Shades of Gray (111 page)

Inside the house, there was no earth to use as an energy source, so calling on Carrie to help, he began to visualize the features in front of him as his own.

There was less for him to alter in this change than in a full body one from Sholan to Prime. Instead, the changes were subtle; Nayash was a tad shorter, not quite so athletic in build, and his face was rounder.

How does that look?
he sent to Rezac when he’d completed it.

Rezac studied them both carefully.
Good,
he sent.
I wouldn’t be able to tell you apart from looks alone.

Cheelar handed him a glass of water taken from the night table by the bed. He drank it gratefully.

“Wake him, please,” he whispered, handing the glass back.

A couple of slaps to the face and Nayash’s eyes flew open. Struggling against the bonds, he took one look at Kusac and tried to yell for help before realizing his mouth was taped shut.

Kusac seized control of his mind again, rendering him still and speechless, and began probing, this time for all that made Nayash an individual, all his memories, all his hopes and allegiances—everything.

The youth sat there as if frozen, his face paling as Kusac meticulously worked his way through every thought pattern he could find, absorbing them into his own mind, making them his.

Pale and shaking himself, Kusac finally let Nayash go.“Gods, you are a piece of work,” he said, looking at the M’zullian in contempt. “You’re only twenty, and you’ve backstabbed and lied your way to Lieutenant Commander on your ship already. It’s going to be a pleasure to replace you. Oh, and you’re going to have an epiphany because of your father’s funeral. From now on, you’re going to deal honorably with your men!”

He laid his hand against the youth’s chest, feeling the beating of his heart, then sent a short surge of energy through it. Nayash stiffened, his eyes rolling back in his head before he slumped against Cheelar and Rezac.

“Get a sheet or a large towel and lay him on it,” Kusac said tiredly.

“He’s dead?” asked Cheelar, looking from him to their prisoner.

“Yes,” said Rezac shortly, letting the dead youth go and heading for the en suite bathroom to fetch a large towel.

“Call the others in,” said Kusac. “We can base ourselves here for the time being. There are walk-in closets large enough for us to hide in until I can get some of you officially installed here.”

“What about the body? In this heat, he’ll get ripe very quickly, and there’s nowhere we can really bury him safely.”

“We’ll bury him on the island. Go get the others,” he repeated, lying back on the bed.

When Rezac returned with the towel, the others had come in and fanned out to explore the room, finding the closets on either side of the bathroom.

Kusac sat up as Rezac and Cheelar placed the body on the spread out towel. “He was digging up plants, so with any luck, there should be some holes deep enough.”

“Leave it to us,” said Cheelar, gesturing to M’yikku to help him.

“Take J’korrash. She can sense if the guards are coming,” said Kusac, beginning to unseal his chameleon suit. “I need to get out of this and into his clothes.”

“You need food badly. Any chance you can get some sent up here?” asked Carrie. “I think we’re all ready for something real to eat.”

He laughed gently as he stood up and stripped off the suit. “Yeah, I could do with something to eat. I feel sick and shaky right now.”

You only did what you had to do,
she sent. “I’ll go get you something of his to wear. What did he have on?”

“Shorts and a T-shirt,” said Kusac, sitting down on the bed again.

Carrie reached out to squeeze his shoulder. “You’ll be glad to know your tattoo is gone,” she said softly.

“Really?” he asked, looking down at his bare chest, then feeling it to be sure. “I can feel it, but only just,” he said.” I was worried how I was going to cope with it.”

“I’ll go get a shirt and shorts,” she said, going over to the dresser by the bed and opening drawers. Moments later she came back with them.

Cheelar and M’yikku were gone about half an hour, but J’korrash kept them up to date with a running commentary. There had indeed been a hole deep enough for the body, and they’d been able to bury it easily there.

“I’ll try to do something more permanent with it tomorrow,” he said when they returned.

“Someone’s coming,” said Rezac suddenly, grabbing J’korrash. “An aircar, landing outside!”

They scattered to the closets, taking Kusac’s gear with them, leaving him standing alone in the bedroom.

