"I'm not surprised. And Mnya? What's got her so wor-ried? The cross-species Link, or the fact they can
fight?"
"The fact they can fight," he said, sitting down. "She's afraid that fear of them will start up the post-Cataclysm po-groms again, when telepaths were hunted down and mur-dered because of their Talent."
Tallinu made a noise of disgust. "The fear of the telepaths back then was because the ordinary peoplethought they'd caused the Cataclysm."
"I know. There's no reason for her to think that could ever happen again. It's one thing for a race
emerging from global destruction to be paranoid and superstitious, but not now, a thousand years later."
"Enough of Mnya's paranoia. Tell me about this group of xenophobic younglings."
"They're not exactly xenophobic. Their logic's a little more complex. There're another two Brothers on the Khalossa, and one of them tried to infiltrate their little group but failed. Most of them have known each other for some time, and they aren't about to admit strangers into their con-fidence now."
"I hear you ruffled some fur the other night at a meeting for those who'd lost family on Szurtha and
Khyaal," said Tallinu, relaxing back into his chair.
"I did, rather," Dzaka admitted ruefully. "Tutor Rhuso told me to put this issue to rest once and for all, so I did. I told them what it was like. Before I did, though, I was sit-ting beside several of that little group and their attitude— then and later—had me worried. It wasn't what they said, because they sat there and just listened. You know how it is, I get a feel for the mood, and I didn't like theirs one bit, es-pecially the one called Chyad."
"Carry on," he said, picking up his mug and taking a drink from it.
* * *
"Kaid, it's good to see you again," said Garras, slipping into the seat opposite his friend. "You got my
message, then. I didn't expect to see you quite so soon."
A glass was pushed across the table toward him. "Friends come first. Your message coincided with onefrom the guild. I was able to combine the two."
Garras lifted the glass gratefully, taking a long drink. "Thanks. I've just come off duty and I needed that.
I'm breaking in a new crew."
"I hear you had bad luck with your last one."
"News gets around fast," grunted Garras.
"Particularly when it's news like this."
"What's being said?"
"Chitchat about the Terrans, especially the new Telepath you brought back with you. How she's formed a Leska Link with one of your crew. And of course, Guynor's Challenge and the court-martial resulting from it."
"That it?"
He nodded, taking a sip from his own glass. "What's left?"
"Depends how you look at it," said Garras. "One hell of a lot from what I can see."
"So. Tell me."
* * *
Vanna had spent an hour trying to find Garras. She finally tracked him down in the main bar on theconcourse. Stop-ping at the doorway, she looked around the crowed area, try-ing to spot Garras'grizzled head. Not old, she reminded herself with a faint grin, just mature.
Catching sight of him at the far corner, she headed over, threading her way through the crowded tables.
As she got closer, she noticed his companion get up and leave.
"Where's your friend gone?" she asked, slipping into the vacated seat against the wall.
"He's due on shift," said Garras. "What brings you down here at this time of day?"
"The need for familiar company," she said. "I look around at these people and I don't know them
anymore. It's as if they were…" She stopped, lost for a word.
"Alien?"
"Yes, alien. It's as if they're only playing at what we ac-tually experienced. They ask what happened and
when I tell them, they don't understand."
"This is their first real taste of war, Vanna. Apart from po-licing the odd border dispute between the Touibans and the Chemerians, the Forces don't see any real action. We've lived years of their placid existence in three months, and in a way they resent it."
"I don't know about that, but they seem to think it was exciting. Being holed up in that cave for weeks on
end, not knowing if we'd ever get off-planet isn't my idea of excite-ment!"
"Nor that of any sane person who's actually experienced it," he said soothingly. "Now, what did you
really want to see me about?"
Vanna glanced up at him. "I'm beginning to think telepa-thy is catching," she said wryly. "I'm worriedabout Kusac and Carrie. I wondered if you'd heard from either of them."
"Me? Why should they contact me?" he asked, cocking his head to one side in surprise.
"No reason really, just a faint hope," she shrugged, look-ing down at the table again. "After what we've been through, it's natural to want to remain together because of the shared experiences. Especially when no one else under-stands them," she said with a flash of humor.
Garras looked up and managed to catch the eye of a bar-tender. Beckoning him over, he handed him hisempty glass. "The same again," he said. "Vanna?"
"Oh, c'shar please."
He turned back to her. "Why are you worrying about them?"
"Carrie is still at Rhian's."
"Leskas don't always live together," he said reasonably.
"I know that," she said, her tone almost sharp. "But Kusac looked pretty rough when we saw him yesterday after the court-martial. He's had constant severe headaches since the night you two had your fight in the bar. So has Carrie. Something isn't right."
Garras frowned, ears twitching slightly. "You're not being very specific. Are you concerned that one orboth of them is ill, or that they are apart?"
"I can't be more specific. It's more of a hunch, a gut feel-ing," she said, concentrating on dipping a clawtip
in a small puddle of drink on the table. "After living with them on Keiss, I seem to sense when
something's not right."
"So that's what you meant by telepathy being catching," he said with an attempt at levity.
