Fortune's Wheel

by Lisanne Norman

  "I won't forget this, Kusac. You'll pay for this!" Her voice was a hiss of venom.

  Kusac turned his back on her and opened the office door as his two bodyguards escorted her outside.

  He shut the door quietly behind him.

  The night staff stood in a huddle next to the desk. They looked toward him as he entered.

  "Liegen. our apologies for this incident," said the Guild Mother, stepping forward. "The fault is mine. I

  should have sent her home as soon as she arrived."

  Kusac shook his head. "You could no more have con-trolled her than I could," he said tiredly. "She maynot be Talented, but she does know how to project her moods so she can get what she wants."

  The older female hesitated before continuing. "I'm afraid we couldn't help but be aware of some of yourdiscussion," she said apologetically, ears and tail flicking in embarrass-ment. "This incident has made usrealize that Rala has de-veloped her ability to project her thoughts despite the fact that when she wastested as a child, we could find no Talent worth training. The shielding in the interview rooms was just notadequate to contain her. If you wish, we can all vouch for the fact that you were only alone for a fewmin-utes."

  "I hope it won't be necessary, but thank you," he said, distinctly aware that if they had followed the discussion, then there was a strong likelihood that it had disturbed Carrie too. He reached for her through their Link but could sense nothing beyond her presence. "I've sent Rala home with my guards. Once again, I apologize for the fact that ev-eryone has been disturbed by her because of me."

  "Liegen, she is entirely responsible for her own actions," said the Guild Mother. "May I suggest that we lodge a strong complaint with Clan Leader Vailkoi on both our and your behalf? Coming from me before her arrival home, it should do much to discredit any false claims his daughter may try to make."

  Despite his worry at not being able to sense Carrie, Kusac grinned. "I think it's a marvelous idea. I hopethat the whole guild hasn't been aware of what happened tonight."

  "No, Liegen," she reassured him. "Master Esken is, and myself, but her anger was only felt by the few students who hadn't gone out for the evening and were still in the com-mon lounge. The cubs had long since gone to bed and their quarters are even better shielded than yours. Master Esken is going to want to talk to her father about her mood projec-tions. She must learn to control them. Why her family has let her get away with it this long is beyond me."

  "I'm glad the cubs are all right. As for Rala, I'm afraid she knows exactly how to control her moods and

  thoughts," he said, turning to leave. "I must go. Good night."

  Once away from the office, the need to suppress his anger with Rala was lessened, and it began to buildagain. He had to get out of the guild. Too many people were able to pick him up; he needed to talk tosomeone, someone he could trust and who could help him.

  There had only really been one friend when he'd been here before. Ghyan. He couldn't face Carrie now.

  Hopefully, she was still asleep and totally unaware of what had hap-pened. It was a faint hope, though.

  He stopped at the public comm unit and buzzed their apartment. Kaid answered.

  "Is she awake?" he asked.

  "I made sure she didn't, Liegen," said Kaid. "I had made it my business to find out about Rala Vailkoi some time ago, so I took the precaution of sedating your Leska as soon as I arrived." He looked Kusac straight in the eyes.

  Kusac frowned. "You did what?" he asked slowly, hardly able to believe what Kaid was saying.

  "I gave her a mild sedative," said Kaid. "I had some basic medical training through the Brotherhood, and

  I've updated it to include a knowledge of Terrans. I knew exactly how much she needed."

  "You took a lot for granted," he said, relief countering the anger he knew he ought to have felt.

  "It would have served no useful purpose to have had a confrontation between her and Rala," said Kaid.

  "I know. My concern now is that Rala may try to harm her. She wouldn't dare do anything to me, but Carrie is an-other matter. In future I want you to protect her, not me. I'll have Meral and Sevrin, but she's more vulnerable. If you protect her, we've both got a better chance."

  "If that's what you wish," said Kaid.

  Kusac nodded.

  "Rala won't get anyone from the Brotherhood to help her," murmured Kaid. "There's a ban on taking a

  negative contract that involves any Terran or the Leska of a Terran."

  Kusac pulled a wry face. "I'm relieved to hear it," he said. "What occasioned such a decision?"

