Guardians of Paradise (41 page)
Read Guardians of Paradise Online
Authors: Jaine Fenn
‘I’m not sure we do.’ Her expression was becoming oddly vacant.
‘What is it? What’s wrong?’
He could feel her growing insubstantial in his embrace. Her voice suddenly seemed to come from far away. ‘Something is happening, back at the ship. I have to—’
‘Don’t go—!’ he cried.
His arms closed on mist. She was gone.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Marua’s databreakers finished decrypting Tawhira-
ngai
’s files a couple of hours after Pershalek had gone down to the encoding lab. The data confirmed his claim that the Angel had been kidnapped because they believed that Angel implants included zepgen generators. Their tests had supported this hypothesis, even if there was no way to get the valuable technology out without destroying it.
ngai
’s files a couple of hours after Pershalek had gone down to the encoding lab. The data confirmed his claim that the Angel had been kidnapped because they believed that Angel implants included zepgen generators. Their tests had supported this hypothesis, even if there was no way to get the valuable technology out without destroying it.
And Marua, friend to the Sidhe, hadn’t even known that zepgen really existed.
This afternoon the
Ariki-Marae
had issued a motion of censure against her
ngai,
formally reprimanding them for their actions against Tawhira-
ngai
. She had stretched the rules of honourable engagement to their limits, and the combined representatives of the other
ngais
had declared her actions
tapu
. Considerable fines were levied, and less tangible gestures of reconciliation would be required in order for honour to be restored. She would be paying the price for recruiting Pershalek for months, if not years. The consensus amongst
ngai
-watchers - and, she suspected, some of her own people - was that she’d made an uncharacteristically bad judgement call.
Ariki-Marae
had issued a motion of censure against her
ngai,
formally reprimanding them for their actions against Tawhira-
ngai
. She had stretched the rules of honourable engagement to their limits, and the combined representatives of the other
ngais
had declared her actions
tapu
. Considerable fines were levied, and less tangible gestures of reconciliation would be required in order for honour to be restored. She would be paying the price for recruiting Pershalek for months, if not years. The consensus amongst
ngai
-watchers - and, she suspected, some of her own people - was that she’d made an uncharacteristically bad judgement call.
Finally, as she was sitting down to the evening meal, a time of the day she made an effort to share with her family whenever she could, good news arrived, from an aide in Stonetown who managed her less formal contacts there. It was nearly midnight in the city, but she’d impressed upon her man the importance of getting full and accurate information on ‘Sais’ as quickly as possible. All they’d had to go on was a picture taken by a hidden camera in the aircar on the run against Tawhira-
ngai
and the high-level trace on his original com-call which confirmed that it had originated from Stonetown, but the aide had done well, following all relevant leads before bringing what he had to her. He had discovered ‘Sais’ was actually a freetrader called Jarek Reen, and he was still in Stonetown, on his ship in the starport. Given he was an offworlder and not a frequent visitor to Kama Nui, he would likely have only a few options for the dissemination of his blackmail material, and that meant the ‘certain independent party’ allegedly in possession of the incriminating data-package had to be one of the standard data-services.
ngai
and the high-level trace on his original com-call which confirmed that it had originated from Stonetown, but the aide had done well, following all relevant leads before bringing what he had to her. He had discovered ‘Sais’ was actually a freetrader called Jarek Reen, and he was still in Stonetown, on his ship in the starport. Given he was an offworlder and not a frequent visitor to Kama Nui, he would likely have only a few options for the dissemination of his blackmail material, and that meant the ‘certain independent party’ allegedly in possession of the incriminating data-package had to be one of the standard data-services.
With her
ngai
’s power and influence, it should not take long to find out which one.
ngai
’s power and influence, it should not take long to find out which one.
