Shades of Gray (101 page)

“You were gone, Kusac. We couldn’t sense your mind at all,” said Carrie, reaching out to wipe his face with a damp cloth.

“I don’t remember,” he said honestly, taking the cloth from her. Whatever had happened to him, the memory was gone. “I was probably just deeply asleep.”

“Do you remember anything?” asked Kaid. “When you returned, you were flailing like you were fighting someone or something.”

“I remember it had something to do with Vartra,” he said at last.

Kaid growled. “What’s He up to now?”

“No, not like that,” said Kusac, shaking his head. “It was something about Him, not something He did.”

“Are you all right now?” Kaid asked.

He nodded, reaching out again for the water. “I’m fine.”

“If you’re up for it, we’re having a planning session now, working out the best way to approach this. What we really need is some good intel, which means sending a team into the city.”

“What do we need to know?” he asked.

“How we can move among them without causing suspicion, for a start,” said Kaid. “If there are any civilians at all, we can pose as them; we’d be a lot safer. The military need to report into their units, be assigned quarters, things that would expose us too easily to pose as ordinary soldiers. Plus, we have no uniforms. We need disguises as well.”

“Rezac and I can find that out for you.”

“I want people out there actually seeing what it’s like, Kusac. Mentally knowing is one thing, experiencing it first-hand is another. We’re about ten miles from the city limits here, and about another ten from the center and the Palace. We also need at least one vehicle, not stolen if possible. We don’t even know if they own any personal property or if it is all military owned.”

“Point taken,” said Kusac, getting up. “However, let Rezac and me see what we can find out before we send a team in there. It’s a long way to walk.”

“Agreed,” said Kaid, backing out of the tent.

Kusac reached out to touch Carrie’s face, then handed her back the cloth. “I’m fine, really,” he said, smiling.

“Hm,” she said, obviously not convinced. “Remember what happened on Kij’ik, and don’t try to keep everything to yourself. We’re a team, remember?”

“How could I forget? I won’t keep things to myself, you have my word on that.”

In the room that housed Unity’s main physical interface, one restricted to the Elders, Khassis sat down abruptly on the cushion behind her as the Hunter disappeared.

“What have we created?” she asked, hands fluttering. “He escaped the force field as easily as if it were made of gossamer!”

“He did more,” said Annuur, also sitting down. “He left us! Returned to his body before we were finished with him! Now the Isolationists’ folly is exposed, to Unity and us. Alienated him they have with their personal agendas and machinations.”

“If we release this transcript,” said Khassis, shuddering. “His reckoning could destroy us all.”

Annuur made a negative sound. “Mindless, he is not. Reasoning brought him this far. It will bring truth to him also.”

“Nanites must be delivered to matter transformer now,” said Khassis. “Takes time to manufacture and program those we need from control ones he carries. Naacha did alter the first ones, did he not? That Giyarishis put there?”

He bobbed his head in assent. “Matter transformer destruct when enough constructed to replicate on own. While it follows our program, will not accept Sand-dweller commands. Is safe from moment Hunter programs it by releasing his nanites.”

“You will take him?” she asked.

“Must. He needs to trust us at least, or all are at risk here. Lweeu breeding—infants we have soon,” he added with obvious pride. “More reasons to risk aiding him.”

Khassis put her head on one side, eyes swirling. “You have sired young?”

Annuur’s snout wrinkled in a grin. “This enforced break good time for family matters. All sept wished it. You first to know.”

She inclined her head. “Offspring always a blessing,” she said. “Honored to be first told.”

Annuur spread his spatulate hoofed hands. “Early days yet.”

“How will you help the Hunter?” she asked, returning to the business at hand.

“Has been here now. Unity can lock onto him again, take me there. He has been to cavern. With translocator, I send him. He return same way.”

“None of your kind there. You draw attention to yourself and Hunter,” she objected.

“I go to their cave only. Talk to him, give translocator.”

“May attack you again.”

“Not going there physically. Hunter does not scare me,” he said. “I have some four hours to wait before their night. I go then, when he sleeps.”

It had been decided that Cheelar and M’yikku would leave that night for the city and do some basic intel gathering. Also on their agenda was getting hold of some uniforms they could use, and possibly transport. A route had been plotted for them, and basic maps drawn that would bring them out into the open only a mile from the outer limits of the city, near some farmhouses. The snowline extended only for a few miles in that direction, then became a kind of tundra through which they could travel more rapidly. They’d soon reach the more temperate chaparral zone and could remove their winter clothing.