  Kaid hesitated. "You won't want to hear it," he said. "Last time I spoke of the God you told me to besilent."

  Kusac broke eye contact, suddenly feeling the coldness up and down his spine again. "Let it lie then,

  Kaid. It's enough that the Brotherhood has made the decision. How long will Carrie be asleep?"

  "Only for an hour or two," said Kaid. "I'd like to remain here on guard for tonight. I'm not expecting

  trouble, but it pays to be safe."

  "If you consider it necessary. I'll be back shortly," Kusac said before cutting the connection. He needed

  to find Ghyan—now.

  Carrie's vision still haunted him. Perhaps the God had been trying to tell him there was a way throughtheir prob-lems. Ghyan, if he was still at the temple, might hold the so-lution.

  He left the guild through one of the rear exits and headed out across the grassland for the trees. The nightair was fresh with the scent of damp grass. It smelled comfortingly famil-iar. Dropping down onto allfours he loped off into the dark-ness, beginning to run as he felt the anger surge within him.

  His vision began to fade at the edges till all he saw was the ground immediately in front of him; all heheard was the blood pounding in his ears as he ran faster, dodging between the bushes and skidding pasttrees, trying to outrun his rage while still containing it.

  Small nocturnal animals scattered in fright as, unmindful of the noise he made, he continued his headlongflight through the woodland. Abruptly the wall loomed ahead of him. He slithered to a stop, ending upwith his flank against the rough bricks as he halted just in time.

  At a slower pace, he followed the wall round to his right, coming at length to a small iron gate. Bunchinghis leg mus-cles, he sprang forward, clearing it with a foot or more to spare and landing in the paved areaoutside, sides heaving as he began to gasp for breath.

  He smelled incense and someone coming. The scent was familiar, yet it had to be an enemy. His visionnarrowed even further, the scene in front of him becoming tinged with red. Concentrating on the robedfigure, with a snarl he attempted to stand upright. As he did, the world tipped crazily about him and hefelt the gestalt flare into being.

  Carrie was too far away to touch, yet he felt her presence as acutely as if he had been touching her; hecould feel her stirring in her drugged sleep. The energy, unable to reach her, began to build in him,swirling round and round like a cyclone. Unable to escape his shield it exploded, sending him reeling tohis knees with the backlash. He fell forward, his forearms barely managing to take the impact as hebe-came hypersensitively aware of every atom of his body. The pain in his knees and arms and the chillair of the night in his lungs, were all equally unbearable. Through their Link he felt her cry out in her sleep.

  "I wondered when you'd come. It's been too long since we last saw each other, Kusac."

  The quiet voice and the featherlight touch of a mind he knew well gave him something other than himselfto focus on; its familiarity reassured him. Gradually the sensitivity eased and breathing became lesspainful.

  "Ghyan," he said, lifting his head and forcing his vision to clear. His friend stood patiently waiting for him

  to recover. Kusac knew that he had sensed nothing.

  "I felt your anger from the Temple and knew that the God would guide your steps here," said Ghyan.

  Kusac growled softly as he pushed himself up off the damp stones to
sit on his haunches. "Don't talk tome of Gods, Ghyan, I've no faith in them. They twist your life out of shape by giving with one hand anddestroying with the other."

  "Has the God destroyed something of yours, Kusac?" his friend asked. "I rather thought He had given

  you a wondrous gift."

  Again he growled warningly. "Ghyan, I came to you for help, not a sermon."

  "Then you're doubly welcome. Come in and tell me what's angered you so badly." He leaned forward

  and held out his hand.

  Kusac hesitated, then took it, letting his friend help him to his feet. Together they walked down the pathto the temple.

  "I heard you'd disappeared," Ghyan said. "I wasn't sur-prised. It didn't take much Talent to know how

  trapped you felt by the life that your father had mapped out for you."

  They'd come to a side door and Ghyan pushed it open for him. "It doesn't lead into the main temple,"

  said Ghyan, forestalling him. "This leads to my own quarters."