She ignored his comment, waiting till the bartender had placed the drinks in front of them. "From what I've been able to find out about Leskas, they need to be together every five days. Be it biologicalimperative or a psychological need to renew the closeness between them, they need that twenty-six hourstogether. Kusac and Carrie haven't been alone together as far as I know since Guynor's Challenge. Thatwas sixteen days ago by my reckoning. That's not right or normal for Leskas."
"What's normal for the first Sholan and Terran Leska pair?"
Vanna's ears dipped briefly to the side as she shot him an angry look. She returned to drawing patterns inthe spilled drink with her clawtip.
"Drink your c'shar," said Garras placatingly. "When are you due to see him next?"
"Tomorrow," she said.
"Not much is likely to happen between now and then even if you're right. If he's ill, he'll call you. So will
she."
"I suppose so," Vanna said reluctantly.
Garras sighed. "If you're that bothered, call him."
"I can't," she said, looking up. "It would be an invasion of his privacy. They're on leave at the moment, so
they can adjust to their Link."
"Maybe being so closely involved with them wasn't such a good idea after all," said Garras, reaching out
to place his hand on top of hers comfortingly.
"I'm the only one who can do the job at present," she said.
"Then train someone to take over."
"It would take too long, and most of what I know is based on intuition. I can't teach anyone else that."
"Have you managed to get any more information from the Telepath Guild?"
"None. They say we have all the relevant data we need, but I don't believe them."
"Why would they lie about it? They must realize that Kusac and Carrie are more important than keeping
guild se-crets. You're letting your imagination get the better of you."
"Maybe you're right," she said. "I'm probably looking on the dark side. I was up in my lab this morning
when they brought Guynor in, and it's left me feeling down."
"That's probably what's at the base of your 'gut feeling.' Guynor's death."
"You're probably right. This is the first execution there's been on the Khalossa in the five years I've
served on her. On top of that, he was a colleague of mine."
"The death of someone you know always makes you aware of your own mortality," he said, tightening his
grip on her hand. "At least you know he was guilty of attempted murder."
"That doesn't really help, and that's the worst part."
The intercom chimed melodiously. "Vanna Kyjishi to Med level, lab three."
"I've got to go," she said, withdrawing her hand and standing up. "It could be them."
"Do you want to meet later?" Garras asked, looking up at her. "If you're feeling that low, company would
be good therapy."
She hesitated. "I'll get back to you, if I may."
"Leave a message on my comm," he said. "Personnel will give you the code. I'll authorize it with them."
Vanna hurried into her office, going straight to the comm. The monitor glowed red in the left corner,indicating a mes-sage.
She keyed in the command for a hard copy and the unit erupted into life, spitting sheets of paper into thetray. Pick-ing up the first sheet, she scanned the top, wondering what could have been so urgent as tonecessitate her being paged.
At the top it read, "Kusac Aldatan to Vanna Kyjishi" and was dated for the following day's transmission.
Frowning, she sat down to read it. She soon realized that here was the information she was lacking—themedical data that the Telepath Guild claimed didn't exist.
Grabbing a medikit, she rifled through its contents, adding extra ampoules for the hypoderm gun. In herhaste, she dropped one. It fell to the floor, smashing and spreading its contents round her feet.
Swearing, she hopped out of the way, yelling for one of the nurses to clean it up. The last thing sheneeded now was a cut foot.
Less haste, she told herself as she cursed Kusac in every direction for being a fool.
Replacing the broken ampoule, she snapped the case shut, heading at a run for the nearest elevator.
When it stopped, she shoved her way out, upsetting sev-eral people in the process. She went down thecorridor at full lope until she reached Rhian's and Askad's quarters. She punched the chime, tail lashingimpatiently from side to side as she waited.
* * *
Raguul switched off the comm and looked up at Myak. "Where is she?" he asked succinctly.
"Still at the quarters of Rhian and Askad, our other Leska pair."
"And our runaway?"
"He's in his quarters," replied Myak, heading unobtru-sively toward the cupboard in the far wall.
"I want her here, in my office in an hour's time," Raguul said. "I want the Mentor here now. This Link of
theirs has to be dissolved."
"I'm afraid that's not possible, sir," siad Myak, coming back across the room to the Commander and
offering him his medicine.
"I didn't ask for that," said Raguul, nonetheless automat-ically taking it from him. "What do you mean it
isn't possi-ble?"
"I can contact the Mentor without difficulty, but the Terran girl, I'm afraid not. There's some kind of medical emergency involving both of them. I don't have any details at present, but it's being dealt with. Doubtless the Mentor will be able to tell you more when she arrives."
Raguul gave him a pained look, then drank the contents of the glass. He handed it back to Myak withouta word.
Myak ushered in the Mentor.
"Commander," she said, taking the chair beside the desk. "How can I help you?"
"First, what's all this about a medical emergency involv-ing Kusac and Carrie?"
Mnya smiled. "Nothing that hasn't been satisfactorily dealt with."
Raguul blinked, surprised. "I expect you don't intend to discuss it any further," he said, "but I expect a fullreport on it tomorrow. Meanwhile, you're aware that we've opened negotiations with the Terran's homeworld, Earth, aren't you?"
"I had heard that everything was progressing well."