It’s an Inquisitor,
sent Rezac as they heard the doorbell sound.

“Crap!” muttered Kusac, diving into the bed and throwing the covers over himself. At this time of night, an Inquisitor could only be here because K’hedduk had sent him. He prayed that his experiences on Keiss would help him keep his act together long enough to not make the Inquisitor suspicious.

Trying to relax, he began to access all the memories he’d taken from Nayash. How did he view Inquisitors? Did they intimidate him? Did he have anything to hide? Was he even perhaps in league with them? All these questions and more were tumbling through his mind, preventing him from concentrating on actually being Shuzak Nayash.

A tapping sounded at his door, and his name was called out in a low voice.

“Enter,” he said, sitting up.

The door opened and his steward stood there nervously in a dressing gown. “Lord Nayash, it’s Inquisitor Ziosh. He’s in the study.”

“Thank you, Laazif,” he said, getting up. “When he’s gone, bring some sandwiches and shokka up here. I can’t sleep. Perhaps a snack will help.”

“Yes, sir, of course.”

Trying to collect his scattered thoughts, Kusac grabbed the robe thrust out of the closet at him by Carrie and made his way downstairs to the study. He knew Nayash had a problem with authority and an overinflated view of his own abilities as a leader, but how did he relate to the Inquisitors? Did he know this Inquisitor Ziosh?

As he entered the room and the carmine-robed Inquisitor turned around, he suddenly knew this was K’hedduk’s High Priest—and head of the Order on M’zull.

His heart began to beat faster even though he knew that his team was only a thought away.

“Inquisitor Ziosh,” he said, walking over to the desk to lean negligently against it. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your late visit?”

Ziosh regarded him for a moment, and then removed his hands from where they were tucked into his wide sleeves. “Congratulations on your inheritance, Lord Nayash. His Majesty hopes you will find your new status more to your liking.”

Kusac blinked, surprised, and hastily searched for anything in Nayash’s memories to give him a clue as to what Ziosh was inferring. There was nothing.

“Thank you, but I’m afraid I don’t follow your . . .”

“It’s well known,” interrupted Ziosh, “how little in common you and your father had, especially after his latest marriage. His Majesty bade me inform you that he will look after your former stepmother and that you need not concern yourself over her.”

“I have no doubt of that,” he said dryly. He did know that Nayash had wanted the female for himself. “As the head of the house, that was my responsibility.”

“You were on deployment at the time. The need to act quickly lest one of your rivals took her for himself was paramount,” said Ziosh smoothly.

Nayash would not let this go unchallenged.

“I see. And should I wish to take on the responsibilities of a dutiful stepson?” He arched an eye ridge.

“Unnecessary. His Majesty provides for all his subjects.”

“But it is my duty.”

Ziosh moved closer, his robes making a slight susurration as they brushed across the polished wooden floor. “Then I would, regrettably, be forced to look more closely at certain—irregularities in your past. And that brings me to the purpose of my visit. Your father’s funeral.”

Kusac straightened up, looking uncomfortable. “Ah, yes. The pillar of flame.”

“Indeed. Do you have any knowledge of what caused it?”

“Knowledge, no. I was as shocked as anyone when it appeared. I sent my guards down to search for clues, then workers to bury what was left of my father and his coffin. Some officials from Palace Security have already been to inspect the scene.”

“What did they find?”

“Nothing beyond his charred remains.”

Ziosh moved closer still, till he stood almost toe-to-toe with Kusac. “Sabotage!” he hissed.

“Excuse me?” He assumed a puzzled expression.

“It was an act of sabotage, maybe even an assassination attempt against His Majesty! If affairs of state hadn’t demanded his attention, I fear he would be lying dead, along with your father, in that blasted hole!”

He dropped the nonchalant pose, suddenly extremely concerned. “You can’t think I would want to assassinate the Emperor, or sabotage my father’s funeral?”

“That is indeed the question. I would hate to think your enmity for your father would allow you to commit such a blasphemous act,” said Ziosh, taking a step back. “You know the penalty for blasphemy and attempted regicide?”

“Why would I risk everything by committing such a crime?” he demanded. “I now own everything I wished for!”