  Still keeping a tight rein on his emotions, Kusac followed him down the narrow corridor till his friendstopped to open the door to his room. As they entered, Kusac looked around and stopped dead.

  'This isn't an acolyte's room," he said accusingly, indicat-ing the expensive but simple furniture.

  "No, it isn't," agreed Ghyan with a smile. "I'm no longer an acolyte. You wouldn't be aware of our hierarchy unless you were attending the Temple regularly. There is only one resident priest, and he must be a telepath."

  "You, a priest? When you left the guild to come here, you intended only to serve a year or two as an

  acolyte. What happened?"

  Ghyan shrugged, and indicated that they should move over to the chairs. "I found this was where Ibelonged," he said simply, sitting in one of the two easy chairs. He watched Kusac prowl restlessly roundthe room then stop beside the window, leaning on the sill.

  "You won't see much in the dark," Ghyan said. "Why don't you tell me how I can help you?"

  "Rala Vailkoi," Kusac said succinctly, continuing to look out into the night.

  "Ah. Your forthcoming marriage."

  "I won't have her, Ghyan. I can't stand the female! She's a spoiled, manipulative brat!" he said angrily, his

  tail begin-ning to lash from side to side.

  "I wouldn't disagree with you, but you've known this for a long time now. You never seemed concerned

  about her be-fore."

  "I was younger then. There was plenty of time to worry about marriage later."

  "Now time has run out," said Ghyan quietly.

  "Yes." Kusac turned and began pacing round the small room again. The fire had gone out of his anger, leaving only a feeling of desolation. "I can't marry her, Ghyan." He re-turned to the window, keeping his back to his friend as he stared out into the night again. "I've met someone else," he said quietly.

  "Your Leska." It was a statement.

  "Yes," said Kusac. "There must be some way to dissolve the contract."

  "Only if your father and Vailkoi agree it should be dis-solved, and I don't think they will. Having a Leska

  that you'd rather was your mate doesn't constitute a good reason, I'm afraid."

  Kusac turned round to look at him. "I won't life-bond with Rala, Ghyan."

  "You can't bond to your Terran, Kusac. The Council of Clans wouldn't condone it."

  "Then I'll not bond at all, no matter what the council says," he said angrily.

  "Would it be so bad? It's only a dynastic bonding, you wouldn't have to live with her."

  "I can't stand her near me, let alone touching me," he said.

  "It would only be occasionally. You have a duty to pro-vide your Clan with heirs."

  "Dammit, Ghyan, I know all about my duty!" he said an-grily, pushing himself away from the window.

  "You don't know what I feel for Carrie—what she means to me! I'll have her or no one!"

  Ghyan looked him steadily in the eye. "I do know, Kusac. I can feel it, despite your shield," he said withsympathy. "But have you really thought this through? Where would you go? If you flout the law, then yourmother will have no choice but to expel you from your clan. The guild couldn't support you. It can't affordto get involved in political or civil matters."

  "I've thought it through every way I could imagine," he said, taking a kick at the small waste bin standing by Ghyan's chair. It bounced noisily across the room, shedding its contents before rolling to a stop. "I've got to find a way out of this contract."

  Turning, he perched on the arm of the chair opposite his friend. "You don't understand, Ghyan. Our linkis far stron-ger than normal Leska Links, we're more dependent on each other, and I'm all that Carrie hason Shola. If I marry Rala, it could wreck the love we share."

  "Surely she understands," said Ghyan.

  "I haven't told her yet," he admitted, his ears flicking backward and remaining there. "We've both had to work hard for the relationship we have. I won't risk ruining that. Like I said, the Gods screw your life up for their own amusement. First they give us each other, then they make it impossible for us to be together as mates."

  "It has always been impossible, Kusac," Ghyan reminded him softly. "At least Vartra has given you

  Carrie and your love for each other, perhaps to compensate for the marriage you must make."

  At the mention of Vartra, the dream of the night before came forcefully to Kusac's mind and he lookeddown at the floor.

  Ghyan rose, moving past him to where a container of c'shar sat on a heated unit. "Would you like adrink?" he asked, taking a couple of mugs from the shelf behind.