"It was with Keiss, until Earth became aware of two things. Keiss' independent status and the fact that
we have a Terran female, daughter of Hamilton, the planetary Gover-nor, on board."
The Mentor looked puzzled. "I fail to see a problem."
"The Terrans wish to retain absolute control over all ne-gotiations. They and only they will make the treaty with us. Keiss is their colony and will do as it's told. Hamilton is having none of it; he's holding out fof independence. Earth threatens to cut negotiations completely if we make a treaty with Hamilton."
"What does Alien Relations say?"
"That we deal with Keiss."
"And Earth?"
"We point out that their participation in guarding their sector of space from possible Valtegan incursions
would be useful, but not necessary to the Alliance. Basically, they can sink or swim on their own."
"Harsh words," murmured the Mentor.
"Oh, they'll come round. That isn't the real problem. While Earth was arguing with Hamilton, they pointed
out that we are holding his daughter as a hostage. Hamilton has now demanded the immediate return of
his daughter or he'll cut off all negotiations with us."
"This is unfortunate."
Myak returned bearing mugs of c'shar.
"Thanks," grunted Raguul, taking his. "You might as well remain," he said, nodding to a companion chair by the Men-tor. "This is more than unfortunate. The whole treaty now hangs in the balance because of their damned link!"
"It's hardly their fault, Commander," said the Mentor, tak-ing a sip of her drink before placing the mug on
the desk.
"Mnya, that Link has got to be dissolved. I have to return the female to her planet," Raguul said, leaning
forward, ears flicking.
"Impossible. It's too late now, even if there had been any-thing we could have done."
"Dammit, Mnya! It's a cross-species Link, not even a real one! There has to be some way to break it.
Can't you people do something to her mind, shut it down or something?"
"Have you any idea what you're suggesting, Raguul?" the Mentor asked, her anger evident in the set of ears and eyes. "That is tantamount to blinding and deafening an unTalented person! The girl has done nothing wrong to deserve such a punishment even if it could be done! And what about Kusac? Do we just 'shut him down,' too? The shock of doing that could kill them both!"
"If it saved the treaty, I'd order it. Without her Talent, Kusac would no longer be Linked to her which would get rid of our other problem. She has to be returned to Keiss, and on her own. Find a way to do it."
"Their Link is as real as any Sholan Leska Link."
"I don't think you're considering the political or military consequences if we don't return her, Mnya. And Kusac must remain here. His father is trying to get his service in the Forces terminated," said Raguul. "Hard though it is, this has to be done."
"Raguul, you are the one ignoring the political conse-quences," said Mnya stiffly. "When I said it's
impossible, I meant it cannot be done, unless you want to return two corpses!"
"Come off it, Mnya," said the Commander, sitting back in his seat. "I know you want to study her Talent,
but the treaty has to come first. If you wanted to, you could find a way to do it, I'm sure."
"Raguul, kindly grant me the courtesy of believing I know my own craft," said Mnya, her tone biting. "By
now their
Link is complete. Their minds are working as one, in a way no Sholan Leska Link does! This Link oftheirs is ab
normal, yes, in its intensity. They have exchanged Talents and mem-ories to a degree neverknown by our guild before!" She leaned forward. "As for the politics, do you really want to return Hamilton's daughter to him as a corpse? And Konis Aldatan's son? Head of Alien Relations, Lord of the Sixteen Telepath Clans? Return his son dead because of a treaty? I'm sure he'd understand," she saidsarcastically. "So will Rhyasha. She's got two other children, after all. One of them can be heir instead of Kusac. I'd understand perfectly if I were them."
Raguul flinched. "Konis doesn't know about their Link as yet."
"Well, I'm not going to tell him!" she said tartly. "You're being foolish in the extreme to even think of risking their lives. In their case there can be no doubt that if one of them dies, you'll lose them both. Take that as a certainty."
"How can you be so sure?" demanded Raguul, regaining a little of his equilibrium. "You haven't had time
to verify all that you've told me."
"I don't need to. Kusac did it. I received a locked and dated file that he had intended for the physician, Vanna Kyjishi. I've no idea how it landed on my desk, but I'm damned glad it did! It puts paid utterly to lunatic suggestions like yours!"
"There's no need to be offensive, Mnya," sighed Raguul. "So, like it or not, we're stuck with their Link.
What the hell do I do about Hamilton?"
"Tell him. Once he knows, he won't risk her life either."
"I'm not going to tell him!"
"Ha! So who is?" demanded Mnya.
They sat and looked at each other in silence. "Excuse me," said Myak. Taken by surprise, they bothlooked round at him.
"Why not let them tell their own fathers? That's what would normally happen with our people. I should imagine it's the same for the Terrans. Kusac will definitely want to speak to his father himself, and probably Carrie's as well."
Raguul's expression relaxed into one of relief. "What could be more natural? The female is, after all, only
Kusac's Leska. It's not as if he's contracted to her as a mate."
"I for one will be glad not to have to face Konis' anger." she said candidly. "What about Hamilton? He's going to take none too kindly to his daughter having a relationship with Kusac. At least Konis has dealt extensively with aliens. It won't be quite such a shock to him."
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