Ziosh let a small silence fall. “Apart from your stepmother.” His voice fell like pebbles in a still pool.

Kusac hurriedly raised his hand to touch his heart then his lips in the age-old sign of obeisance to the Emperor. “From my heart to my words, may the Emperor live forever! He protects her now, you have reassured me of that. My duty as a son is fulfilled.” He forced his mind to stillness, then gently opened it, hoping to pick up at least the surface thoughts of the priest.

Ziosh studied him carefully before nodding his head, once, slowly. “Indeed. To burn your father’s body would be to condemn his soul to the eternal fires and prevent him from taking his rightful place at the feet of the Emperor.”

“If he has a soul.” The words were said before Kusac could stop them.

The High Priest’s mood changed abruptly, and he chuckled. “As you say, the late Lord Nayash was not known for his piety. I trust you will remember your duties to the Holy Church,” he said, folding his hands once again inside the sleeves of his robe and turning away. “I will send Church soldiers tomorrow to collect your father’s remains for examination. I want to know what caused that pillar of fire. Good night, Nayash. I’m glad we had this little chat. I will see myself out.”

Kusac mumbled a good-bye, leaning back in relief as he watched the carmine-robed priest stride out of the room. He sent a brief reassuring thought to a frantic Carrie and Kaid, letting them know all was well.

What the hell had the younger Nayash been up to, or was this just Ziosh’s attempt to assert his power over the new lord? He examined what little he’d managed to pick up from the Inquisitor—Ziosh had been the power behind the throne on M’zull, ruling through K’hedduk’s brother. Had he been able to muster the support, K’hedduk would not be ruling here today. Now he was building his own power base, and he was looking to Nayash to be part of it. He groaned, quickly stifling it as his steward returned.

“Shall I bring the food to your room, sir?” Laazif asked.

Kusac stirred and looked over at him. “Yes. Bring it now,” he said, pushing himself away from the desk. “And make that a large pot of shokka!” he added, heading back upstairs.

 

Laazif placed the large tray of sandwiches and the insulated jug of shokka on the desk near the door. “Will there be anything else, sir?” he asked, edging backward toward the door.

“No. You may retire for the night,” said Kusac, waving him away as he got to his feet and headed for the food like a starveling.

As you said, what a piece of work that Nayash was,
sent Carrie, cautiously emerging from the closet.
Even the staff was terrified of him!

Only one mug?
sent Rezac plaintively as they all silently emerged and clustered around the food.

I could hardly ask for more,
sent Kusac, pouring a generous amount into the bowl then taking a large gulp before handing it to Carrie.

J’korrash waved a plastic beaker at them and grabbed for the shokka.
From the bathroom,
she sent.
You just need to be inventive, Rezac.

Grabbing several sandwiches, Kusac headed back to the bed and sat down, taking the time to mentally answer all Kaid’s anxious questions while he ate, and update him on what he’d learned from the Inquisitor.

“There’s a power play going on here,” he said very quietly to the others. “That was the Head Inquisitor. He manipulated the last Emperor and is displeased K’hedduk isn’t such an easy puppet. He’s looking to Nayash to support him against K’hedduk.”

“As Kaid says, we’ll have to get more intel on that,” said Carrie. “Was Nayash aware of all this?”

“No. I’ll need to get up to speed as soon as I can on the politics here. There’s nothing I can do right now.”

You’ll likely have one of K’hedduk’s people making an overture to you too,
sent Kaid.

There’s a comm unit here, Kusac,
sent J’korrash, still over at the desk.
And it’s linked into a network at the Palace. Have you the password? I’ll see what I can access from here.

Kusac sent it to her, widening their telepathic channel so all the telepaths could “hear” each other.

See if you can access your troop records,
sent Kaid.
Maybe J’korrash can hack into them and add in our people. Make it easier to have them assigned to you personally.

I can do that,
J’korrash replied, snatching the plastic beaker from her brother as she worked on the comm.
Interesting. You have lands on the mountains adjacent to the one where our base is. Several settlements and farms, one of them quite large.