The main room of their suite now looked more like a machine shop than a living area in a medieval castle. Carefully and painstakingly, they all helped to disassemble the boards and control panels they’d found, drawing detailed plans of where each component went. The days were short and no matter how many candles were lit in the chamber, there wasn’t enough light for them to continue working after nightfall. This suited them as it delayed the work even more. They had to make this spin out long enough for help to reach them.
Killian visited them daily, usually before he sat in judgment in his main hall. He’d inspect their progress, asking questions of them in an effort to understand what they were doing. Their main problem was lack of tools and it wasn’t uncommon for either Kris or Davies, in the company of a couple of guards, to go down to the blacksmith’s forge to request either adjustments to tools the smith had already made, or to ask for new ones. Trying to carry out the precision high-tech work that they needed to do with the tools they had was rather like trying to tie a knot in sewing thread wearing thick mittens—nigh on impossible. At least, after he’d seen the small selection of tools they’d salvaged from the Valtegan scouter, Lord Killian appreciated their problems, and the delay.
The evenings they used for planning not only how their finished weapon would work, but also an escape. By common consensus, among themselves they spoke in Sholan, knowing it was a language that the Jalnians had never come across before. That evening, while Rezac and Davies tried to explain what they were trying to achieve to Kris, Jo sat by the fire talking to Zashou.
It was difficult for any of the Humans not to be aware that there was an armed truce between Zashou and her Leska. Like Jo, Zashou was nontechnical by education and though both of them could follow instructions when it came to helping assemble this monster of a weapon, they were unable to help the rest of the time.
Knowing how intolerable the couple had found their captivity with the Valtegans, Jo encouraged the other female to talk about her world. She was beginning to find herself fascinated by the Sholans and their culture.
“What was it like, living under the Valtegans?” she asked.
“On Shola? We saw very little of it,” Zashou said, drawing her chair closer to the fire. “We were living in the monastery on my family’s estate, guarded by Goran and his people.”
“Goran?” asked Jo, leaning forward to throw some more wood on the fire. A shower of sparks fluttered up the chimney toward the night sky above.
“Chief of security. He protected us from discovery by the Valtegans and decided when we could go out to Nazule to get supplies, that sort of thing.”
“Were you part of the monastery?”
Zashou laughed, making Rezac look instantly over in her direction. Jo watched him frown then look away hurriedly. Zashou had obviously disapproved of him taking an interest in their conversation, but why? It was innocent enough. She sighed inwardly before concentrating again on what the other female was saying.
“No. A group of students were acting the part of the acolytes. We—there were only the six of us, Nyaz, Tiernay, Jaisa, Rezac, Shanka and myself—were working with Dr. Vartra on his gene enhancement program. Until the Valtegans decided to round up all the telepaths, we lived in rooms on the ground floor. Goran had guards patrolling outside all night and if anything suspicious was spotted, he’d have us awakened and we’d hide down in the lab in the old mine. For about a month before we were captured, it was so unsafe that we were actually living down there as well.”
“How long were you in hiding?”
“Nearly a year, but it wasn’t all bad,” she said. “There were one or two good times in the early days. We went on a shopping trip to Nazule that first winter, to get warmer clothing. It was freezing down in the labs despite the heating system they’d rigged up. It was on that trip that we saw them collaring telepaths for the first time.”
“Collaring?” Jo asked.
“It’s easier to tell you what happened,” Zashou said. “Goran was leading our little expedition. As well as me, there was Rezac and Tiernay.”
“You drive,” said Goran, throwing the keys to Rezac.
The drive down to the plain had been uneventful, but things had been different once they reached the city.
As they drove through the streets to the center, Zashou realized that Goran hadn’t been exaggerating about the number of Valtegans currently in Nazule. Every major street had armed soldiers at each junction carrying a device they assumed was a sensor of some kind because they were scanning the passersby.