The cobbled streets of the City of Light were hot and foetid. Overhead, the perfection of the summer sky was marred by a twist of dark smoke from the pyres. Trash and sewerage clogged the open drains, and somewhere nearby a street-seller was crying his wares, fresh incense to honour the Mothers. He knew he shouldn’t be here - he was an impostor - but he’d decided to take the easy way out and try to fit in. He’d be fine, provided he never looked up. When he saw the boy standing with the painted strumpets at the side of the street he knew it was Taro, and that this was someone from his other life, the one he’d left behind. As though reminding him of that, he heard an artificial-sounding chirp. He ignored it. It’d been too long since he’d got laid, and now the opportunity presented itself, he wasn’t going to be distracted. His wife understood him, she wouldn’t mind if he just—
Jarek opened his eyes. The chirping continued. It was his com. The dream fled and he fumbled for the device. He blinked until the caller-ID and time came into focus. The time was 01:33. The caller’s name meant nothing, and the message-tag said the call came from cargo management.
What the hell?
What the hell?
But he could hardly pretend not to be at home to a member of spaceport staff. He and Taro had been on the ship all day, fees and duties all paid, prepped and ready to leave. On Taro’s insistence they were waiting until the next morning, in case there was any more news on Nual’s whereabouts. Taro had been in a right state all day, and though Jarek understood how love made you crazy at that age, he had begun to lose patience with him. He was still digesting the fact that Taro and Nual had been working for an old Sidhe male on Vellern.
He accepted the call and rasped, ‘Yes? What is it?’
A vaguely familiar face appeared on the screen. ‘Hey there - sorry to disturb you so late,’ said the woman, ‘but I thought you ought to know that someone’s been asking about you.’
He recognised her now, though the last time he’d seen her she’d been wearing a flower in her hair, not a smart uniform cap on her head, and the name she’d been using had been a shortened version of her full ID. ‘Oh, hi, Lali - er, what was that you said?’ Despite his feigned confusion, he was wide awake now.
‘Someone was asking after you.
Ngai
security I think, though they weren’t wearing uniforms. They had a picture, but no name. They wanted to know if anyone had seen you.’
Ngai
security I think, though they weren’t wearing uniforms. They had a picture, but no name. They wanted to know if anyone had seen you.’
‘What did you tell them?’
She looked faintly offended. ‘Nothing - what d’you think?’
‘Thank you, Lali, I really appreciate that. Um, when was this?’
She looked embarrassed. ‘Actually it was earlier this evening. Sorry, I had to wait until I had a break before I called you.’
‘No, no, that’s fine - it was good of you to call.’ It wasn’t fine, but presumably Ruanuku-
ngai
- he assumed it was them - either hadn’t managed to ID him yet, or else they weren’t in a hurry to apprehend him. ‘I don’t suppose you know if they spoke to anyone else?’
ngai
- he assumed it was them - either hadn’t managed to ID him yet, or else they weren’t in a hurry to apprehend him. ‘I don’t suppose you know if they spoke to anyone else?’
‘They spoke to everyone, so the chances are someone talked.’ She looked sheepish. ‘I told you as soon as I could.’
‘I understand. And I’m really grateful. I owe you dinner for this,’ he added, feeling a twinge of guilt at the incredibly high odds that he’d ever be in a position to buy it.
‘Great,’ she said, ‘it’s a date.’
Jarek’s guilt deepened; even if they did meet up again he was going to end up disappointing her. ‘Yeah, absolutely. Listen, better go - speak to you later, right? And thanks for the heads-up.’
Jarek ran through the rec-room and up to the bridge. He could use a caf, but that would have to wait. He threw himself onto the couch and commed traffic control to request clearance to depart.
With everything in order and ready to go, he’d been hoping for an automated response and he stifled a curse when an unfamiliar image appeared over the holo-plate. The uniformed young man wasn’t one of his drinking buddies. ‘I’m afraid that we are unable to grant departure permission to you at this time,’ he said, a little nervously.
Jarek’s heart started to beat faster. ‘Why not? I’ve already registered my state of readiness. Is there a problem I don’t know about out there?’ His external cameras showed nothing amiss outside.
‘Oh, there’s nothing to worry about,’ continued the official, his tone carefully light. ‘Just a few minor irregularities that customs might need to discuss.’
‘What sort of irregularities?’ asked Jarek, equally carefully.
The man shrugged, looking uncomfortable. ‘You’d have to ask them,’ he said.
‘All right, put me through please.’
‘They’re—Uh, the office is closed until oh-six-hundred. Sorry.’
