris. It's pretty obvious what you're doing. I'm just not quite sure why."
"I've got reasons enough," he said offhandedly. Then his gaze narrowed quizzically. "Say-why are you calling me Chris again?"
Parcival shrugged. "Just seemed like you've made your choice about which name really fits."
"Hey-what are you trying to say? Are you calling me a coward?"
"No. I guess I'm calling you a dropout."
"Listen, it's not my fault."
"No? Then it wasn't your idea to come down here instead of showing up to work with me?"
"Don't bust my chops."
"Hey, I don't take it personally," Parcival said. "I figure it's a compliment that you didn't get bored with me before this. I guess you've been cutting out on other people for two weeks now."
Bhodi sighed. "Do you want something to drink? If you really want to talk about this, it's going to take a while."
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