  "Please."

  "Why don't you tell me about your vision?" he said, pour-ing the c'shar into the mugs.

  Kusac looked up, tail and ears flicking. "Is my shield that bad?"

  "It is now," said Ghyan, returning with the mugs. He handed one to Kusac then resumed his seat. "I

  sensed noth-ing when you arrived, but you've relaxed a little since then. Now, tell me about your vision."

  "It wasn't a vision," said Kusac defensively, "and Carrie saw more than me."

  "Then tell me what your Leska saw."

  "She saw a temple very like this, with the statue of Vartra," said Kusac reluctantly. "He spoke to her, asking if she was content and telling her that too many lives had been lost because of our Talents." Even as he spoke, he could sense his friend's surprise.

  "A vision of this type is often seen by new Leska pairs when they stay at the Valsgarth Guild, but usually the God only asks if they are content," said Ghyan thoughtfully, tak-ing a drink from his mug. "This mention of lives lost is new."

  "I only heard Him ask if I was content," said Kusac. "What does it mean, Ghyan?"

  "We don't know, I'm afraid. It doesn't happen to every pair, only a few, and only when they are living at the guild. I'm intrigued that He should appear to someone from an-other species, even though she is your Leska."

  "There's a lot of crossover of abilities between us, so much so that it worries me."

  "Worries you? How?"

  Kusac got to his feet again, turning away from his friend, unsure how much to tell him. He'd already saidmore to Ghyan than perhaps he should, but he needed someone to talk to. Walking over to the window,he twitched the curtains aside while he considered what to do. Making up his mind, he returned to thechair. "When the Link formed, we ex-changed the experiences of our lives up to that point in time. We'relinked so closely that I know what she's doing and thinking all the time, as she does with me. Ghyan, I'mfind-ing my outlook is changing. I question everything, espe-cially the things I took for granted before Imet her. Nothing is sacrosanct any more, everything has to be proved to me."

  He hesitated before voicing his deepest fear. "I'm afraid I'm becoming less Sholan and more like her."

  Ghyan was silent for a moment. "I've known you a long time, Kusac. I know the feel of your mind. Yes,you've changed. As you say, your mind is so closely meshed with Carrie's that change wa
s inevitable. Butyou've always ques-tioned everything, you're no different in that respect. Re-member, if you feelinfluenced by Carrie's human mind, she is equally influenced by your Sholan one."

  "I'm not so sure," Kusac said. "It was easier before. I knew that my decisions were made from the foundations of training based on my experience and were not against the in-terest of our Clan. Now my decisions are based on her ex-periences and knowledge, too. How can I be sure they're right any more?"

  "Was your decision to join the Forces taken for the ben-efit of the Clan?" asked Ghyan with a smile.

  Kusac's ears flicked and he glanced away. Remembering his c'shar, he hid himself behind his mug as hetook a drink.

  "As I said, the essential you hasn't changed that much," said Ghyan. "The God has given you each other. More than that, He has acknowledged both you and your Leska. There must be a reason for it, and in time we will know. Mean-while, you have each other, be content."

  "What about this marriage? I've got to stop it happening, Ghyan. You were studying law before you

  came here, can't you see if there's a way we can have the contract set aside?"

  "I can check for you," Ghyan admitted, "but I honestly think it's most unlikely. Think carefully before making a de-cision. If you marry Rala, you'd still be free to live with Carrie. Do anything else and you'll both be outcasts with nowhere to go, nowhere to live. Our civil laws concerning the ruling families of Clans are very strict. You know that."

  "There's got to be something I can do," Kusac said, put-ting down his mug and getting restlessly to his

  feet again.

  "Have you thought of meditating and asking Vartra what you should do?" asked Ghyan, turning round in his seat to follow him with his eyes. "If, as you feel, He has caused the problem, then surely He can provide the solution."

  "I've no faith in any Gods at the moment, Ghyan, only in people, and then only a very few." He stopped

  by the door, hand on the lever. "I've got to go. She'll waken soon."

  "I'll check the archives for you, but don't get your hopes up," he said warningly. "I doubt that there are