Beast Master's Ark

by Andre Norton; Lyn McConchie

  Tani could feel his fingers around her wrist. She reached. There! A faint sensation of distaste, something unpleasant. Her free hand came up to point. She opened her eyes to find she was pointing in the direction opposite to the laboratory.

  "Oh, it's no good. Storm, it didn't work."

  "Yes, it did. I moved the container. I wanted to check that you didn't just feel the direction of the laboratory and point at that."

  "Then—we did it?"

  "Yes." He raised his voice, "Dad!"

  His stepfather walked out from behind the tack-shed. "I'm here, and yes, I saw that. Okay, we'll try the next stage. Take her inside and have a mug of swankee. This will take a few minutes."

  Tani relaxed as she sipped the hot chocolaty flavor. After ten minutes or so she was ready. They walked out and Storm grinned down at her. "Dad's taken the clickers about ten minutes' ride away. Tell me which way."

  His hand closed on her wrist, Tani's eyes shut and her mind swung out, like a restless compass needle as she revolved. Then—there! That way, where she could feel a kind of disgust as her mind recoiled. Her hand rose up to point. She opened her eyes to find she was pointing down the road toward the port.

  "Is that right?"

  "Let's see." He lifted the handheld com. "All right, Asizi. Come in now." They waited until Brad came into view up the port road. "Looks as if we were."

  His stepfather arrived smiling. "Well?"

  "Very well," Storm informed him. "We'd better call in Kelson and the copter now. I want to find how far away the clickers can get before Tani loses them. She felt them feed ten miles out."

  "When I was asleep," Tani objected. "Maybe I can't do that well if they aren't feeding."

  "And maybe with our link you can do better. We need to know. That way we don't find we can only read them a couple of miles and we're walking right into the Xik team with no warning."

  It made sense. Tani nodded and followed him inside, listening to the comcall. Kelson was almost glowing with enthusiasm when he shut off. He'd be there in an hour. He was as good as his word. The liaison man exploded from the machine at a half-run.

  "Brad? Is it true, you can find the clickers?"

  "Looks like it. Calm down, Kelson. We want to run distance and direction tests using the copter today. We need to find out if Tani can tell how far away as well. If the results are effective and consistent, then we can call up some of the boys and head out."

  Kelson's face was hard. "I'd like that, Brad. I really would. And so would they. You know there's been more trouble. Down at the port this time. Some idiot saw a new ship in and decided it was the Patrol. We had a riot when he started yelling they were coming to drive settlers off their lands. There's ten people hurt and six more in jail. I've got my hands full. If we can give the people something else to focus on it'll do wonders for morale."

  "Then we'd better get on with the tests," Brad stated. "Storm, you and Tani go inside. I want earplugs in so you don't know the direction. Don't try for it until I say." Half an hour later he was looking at them with satisfaction.

  "That was the ten miles Tani could hear last time. The right direction, too. Let's try again. Tani, see if you can get an idea how far away the things are, not just direction and that you can hear them."

  Two days of hard work followed. Brion had matured another of the front-runners. This time it was hatched into a heavily secured container and they found that Tani could hear the more lethal emotion still further and more accurately. The greater the distance, the deeper her link must be to find them, and that made her ill, but she persevered. Each attempt left her retching, but with Storm to give her an anchor she could make the contact, give direction, and approximate distance. The range of her ability seemed to be about twenty miles.

  Brad took Storm aside. "How bad is this for her, son?"

  "Bad," Storm said briefly. "She was sick again last night after we finished. She's pretty much stopped eating, because she can't keep anything down. She won't quit now she's started, though."

  He turned to look at his stepfather. "You're Cheyenne. She mentioned something a couple of times about her father being from the line of Wolf Sister. It sounded as if that had been important to him and she thought it was to her, too."

  Brad stared. "Wolf Sister? Yes, that's important." He thought while Storm waited. "The old story, so far as I can remember, goes this way. Wolf Sister probably lived in the early seventeen hundreds, and wasn't originally named Wolf Sister, but Brown Deer. She was one of those they called Berdashe, one sex behaving like another. She began as a hunter and was so successful, she chose to become a warrior. She was renowned for her ability to steal horses, to begin with.