The car stopped at traffic flow controls. Across the road, one of the scanners started beeping loudly. They watched as the Valtegan identified a Sholan who was then surrounded and dragged, none too gently, over to the scanner where the reading was checked.
“He’s a telepath,” said Tiernay, leaning across Goran to look out the window. “I can hear him broadcasting for help. We’ve got to do something, Goran!”
“Sit still,” ordered Goran, hauling him back into his seat. “Keep your minds still, for the Gods’ sake! Don’t answer him, or we’ll be caught, too.”
“Dammit, we can’t just sit here and …” began Tiernay angrily as the traffic signal changed.
As they drove on, they saw the Sholan telepath having a metallic collar placed around his neck.
“I want one of those scanners,” muttered Goran, turning round in his seat to watch the tableau as they drove off. “I reckon that male up at Stronghold is working on a signal blocker. We’ve got a contact with someone at one of the major electronic labs in Khalma. She should be able to come up with something if we can get a sensor to her.”
“We should have done something,” muttered Tiernay, subsiding back into his seat.
“We will. We’ll find a way to block their scanners,” said Goran. “That way, we risk fewer lives. What did you want us to do? Attempt to rescue him in the middle of the city? Risk not only our own lives, but those of all the bystanders? I thought you were the one who didn’t like violence!”
“We’re here,” said Rezac, effectively ending the conversation as he pulled into the parking lot for the store. He parked as near the entrance as he could, turning off the engine.
“If there’s any trouble, those who can, get yourselves out of here and back to the shrine. No sense in us all getting caught,” said Goran as they headed toward the entrance.
It was an in-and-out job. The items they wanted had been ordered in advance and all they had to do was collect them from the pickup point. As they stood waiting in the short line, Zashou caught sight of the armed Valtegan standing on the landing halfway up the stairs to the next level.
“Goran,” she said, touching him on the elbow and nodding toward the stairs.
“Saw him, and the one by the rear exit,” Goran said quietly. “Don’t look at him, and he’ll not notice us. We’ll be out of here in a few minutes.”
By the time they reached the main road from Nazule to Khalma, a roadblock was being set up. Three Valtegans accompanied by a Sholan Protector were supervising a group of Sholan workmen who were building a gatehouse and barrier across the road.
“Restricting civilian movements now,” muttered Goran as Rezac slowed down. “Looks like this may be the last of your trips into town.”
As they approached him, the Protector signaled for them to stop. Rezac lowered the side window.
“Play it real easy,” muttered Goran. “We don’t want any trouble.”
“The Overlord has ordered that from today all vehicles entering or leaving the towns must have a pass,” the Protector said to Rezac. “From tomorrow, if you want to travel out of Nazule, you’ll have to apply to the Public Communications Office. If your journey is deemed necessary, you’ll be issued with the relevant one. Where are you bound for?”
Goran leaned across Tiernay. “Officer, we come from the monastery. We get our supplies and mail in Nazule twice a week. We’re returning there now.”
The Protector pulled out a
pad and scribbled on it. Tearing the leaf out, he handed it to Rezac. Goran took it from him.
“That temporary pass will get you into Nazule on your next trip. Apply then for your permanent one.”
“What’s this all about?” asked Goran, jerking an ear in the direction of the three Valtegans who stood with guns trained on them.
“Freedom fighters,” he said shortly. “They’re becoming a problem.”
“How’s this going to help?” asked Tiernay.
“Look youngling, I have my orders,” growled the officer in a low voice. “I like it as much as you do. Now get going before that lot become curious. Never make them curious about you if you value your lives. Go.” He stepped back and waved them on, leaving Tiernay with his ears flicking in acute annoyance.
“Got Sholan failings like the rest of us, after all?” said Rezac, mouth open in a slight grin as he drove off.
Tiernay growled, showing his teeth.
“Shut it!” snapped Goran. “Did any of you use your brains enough to try and pick up his thoughts?”