They would be wearing civilian clothes, passing as farmers or land workers. They’d carry their communicators and call in every four hours. If it looked as though they were going to be apprehended, they’d set off a signal concealed in a small homing device in their boots and destroy the comms.

Both carried small packs into which they would put their winter gear to make it easier to conceal. For currency, they’d have a handful of the coins they’d found on the soldiers on Ch’almuth.

Everyone turned in early to conserve the power. The guard on duty would wake Cheelar and M’yikku several hours before dawn.

Still in his Valtegan form, curled around Carrie, Kusac had fallen asleep almost at once. He’d only been sleeping for a couple of hours when he woke suddenly. He lay there for a while, staring at the inside of the tent; then, unable to quiet the restlessness that filled him, he slipped out of their sleeping bags and pulled on his clothes, remembering to shove his pistol into its holster on his belt. Picking up his jacket at the entrance, he crawled out into the cave and made his way over to the central area.

They’d left a few low-level emergency lights on, so he was able to see the jug of maush sitting by the stove. It was icy cold, but he poured himself a cup anyway. Checking his wrist comm, he saw it was still another two hours before Cheelar and M’yikku were due to leave. Deciding to see who was on sentry duty, he’d strolled through the force field into the smaller chamber when he heard the noise.

He stopped dead, cursing inwardly at the poor eyesight he had in his Valtegan body, and slowly pulling out his pistol, he waited. The noise came again, off to his right. Silently, he turned around to face it.

I said I come to you,
said Annuur’s voice in his mind. Just as he realized he could smell no scent, the Cabbaran came trotting quietly toward him.

“You again!”

“That you, Captain?” Noolgoi called out from the cave entrance.

Annuur reared up on his haunches, gesturing for silence.

“Yes,” said Kusac, gun trained on the Cabbaran. “Couldn’t sleep. Nothing to worry about.”

“Aye, sir.”

How the hell did you get here?
he demanded.

Not important,
sent Annuur.
No need for gun. I come to send you to cavern.

Can’t talk here. Later,
sent the Cabbaran, slowly coming closer.

Stay right where you are
, warned Kusac.

A sense of déjà vu swept over him, and he began to remember the confrontation of a few hours earlier.
We’ve had this conversation before,
he said as Annuur took advantage of his distraction to move closer again.

Yes. You want war with M’zull? Then leave and go back to bed,
the Cabbaran sent disdainfully.
You want to stop war then you go to cavern.

Kusac stared at him, letting the barrel of his gun drop.
You’re not here, are you? You’re a dream.

Stronger than we anticipated, are you,
agreed Annuur.
Enough talk. Time to go to cavern.

Holstering his gun, Kusac turned away, still keeping an eye on him, and took a drink of the cold maush.
Forget it, I’m going nowhere for you or your stick-insect friends!

With an exasperated sound, Annuur knocked the cup from his hand and grasped him by the wrist, forcing a small object into his hand.
You will go, Hunter!

His mind reeled, filling with Annuur’s imperative. He knew he had to go to the cavern, and he knew what he had to do when he got there. Then suddenly, space wrenched and distorted, bending around him, sucking him into blackness.

Zhalmo had slept off and on for most of the day, and now she was awake and filled with a restlessness she couldn’t explain. Shadows of what could be nightmares seemed to pursue her, and she needed to be alone. Awake or asleep, since she’d boarded the
Couana,
Na’qui or her sisters had been at her side.

Grabbing her uniform, she padded silently to the small internal bathroom and shut the door. Putting the light on, she examined her body to find out why there were so many tender spots on it. Here and there she could see what looked like thin scars, and on her arms were a few patches of yellow, tender skin—bruises not quite healed. There were more of the scars around her wrists. Where had they come from? She knew they hadn’t been there before. Were they marks from being bound when she was a prisoner? She couldn’t remember. Finally she gave up trying to figure it out and got dressed.

Slipping quietly out of the bathroom on bare feet, she padded to the door, opening it only enough to let her leave the room. In the corridor, she made her way to the rec room, sure there would be no one there at this late hour.

She stopped dead in the doorway and tried to back away without disturbing Zsurtul.

The young King looked up instantly and half rose from the sofa on which he was sitting.

“Don’t go on my account,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep either.”

She hesitated.

“Please, join me,” he said, gesturing. “I don’t like sitting here alone. Besides, I’m losing this game of cards.”