  "Then in a fight with a party of Kiowa, her brother was shot from his horse and injured. Brown Deer rode back through an arrow storm to rescue him. She suffered a minor wound herself, but succeeded, and her brother lived. After that she became a regular part of war parties until there was a great raid on the Kiowa. The Cheyenne took many horses and Brown Deer killed a noted Kiowa warrior in a hand-to-hand fight while she stood protecting a badly injured friend."

  Storm nodded. "Was that when her name was changed?"

  "It was. Her family gave a dance for her and Brown Deer had all the horses she'd taken brought up. Then she gave them all away. As my grandfather told me, she'd taken more than twenty herself, so it was a great show of generosity. After that she told her story of the fight and the chief did a rare thing. He rewarded her with a new name. From then on she was called Wolf Sister and regarded as one of the great warriors."

  "She married?"

  "Yes, later on. A warrior who was as well known as she was. She had two children, a boy and a girl. Her father had been killed in later fighting, so she took her mother into their tent to care for the children while Wolf Sister went back to the war trail. Our oral history says she died some years later, but not how, only that it was bravely, in battle. There's a suggestion she died trying to rescue a dismounted companion, as she'd done with her brother."

  "This is significant to Tani," Storm said slowly. "Wolf Sister gained acceptance as a warrior, not by fighting at first but by saving someone she cared about. Then she may have died trying to do the same thing years later. I think it's that part of the stories that is most important. Bright Sky died trying to save a friend as well. The Thunder-Drummer was right. We bound Tani to friends and this land and she's willing to die to save it and us. Her mother taught her it was wrong to fight, but right to save people. Finding the clickers fits everything Tani believes in."

  "How well is she doing?"

  "It looks as if twenty miles is her limit, but I'm not so sure." Brad waited to hear the remainder. "We're using three clickers. Out there the swarm is a lot more. She may be able to hear the much greater numbers from further away."

  "I hope so. The further away, the better chance we have to take somebody by surprise. Kelson's calling in the ranchers who'll fight. Logan rode in last night. Ukurti says the Shosonna tribe stand ready as warriors. He's talked with other Thunder-Drummers. If we are truly going out to fight the Death-Which-Comes-in-the-Night, then the peace poles are up for us. They'll even allow copter overflights anywhere we are following the death. Another of the Nitra tribes lost a hunting group two nights back. Tani's friend Speaker of Dreams has been talking, too. The peace poles apply to the Nitra as well."

  Storm whistled softly. "They have to be losing people to agree to that."

  "So Logan says. The Nitra tribes are right in clicker territory. Nothing much comes out of there, but the fact that several of the tribes are shifting out indicates they're losing heavily. Add an agreement to peace and overflights and it says they can't find the clickers or fight them, either. If we can they'll go along with anything that works."

  Storm looked thoughtful. "What sort of a force is Kelson planning?"

  "You two," Brad informed him. "Tani wants the teams. She says you need them to help the link. They'll go in the copter with you two, but I'm just
thankful she'll let Destiny stay behind for this particular trip." Storm grinned at the idea of trying to fit the duocorn filly in a copter. "Yes, it does have its funny side. You, Tani, and the teams will go with Kelson and his pilot in the small copter. The port is providing two larger ones. We can get twenty men in each. A few will be ranchers, the rest are security men from the port."

  "Think that'll be enough?"

  "Who knows. Kelson has reserves standing by. The copters will take it in turn to shuttle back to the port for more men if it looks like we need them. At least that's the plan."

  "No plan ever survives first enemy contact."

  "True. But Kelson's done his best. Find Tani, get her to eat something, and then go to bed. Drug her if you have to. We leave before dawn."

  Tani was already in bed and asleep from sheer exhaustion when Storm found her. Her face looked thinner, and there were dark marks under the closed eyes. They had to end this, Storm thought as he stood there. She hadn't been able to keep anything down for almost three days. The link they had was a balance. He provided the strength and stability; Tani provided the delicate sensitivity and actual contact. Any emotions he received from the clickers were filtered through Tani so that it was the girl who bore the brunt of their hungers.