“Yes,” said Rezac. “The Valtegans think that the restrictions will cut down the raids. The Protector’s afraid it won’t and that the Valtegans will start retributive action.”
“It won’t stop us,” growled Goran, “and the lizards have already started revenge killings. Don’t look at me like that,” he snapped at Tiernay. “Either we let them grind us into the dust, or we die fighting to be free. You wouldn’t be with us now if you were one of the rhakla! Harden yourself enough to face reality, boy. You don’t have to stop caring, just don’t let it touch you too much.”
“Like you and him?” Tiernay asked angrily, jerking his head toward Rezac.
Goran and Rezac exchanged glances.
“Not like us,” said Goran, his tone quieter. “Our type fights for the new world, yours and hers builds it.”
The rest of the journey was made in silence. Goran headed off immediately for the caverns to contact his people on the outside to exchange the news on the upsurge of Valtegan activity in Nazule. Zashou, Tiernay, and Rezac were left to unload the parcels. Dusk had fallen, and it was beginning to freeze.
“If anyone complains they aren’t warm enough after this,” said Zashou darkly as she slipped yet again on the frozen path, “I’ll have their hides!”
Rezac reached out a hand to steady her. “Come on. You’ll feel better when you’ve got some hot food inside you. We missed second meal today, and I’m starving.”
Zashou noticed that the dim hall of the shrine seemed somehow brighter than it had that morning. As they walked toward the curtain that concealed the door into the private area, the flames in the bowl held by the statue flickered slightly, casting moving shadows across its face, making it seem almost alive. She shivered and quickened her pace.
“I always found the temple an intimidating place,” said Zashou. “I’m glad I wasn’t one of the students.”
“What did the collars do?”
“We were wearing them when you found us,” she replied, shivering at the memory. “The green stone in the center lit up if we tried to use our telepathic abilities, letting everyone around know what we were doing. It also sent a signal to the control bracelets which the Valtegans wore. By pressing a few buttons, they were able to punish us from a distance of twenty meters.”
“It must have been horrific.”
“At first,” she admitted. “When you have a talent, you use it automatically—it’s like scratching when you have an itch, you don’t even notice you’re doing it. We had to train ourselves not to use it. It took some time but Rezac worked out how to disable it. Once he got mine off and adjusted it, then did the same to his, rather than alert them when we used our telepathy, it warned us when they were using their control bracelets near enough for us to be affected by it so we could fake our reaction.”
“Clever.”
“Oh, Rezac’s got a way with electronics, and there’s no one better when it comes to using our mental skills,” she said.
Though Jo could hear the respect for his abilities in Zashou’s voice, she could also feel the resentment behind it. She decided to probe a little further.
“What’s he like?” she asked. “He seems pleasant enough, if a bit abrupt at times.”
Zashou glanced over at her Leska, who looked up and locked eyes with her briefly. It was she who broke the contact.
“He is. It’s his violent attitude to life in general that I can’t stand,” she said.
“I haven’t noticed it,” said Jo quietly.
“You don’t have to live with him inside your head all the time. He views everything as a conflict.”
“You were living on the front line of a war,” said Jo. “I’ve been there, I know what it’s like.”
“You’re a female, how could you know!”
“I fought in our war against the Valtegans. I had to go among them and spy on them. That’s why I’m on this mission. I’m a soldier.”
“You?” Zashou looked at her in frank disbelief.
“Tell us about your war on Keiss,” said Rezac from the other side of the room.
The unexpectedness of his request, coupled with the touch of his mind against hers, threw Jo for a moment. Then Kris came to her rescue.
“You were on the First Contact team, weren’t you, Jo? And you, too, Davies.”
“Yeah, that was us,” said Davies, looking up from his sketches and jottings. “I fought alongside Jo when we went into the Valtegan military base on Keiss to get Kusac and Carrie out.”
“Tell us about it,” repeated Rezac, getting up from the table and stretching. “I hadn’t realized your females fought.”