Jarek leaned forward. ‘I’m on a schedule here. Now, either there’s a problem - in which case I’ll do everything in my power to help the authorities so I can be on my way - or there isn’t, in which case I’d like to leave now please.’ Though the cause was different this time, the situation wasn’t unfamiliar. He’d had to call officials’ bluffs before; sometimes because they were operating in a legal grey area, more often because he was. He knew how it went. He hoped this wasn’t a problem that would require financial lubrication. The docking fees had eaten up the last of his funds.
‘I have instructions . . .’ started the official.
‘From?’ asked Jarek, though he had a very good idea whom. ‘Because, as I say, I’m happy to comply with local laws, but I’m within my rights to know what’s going on.’ Jarek thought it unlikely that customs really did want to check him over: he’d sold two-thirds of his cargo through a respectable broker and though leaving without trying to offload the rest was irregular, it certainly wasn’t against any law. ‘Detaining me without due cause would be an illegal act under pan-human law – I can’t quote the exact Treaty and Clause offhand, but we could always look it up - and would make you extremely unpopular with the Freetraders’ Alliance.’
‘I’ll . . . I just need to check with my supervisor,’ said the young man, looking harassed.
Jarek forced himself to breathe evenly as he prepped the ship. A port like this was unlikely to have any offensive capabilities, so they couldn’t physically stop him leaving. The question was: did they want him enough to send someone after him? Though the
Judas Kiss
- now the
Heart of Glass
- was fast as tradebirds went, it was unlikely to be able to outrun an in-system interceptor.
Judas Kiss
- now the
Heart of Glass
- was fast as tradebirds went, it was unlikely to be able to outrun an in-system interceptor.
Before he committed himself to anything drastic, he’d wait for the official to call him back.
It took six minutes and fifteen seconds. Jarek knew, because he watched the digits tick over on his com. It stopped him thinking too closely about what he was doing.
Running away. Abandoning his friend to her fate.
Taro would be devastated when he found out. But if Ruanuku-
ngai
were onto them, what choice did they have?
Running away. Abandoning his friend to her fate.
Taro would be devastated when he found out. But if Ruanuku-
ngai
were onto them, what choice did they have?
The chirp of the com made him jump.
The young man reappeared, looking slightly flushed. ‘There appears to have been a slight mix-up,’ he said. ‘You’re free to go, but make sure you keep a channel open in case we need to contact you again.’
Jarek tried not to let his relief show. ‘I always do.’
It was a rush as intense as any she had felt before - at least, until the day she and Taro had made love - but it was far from pleasant. Afterwards Nual likened it to being dragged screaming through the void at the speed of light - which in some ways was exactly what it was.
She was being attacked.
No doubt of that
, she thought as Taro’s dream dissolved into formless speed and panic. Someone was trying to enter her mind while she was in trance.
No doubt of that
, she thought as Taro’s dream dissolved into formless speed and panic. Someone was trying to enter her mind while she was in trance.
The initial thrust met her shields . . .
Pain!
The probe was sharp and focused, a needle piercing down through her consciousness, seeking the answers she had so far withheld. And it had the power of the unity behind it.
She deflected the probe - but barely.
She became vaguely aware of her surroundings: she was lying on her back and there was an unpleasant pressure on her shoulders. She shut off all physical sensation and concentrated on fighting the invading presences.
They changed tack, spreading and diversifying their assault to batter at her shields.
Even as she bent all her strength to repelling the assault she realised they would not be trying this unless they truly believed she was free of any taint. What a small mercy that would be, if they broke her now.
What if she were to let them in? The pain would stop, and they might still forgive her, let her back into their world—
She recognised this second, more insidious attack for what it was. They were working on two levels now, trying to undermine her deepest barriers while infecting her surface thoughts with a creeping empathic malaise. Whoever was spearheading the more subtle attack had already got some way into her head.
Clearly, and without letting her deep shields waver, she thought back at them:
The surface presence withdrew, but the main assault continued. She had lost all bodily awareness now, all sense of time, almost all sense of self. She was living defiance and keeping them out was all that mattered.
It became a test of endurance. She was just one individual. They were the unity. In the end, her shields would crumble, and they would win.
And when they did, it wouldn’t be just her who was doomed.
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