  He went to check on Hing next. Tani had decanted an Ark-bred meerkat soon after she returned from the Djimbut clan. He was an attractive young adult male and Hing had accepted him eagerly. She'd had a litter of two kits three days ago. Tani had promised that the others for the clan would be ready in just a few more days. Storm smiled at the thought. He'd have a full meerkat clan just when Hing had her new litter of kits. The meerkats could learn together.

  The Ark had held a number of full-grown or almost grown beasts in stasis. These were the breeds used for Beast Masters and now likely to be wanted for survey. Once this business was over Tani had arranged that Surra and Baku's mates should also be provided. Tani! He'd started by disliking her for her rudeness, when he went to the Ark to ask for help. Then, gradually, he'd come to change his mind about her, and finally to trust the girl. He'd watched how valiantly she struggled to control her fear and disgust of the clickers. He'd seen her stagger away to vomit after another test and return to try again.

  She saw herself as a coward, afraid to touch even the emotions of an insect miles away. Storm saw her differently. He was only now beginning to see how differently, and once this was over... he snorted wryly. They'd all been saying that a lot lately. There were times when it felt as if he'd said nothing else since he landed on Arzor. Once this was over, and there always seemed to be something else that had to be over before he could reach for his desire. But not this time.

  He wanted what others had. Land, a home of his own, and a mate. The land he had; as a veteran of the war he was entitled to twenty squares or over three thousand acres. He'd added to that when he discovered the Xik holdout group, and the Government had added another ten squares and lowered import tax for ten years as a reward. Storm had taken up land in the Limpopo Range, where it curved around closest to the Basin and his stepfather's holdings. He'd built a cabin there, added stock, and hired Norbie riders. He had a part of his dream but there was more. He looked down at the girl in her exhausted sleep. Could she be the last part of his dream?

  He went to his own room to check on Hing, cuddling her briefly before allowing a sleepy meerkat to snuggle back into her bedding beside her mate and babies. Hing was fine. She could stay behind tomorrow. There was nothing she could do. She wasn't a fighter and they'd have no need of any digging Storm could imagine. He left them, climbing into his bed to sleep lightly.

  He rose in the early hours and donned his clothing, adding the concha belt, necklace, and ketoh bracelet. He'd have need of his medicine today. He went to wake Tani.

  An hour later three copters swung out over the Basin. They rose in a line, heading for the desert fringe. There they landed. Storm and Tani linked as the others waited in silence. Even Dumaroy, leading the small rancher group, was quiet. Tani shut her eyes, reaching out. There! The impact was sickening. Images of tearing out mouthfuls of warm bloody flesh, of rolling in the emotions, the agony of the prey eaten alive, like a dog rolling in filth. The delights of the final spring that would hold the prey for those who followed.

  With a savage effort she held back her sickness as she pointed. "That way. At least ten miles, but it could be more. There's a lot of them."

  She straightened as Dumaroy walked over. He patted her shoulder kindly. "You're doing good, girl. I know it ain't easy, but you're doing fine." He stomped off toward his copter as Storm stared after him. He wouldn't have thought to see the day when Rig was understanding. But then Tani had said she liked the man, it was possible Rig liked Tani as well. The copters rose again, heading out obliquely into the Big Blue. Ahead was one of the most barren areas. It wasn't quite within the part of the desert where the winds played havoc with copter flight. But it was on the edge of that.

  A good place to hide out, Storm considered. Too barren even to be claimed by a Nitra tribe but encircled by territory that was. Right on the edge of the no-fly areas, and a vicious jumble of weather-worn rock spires, canyons, and heaped boulders. It was wicked land and wouldn't be easy to fight through. Not if the enemy was well dug in. By hopping the copters forward for small distances, and landing where they could, they worked their way forward. Each time Tani was able to keep them on track and say they were closer. But at last she shook her head.