“They don’t, generally, but Keiss was our first colony world and the resistance needed every fighter we could get,” said Jo.
“This Kusac, he’s the one you claim has a Human Leska, isn’t he? Do they come into your story, too?” he asked, joining the two females by the fire.
“Carrie’s his Leska,” said Kris, pulling over another chair. “I know the official version, but I’d like to hear how it really was.”
“You’d do better asking Gary,” she said, trying to cover the confusion she felt at Rezac’s sudden interest in her. His mental touch was so powerful and so different from any she’d felt before. Suddenly she was aware of just how bad the situation was between him and Zashou. He was hoping that her tale could make his Leska understand what it was like for another female to have to fight for her life and freedom.
“You start, I’ll fill in here and there,” said Davies, stopping at the table to pick up a piece of cheese left over from their meal.
An insistent noise dragged Kris from the depths of sleep. Still groggy, he lay there on his pallet listening till it came again.
“Kris! Are you awake?”
“Mmm,” he grunted.
“Kris!”
“What?”
“Not so loud!” Jo hissed. “You’ll wake Davies. Have you heard from Vyaka on the Summer Bounty yet?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Aren’t they overdue for contact? Wouldn’t Carrie and Kusac have told the authorities about Rezac’s message and gotten them to come back earlier?”
He pushed himself up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and peered up at the bed on which she lay. “It doesn’t quite work that way, Jo,” he mumbled sleepily. “They can’t suddenly reappear here. They’ve got to wait for the right time. If they’ve no cargo, they’ve no justification for being in the port. I told you and Davies that the last time I contacted her, Vyaka said they’d be out of the system for a month.”
“A month’s almost up. They might be in range now. Couldn’t you try?”
“I try every night before going to sleep, Jo,” he said patiently. “Believe me, I’m as anxious as you to hear from her.”
“Maybe if Rezac and Zashou helped?”
He was silent for a minute, unsure what to say to her. He disliked involving the two Sholans, didn’t wan
t them to know they had a contact, albeit one they couldn’t reach at present. Rezac was just too damned impulsive. This was their mission, their call as to what they did, and he didn’t want a battle for leadership developing between the Sholan and Jo. He was well aware that Rezac didn’t like a female being in charge, nor was he very trusting of any of the Humans. At the moment, he was the one at a disadvantage, the outsider. If that changed, then they might well have problems.
“I’d rather keep Rezac in the dark about Vyaka for the time being,” he said finally. “If you helped me, together we might be able to do it.”
He sensed her shying away from his suggestion.
“Not unless we have to,” she said.
He could feel her withdrawal from him. “Very well, but do take what I said seriously, Jo. Say nothing, at least for now, to Rezac. It’s not good to trust too easily. We hardly know them yet.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” she replied. “Sorry I woke you. Good night.”
“Good night,” he said.
He lay down, listening to the bed creaking as she settled herself again. Against his chest, Scamp began to wriggle himself into a more comfortable position, scolding his Human friend gently all the while. Absentmindedly, Kris began to stroke the little creature’s head and ears.
It’s all right for you, he sent to his friend. If she was a female jegget, you’d go rushing straight up to her and get stuck in! What’s the presence of a few more people or jeggets to you? But it’s just not that simple for us, Scamp, he sighed.
Chapter 6
Running forward, she grasped the heavy pole, trying to pull it aside. Within moments, several of the guards, accompanied by Master Rhyaz and Vriuzu, were at her side; the pole was lifted and the tapestry pulled aside. Kaid lay there unconscious, on his shoulder a shallow, seared wound that oozed a colorless fluid.
T’Chebbi leaned forward to feel for his pulse. “He’s alive,” she said.
Vriuzu took hold of Kaid’s wrist, turning it over to reset the psychic damper he wore to full strength. “His Triad partners mustn’t know of this yet,” he said. “Father Lijou requests that we join him in his office, Master Rhyaz.”
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