  "Here, somewhere very near. I get the strongest reading from there." Her finger pointed, the unprotected flesh sending a signal to that which waited. Even as she lowered her hand something came up from the ground. Poised on the girl's shoulder, Mandy had been ready. Her beak shot out, there was a satisfying crunch, and the clicker was dead. Kelson had planned well and the fighters were waiting. They had flamers and stunners, and their clothing, including throat scarves, had been drenched in a scent Brion and Kady had found repelled the killer insects to some degree.

  The clickers came in waves and died the same way. Stunners on full killed the much smaller clickers wherever they struck. Storm guarded Tani, with Mandy as enthusiastic backup. The last of the clickers attacked and died. There was a long pause. Dumaroy broke it.

  "Storm, you an' the cat sense Xiks?"

  Surra indeed had her head up and was giving vent to a low, soft snarling. She'd fought Xiks before and would be happy to do so again. Storm linked. At the back of his mind he was conscious that Tani had joined him in the linkage. Yes, there. He considered the area. Gradually, out, of the jagged jumbled rock an outline coalesced. It was well camouflaged, but he'd been taught what to look for a long time ago. He waved Kelson and Rig over, pointing out the possible door.

  "Right." Kelson was prepared. "Jackson, here, see that door. I want it blown in. Just the door. Storm says there's likely tunnels behind and we want to use them."

  Five minutes later, as they all sheltered behind rocks, there was a loud flat bang. The port security were out from behind their rocks with a whoop, the ranchers right behind them. They poured into the largest tunnel, fighting their way through a small group of Xiks and out into the cave at the end, Storm and Surra behind Kelson. Tani waited, the coyotes guarding her. Mandy employed her time happily eating clickers. So far as she was concerned, the clickers were an easily solved problem. Within the tunnels the fight was dying. Surra was sniffing her way down a side tunnel and Storm called the liaison man.

  "Kelson, who'd you leave on guard out there? I think Surra's found a back door."

  There was a horrified silence as they realized no one had remained behind apart from the girl and her team. Without thought Storm found he was running. Ahead of him Surra was hurtling down the tunnel. She found a concealed exit and they erupted from the rockface to stare wildly about. From behind spires to their left, there was a scream of fury. Then the sound of a Xik weapon. A confused snarling mingled with cries and screeches. Storm saw Baku appear briefly as she rose abruptly o
n powerful wings, then stooped to strike. He leaped for the battleground.

  Surra was racing ahead, her muzzle wrinkled in a ferocious snarl. They rounded the rocks to find Tani struggling with one of three Xiks. A second flailed weakly at Baku, having been battered almost insensible by the powerful wings, his head streaming green-tinged blood where her beak had reached him. The third was fighting off Minou and Ferarre while overhead Mandy waited her opportunity. Surra took Baku's victim with one swift rush. But as Storm arrived, the Xik struggling with the frantic girl managed to free himself with a vicious blow. Tani staggered back half dazed, for the moment unable to fight.

  It was then that Storm saw. Tani had not been attacking the alien, she had been holding his gun back from her team with a desperate strength. Surra was turning from her victim. Mandy was dropping in the terrifying strike of the Ishan paraowl. In seconds the Xik the coyotes held would die. But for the leader of the hideout there were whole seconds of time. He could destroy the animals. His gun came level and Storm leaped in a flat dive toward him.

  His hand struck the gun as it fired. He felt the wash of flame over his upper arm but his knife went home, once, twice. Behind him he heard a dull thud and a crack. Mandy had taken out the other enemy. Storm was on his knees, his arm cradled in his other hand. It hurt, the pain burning into his mind. Tani, must find . . . Storm staggered to his feet, his gaze searching the rocks.

  At his feet the Xik moved, groaning something. Tani was running toward them. Storm stooped low, his voice sliding into the terse form of combat speech the Xiks used.

  "Report!" Tani arrived to stand silently. Storm turned to hiss to her softly. "Go back by the tunnels. Make sure they don't interrupt." He turned back to find hate-filled eyes staring up.

  "Report, First Leader!"

  The alien glared, then uttered the harsh sound that was Xik laughter. Storm leaned closer still, listening to the labored breathing and the rough guttural sound of Xik language. It was fortunate they taught Beast Masters and first-in commandos the language. It hadn't been so long since he heard it that he'd forgotten.